Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne is a public charity based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It mobilizes resources to develop, coordinate, and support arts and culture in Northeast Indiana through grant administration, services for arts organizations, cultural planning, and support for arts facilities and venues.
Key facts about Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc
In short: Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc gave $166K across 19 grants in 2024 (avg $9K), mostly in Indiana. 26% of 2024 grantees were new. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 35-0992067
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024
- Annual giving (2024)
- $165,656
- Grants made (2024)
- 19
- Average grant
- $8,719
- Median grant
- $8,628
- New grantees (estimate)
- 26% first-time grantees (5 of 19, 2024)
- Total assets
- $51,428,954
- Primary geography
- Indiana (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$51.4M
+13.7% YoY
Annual Giving
$166K
+24.5% YoY
Grant Count
19
+35.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$9K
-8.2% YoY
Is Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc open to new grantees?
26%
first-time grantees, 2024
In 2024, 5 of 19 grantees (26%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $8K; repeat grants $9K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $10K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
Arts United’s mission is to mobilize resources to develop, coordinate, and support arts and culture, enhancing quality of life and economic vitality in Northeast Indiana. Its stated values include excellence and innovation; inclusion, diversity, equity, and access; stewardship of community assets; and alignment with economic and community development priorities.
The organization administers grants and provides support for arts and culture nonprofits. Its Regional Arts Council member grants support organizational excellence and sustainability, program innovation or expansion, and arts access. The 2024 Capacity Grant guidelines described eligible purposes including improving artistic or educational quality, developing audiences, strengthening fundraising, supporting staff or volunteers, and advancing inclusion, diversity, equity, or access. Other programs include Southeast Fort Wayne arts project grants and grants facilitated for the Indiana Arts Commission.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of grantees: Fort Wayne Children’s Choir says it teaches music literacy to children from diverse backgrounds through song and performance; Science Central describes itself as providing hands-on science education; and Fort Wayne Civic Theatre says it serves the community through live theatre. Other 2024 recipients include arts organizations focused on ballet, singing, dance, and youth theatre, as well as ARCH, whose mission is to advocate for historically and culturally significant places.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Arts United reported 19 grants totaling $165,656. Grant amounts ranged from $6,350 to $10,000, with a median of $8,628. These reported grants are distinct from the broader program activity described in the organization’s filing: Arts United said it administered three grant programs in 2024 that awarded 43 grants totaling $260,161, and facilitated 45 Indiana Arts Commission awards totaling $333,227.
Among its 2024 grants were $10,000 each to the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne for “Bicentennial Art,” and to FAME, Fort Wayne Ballet, Fort Wayne Children’s Choir, Fort Wayne Civic Theatre, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Heartland Sings, and Science Central for capacity grants. Other listed awards included $9,850 to ARCH, $8,628 to Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation, $8,500 to Fort Wayne Dance Collective, and $8,000 to Fort Wayne Youtheatre, each for a capacity grant.
The 2024 Capacity Grant guidelines limited eligibility to dues-paying members of the Regional Arts Council for the 2024–2025 program year, with additional requirements for prior-year recipients. The guidelines recommended requests of $5,000–$10,000 and described the program as competitive. The website also lists Indiana Arts Commission Arts Organization Support and Arts Project Support grants, Regional Arts Council Member Grants, and Community Connections: Southeast Arts Project Grants. For the 2025 Community Connections cycle, eligible applicants had to live or be physically located in southeast Fort Wayne; requests could be $500–$5,000 for arts and culture expenses. The application deadline for that cycle had passed, and review and award announcements were scheduled for May and late May 2025.
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Arts United’s mission and programs address Northeast Indiana. Its 2024 reported grants all went to recipients in Indiana. The Community Connections program is specifically for arts and culture projects in southeast Fort Wayne.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 19 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $133K (2023) to $1.2M (2021). In 2024 it made 19 grants totaling $166K.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Community Fdn of Greater Fort Wayne ($10K). Together the top 10 received $98K.
