What Entertainment Community Fund does

The Entertainment Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services organization founded on June 8, 1882 (originally as The Actors Fund) that operates a nationwide safety net for professionals across film, theater, television, music, opera, radio, and dance—both onstage and behind the scenes. It delivers services through three regional offices (New York, Chicago, Los Angeles) and a free online client portal, with governance provided by a Board of Trustees chaired by Annette Bening and day-to-day operations led by President and CEO Joseph Benincasa.

Its service platform spans emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, health care and insurance counseling, career development and transition, mental health and addiction recovery, older adult care, and specialized programs for dancers (The Dancers' Resource, founded 2007), young performers (Looking Ahead, launched 2003), and child performers' Coogan funds. Notable physical and institutional assets include the Actors Fund Home nursing facility in Englewood, NJ, The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts (operated with Mount Sinai since 2017), a portfolio of affordable housing developments (Dorothy Ross Friedman Residence, The Schermerhorn, Hollywood Arts Collective, Palm View, Rialto West), and the wholly owned Actors Fund Housing Development Corporation (established 2009).

The Fund is funded primarily through individual donations, corporate and foundation gifts, an annual membership program (including Broadway house seat access), annual galas and special events, planned giving and endowments, and benefit partnerships such as the 2025 Willow Auction House Tony Walton Collection auction. In 2022, the organization rebranded from The Actors Fund to Entertainment Community Fund to reflect its expanded mission beyond theatrical performers, and in 2026 it raised a record-breaking $1.8 million at its Annual Gala—its highest fundraising total in 144 years of operations.

Name

Entertainment Community Fund

Legal name

Entertainment Community Fund

Website

https://entertainmentcommunity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1882

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Entertainment Community Fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1882 that provides human services—financial assistance, housing, health care, and career support—to performing arts and entertainment professionals nationwide through offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Human Services for Performing Arts

NAICS

Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries (713), Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Gala Dinners & Fundraising Events (Nonprofit/CSR) (MPAGAHAE)

Keywords

• Performing arts social services
• Entertainment industry support
• Nonprofit human services
• Affordable housing services
• Performing arts healthcare

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Fund relies heavily on individual donations from the entertainment community and general public, particularly during year-end giving season and through direct fundraising appeals.
2. Corporate and Foundation Gifts: Corporate partnerships and foundation grants support the Fund's programs and services, including official sponsorships from companies like United Airlines and Marriott Marquis.
3. Membership Program: Annual membership fees provide benefits including Broadway house seat access, creating a recurring revenue stream while incentivizing ongoing engagement.
4. Special Events and Galas: Annual galas and special events generate significant fundraising revenue, with the 2026 Gala raising a record-breaking $1.8 million to support programs and services.
5. Third-Party Events: Partnership events like the Tony Walton Collection auction at Willow Auction House generate proceeds benefiting the Fund's services.
6. Planned Giving and Endowments: Legacy giving programs, donor-advised funds, gifts of stock, IRA contributions, and cryptocurrency donations provide long-term financial support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Entertainment Community Fund is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit human services organization that provides a comprehensive safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals. Its core offerings span emergency financial assistance, social services, career counseling and development, specialized performing arts healthcare and insurance counseling, affordable and senior housing, and older adult care, delivered through offices in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, an online client portal, and dedicated facilities such as the Actors Fund Home and the Friedman Health Center.

