Sheila Fortune Foundation

The Sheila Fortune Foundation operates from a distinctly relationship-centered giving philosophy rooted in one clarifying belief: that abuse should be no excuse not to perform in the arts. Founded in 1998 by Boulder, Colorado philanthropist Sheila Fortune (1948–2024), the foundation has maintained a laser focus on funding performing arts programs that specifically serve abused and at-risk youth across four states: Colorado, Indiana, New Mexico, and Pennsylvania.

This is not a foundation that responds to broad solicitation campaigns. It operates primarily by identifying organizations through its own research and site visits, then inviting those programs into sustained, multi-year funding relationships. The short application form available on the Grantee Application page is secondary to that relationship-building process. Executive Director Ellen Feeney (the sole compensated officer, at $55,708 annually) and a seven-person board actively investigate programs before any application is accepted. First-time applicants who reach out cold are at a disadvantage compared to organizations already on the foundation’s radar.

The foundation’s 368 tracked grants reveal a strong preference for depth over breadth: nearly all top grantees show 4 consecutive funding cycles, confirming the foundation views itself as a sustained partner rather than a one-time funder. The annual giving pool of approximately $407,000–$538,000 is heavily committed to returning organizations. The sabbatical policy introduced in 2019 — requiring grantees with 10+ consecutive years of funding to take a two-year break — is the primary mechanism that creates openings for new entrants, typically two to five slots per cycle.

The 2024 death of founder Sheila Fortune marks a pivotal transition. The foundation is not accepting applications in 2026, almost certainly reflecting governance reassessment. Organizations wishing to position themselves for a future cycle should build visibility now: maintain an active website with published outcome data, seek coverage in sector-relevant publications within the four funded states, and ensure their programs are findable to foundation researchers. Arts organizations that serve vulnerable youth through no-cost or scholarship-based programming — especially those working with schools where 50%+ of students qualify for free or reduced lunch, or serving refugee, immigrant, or foster-care-involved populations — are the strongest natural fit.

The Sheila Fortune Foundation awards grants firmly at the smaller end of the philanthropic spectrum. Based on the foundation’s grantee dataset of 368 awards totaling just under $2 million, the average grant size is approximately $5,429, with a documented floor of $4,000 and a ceiling near $10,000. No single grant in the tracked dataset exceeds roughly $10,000 per annual cycle, making this a high-volume, lower-unit-cost funder rather than a transformational capital source.

Annual giving has been consistent but variable across available 990 filings: $281,424 in grants paid (2011), $301,500 (2013), $363,882 (2014), $370,500 (2015), $332,000 (2019), $457,500 (2021), $538,000 (2022, the decade peak), and $464,400 (2023). In 2024, approximately $407,000 was distributed to 72 organizations. Total giving figures (which include administrative disbursements beyond direct grants) ranged from $394,873 in fiscal 2013 to $621,209 in fiscal 2022. Revenue is investment-driven: net investment income reached $740,040 in fiscal 2023 and $488,426 in 2022, giving the foundation a stable base even as annual contributions received are modest ($58,000–$90,000 per year). Total assets stood at $5,517,090 in fiscal 2023.

Geographically, Colorado dominates with 161 of 368 tracked grants (44%), followed by Pennsylvania with 119 (32%), New Mexico with 46 (13%), and Indiana with 42 (11%). This distribution reflects the foundation’s Boulder headquarters and the founder’s personal ties to the Denver metro arts community.

All grants are coded “Art Program Support,” but the grantee list reveals clear discipline clusters: dance organizations (Koresh Dance Company, Kids Dance Outreach, Keshet Dance Company, Celebrate the Beat, The Rock School for Dance Education), music ensembles (El Sistema Indianapolis, Denver Young Artists Orchestra, Philadelphia Clef Club of Jazz & Performing Arts), theatre companies (Backstory Theatre, Creede Repertory Theatre, Curious Theatre Company, Vintage Theatre Productions), and multidisciplinary youth arts centers. The highest-funded grantee, Ecoarts Connections, received $36,000 across 4 grants (~$9,000 per year), representing the upper bound of cumulative per-organization awards.

