The IndieSpace is excited to offer The Little Venue That Could Grant Program
Donor Name: IndieSpace
State: New York
City: New York City
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 09/02/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: 2 Years
Details:
Funded with the generous support of the Howard Gilman Foundation, The Little Venue That Could Grant Program was created to provide unrestricted general operating support to New York City based indie theater, dance, and multidisciplinary performance venues with expense budgets under $500,000. Due to size, fiscal structure, staffing arrangements, and unconventional leasing and ownership structures, these homes for artists are often excluded from city, state, and federal funding and may not meet financial thresholds to get significant support from private foundations. Despite this historical absence of consistent financial support and the growing affordability crisis in NYC, small-budget indie theater, dance, and multidisciplinary venues continue to play a critical role in the creative ecosystem by providing artists with affordable performance and presenting space.
Selected grantees will receive:
- Unrestricted grants of $10,000 per year, for two years, 2025-2026, which can be used to pay staff, rent, utilities, debt, or whatever your venue deems appropriate to help keep your doors open and thrive.
- Professional Development services, valued at $5,000, which must be used for professional development services within the two years of the grant period. Recipients will receive a menu of offerings from which to choose after they are awarded the grant.
- Automatic inclusion in IndieSpace’s FREE Advisory and Consulting program, providing access to experts and information throughout the lifetime of your space operation.
Eligibility Criteria
You are eligible to apply for this grant if:
- Your entity is an indie theater, dance, or multidisciplinary venue with a performance space
- Your venue has at least one space with less than 99 seats
- Your venue has been in operation for at least two years, including 2025
- Your organization’s expense budget is $500k or LESS in your last completed fiscal year i.e. July 2023-June 2024 or Jan 2024-Dec 2024.
- Your venue is open and is in active use
- Your venue is rented or owned with a signed lease, license agreement, or deed. Please reach out to discuss if you have a non-traditional agreement with your landlord.
- Your venue is located within the 5 boroughs of New York City
- Your venue is a 501c3, fiscally sponsored by a 501c3, an S Corp, B Corp, LLC, or LLP
- Your venue IS NOT a direct annual Howard Gilman Foundation grantee. Current direct, annual Howard Gilman Foundation grantees are not eligible for this grant. If you are a recipient of other regrants funded by Howard Gilman Foundation, that is fine. If you have questions about your eligibility please contact your Howard Gilman Foundation program officer. Venues who have received funding from IndieSpace through any of our other funding programs are still eligible to apply.
- Your venue IS NOT a previous recipient of The Little Venue That Could Grant.
For more information, visit IndieSpace.
