THE IMPACT OF YOUR PHILANTHROPY January 1, 2018 - June 30, 2019 very show you have seen, read, is already receiving generous support bookwriter Anaïs Mitchell for a Salon listened to, shared, and loved to help it grow, including a grant from in June, just days before she and the all began with a blank piece the Maurer Family Foundation that production won eight Tony Awards. As Eof paper. The struggle of filling that supports formal evaluation of our these individuals inspired us with their paper is something we can all relate curriculum to improve our efficacy commitment to the preservation and to. Thankfully, the thousands of and ensure that young students continuation of the craft, so did many writers every year that interact with are receiving the best playwriting of you by joining DGF’s new The Write the Dramatists Guild Foundation education possible. Stuff Society. Thanks to our newly hired have found ways to push through that Development Director Mady Schuman In December 2018, we received an and our Development Manager doubt. They have inspired me and incredibly generous gift from the Jamie Balsai, The Write Stuff Society our whole team to take bold steps to Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation for brings together our most dedicated better serve our community across the $2 million in support of our Fellows supporters from all backgrounds. United States. program and Emergency Grants. Personally, I faced the blank page, The Fellows program continues to Please take a look through this Donor paper after paper while pursuing my be a leading entity in identifying and Impact Report to learn more about Masters in Nonprofit Management at elevating the most promising voices our programs and see first hand how Columbia. I am proud to share with of the future, with former Fellows your support is creating exponential all of you that I graduated this year, like Benj Pasek, Justin Paul, Michael benefit to the lives of writers across and could not be more excited to be R. Jackson, Antoinette Nwandu, the country. Educational programs, putting my new skills to use for DGF. Lauren Yee, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, free space, and awards, grants and and others making tremendous stipends that you help fund are having The last year and a half has been waves in the community with their a huge impact on writers at all stages full of new beginnings. We have groundbreaking work. We also of their careers. Those programs, welcomed new staff and Board awarded the inaugural Stephen and all of the wonderful milestones members, ushered in a new program, Schwartz Award to former Fellow we have hit this year, are all because and expanded our outreach to writers Oliver Houser. Thank you, Stephen! of you. Just as writers inspire us to in exciting ways. First, our Traveling challenge ourselves and reach toward We have worked to grow our Masters, supported by Roe Green and a more beautiful future, you too inspire community, reaching out to several the Roe Green Foundation, has now us to thrive in our mission every day. luminaries of the stage who have reached writers and students in nearly Thank you! all 50 states – we will reach this goal by become wonderful allies of DGF and the end of 2019! our mission. In March, we were joined by legends Judith Light and Tony Rachel Routh We launched the New Voices program Kushner, who we awarded the Madge last year and have now expanded into Evans and Sidney Kingsley Awards a new school, doubling the number for Excellence in Theater. We also had of 4th grade students we have helped the distinct honor of being joined by find their unique voices. The program Hadestown composer, lyricist, and Executive Director Madge Evans & Sidney Kingsley Award winner Judith Light with former Fellow Michael R. Jackson THANKS TO YOU... GRANTS "An Emergency Grant from DGF is providing me with extraordinary peace of mind at an otherwise utterly bewildering moment." DGF's granting programs ensure that writers are able to -Emergency Grant Recipient do their best work, and that their in need over the past 18 months. values. The writer is one whose accomplishments and potential Last year DGF awarded $100,000 work pushes boundaries and are acknowledged. Emergency to the second ever group of shows tremendous promise. The Grants, which provide immediate Writers Alliance Grants recipients. theater, which is either currently or assistance to writers in crisis, ensure These grants are awarded both to slated to work with that writer, is that writers can continue their nonprofit theaters and to writers in one that holds itself to superlative important work. Because of you, celebration of working relationships ethical standards in supporting the DGF awarded $279,500 to writers that align deeply with DGF core livelihoods and careers