About the Fox Theatre Grant Program

The Fox Theatre Grant Program's goal is to award funding for historic theatres in the state of Georgia. Grant projects are considered and prioritized when they provide significant economic and cultural impact to the communities they serve. Since 2008, the Fox Theatre has awarded $4.2 million in financial assistance to historic theatres in Georgia and the Southeast. Once awarded, our grantee organizations may receive operations expertise and guidance through seminars and other professional development opportunities as available.

The Fox Theatre will offer 2025/2026 grants in four funding categories when the new grant cycle begins in July 2025. Our online application will open June 10, 2025, and the submission deadline is August 1, 2025. We strongly recommend reviewing the Fox Theatre Grant Program Guidelines below and access to the online grant portal will be made available on June 10, 2025.

All eligible organizations applying for funding are required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) in the online grant system to apply for a 2025- 2026 Fox Theatre Grant. The deadline to submit the LOI is Sunday, July 28, 2025. Fox Theatre staff will review all submitted LOIs and if approved, the individual who submitted the LOI will receive notification that the 2025-2026 Fox Grant application is available for your organization to complete and submit by Thursday, August 1, 2025. After Sunday, July 28, 2025, the LOI will no longer be available in the online grant system and your organization will not be able to submit a 2025-2026 Fox Theatre Grant request for funding.

The Fox Theatre will offer two workshops in June 2025 in Atlanta and Gainesville with an additional virtual session later. Dates for the grant workshops and virtual session will be released in April 2025. For more information about current and past grantees please see this link: https://www.foxtheatre.org/community-partnerships/grants-program/current-previous-grant-projects

Multi-Year Grant Program

In March of 2024, the Fox Theatre through Fox Gives introduced a new Multiyear Grant program to further foster economic and community development through arts and culture. This innovative funding approach supports a single organization over a two- to four-year period. With a history of contributing $4.2 million since 2008 to historic theaters across the Southeast through the single-year grant program, this new initiative represents a deeper commitment, pledging up to $500,000 to make a more lasting impact. Additionally, the program will support students' educational aspirations in these communities through our new high school All-Access Pass Program. The first grantee under this new program is the Hart County Community Theatre in Hartwell, Georgia, which will receive $500,000 to aid in the restoration of their century-old venue, building on a previous emergency grant of $23,000 awarded in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. To learn more about the Hart County Community Theatre please visit https://www.hhcct.org/
 

Online Grant Application

FOX THEATRE GRANT PROGRAM GUIDELINES & TIPS

Click here to access the Fox Theatre's online grant portal.

QUESTIONS?

Please direct any application or technology questions to Maggie.Fuller@foxtheatre.org.

Please direct any grant requirement questions to Leigh.Burns@foxtheatre.org.

Guiding Criteria for All Applicants:

Applications should emphasize the following:

  • The historic significance of the property to be assisted and evidence of community support.
  • The need for funding and the urgency of the project or the long-term objectives or impact of the project.
  • Increased cultural and/or economic impact for the community.
  • Involvement of collaborations and partnerships that leverage additional public and private investment.
  • The adequacy of plans to meet the current needs and for the future care and maintenance of the theater or the continuation for the activity for which grant support is requested.

If grant support is awarded, the following conditions will apply:

  • Awardees are required to sign a contract agreeing to the conditions of the grant.
  • If matching funds are required:
    • Applicants must be capable of matching the grant amount dollar-for-dollar or more if there is potential to do so. Grant funds may be disbursed upon proof that matching funds have been secured or pledged formally.
    • Matching gifts may come from private or public sources, or from earned income (special events, fundraising activities, etc.)
    • Donated materials and services and organizational overhead costs can be eligible sources as matching funds if they directly underwrite the project budget and are the result of the Institute’s challenge grant.
    • Grant projects must begin within six months of award date – otherwise, the grant award is subject to review.
    • Periodic reports are required and specific to each form of grant support. These requirements will be detailed in the grant contract upon award notification.
    • A final report of the project and financial accounting of the expenditure of the grant must be submitted within the fiscal year of the grant disbursement date. If the project is not completed in accordance with the contract, the parties will need to negotiate continuing or returning grant funds.

Please note:

  • Organizations may submit applications for more than one Urgent or Emergency Needs grant per cycle.
  • Organizations may apply for support only once per grant cycle in the following categories:
    • Historic Structure Studies or Planning
    • Periodic Technical Assistance and Services
    • Preservation & Facilities Grant
    • (Organizations may apply for Urgent or Emergency Needs grant support in addition to one of the categories listed above.)
  • The Fox Theatre grant program’s goal is to award funding for historic theatres in the state of Georgia. Grants will be awarded to projects designed to provide significant economic and cultural impact to the communities they serve. Grant award winners may also receive operations expertise and guidance through seminars, and strategic planning fostering professional development. Out-of-state applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must demonstrate a substantial economic impact on the development of the community.
  • Urgent/Emergency Needs

    Urgent or Emergency support is potentially available to historic theaters and related structures in emergency situations when immediate and unanticipated work is needed to save a historic structure. Examples of urgent or emergency needs include:

    • Fire or water damage
    • Natural disasters
    • General disrepair posing an immediate threat to the structure or architectural integrity
    • Imminent demolition
    • An option to purchase a structure (temporary or long-term), especially if a structural change or possible demolition are evident.

     

  • Historic Structure Studies or Planning

    Grants for Historic Structure Studies or Planning are awarded on an annual basis to support the completion of a Historic Structure Study or Planning.

  • Technical Assistance & Services

    These grant funds enable awardees direct access to experts in the field and to other resources in order to meet a range of specific technical needs.

  • Preservation & Facilities Grant

    These grants are designed to complete projects and develop community-wide participation at the local level.

  • Current & Previous Grants

    Since its inception, FTI has collaborated on more than 84 historic theatre projects and contributed more than $2.7 Million in grant funds in theatres across Georgia. We also offer support to non-historic theatres through Georgia Presenters and other technical assistance.

Special Thanks

We are grateful to the Southface Institute for their ongoing leveraging partnership with the Fox Gives through their GoodUse Program. This technical assistance and financial support have enabled numerous historic theatres in Georgia and in the Southeast attain improved sustainable energy practices. These potential financial savings can lead to a reinvestment of those funds into ongoing theatre preservation, programming, and educational opportunities.

 

Since 2021, the Southface Institute has awarded $323,000 in grant funding to nine historic theatres including the following:

 

Alabama Theatre & Lyric Theatre, Birmingham, AL

Douglass Theatre, Macon, GA

Earl and Rachel Smith Strand Theatre, Marietta, GA

Elba Theatre, Elba, AL

Grove Park Foundation, Atlanta, GA

Historic DeSoto Theatre, Rome, GA

Princess Theatre Center for the Performing Arts, Decatur, AL

Sandersville School, Sandersville, GA

Southside Theatre Guild, Fairburn, GA

Balzer Theatre at Herren’s, Atlanta, GA

 

To learn more about the GoodUse Program and more of the impactful work of the Southface Institute, please visit https://www.southface.org/

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