September 2017

Dear Friend and Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Donor:

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS through our online Annual Report for fiscal year 2016 (October 1, 2015 – September 30, 2016).

Energized by your stalwart support, we have never been more committed in our fight for those whose voices have been silenced or marginalized. We will not allow fear or hate to impede the progress we have made. Lives depend on that. When basic human rights are at risk, we have to keep working together to make a difference.

With your help, in fiscal year 2016 we provided support to 462 HIV/AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states. The national grants program assisted food banks and meal delivery programs, health clinics, housing programs and more.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has also continued to offer a safety net to our friends and champions in the entertainment community through The Actors Fund. We helped provide the initial funding for the creation of the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts in midtown Manhattan, while continuing to support the essential social service programs of The Actors Fund: the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, the Artists Health Information Resource Center, Addiction and Recovery Services, the Actors Fund Career Center and The Dancers’ Resource. With your help, everyone in the industry has access to the vital services The Actors Fund provides.

Broadway Cares’ support for the programs of The Actors Fund reached $5.6 million in fiscal year 2016, while our National Grants Program awarded $6.6 million to AIDS and family service organizations nationwide.

Our work as a nonprofit fundraising and grant-making organization is built on our collective passion. A passion to fight for social justice and equality, and to stand against those whose political efforts or policies would demean or diminish the well-being of those for whom we work.

Sincerely,

Paul Libin, President

Tom Viola, Executive Director

Paul Libin, President

Tom Viola, Executive Director

Javier Muñoz, who’s starring in the megahit Broadway musical Hamilton, knows firsthand how difficult it can be to afford medical care while working in the entertainment industry. He was diagnosed with HIV when he was just starting out as an actor.

“I spent about two days in complete and utter depression, not sure about what options I had,” Muñoz said. “I had no money to pay for medications, and I didn’t know how to even start.”

For a helping hand, Muñoz turned to The Actors Fund and its HIV/AIDS Initiative, which Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS helped create and continues to be its major funder.

“For an artist who doesn’t always work all the time, doesn’t always have insurance all the time, The Actors Fund knows exactly what our needs are, and there’s integrity in whatever the need is.” Muñoz said.

The collaborative relationship between Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and The Actors Fund began three decades ago. This partnership has allowed our fundraising success to contribute directly to the vital programs The Fund provides to all professionals in the entertainment community. Again in fiscal year 2016, Broadway Cares is proud to be the single largest financial supporter of The Actors Fund.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS supports the essential social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, the Career Center and The Dancers’ Resource, as well as numerous projects such as The New York Stage Managers Unofficial Health Directory and more.

Since 1988, BC/EFA has granted more than $84 million to The Actors Fund to support these vital initiatives and programs.

In fiscal year 2016, BC/EFA awarded $5.6 million to The Actors Fund.
 
 

Support for The Actors Fund

 
 
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS also supported the Stage Managers’ Project with a grant of $200,000 for the print and online version of The New York Stage Managers Unofficial Health Directory, as well as $82,550 for The Actors Fund annual gala, memorial donations, benefit support and other smaller donations. The Actors Fund was also given a one-time gift to move the Hirschfeld Clinic to the new Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in March 2017.

Through our partnership with The Actors Fund, Broadway Cares has touched the lives of thousands of entertainment professionals living with HIV/AIDS or coping with a variety of other health issues, emergencies and challenges.

Muñoz knows he wouldn’t have the career success he enjoys today if he hadn’t reached out to The Actors Fund.

“For the first time I got help within my community,” Muñoz said. “I’ve never felt so much comfort and safety. I truly felt like I belonged.”

For more information about The Actors Fund, visit actorsfund.org

 
In Manhattan’s diverse neighborhood of Harlem, the incidence of HIV/AIDS is staggering. With limited access to quality care, education and treatment, the rate of infection is five times the national average and HIV-positive people in Harlem are 50 percent more likely to die than in Manhattan as a whole.

“I was at my lowest when I was first diagnosed,” Fayetta, who’s been living with HIV for 30 years, said. “I couldn’t get more depressed. I didn’t even want to wake up anymore. At the time, it seemed like the worst news in the world.”

Feeling alone and disheartened, Fayetta reached out to Harlem United Community AIDS Center, one of the 462 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide that received a grant in 2016 from Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. There, she found help and hope.

In fiscal year 2016, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awarded nearly $12.6 million in grants. Of that, $6.6 million was awarded to AIDS and family service providers across the country. The remaining $5.6 million went to support essential programs at The Actors Fund.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS awards its national grants in three rounds. The first round funds food service and meal delivery programs, which are essential for lifesaving medical regimens to have a lasting impact. The second round provides grants to nationally recognized AIDS service organizations, health clinics and advocacy organizations.

