The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc is a New York, New York private foundation that supports theatre. Created by Lucille Lortel, it aims to foster excellence and diversity in theatre, preserve Off-Broadway’s history, and support its continued prosperity.
Key facts about The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc
In short: The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc gave $4.0M across 85 grants in 2025 (avg $47K), mostly in New York. 2% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990-PF.
- EIN
- 13-3036521
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $4,024,320
- Grants made (2025)
- 85
- Average grant
- $47,345
- Median grant
- $5,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 2% first-time grantees (2 of 85, 2025)
- Total assets
- $11,688,343
- Primary geography
- New York (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Accepts unsolicited proposals
- No
- How to apply
- The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$11.7M
-20.5% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.0M
+45.4% YoY
Grant Count
85
-1.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$47K
+47.1% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.4M for 2025 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Is The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc open to new grantees?
2%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 2 of 85 grantees (2%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $3K; repeat grants $48K. How we count
Medians: $3K first-time, $5K repeat.
- 94% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving grew 87% from 2022 to 2025. Method
- In 2025 it paid out 313% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2021–2025). 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
The Foundation’s stated mission is to foster excellence and diversity in theatre, preserve the rich history of Off-Broadway, and support its continued prosperity.
Its 2025 grants included support for theatre operations, new-play development, and musical-theatre programming. Examples of supported organizations describe their work in their own terms: New York Stage and Film says it develops and produces new theatre and film with emerging and established artists; Ma-Yi Filipino Theatre Ensemble says it develops and produces new plays by Asian American writers; and Westport Country Playhouse says it enriches, enlightens, and engages its community through professionally produced theatre.
The Foundation’s EDIA statement says it will request demographic information from grant recipients, including information about age, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation, and race.
Grantmaking
The Foundation awarded 85 grants totaling $4,024,320 in 2025. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $3,488,320, with a median grant of $5,000. The largest award was $3,488,320 to Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation for operations and the Lortel Awards. Other 2025 grants included $60,000 to Eugene O’Neill Theatre for unrestricted charitable purposes, $25,000 to Westport Country Playhouse for its White Barn Program, and $15,000 each to Hartford Stage Company and Long Wharf Theatre for new-play development.
How to Apply
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. For its General Operating Support Program, only companies that receive a request for proposal are eligible. The Foundation’s website says companies outside New York City are ineligible for this program.
Ready to take the next step with The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
In 2025, 98% of grant dollars went to recipients in New York and 2% to recipients in Connecticut. The Foundation’s website limits eligibility for its General Operating Support Program to companies in New York City; its 2025 grants also included Connecticut recipients.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 85 itemized grants.
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.6M (2021) to $9.3M (2023). In 2025 it made 85 grants totaling $4.0M.
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation ($3.5M). Together the top 10 received $3.7M.
Grant Size Distribution
425 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 415 grants of 425 (98%).
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation New York, NY | Support Operations & Lortel Awards | $3,488,320 |
| Eugene O'Neill Theatre New York, NY | Unrestrictedcharitable Purposes | $60,000 |
| Senior Musicians Association New York, NY | Senior Musicians Concert | $56,000 |
| Westport Country Playhouse Westport, CT | White Barn Program | $25,000 |
| Bard College Annandaleonhudson, NY | Unrestricted Charitable Purposes | $15,000 |
| Goodspeed Opera House Foundation East Haddam, CT | Michael Price Endowment Fund | $15,000 |
| Graduate Center Foundation New York, NY | Prelude 2021 | $15,000 |
| Hartford Stage Company Hartford, CT | New Play Development Program | $15,000 |
| Long Wharf Theatre New Haven, CT | New Play Development Program | $15,000 |
| New York Stage and Film New York, NY | Now Program | $10,000 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Grant total | Number of grants |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $4,024,320 | 85 |
| 2024 | $2,767,471 | 86 |
| 2023 | $9,313,951 | 86 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $11,688,343 | $14,694,081 | $14,179,548 |
| Revenue | $1,048,369 | $3,970,922 | $2,041,790 |
| Expenses | $4,571,014 | $3,456,312 | $10,171,889 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $4,375,769 | $3,139,407 | $9,805,196 |
| Net Investment Income | $853,670 | $3,654,799 | $1,676,120 |
| Distributable Amount | $1,396,369 | $1,222,678 | $1,587,368 |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS July 22, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS April 23, 2026)
- Updated Form 990-PF for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2025
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Michael Hecht as president, George Forbes as vice president, Matthew Clarke as treasurer, and Ira Gilbert as secretary.
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc is led by Michael Hecht, President since 2023 (on filings since 2021); 1 of 4 officers listed in 2025 is compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Michael Hecht
President
President & Board Chairman → President, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
George Forbes
Vice President
Vice President & Executive Director → Vice President, 2023
On filings since 2021
30 hrs/week
$122K (2021) → $165K (2025)
Matthew Clarke
Treasurer
Treasurer & Director → Treasurer, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
$8K (2021) → $0 (2025)
Ira Gilbert
Secretary
Secretary & Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2021
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2025. "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 $165K, to George Forbes (Vice President).
Contact
Mailing address: 134 West 18Th Street, New York, NY 10011
Phone: (212) 402-8241
Website: https://lortel.org
Frequently asked questions about The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc
How much does The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc give each year?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc gave $4.0M across 85 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2024 it gave $2.8M across 86 grants.
What is The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's median grant in 2025 was $5,000, and its average grant was $47,345, across 85 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc that year got $3K on average.
Where does The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc give grants?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc gives mostly in New York: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were New York, NY (72 grants), Brooklyn, NY (4 grants) and New Haven, CT (2 grants).
Does The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Yes: 78% of The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (66 of 85) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Recurring purposes include "Unrestrictedcharitable Purposes" (9 grants).
Who are The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Lucille Lortel Theatre Foundation ($3,488,320), Eugene O'Neill Theatre ($60,000) and Senior Musicians Association ($56,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. Together they received 90% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc reported $11.7M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $4.4M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.4M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to foster excellence and diversity in theatre, preserve the rich history of Off-Broadway, and support its continued prosperity. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc?
The Foundation does not accept unsolicited requests for funds. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's EIN?
The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 13-3036521. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2025.
Does The Lucille Lortel Foundation Inc accept unsolicited proposals?
No, according to Grantable's research on the foundation's published guidelines. See how to apply ↑
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
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