Theater League Inc
Theater League Inc is a not-for-profit civic performing arts organization based in Kansas City, Missouri. It supports professional theater through grants, student ticket subsidies, and new-works development in Kansas City and around the country.
Theater League Inc at a glance
In short: Theater League Inc gave $8.7M across 86 grants in 2025 (avg $102K), mostly in Kansas. 50% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $8,737,132
- -35.5% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 86
- -2.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $101,595
- -34.0% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $10,000
- Total assets
- $7,252,203
- -52.4% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 50% first-time grantees (42 of 84, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Kansas (91% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Theater League Inc
- Contact
Mailing address: 9001 State Line Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114
Phone: (816) 559-3845
Website: https://www.theaterleague.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Theater League Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Jewish Comm Foundation of Greater Kansas City ($8.0M). Together the top 10 received $8.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
234 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 220 grants of 234 (94%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The organization says it supports professional theater in Kansas City and around the country. Its website identifies Kansas City, Toledo, and Washington, DC, as communities served. In 2025, 91% of grant dollars went to recipients in Kansas, with 1% each going to Missouri, North Carolina, California, and the District of Columbia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 86 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Theater League Inc open to new grantees?
50%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 42 of 84 grantees (50%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $197K; repeat grants $11K. How we count
Medians: $5K first-time, $10K repeat.
- 48% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $517K (2020) to $13.5M (2024). In 2025 it made 86 grants totaling $8.7M.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Jewish Comm Foundation of Greater Kansas City Overland Park, KS | distribution to perf arts groups in Kansas City | $7,977,132 |
| North Carolina Black Repertory Company Winston-Salem, NC | " " | $100,000 |
| Kauffman Center for the Perf Arts Kansas City, MO | administrative costs of perf arts center | $20,000 |
| Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts Kansas City, MO | production and admin exp | $20,000 |
| Adventure Theatre MTC Glen Echo, MD | support theatrical productions | $10,000 |
| African American Shakespeare Company San Francisco, CA | " | $10,000 |
| Arts Engagement Foundation of Kansas City Kansas City, MO | publicize and support perf arts | $10,000 |
| Atlanta Shakespeare Co Atlanta, GA | support theatrical productions | $10,000 |
| Bishop Arts Theatre Center Dallas, TX | " " | $10,000 |
| Black Ensemble Theater Chicago, IL | " " | $10,000 |
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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 | $7,252,203 | $1,811,458 | $9,796,326 | $8,737,132 | 86 | $466,082 |
| 2024 | $15,242,722 | $2,101,531 | $14,317,609 | $13,536,450 | 88 | $569,601 |
| 2023 | $27,501,277 | $5,419,516 | $5,522,607 | $885,000 | 60 | $548,493 |
| 2022 | $27,534,408 | $1,974,369 | $6,853,217 | $711,500 | Total only | $-4,337,326 |
| 2021 | $32,499,002 | $2,126,157 | $1,711,489 | $617,670 | Total only | $1,290,947 |
| 2020 | $32,156,773 | $2,354,910 | $2,124,903 | $517,000 | 21 | $1,074,581 |
"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
The organization’s stated mission is “enhancing the quality of life in the communities we serve with the thrill of live theater.” Its 2024 filing describes producing and presenting Broadway musicals, plays, and new works in local performing arts centers.
Theater Rocks Reach Out to Kids is its educational outreach program. The filing describes free or subsidized tickets for students in Title I and similar schools, along with theater-professional Q&A sessions, post-show discussions, and classroom activities. The website also describes supporting educational outreach by professional theater organizations.