Product overview

The Entertainment Community Fund is a national nonprofit human services organization founded in 1882 (formerly The Actors Fund) that provides a comprehensive safety net for performing arts and entertainment professionals. The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model offering emergency financial assistance, career counseling and transition services, health care and insurance resources, and affordable housing across locations in New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Key programs include the Actors Fund Home (nursing facility), The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, The Dancers' Resource, Looking Ahead (for young performers), and a network of affordable housing developments. Members can access services through a client portal and receive communications via the Follow Spot newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Actors Fund Home: A residential facility providing care and housing services for entertainment professionals, particularly older adults.
• Looking Ahead
• The Dancers' Resource
• The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts

Products and services

• Social Services & Financial Assistance
• Career Counseling & Development
• Health Care & Insurance
• Affordable Housing
• Actors Fund Home
• The Dancers' Resource
• Looking Ahead
• Older Adult Programs
• Client Portal
• Unclaimed Coogan Funds
• Membership Program with Broadway House Seats

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Willow Auction HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Willow Auction House hosted a three-day auction (November 4-6, 2025) featuring the Tony Walton Collection with over 700 lots spanning seven decades in Broadway, film, ballet, and opera. Proceeds from the auction supported the Entertainment Community Fund's programs and services.
• United AirlinesminorOthersDesignated as the Official Airline of the Entertainment Community Fund, supporting travel needs for events and programs.
• New York Marriott MarquisminorOthersDesignated as the Official New York City Hotel, providing accommodations for Fund events and programs.
• Black Theatre UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization focused on community development through arts, highlighted at the Town & Country Philanthropy Summit. Represents a coalition working on initiatives in the Black theater community.
• Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrongest partner in caring for people affected by HIV/AIDS and other health issues. The Fund helped found Broadway Cares in 1988 and maintains ongoing collaboration in health initiatives.
• Mount Sinai Health SystemcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to open The Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts in 2017, conveniently located at the Times Square office. Only health center in NYC solely focused on performing arts healthcare needs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS: Theater industry fundraising nonprofit supporting social services including HIV/AIDS initiatives. Closely comparable in Broadway/theater-community focus; the Fund helped found Broadway Cares in 1988, indicating deep operational overlap and shared beneficiary base.
• MusiCares: MusiCares is the Recording Academy-affiliated nonprofit providing health, financial, and human services to music professionals. Closely comparable in mission, beneficiary base structure, and reliance on industry fundraising — but specifically scoped to the music industry.
• Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation: Charitable foundation supporting individuals in the motion picture distribution and exhibition industry with emergency grants, scholarships, and retirement support. Comparable mission of providing financial and welfare services to entertainment industry professionals.
• SAG-AFTRA Foundation: The charitable arm of SAG-AFTRA providing emergency assistance, health resources, and career programs to performers. Directly comparable in beneficiary population (screen performers) and service mix (financial assistance, healthcare, senior support).

Regional players

• The Actors Fund of Canada: Canadian counterpart providing social services, emergency financial assistance, and health programs to Canadian entertainment professionals. Operates the same human-services model as the Entertainment Community Fund but for the Canadian market.

Others

• The Actors Studio: Legendary actor development organization founded in 1947. While not a direct human-services peer, it shares a deep focus on professional acting careers and overlaps in membership/audience demographic with the Fund's beneficiary base.
• PEN America: Literary and free-expression nonprofit that includes a Writers Emergency Fund providing direct financial assistance to authors in need. Comparable in offering direct human-services support to creative professionals, though in the literary rather than performing arts sector.

Broad incumbents

• Film Independent: Nonprofit that champions independent filmmaking through education, financing, and community-building. Comparable nonprofit structure serving entertainment professionals, but focused on creative/career support rather than welfare services.
• Sundance Institute: Major nonprofit supporting independent filmmakers and storytellers through labs, grants, and programs. Comparable in scale and nonprofit arts-support structure but focused on creative development rather than welfare/human services.
• The Shubert Foundation: Theater industry's largest private foundation, primarily providing grants to nonprofit theaters and arts organizations. Comparable as a major entertainment-industry philanthropy, though its mission is grantmaking rather than direct service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/alifeinthearts
• Facebookfacebook.com/alifeinthearts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alifeinthearts
• Instagraminstagram.com/alifeinthearts
• TikToktiktok.com/@alifeinthearts
• Xx.com/alifeinthearts

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Entertainment Community Fund