Association of Performing Arts Professionals
The Association of Performing Arts Professionals (APAP) is a Washington, DC-based public charity and national service, advocacy, and membership organization for the live performing arts field. Formed in 1957, it supports the performing arts presenting, booking, and touring industry and the professionals who work in it.
Association of Performing Arts Professionals at a glance
- Total assets
- $4,750,734
- -13.0% vs 2024
- Revenue (2025)
- $3,251,613
- -7.9% vs 2024
- Net investment income (2025)
- $84,182
- +14.6% vs 2024
- Expenses (2025)
- $3,675,753
- -2.9% vs 2024
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Association of Performing Arts Professionals
- Contact
Mailing address: 919 18Th Street Nw 650, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 833-2787
Website: https://apap365.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Association of Performing Arts Professionals
Who Association of Performing Arts Professionals funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Grant Size Distribution
46 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 27 grants of 46 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
ArtsForward was limited to U.S.-based APAP presenter members. The 2022 recipients listed included organizations in Colorado, Alabama, North Carolina, Michigan, New York, Alaska, and California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
How Association of Performing Arts Professionals gives
- Giving grew 8136% from 2019 to 2022. Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990 filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2022, annual grant giving ranged from $1K (2021) to $2.0M (2022). In 2022 it made 46 grants totaling $2.0M.
Hatched bars: grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama Dance Council Inc Birmingham, AL | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| American Dance Festival Inc Durham, NC | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Americas Society Inc New York, NY | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (Access) Dearborn, MI | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Danspace Project Inc New York, NY | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Dance Place Washington, DC | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Fairbanks Concert Association Fairbanks, AK | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Grand Performances Los Angeles, CA | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Japan Society Inc New York, NY | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
| Links Hall Incorporated Chicago, IL | Support presenting & touring field's safe equitable reopening & recovery | $50,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,750,734 | $3,251,613 | $3,675,753 | — | — | $84,182 |
| 2024 | $5,458,618 | $3,530,938 | $3,784,662 | — | — | $73,429 |
| 2023 | $5,996,329 | $3,310,873 | $3,438,913 | — | — | $40,739 |
| 2022 | $6,114,148 | $5,520,390 | $4,850,897 | $2,015,000 | 46 | $60,876 |
| 2021 | $3,649,777 | $1,953,774 | $2,062,561 | $1,100 | Total only | $63,508 |
| 2020 | $3,525,998 | $4,180,317 | $4,092,133 | $32,680 | 4 | $96,715 |
| 2019 | $3,657,882 | $3,779,791 | $4,319,373 | $24,465 | 3 | $49,161 |
"Total only": grants paid as reported on the IRS filing, which lists no individual grants for that year.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
APAP’s stated mission is to develop and support a robust performing arts presenting, booking, and touring field and the professionals who work in it. Its strategic priorities are strengthening field engagement, increasing year-round professional development programs, and exploring new business models.
APAP’s 2022 ArtsForward grants supported U.S.-based APAP presenter members partnering with artists or ensembles. The recipients included organizations with varied missions. For example, the Cortez Cultural Center describes its mission as enriching community life through cultural awareness, arts, and education about local history, diversity, and the natural environment. The Alabama Dance Council describes itself as a statewide network supporting people who make, teach, share, and experience dance. Grand Performances describes its mission as uniting Los Angeles through free access to global performing arts.
Grantmaking
In 2022, APAP awarded $2.065 million through ArtsForward, distributing 47 grants of $35,000 or $50,000 to presenting organizations working with artists or ensembles. The program prioritized small and mid-sized presenting organizations with operating budgets under $5 million. Recipients included Cortez Center Inc. in Cortez, Colorado; Alabama Dance Council in Birmingham, Alabama; American Dance Festival Inc. in Durham, North Carolina; and Grand Performances in Los Angeles, California, each receiving $50,000.
ArtsForward’s application guidelines required a joint application from a presenter and artist or ensemble, at least 50% of funds to go toward artist compensation and expenses, an engagement with in-person live performance activity, and a commitment to equitable, phased artist payments. The guidelines set a November 15, 2021 deadline for that past cycle; funds were to be distributed in early 2022 for projects during the remainder of 2022.