Theater League says it supports professional theater companies’ cultural and educational outreach. Its 2025 grants included the North Carolina Black Repertory Company, whose stated mission is to provide the public opportunities to see Black actors and performances; the St. Louis Black Repertory Company, which says it provides platforms for creative expression from an African American perspective; and the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, which describes a mission centered on professional theatrical productions and educational engagement. The grantee missions are those organizations’ own descriptions.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, Theater League reported 86 grants totaling $8,737,132. Grant amounts ranged from $5,000 to $7,977,132, with a median of $10,000. The largest grant was $7,977,132 to the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Kansas City for distribution to performing arts groups in Kansas City. Other reported grants included $100,000 to the North Carolina Black Repertory Company and $20,000 to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts for administrative costs and production and administrative expenses.
Other 2025 grants included $10,000 each to the Atlanta Shakespeare Company, Heart of America Shakespeare Festival, St. Louis Black Repertory Company, and the Ensemble Theatre. The grantees’ stated missions include producing live theater and education, making Shakespeare accessible through performances and educational programs, supporting theater and other creative expression from an African American perspective, and preserving African American expression while enriching a diverse community.
The organization’s website lists theater companies and educational outreach partners in Kansas City, Toledo, and Washington, DC, and lists additional companies supported through its THRIVE program.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Mark Edelman as president; Alice Jacks Achtenberg as vice president; Ellen Goldman as secretary; and Mike Azorsky as treasurer. Directors listed are Dr. Phyllis Carozza, Jack Holland, John Johntz, Nancy Trager, Sue Rollins, and Matt Lentz.
Theater League Inc is led by Mark Edelman, President on the 2025 filing; none of the 10 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Mark Edelman
President
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jack Holland
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Johntz
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Matt Lentz
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Nancy Trager
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Phyllis Carozza
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sue Rollins
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Alice Jacks Achtenberg
Vice President
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Ellen Goldman
Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mike Azorsky
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (13)
- Former: Achtenberg Alice Jacks (2020–2024) — Vice President
- Former: Azorsky Michael (2020–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Carozza Phyllis PhD (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Edelman Mark Howard (2020–2024) — President
- Former: Goldman Ellen (2020–2024) — Secretary Director Emeritus
- Former: Holland Jack (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Lentz Matt (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Rollins Susan E. (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Schermer Ellen (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Trager Nancy (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Chapman Alan (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Johntz John (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Liechty Brian (2020–2022) — 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 Theater League Inc
How much does Theater League Inc give each year?
Theater League Inc gave $8.7M across 86 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $13.5M across 88 grants.
What is Theater League Inc's typical grant size?
Theater League Inc's median grant in 2025 was $10,000, and its average grant was $101,595, across 86 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Theater League Inc that year got $197K on average.
Where does Theater League Inc give grants?
Theater League Inc gives mostly in Kansas: 91% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Kansas City, MO (11 grants), Washington, DC (8 grants), New York City, NY (6 grants) and Chicago, IL (3 grants).
Does Theater League Inc give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 85 grants with a stated purpose on Theater League Inc's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include """ (67 grants) and "Support Theater Productions" (5 grants).
Who are Theater League Inc's largest grantees?
Theater League Inc's largest 2025 grantees include Jewish Comm Foundation of Greater Kansas City ($7,977,132), North Carolina Black Repertory Company ($100,000) and Arts Engagement Foundation of Kansas City ($20,000 across 2 grants), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 93% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Theater League Inc?
Theater League Inc reported $7.3M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $1.8M.
What does Theater League Inc fund?
The organization’s stated mission is “enhancing the quality of life in the communities we serve with the thrill of live theater.” Its 2024 filing describes producing and presenting Broadway musicals, plays, and new works in local performing arts centers. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Theater League Inc?
Theater League Inc has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check theaterleague.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Theater League Inc's EIN?
Theater League Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0196231. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS August 19, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 17, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS March 28, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 15, 2025)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS March 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Theater League Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Theater League Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 10, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/theater-league-inc-morg_36f663e1fe184048a8ddb042f8c5828e
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_510196231_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Theater League Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/theater-league-inc-morg_36f663e1fe184048a8ddb042f8c5828e},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-10. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Theater League Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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