The third round supports social service organizations whose essential work enhances the quality of life for people living with HIV/AIDS and supports the integrity of families, by every definition of the word, who live each day with the multiple challenges of this disease. This grant round covers four categories: Direct Services; Emergency Financial Assistance; Harm Reduction Programs and Quality of Life Services.
 
 

2016 National Grants

 
In today’s political climate, funding for these vital organizations is increasingly at risk. To make matters worse, many regions are seeing increased AIDS diagnoses. For example, the percentage of people in Orange County, CA, diagnosed and living with HIV/AIDS rose 66 percent during the past decade. To reach these at-risk individuals, AIDS Services Foundation Orange County assists people living with HIV/AIDS who are at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty line of $11,880 earned per year.

Sharon, a longtime client of the organization, would not be where she is today without the help of AIDS Services Foundation, which received a $10,000 grant in Broadway Cares’ food grants round.

“I have been a client since 1999 and they were like my family when I was left alone to deal with so many health issues,” Sharon said. “They were my family during this painful journey in my life. After being alone for so long and without help, getting sicker and sicker every year, it was so wonderful to have this amazing resource.”

Stacie Lechot, executive director of North Idaho AIDS Coalition in Coeur d’Alene, said there’s no describing what it means to her clients. “It’s giving them food for a week and gas cards to get to the pharmacy or to the doctor or a food bank,” she said. “It’s so touching to know that people who don’t even know who we are – or even where Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, is – are making lives better for so many people here.”

2016 National Grantees by State

Please use the drop-down box below to view all the agencies BC/EFA funded in Fiscal Year 2016 by state.

International actors and Broadway shows originating overseas have long been participating in Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ twice-yearly audience appeals. They are valued and crucial fundraisers for the organization. To celebrate their efforts, Broadway Cares grants a portion of the funds they help raise to HIV/AIDS service organizations in their native countries.

These international charities are chosen and introduced to Broadway Cares by the company members who inspired the donation. Once the organization’s charitable status has been confirmed by Broadway Cares, a grant on behalf of the company is donated abroad.

In fiscal year 2016, Broadway Cares made grants to international organizations totaling $391,200 to AIDS service organizations outside the United States.

A key focus for Broadway Cares’ international grants round is South Africa. The incidence of HIV/AIDS in South Africa remains among the highest in the world as 7 million people live with the disease. It’s a reality that continues to hit close to the heart for many in the cast of Disney’s acclaimed production of The Lion King. As natives of South Africa, they’ve seen the epidemic’s toll first-hand in their hometowns and villages.

Inspired by The Lion King’s enthusiastic fundraising efforts, more than $4.4 million has been awarded in grants to South African HIV/AIDS organizations since The Lion King opened on Broadway. In 2016, $336,500 was shared with 24 service providers identified by the South African actors in the Broadway and national touring companies of The Lion King. As the AIDS pandemic continues to devastate this region, funding for South African organizations will remain a priority for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
 

International Grants

Angels are donors who support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with unrestricted gifts of $1,000 or more during a single fiscal year. These gifts are especially notable as they are a unique, special core of donors whose gifts were not in relation to the purchase of merchandise or event tickets. These generous donations directly fund Broadway Cares’ grants, which are ultimately distributed to the vital social service programs of The Actors Fund and HIV/AIDS service organizations in all 50 states.

In Broadway terms, an “angel” is an investor in a theatre production. In exchange for the financial investment, angels are historically given the best seats in the house as the show could not exist without their contribution. The Angels Circle creates a similar tradition, granting Broadway Cares Angels VIP status within the organization, along with numerous additional benefits.

In addition to the Angels Circle, significant funds are generated through various BC/EFA annual and one-time special events, such as Easter Bonnet Competition, Gypsy of the Year, Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, Broadway Bares and Broadway Backwards. Considerable financial support also comes to us through our Care-Tix and CareCard programs. Contributions from all these sources are vital to Broadway Cares.

The names below are those who have supported Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS with contributions of $1,000 or more during our fiscal year 2016, from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016.

Names in bold indicate Archangels, donors who have increased their gift by 25 percent or more over the past year.
 

In addition to support from the Angels Circle, significant funds are generated through Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ annual and one-time events, including Easter Bonnet Competition, Gypsy of the Year, the Broadway Flea Market & Grand Auction, Broadway Backwards and Broadway Bares.

Notable financial support also comes through our Care-Tix, CareCard and auction programs. These donations and fundraising efforts provide vital funds to Broadway Cares.

Below are the names of those who have supported these events and programs with contributions of $1,000 or more during our fiscal year 2016 from October 1, 2015, to September 30, 2016. Amounts listed are the tax-deductible amount of the donation, the total gift minus any fair market value for goods received.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is fortunate to have the continued support of a broad range of corporate partners.

