Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded a record $3,007,500 to 265 direct services organizations in June 2026, providing life-affirming healthcare, housing, emergency assistance and other critical support to people facing illness and hardship across the country. 

This record-breaking grant round marks the largest single-round increase in Broadway Cares’ history, bringing the organization’s 2026 National Grants Program grants to $8.7 million.

These vital grants are made possible by the extraordinary compassion and commitment of the theater community, as well as the generosity of audiences on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country through the annual #RedBuckets Spring Fundraising Campaign and Broadway Cares donors.

For this round, 26 dedicated Broadway actors, stage managers, backstage and front-of-house crew and Trustees – each of whom played an integral role in Broadway Cares’ in-theater spring fundraising efforts – awarded the grants on June 11, 2026. This was the final grant round of Broadway Cares’ National Grants Program for the 2026 fiscal year.

The grants support organizations providing direct services, emergency financial assistance, harm reduction programs and quality-of-life initiatives. This support ensures housing, counseling, healthcare and more emergency support reach communities large and small across 45 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

As demand for services continues to grow and federal funding remains uncertain for many organizations – particularly those serving the most vulnerable communities, including LGBTQ+ individuals, communities of color, people living at or below the federal poverty line and those living with HIV/AIDS – Broadway Cares remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring no one is left behind. These grants provide critical support to organizations working every day to meet urgent needs, improve health outcomes and strengthen communities nationwide.

“Behind every grant are countless individuals; each person seeking stability, support and the chance to move forward,” Broadway Cares Executive Director Danny Whitman said. “Whether that means keeping a roof overhead, accessing health care, receiving emergency assistance or connecting with life-affirming services, these grants help ensure people are not facing life’s hardest moments alone. We are deeply grateful to the theater community and audiences whose generosity makes this work possible in communities from coast to coast.”

In February, a record $3.2 million was sent to 158 food pantries, meal delivery services and congregate meal programs nationwide as part of Broadway Cares’ annual food grants round. In the spring, Broadway Cares awarded $2.01 million in grants to advocacy organizations and the largest, nationally-recognized LGBTQ+ health organizations and direct service providers. And in May, Broadway Cares awarded $457,500 to 23 theater community advocacy, emergency assistance and social service organizations.

Broadway Cares is also the single largest funder of the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides a safety net of services for everyone in the performing arts and entertainment. So far in 2026, Broadway Cares has awarded $9.5 million to the Fund, which includes record support for its emergency financial assistance program, providing vital support for entertainment professionals facing times of crisis.

For nearly four decades, Broadway Cares has invested in programs that help people in the entertainment industry access critical health and social services. Through its longstanding partnership with the Entertainment Community Fund, Broadway Cares helped launch the HIV/AIDS Initiative in 1988 and continues to provide the majority of its annual funding. Since then, Broadway Cares has expanded its support to include the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC), Addiction and Recovery Services, The Dancers’ Resource and the Broadway Flu Shot Initiative. In 2017, Broadway Cares also helped establish The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, which provides comprehensive health care tailored to the needs of performing arts professionals.