Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund is a private foundation, based in West Hartford, CT. IRS filing data is available from 2019 through 2025. As of 2025, the organization holds $1.1M in total assets. In 2025, it awarded 9 grants totaling $365K. Net investment income was $125K.
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund at a glance
In short: Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund gave $365K across 9 grants in 2025 (avg $41K), mostly in New York. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $365,000
- +386.7% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 9
- +350.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $40,556
- +8.1% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $50,000
- Total assets
- $1,142,099
- -17.4% vs 2024
- Primary geography
- New York (93% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026.
Who Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 6 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Playwrights Horizons ($100K across 2 grants). Together the top 6 received $365K.
Grant Size Distribution
17 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 9 grants of 17 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 9 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund gives
- Giving grew 143% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 422% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
From the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $75K (2024) to $365K (2025). In 2025 it made 9 grants totaling $365K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Playwrights Horizons New York, NY | Playwrights horizons inc is dedicated to inspiring, supporting, producing, and sharing the art of playwriting. | $50,000 |
| Playwrights Horizons New York, NY | Playwrights horizons inc is dedicated to inspiring, supporting, producing, and sharing the art of playwriting. | $50,000 |
| Signature Theatre Company New York, NY | Signature theatre offers a deep dive into a playwright's body of work for theatregoers seeking intimate human connection and extraordinary cultural experiences. | $50,000 |
| Primary Stages Company New York, NY | Dedicated to inspiring, supporting, producing, and sharing the art of playwriting | $50,000 |
| Signature Theatre Company New York, NY | Signature theatre offers a deep dive into a playwright's body of work for theatregoers seeking intimate human connection and extraordinary cultural experiences. | $50,000 |
| Primary Stages Company New York, NY | Dedicated to inspiring, supporting, producing, and sharing the art of playwriting | $50,000 |
| Flea Theatre Playwrights New York, NY | To support playwrights creating new work in the New York city area to include support for workshops or productions of new plays. | $25,000 |
| Producer Hub Princeton, NJ | To provide independent artists and producers at all levels with the community, mentorship, education, and resources needed to create work, reach their full potential, and make lasting contributions to the performing arts field | $25,000 |
| Keen Company New York, NY | Keen company is a drama desk and obie award-winning off-broadway company creating intimate theater that celebrates the complexities of hope and the joys of the human condition. | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,142,099 | $133,502 | $375,444 | $365,000 | 9 | $365,000 | $124,553 | $86,421 |
| 2024 | $1,382,566 | $58,435 | $86,853 | $75,000 | 2 | $75,000 | $53,029 | $89,569 |
| 2023 | $1,404,535 | $26,360 | $186,335 | $175,000 | 3 | $175,000 | $45,714 | $89,833 |
| 2022 | $1,748,030 | $40,533 | $163,886 | $150,000 | 2 | $150,000 | $40,533 | $101,417 |
| 2021 | $1,755,325 | $175,432 | $171,316 | $150,000 | 1 | $150,000 | $184,835 | $100,202 |
| 2020 | $1,751,209 | $80,026 | $129,308 | $100,000 | 1 | — | $67,339 | $91,064 |
| 2019 | $1,800,491 | $206,959 | $119,212 | $100,000 | 1 | — | $308,755 | $83,792 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund reported a distributable amount of $86K for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's 2025 filing lists 3 officers; none of the 3 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Albert R. Gurney Jr.
Grantor & Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Evelyn R. Gurney
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
George G. Gurney
Trustee
On filings since 2019
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
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.
Frequently asked questions about Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund
How much does Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund give each year?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund gave $365K across 9 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $75K across 2 grants.
What is Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's typical grant size?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's median grant in 2025 was $50,000, and its average grant was $40,556, across 9 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund give grants?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund gives mostly in New York: 93% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The next largest state was New Jersey (7%). The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (8 grants).
Does Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 9 grants with a stated purpose on Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's 2025 IRS Form 990-PF were described as general or operating support.
Who are Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's largest grantees?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Playwrights Horizons ($100,000 across 2 grants), Signature Theatre Company ($100,000 across 2 grants) and Primary Stages Company ($100,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 82% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund reported $1.1M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $365K in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $86K (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What is Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's EIN?
Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 35-7085924. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS April 24, 2020)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 13, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS June 23, 2021)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS August 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS June 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 24, 2024)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
Live grants for the work Flea Theatre Playwrights Fund funds
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