The Roy Cockrum Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your organisation is a professional non-profit theatre in the United States seeking project support for a specific production, the foundation's stated focus fits, and it asks for an online Letter of Inquiry with a short project description, accepted on a rolling basis.
- Its typical grants fall between $60,000 and $1,050,000, with a median of $450,000, so a request in that region is the realistic size to plan around; its largest grant has been $1,500,000, and that band is not a ceiling.
- Half of its grant dollars in its most recent filing went to organisations it had also funded in earlier filings, and it says that collaborative planning and discussions generally come before awards, so a conversation before submitting is sensible.
- Do not apply for general operating support, capital campaigns, endowments, special fundraising events, multi-year support, or for individuals, and do not apply if your organisation is not a professional non-profit theatre, as the foundation funds only those; productions of classical drama or plays with strong social justice themes match its stated themes, and its grants are one-time with no promise of future funding.
Overview
The Roy Cockrum Foundation is a US private foundation based in Wilmington, DE.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website and other web pages about the foundation (apnews.com), with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The foundation awards grants to support world-class performing arts projects in non-profit professional theatres throughout the United States of America. It aims to enable theatres to reach beyond their normal scope of activities and undertake ambitious and creative productions. Applicants must be professional, non-profit theatres in the United States, and the foundation provides funding for project support only. Its grantmaking also supports productions bringing drama’s classics back to the stage and plays with strong social justice themes. The foundation’s grants are made on a one-time basis, with no promise of future funding.
Themes
- Classical drama
- Social justice plays
Geographic Focus
United States.
What They Don't Fund
- Individuals
- General Operating Support
- Capital Campaigns
- Endowments
- Special Fundraising Events or Tables for Special Events
- Political or Lobbying Organizations
- Multi-Year Support
How to apply
Grant seekers may submit an online Letter of Inquiry with a short description of the project for which they seek funding.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 50% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 21 grants to organisations were $450,000 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Collaborative planning and discussions generally precede awards and are integral to the foundation’s grantmaking.
- The foundation prefers productions with large casts, seeking to employ as many artists, designers and actors as possible. (as reported in other published sources)
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
4 other states: 9%
- The largest single recipient received 14% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 50% of grant dollars went to organisations The Roy Cockrum Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 6 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $538k (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- Atlantic Theater Company · for production of The Welkin by Lucy Kirkwood$800,0002024 tax year
- Saint Ann's Warehouse · The Hunt$700,0002024 tax year
- University of Tennessee Foundation · Knoxville$550,4002024 tax year
- Old Globe Theatre · Henry VI$526,3002024 tax year
- Manhattan Theatre Club · Broadway Premiere of Joshua Harmon's PRAYER FOR THE FRENCH REPUBLIC$450,0002024 tax year
- Round House Theatre · The Inheritance by Matthew Lopez$339,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Frazier Wyatt Marsh — Director
- Benita Hofstetter Koman — Director, Vice President
- Kenneth Y Elliott — Secretary, Director
- Roy E Cockrum — Director, Chair, President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $5,688,045 | $3,260,802 | $64,640,128 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $5,433,108 | $3,986,000 | $63,914,111 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $4,986,671 | $3,365,700 | $64,570,629 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Roy Cockrum Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
- online.foundationsource.com/public/home/cockrum
Applying to The Roy Cockrum Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- Wilmington, DE
- online.foundationsource.com/public/home/cockrum