CORPORATE PARTNERS

CORPORATE SPONSORS

As one of the largest charities representing Broadway and the American theatre and the ninth-largest AIDS grant-making organization in the world, BC/EFA is able to connect major corporate brands with one of the nation’s foremost creative industries and our most loyal supporters. We are also able to ensure that a corporation’s support reaches into nearly every community in the country through our National Grants Program. Our Corporate Partners are able to build brand loyalty among millions of people associated with Broadway, be it on tour, onstage, backstage or in the audience and those passionate about the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Companies can partner with BC/EFA on a broad range of projects, including annual partnership, event sponsorship, cash and in-kind donations that directly support our programs and specialized, cause-related marketing.

With the creation of Broadway Delivers! in 2001 a new way for Broadway Cares and corporations to work together was born.  Many of the events that BC/EFA produced through Broadway Delivers were originally produced for existing corporate clients such as Anheuser-Busch and Target, bringing new corporations into the Broadway Cares family.

We salute the generous companies that provide major support of our programs.

Behind every successful Broadway show are the supporting players helping sustain a long, meaningful run.

The Supporting Players Circle allows donors to make a lasting impact. A donation is automatically charged to a credit or debit card each month. Membership in the Supporting Players Circle continues uninterrupted and members can increase, decrease or stop monthly donations at any time.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS appreciates and thanks these members of the Supporting Players Circle for helping to create a foundation of giving that makes a difference every month.

The Colleen Dewhurst Society is the planned giving arm of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, honoring those who have included Broadway Cares in their estate plan or will.

The society is named for the late Colleen Dewhurst, the Tony Award-winning actress and past president of Actors’ Equity Association. She pioneered the formation of the Equity Fights AIDS Committee, which merged with Broadway Cares in 1992 to become the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS of today.

“I’m so proud of what we do for each other. There are so many people who thought this thing would never go. That it couldn’t be done. But it happened anyway because so many people came forward and, in many different ways, made it happen. And to this very day, I love you all for that.”
– Colleen Dewhurst, June 1991

Colleen’s legacy will forever reflect her love for the theatre community and boundless compassion for the disadvantaged and underprivileged, as well as her incredible vision for AIDS fundraising within the Broadway community.

Joining the Colleen Dewhurst Society allows Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS supporters to create their own legacy of benevolence towards the most vulnerable for years to come.

For more information about the Colleen Dewhurst Society, contact John Halpin, major gifts officer, at 212.840.0770, ext. 275, or halpin@broadwaycares.org.

In fiscal year 2016, gifts to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS were received from the following estates.

Estate of Patricia Croft
Estate of Elaine D. Dooman
Estate of Joyce Golden
The Michael Filerman Revocable Trust
Estate of Edward Orgoglioso
Estate of Eileen R. Shields

The following people have provided for an estate or other planned gift to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

We salute our many friends and colleagues who are no longer with us and left planned gifts to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS recognizes major supporters, individuals, businesses and foundations that make a contribution of $1,000 or more annually to Dancers Responding to AIDS. As a program of Broadway Cares, DRA helps raise hundreds of thousands of dollars each year in support of those affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses. That wouldn’t be possible without the generosity and compassion of our most loyal supporters.

Names in bold indicate Archangels, donors who have increased their gift by 25 percent or more over the past year.
* indicates members of the DRA Angels Circle

The Maestro Program of Classical Action: Performing Arts Against AIDS recognizes individuals, businesses and foundations that make a contribution of $1,000 or more annually to Classical Action, a program of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Every great Maestro knows that each section of the orchestra, whether strings, woodwinds, brass or percussion, plays an important role in creating an overall sound. Similarly, those who support The Maestro Program know that whatever giving category they choose, their contribution helps orchestrate the success of Classical Action.

Officers

Paul Libin, President
Robert E. Wankel, Executive Vice President
Ira Mont, First Vice President
Thomas Schumacher, Second Vice President
Nina Lannan, Third Vice President
Sherry Cohen, Fourth Vice President
Philip Birsh, Treasurer
Judith Rice, Secretary

Trustees

As of October 2016

At the October 5, 2016, meeting of the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees, those in attendance presented Joe Benincasa, executive director of The Actors Fund, with a check for $5,602,500, representing BC/EFA’s support in the fiscal year 2016.

Left to right: Danny Whitman, director of development; Tom Viola, executive director; Valerie Lau-Kee Lai, producing director; Robert Callely; John Barnes; Lane Beauchamp, director of communications; B. Merle Debuskey; Maria Di Dia; Scott Barnes; Joe Benincasa; Philip Birsh, treasurer; Mary McColl; Peter Lawrence; Thomas Schumacher, second vice president; Robert E. Wankel, executive vice president; Nina Lannan, third vice president; Barry Brown; Tim Tompkins; Richard Frankel; Larry Cook, director of finance and administration.

Tom Viola, Executive Director
Lane Beauchamp, Director of Communications
Larry Cook, Director of Finance & Administration
Valerie Lau-Kee Lai, Producing Director
Danny Whitman, Director of Development

Photo Credit: Kevin Thomas Garcia