Billie Holiday Theatre Inc
The goal of the Billie Holiday Theatre is to provide audiences with complete and authentic portrayals of the experiences of people of African descent across the world. To provide artists of African descent pure and unapologetic artistic freedom. We do this by producing and presenting all forms of art, and by challenging unjust systems that would prevent artists, institutions, and communities full access to world-class arts, creative spaces, and resources.
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc at a glance
In short: Billie Holiday Theatre Inc gave $1.1M across 1 grant in 2025 (avg $1.1M), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,072,228
- Grants made (2025)
- 1
- Average grant
- $1,072,228
- Median grant
- $1,072,228
- Total assets
- $1,752,107
- -50.7% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Billie Holiday Theatre Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top recipient in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was The Black Seed ($1.1M).
Grant Size Distribution
7 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $1–5M range: 3 grants of 7 (43%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of the 2025 grant dollars on its one itemized grant.
States
Cities
How Billie Holiday Theatre Inc gives
- Giving grew 198% from 2022 to 2025. 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 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $359K (2022) to $4.8M (2021). In 2025 it made 1 grant totaling $1.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Black Seed Brooklyn, NY | Program Sponsorship | $1,072,228 |
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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 | $1,752,107 | $1,152,987 | $2,935,084 | $1,072,228 | 1 | — |
| 2024 | $3,557,263 | $1,322,355 | $2,789,335 | — | — | — |
| 2023 | $4,847,185 | $2,078,413 | $5,838,966 | $3,958,816 | 2 | $273 |
| 2022 | $8,498,562 | $4,732,438 | $1,384,632 | $359,280 | 2 | $242 |
| 2021 | $5,103,055 | $9,716,427 | $6,244,089 | $4,845,000 | 2 | $161 |
| 2020 | $1,731,773 | $1,954,965 | $1,075,824 | — | — | — |
About Billie Holiday Theatre Inc
Based on IRS filings
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Brooklyn, NY. IRS filing data is available from 2020 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.8M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 1 grant totaling $1.1M.
Focus Areas
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc is led by Shadawn Smith, Executive Director on every filing since 2023; none of the 11 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Shadawn Smith
Executive Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Durell Cooper
Chair
Vice Chair → Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Colvin Grannum
Director
Vice Chair → Director, 2022
On filings since 2020
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kerry McCarthy
Director
Director → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Wendell Pierce
Director
On filings since 2021
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Blondel Pinnock
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kibra A Yohannes
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Latoya Nelson Kamdang
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Rasu Jilani
Director
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Toni Yuille-William
Director
Board Chair → Director, 2025
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Taneshia Nash Laird
Treasurer
On filings since 2022
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (5)
- Former: Jelani Buckner (2021–2022) — Managing Director
- Former: Antonia Yuille Williams (2020–2021) — Treasurer
- Former: Deplesha McGruder (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Wayne Wilborne (2020–2021) — Chairman
- Former: Indira Etwaroo (2020) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Billie Holiday Theatre Inc
How much does Billie Holiday Theatre Inc give each year?
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc gave $1.1M across 1 grant in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990.
How large is Billie Holiday Theatre Inc?
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc reported $1.8M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.2M.
What is Billie Holiday Theatre Inc?
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc is a public charity focused on Arts, Culture & Humanities, based in Brooklyn, NY. It holds $1.8M in total assets as of 2025.
Where does Billie Holiday Theatre Inc operate?
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc has awarded grants in New York.
What is Billie Holiday Theatre Inc's EIN?
Billie Holiday Theatre Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 11-2336154. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 30, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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