Sheila Fortune Foundation

• The foundation funds programmes, not individuals, that help abused or at-risk children pursue performing arts interests, so individuals should not apply and an organisation should only approach it if its work is of that kind.
• Its stated priority areas are Colorado, Indiana, Pennsylvania and New Mexico, and it does not accept unsolicited requests, so a cold application is unlikely to be considered.
• It chooses recipients by researching existing programmes and meeting their directors or coordinators, so the realistic route is to make your programme known to it and to build a relationship rather than to wait for an invitation.
• Half of its 188 grants to organisations were $6,000 or less, and grants start from $4,000, so a request in that range suits its usual size.
• Repeat funding is substantial, with 49% of its grant dollars to organisations going to organisations it had funded in earlier filings, so newcomers should expect a relationship-led process, though that is no reason not to make contact.

The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:

• St Francis in the Fields Episocopal Church · Program support
  $336,0002025 tax year
• Barnstone Art for Kids · Program support
  $15,0002025 tax year
• Beyond the Bars · Program support
  $15,0002025 tax year
• El Sistema Indianapolis · Program support
  $15,0002025 tax year
• Yes And Collaborative Arts · Program support
  $12,0002025 tax year
• Arts Council of Southern Indiana · Program support
  $12,0002025 tax year
• Georgia E Gregory School of Music · Program support
  $12,0002025 tax year
• Settlement Music School of Philadelphia · Program support
  $12,0002025 tax year

Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.

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.