APAP also described 5 Minutes to Shine as a storytelling opportunity connected to its APAP|NYC conference, with a $750 honorarium and story-development support for selected participants. Its featured presentation was scheduled for January 9–13, 2026, so that opportunity is past; it was not described as a grant program for outside applicants.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Chris Heacox as chair; Beth MacMillan and Alicia Adams as vice chairs; Francine Sheffield as secretary; and Amy Lam as treasurer. Directors listed are Aisha Ahmad-Post, Mercedes Caxaj, Shane Fernando, Jamie Grant, and Chris Harrington.
Association of Performing Arts Professionals is led by Lisa Richards, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; 4 of 28 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Lisa Richards
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$210K (2023) → $227K (2025)
Chris Heacox
Chair
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Krista Bradley
Director, Programs & Resources
Director, Programs & Resources → Director, Programs & Resou, 2022
Director, Programs & Resou → Director, Programs & Resources, 2023
On filings since 2019
40 hrs/week
$119K (2019) → $118K (2025)
Niiyo Narnor-Madison
Director of Operations & Events
Director & Conference → Director of Operations & Events, 2023
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$36K (2020) → $126K (2025)
Pamela Spears
Director & Development
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$135K (2025)
Jamie Grant
Director
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Renae Williams Niles
Director
Board Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beatrice Thomas
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Cristina Vazquez
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Chris Harrington
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jill Robinson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aisha Ahmad-Post
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Jacob Yarrow
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Zion
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lane Harwell
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Maria Lopez De Leon
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mercedes Caxaj
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Stephanie McKee-Anderson
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ally Haynes-Hamblen
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aparna Ramaswamy
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark Wilson
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Rika Iino
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shane Fernando
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shelley Quiala
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alicia Adams
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Beth Macmillan
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Francine Sheffield
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Lam
Treasurer
Director → Treasurer, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (26)
- Former: Christopher Heacox (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Daniel Bernard Roumain (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Eddie Cota (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Karen A. Fischer (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Lulani Arquette (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: Michael Reed (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: Anna Glass (2021–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Tobias Tumarkin (2023–2024) — Director
- Former: Jenny Thomas (2019–2023) — Director, Marketing & Comms
- Former: Jean Cook (2019–2022) — Secretary
- Former: Kendra Whitlock Ingram (2019–2022) — Treasurer
- Former: Murielle Borst Tarrant (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Toby Tumarkin (2019–2022) — Director
- Former: Lisa Richards-Toney (2021–2022) — President & CEO
- Former: Stephanie McKee (2021–2022) — Director
- Former: Gwethalyn Bronner (2019–2020) — Secretary
- Former: Jennifer Johnson (2019–2020) — Treasurer
- Former: Laura Colby (2019–2020) — Vice Chair
- Former: Margaret Stevens (2019–2020) — Director & Executive Affair
- Former: Mario Garcia Durham (2019–2020) — President & CEO
- Former: Susan Noseworthy (2019–2020) — Director & Membership
- Former: Theresa Bennett (2020) — Director, Finance & Operations
- Former: Dianne Brace (2019) — Director
- Former: Malinda Lambert (2019) — Director, Finance & Operations
- Former: Megan Redmond (2019) — Director & Conference
- Former: Todd Wetzel (2019) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $227K, to Lisa Richards (President & CEO). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Association of Performing Arts Professionals
How large is Association of Performing Arts Professionals?
Association of Performing Arts Professionals reported $4.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.3M.
What does Association of Performing Arts Professionals fund?
APAP’s stated mission is to develop and support a robust performing arts presenting, booking, and touring field and the professionals who work in it. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Association of Performing Arts Professionals?
Association of Performing Arts Professionals has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check apap365.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
Where does Association of Performing Arts Professionals make grants?
ArtsForward was limited to U.S.-based APAP presenter members. The 2022 recipients listed included organizations in Colorado, Alabama, North Carolina, Michigan, New York, Alaska, and California.
What is Association of Performing Arts Professionals's EIN?
Association of Performing Arts Professionals's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 39-1131995. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(6)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS July 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Association of Performing Arts Professionals funds
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Association of Performing Arts Professionals down — hundreds of funders to go?