of writers. His talk covered a wide variety of topics EDUCATION that always came back to the point that “it’s about who we are “ DGF offers educational programs and honoring across the country to writers at all our own stages of their careers, providing as writers. resources and opportunities to voices the storytellers of the American -Attendee of a Traveling Masters theater. Our educational programs with Playwright Steve Yockey include Traveling Masters, Fellows, and New Voices. MUSIC HALL With your support, DGF has sent 21 Masters into theaters and This year we celebrated the 4th anniversary of the founding of schools across the country to lead one of our most popular programs, the DGF Music Hall. Our educational workshops and public beloved former Vice President Carol Hall believed that writers events. Your contributions helped should be able to work in a space that is comfortable, well- us launch and expand our New appointed, and professional. Thanks to her, thousands of writers Voices program, giving hundreds have been able to enjoy the Music Hall free of charge. of children the opportunity to bring their words to the stage. We “Walking into the Music Hall feels like coming home. presented the work of 10 talented I’m always greeted by a friendly face, I always feel Fellows in an Off-Broadway comfortable, and most importantly, I feel that I can reading and welcomed 12 new share my newest, most fragile work.” Fellows into a year of craft and development. -Alex Rubin, Playwright, Lyricist, Bookwriter, and Music Hall guest 2 EMERGENCY GRANTS $103,000 in housing emergency support $46,500 in natural disaster support $81,000 in medical emergency support $49,000 in other emergency support FELLOWS Our 22 Fellows have had 16 Off-Broadway and regional productions 708 MUSIC HALL New 2,451 writers served $1,332,100 saved in Voices rental fees since 2015 4th grade playwrights were able to write and share their stories WRITERS ALLIANCE GRANTS $100,000 in support of productions of new work across the country Traveling Masters 2018 WAG Recipients 5 programs and secure their futures. No writer’s story ends when the curtain A NOTE FROM MADY Money, No Mission! closes. Stories travel alongside audiences across nations, through generations. They Although my professional and volunteer help us understand ourselves and each life has focused on fundraising for other better, and empower us to become healthcare and social services, my n January of this year I took on the full, valiant, and loving participants in life. exciting role of DGF Development academic background is in theater Director. A veteran of the non-profit history and popular culture. Of all of the I am floored by what DGF has already Isector, I come to DGF with 35 years organizations I have worked with and been able to accomplish – what YOU have been able to accomplish. of executive external relations and continue to serve, DGF is the one whose Thousands of writers who are dedicating mission means the most to me – a return fundraising experience, helping diverse their lives to the enrichment of our to my theater roots. organizations and institutions including society have been touched by DGF, the 92nd Street Y, Planned Parenthood I have a lifelong commitment to the which simply could not exist without our of New York City, American Cancer theater and championing its role as a many friends and supporters. It is my Society, NYU/Stern and SAGE build their change agent for society’s good. No honor to list those donors here: ANNUAL FUND DONORS (Jan 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019) Nancy Rose Debbie Butterfield Edward Trach $25,000 + Ashley Carr & Vicki Carr Krowe Kristen Anderson – Lopez & Robert Stephen Sondheim Alexandra Trower Spring Point Partners, LLC Joe Christopher Lopez Tuacahn Center for the Arts / Ryan David Stone Michael David Elizabeth Dewberry & Ahmet Norton Theatrical Rights Worldwide / Steve Deanfox Foundation, Inc / Jeff C. Kocabiyik Universal Theatrical Group / Chris Spiegel Harling The Lillian Hellman Fund Herzberger ULTA Inc / Tara Simon Disney Theatrical Productions / Tom Sidney Kingsley Trust / Jeffrey Lyons Vanguard Charitable Anonymous Schumacher Charlotte E. Kesselring Trust / Michelle Walter Christopher Durang Michael A. Colton Diana Elton Laurie Wenk-Pascal The Seller – Lehrer Family $5,000 – $9,999 Beth Falcone WitzEnd Productions / Michael Foundation / Martin Singer 360i, LLC / Patrick Affleck David Faux Jackowitz The John Logan Foundation / Margaret Hayes Adame Frank Fazzinga, III Lee Wolf & Dr. Jordan Cohen James Bagley Joseph A. Bierman & Riva Alper Stephen Fife Charlayne Woodard Barbara & Emery Olcott Beth Bronner Angelina Fiordellisi Maury Yeston Richenthal Foundation / David The Justin Dart Family Foundation Joan D. & Richard Firestone Richenthal / Iris Dart