The Harkness Foundation for Dance is a private grant-making foundation dedicated to invigorating and supporting the dance art form, predominantly in New York City. Since its inception the Foundation has contributed significantly to the dance field, extending grants to over 660 organizations and fiscally-sponsored artists. The Harkness Board of Trustees meets three times annually to consider proposals. The Foundation stands in solidarity with social and racial justice work in the dance field, and we are committed to ongoing evaluation of equitable practices in our grantmaking.
There are four major areas of support:
- Dance creation
- Dance presentation
- Dance education
- Dance medicine/other services to the dance field
Eligibility
The Foundation supports dance companies, dance presenting organizations, dance education organizations, and dance service organizations. Proposing organizations and artists must have non-profit status, with an in-force 501(c)(3) letter or letter of fiscal sponsorship. Learn more about eligibility >
Types of Grants & Awards
Major Initiative
PARTNER GRANTS
In 2014, the Harkness Foundation committed significant multi-year funding totaling $1 million each to five partner organizations of major importance to the dance field. We are proud that this funding, distributed from 2015-2024, has supported the entire NYC dance ecosystem through the work of these institutions:
- The Brooklyn Academy of Music
- The Joyce Theater
- New York City Center
- The 92nd Street Y/Harkness Dance Center
- NYU Langone Medical Center/ Hospital for Joint Diseases, home of the Harkness Center for Dance Injuries
Read more about this initiative >
Broad-based Dance Field Support
The Foundation currently offers two categories of grants to the NYC dance field at large:
PROGRAM GRANTS
Program grants provide general operating support for ongoing programs offered by an organization. These grants may be earmarked for a sub-program or aspect of an organization’s customary scope of activities. Program grants are awarded for one calendar year of program activities.
PROJECT GRANTS
Project grants provide targeted support for specific projects. Pilot projects and collaborative projects involving multiple organizations may also be considered.
With some exceptions, Program Grants and Project Grants range from $1,000 to $10,000/year. Proposing organizations should specify whether they are seeking a Program Grant or a Project Grant.
Harkness Promise Award
To address the need for continuing creative developments in the dance field, the trustees of the Harkness Foundation for Dance have established the Harkness Promise Award to recognize and encourage gifted emerging artists in their first decade of professional work. The late Rebekah Harkness, the Foundation’s benefactress, believed passionately in providing opportunities for talented young dance artists to experiment and grow. This award carries these beliefs forward. There is no application process: the awardees are identified and chosen by the Harkness Trustees.
Dance Magazine, the field’s historic magazine of record, generously supported this initiative from 2018-2023 by donating the net proceeds of the prestigious Dance Magazine Awards event to this cause. We thank Dance Magazine for its partnership during those six years. 2024 was a hiatus year for these awards, which will recommence in 2025 in a new association with Dance Magazine. Stay tuned!
The Harkness Promise Award seeks to highlight:
- The promise of the awardee’s artistic work, as evidenced in rehearsal and performance settings
- The awardee’s innovative thinking about how to be an effective artist-citizen who positively impacts dance and the broader community through performance, education, organization, activism or other means
Included in the award are:
- A $5,000 unrestricted grant
- Up to 40 hours of studio space within the grant year
- Ongoing consulting and mentorship with Joan Finkelstein, the foundation’s executive director
A performance project may result from this support, but is not a condition of the award.
Past honorees: Ephrat Asherie and Raja Feather Kelly (2018); Bobbi Jene Smith and Caleb Teicher (2019); Kyle Marshall and Marjani Forté-Saunders (2020); Alethea Pace and Yin Yue (2021), Kayla Farrish and Johnnie Cruise Mercer (2022), BAYE & ASA and Omar Roman de Jesus (2023).
For more information, see our NEWS page.