Grant Size Distribution
100 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 80 grants of 100 (80%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Community Fdn of Greater Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN | Bicentennial Art | $10,000 |
| Fame Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Fort Wayne Ballet Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Fort Wayne Children's Choir Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Fort Wayne Civic Theatre Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Fort Wayne Philharmonic Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Heartland Sings Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Science Central Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $10,000 |
| Arch Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $9,850 |
| Fort Wayne Parks & Recreation Fort Wayne, IN | Capacity Grant | $8,628 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $51,428,954 | $9,835,230 | $3,256,056 | $165,656 (19 grants) |
| 2023 | $45,246,056 | $21,463,070 | $5,772,094 | $133,033 (14 grants) |
| 2022 | $28,024,873 | $9,300,517 | $3,419,704 | $435,200 (33 grants) |
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $51,428,954 | $45,246,056 | $28,024,873 |
| Revenue | $9,835,230 | $21,463,070 | $9,300,517 |
| Expenses | $3,256,056 | $5,772,094 | $3,419,704 |
| Net Investment Income | $1,621,762 | $536,326 | $222,474 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 26, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 24, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 16, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 7, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Dan Ross as president; John Rogers as chair; Shenita Bolton as vice chair; Carmen Tse as secretary; and Jon Bomberger as treasurer. It also lists Karl Bandemer, Andrew Boxberger, Chris Cloud, Adrian Curry, and Megan Flohr as directors.
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc is led by Dan Ross, President on every filing since 2023; 1 of 30 officers listed in 2024 is compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Dan Ross
President
On filings since 2023
50 hrs/week
$109K (2023) → $126K (2024)
John Rogers
Chair
Director → Board Chair, 2021
Board Chair → Chair, 2022
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Andrew Boxberger
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Cloud
Director
Board Treasurer → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Director, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Leonard Helfrich
Director
Board Secretary → Director, 2021
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Megan Flohr
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Pam Holocher
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ryan Twiss
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ben Langel
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Dave Haist
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
David Storey
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rachel Tobin-Smith
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Raquel Kline
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Adrian Curry
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cory Miller
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Iric Headley
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Julie Inskeep
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Schenkel
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kendra Klink
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ringo Santiago
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Vince Green
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Deborah Garrison
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Karl Bandemer
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lori K. Morgan
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mayra Presley
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rob Slusser
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sudhakar Krishnan
Director
New on the 2024 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jon Bomberger
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shenita V. Bolton
Vice Chair
Board Secretary → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Vice Chair, 2024
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Carmen Tse
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (20)
- Former: Bart Shaw (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Ben Eisbart (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Jeanne Mirro (2019–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Nancy Townsend (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Susan Mendenhall (2019–2023) — Frmr President
- Former: Jan Wilhelm (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Honorable Lori K. Morgan (2023) — Director
- Former: Cindy Goodman (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Madelane Elston (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Nancy Stewart (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Thad Tegtmeyer (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Amy Hester (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Edmond O'Neal (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Kimberly Lyman (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Pamela Kelly MD (2019–2021) — Director
- Former: Doug Wood (2019–2020) — Board Chair
- Former: John Stafford (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Larry Rowland (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Ruth Stone (2019–2020) — Director
- Former: Andrew Krouse (2019) — Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $126K, to Dan Ross (President &).
Contact
Mailing address: 300 East Main Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46802
Phone: (260) 424-0646
Website: https://artsunited.org
Frequently asked questions about Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc
How much does Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc give each year?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc gave $166K across 19 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $133K across 14 grants.
What is Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's typical grant size?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's median grant in 2024 was $8,628, and its average grant was $8,719, across 19 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc that year got $8K on average.
Where does Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc give grants?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc gives mostly in Indiana: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Fort Wayne, IN (18 grants).
Does Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 19 grants with a stated purpose on Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Capacity Grant" (18 grants).
Who are Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's largest grantees?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Community Fdn of Greater Fort Wayne ($10,000), Fame ($10,000) and Fort Wayne Ballet ($10,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 18% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc reported $51.4M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $9.8M.
What does Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc fund?
Arts United’s mission is to mobilize resources to develop, coordinate, and support arts and culture, enhancing quality of life and economic vitality in Northeast Indiana. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check artsunited.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's EIN?
Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-0992067. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Arts United of Greater Fort Wayne Inc by hand.
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