The foundation’s database peers are matched by IRS Business Master File asset range (all cluster near $17.8–$17.9M) and NTEE code T22 (Philanthropy & Grantmaking). Note that the Sheila Fortune Foundation’s 990-reported total assets were $5,517,090 in fiscal 2023 — the IRS BMF figure reflects a different calculation basis. Peer 990 detail was not publicly available for direct comparison.

*990-reported total assets: $5.5M (FY2023); IRS BMF uses a different asset basis.

What the comparison reveals most clearly is how narrowly differentiated the Sheila Fortune Foundation is. All four peers operate as general philanthropy vehicles with no defined programmatic focus or geographic precision comparable to Sheila Fortune’s four-state, arts-for-at-risk-youth mandate. The Borgen Family Foundation (Colorado) is the closest regional peer and could serve as a complementary funder for Colorado-based applicants, but its general mandate means competition for dollars is far broader. For applicants, Sheila Fortune’s specificity is a strategic advantage: organizations that fit the mission precisely face a very small competitive field relative to open-call funders of similar size.

The most consequential development in the foundation’s recent history is the death of founder and President Sheila Fortune in 2024. Born in 1948, Fortune established the foundation in 1998 and served as its president throughout its 26-year history. The foundation’s current-news page carries a memorial portrait but no formal succession announcement, governance transition plan, or strategic update has been published.

The foundation has formally announced it will not accept applications in 2026. The most recent completed cycle was 2025: grantee evaluation reports were due March 6, 2026 by 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time, confirming the 2025 cycle proceeded normally. The 2024 cycle distributed approximately $407,000 to 72 organizations — a decline from the 2022 peak of $538,000.

Board composition has remained stable: Sophia Gold (VP & Director), Michele Winebrenner-Nizam (Secretary/Treasurer), Robert W. Conner (Director), Marc A. Hetzner (Director), and Jessica L. Broderick (Director) all serve without compensation, with Ellen Feeney continuing as the sole compensated Executive Director. The foundation’s investment income reached $740,040 in fiscal 2023 — the highest level in the tracked period — providing financial stability during the transition. No new program areas, geographic expansions, strategic partnerships, or leadership appointments were identified through public web research as of June 2026.

Applying to the Sheila Fortune Foundation requires both precise mission alignment and strategic patience, particularly given the 2026 application pause. The following tips are grounded in the foundation’s own documented practices.

Do not apply in 2026. The foundation has explicitly stated no applications are being accepted. Monitor sheilafortunefoundation.com in late 2026 or early 2027 for a 2027 cycle announcement. When open, the annual deadline falls in May.

Match the language of abuse and at-risk circumstances precisely. The foundation’s tagline — “Abuse is no excuse not to perform in the arts” — signals that serving broadly low-income or underserved youth is insufficient. Programs must explicitly document participants’ backgrounds involving abuse, trauma, foster care, refugee status, or juvenile justice involvement. Reviewers are looking for this nexus, not general youth arts activity.

Frame your application using the foundation’s own evaluation categories. The grantee evaluation form asks for four evidence types: (1) quantitative reach — number and ages of youth served, attendance frequency, scholarships awarded; (2) qualitative impact — instructor observations, participant testimonials, parent feedback; (3) financial accountability — project profit-and-loss statement and operating financials; (4) youth development outcomes — self-discipline, self-expression, positive peer interactions. Build your application narrative around these same four dimensions.

Emphasize no-cost or scholarship-based access. The foundation prioritizes programs that remove financial barriers entirely, particularly those serving Title I schools (50%+ free/reduced lunch), refugee or immigrant communities, or youth in the child welfare system.

Confirm geographic eligibility sharply. Only programs operating in Colorado, Indiana, New Mexico, or Pennsylvania qualify. Multi-state organizations should specify which state-specific program is the subject of the application.

Verify your sabbatical status. Organizations with 10+ consecutive years of funding must sit out two years. Check your grant history before submitting; this policy has been enforced since 2019.

Invest in proactive visibility before the cycle opens. The foundation identifies candidates through its own research. A current website, published impact data, and sector media presence in the four funded states all increase the likelihood of being approached or recognized during the foundation’s outreach.