The Donna Reed Foundation For The Perfor

What The Donna Reed Foundation For The Perfor does

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EID: 42-1285098) established in 1986 and headquartered at 1305 Broadway, Denison, Iowa. It preserves the legacy of Academy Award-winning actress Donna Reed by operating three core programs: (1) the Performing Arts Scholarships / Iowa Merit Awards for Dramatic Performance, which awards scholarships to Iowa high school students (May 31 application deadline); (2) the Children's Musical Theatre Workshop, an annual summer program for students completing grades K-8 held at the Denison High School Fine Arts Center, with tiered tuition of $60 (K-2) and $100 (grades 3-8) and a $10 late-registration surcharge after June 1; and (3) the Donna Reed Heritage Museum, open by appointment only, showcasing artifacts, letters, and memorabilia from Reed's career.

The foundation also runs recognition and content initiatives including the American Icon program (celebrating Reed's Library of Congress National Film Registry status), a Hall of Fame, the "It's a Wonderful Life @ 75" anniversary programming, a blog managed by volunteers, and Red Carpet Newsletters. Its technology footprint is limited to a Wix-hosted website (donnareed.org), a co-branded legacy site (classic.donnareed.org), a Blogspot archive, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and PayPal-based donations plus an on-demand video fundraiser. There are no APIs, no proprietary software products, and no AI/ML components.

The organization is volunteer-run with no disclosed headcount or paid staff; the only documented leadership transition on record is the retirement of a 24-year volunteer blog editor. Revenue is generated from two narrow streams: donations and memberships, and Children's Musical Theatre Workshop tuition. There are no institutional investors, no parent company, and no disclosed financial figures. The customer base consists of Iowa high school students applying for scholarships, K-8 children attending the workshop, donors/sponsors, and museum visitors by appointment.

Name

The Donna Reed Foundation For The Perfor

Legal name

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts

Website

https://donnareed.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts is a volunteer-run, 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1986 in Denison, Iowa that preserves actress Donna Reed's legacy through performing arts scholarships for Iowa high school students, a K-8 Children's Musical Theatre Workshop, and a heritage museum.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Education & Cultural Heritage Nonprofits

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (61161), Museums (712110), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Arts Organizations (Theater, Dance, Opera, Music) (BPAGAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC), Media Arts & Film/Photography Nonprofits (BPAGAHAJ)

Keywords

• Performing arts scholarships
• Children's musical theatre
• Heritage museum operations
• Nonprofit arts education
• Cultural legacy preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Denison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership: The foundation raises funds through donations and memberships to support performing arts scholarships and community programs. The website has a PayPal donation option and mentions donors and sponsors supporting ongoing work.
2. Children's Musical Theatre Workshop Tuition: The foundation charges tuition for its Children's Musical Theatre Workshop - $60 for K-2 students and $100 for grades 3-8, with a $10 increase after June 1st.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that preserves actress Donna Reed's legacy and supports emerging performing arts talent. Its core offerings are performing arts scholarships for Iowa high school students, a tuition-based Children's Musical Theatre Workshop for grades K-8 held at the Denison High School Fine Arts Center, and the Donna Reed Heritage Museum in Denison, Iowa, open by appointment. Auxiliary programs include the American Icon tribute, Hall of Fame recognition, anniversary celebrations such as 'It's a Wonderful Life @ 75,' and an active blog covering Donna Reed's filmography.

Product overview

The Donna Reed Foundation for Performing Arts is a nonprofit organization (501(c)(3)) that preserves the legacy of actress Donna Reed through multiple programs including performing arts scholarships for Iowa high school students, Children's Musical Theatre workshops, a heritage museum in Denison Iowa, and various tribute programs including the American Icon initiative and Hall of Fame. The foundation operates a blog featuring historical content about Donna Reed's filmography and career, and manages an annual celebration of 'It's a Wonderful Life' which is preserved in the Library of Congress National Film Registry. The organization was founded in 1986 and hosts workshops at the Denison High School Fine Arts Center.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Performing Arts Scholarships Iowa Merit Awards for Dramatic Performance offering scholarships to Iowa high school students for performing arts education. Submission deadline is May 31. Past recipients have gone on to careers on Broadway, television, and national tours.
• Children's Musical Theatre Workshop Annual summer workshop for students completing grades K-8 teaching singing, acting, and dancing skills culminating in a Saturday musical production. Held at Denison High School Fine Arts Center. Tuition: $60 for grades K-2 and $100 for grades 3-8, with a $10 late-registration increase after June 1. Capacity of 60 students.
• Donna Reed Heritage Museum Museum located in Denison, Iowa showcasing artifacts, letters, and memorabilia from Donna Reed's life and career. Open by appointment only; visitors must call one week ahead to schedule a tour at 712-263-3334.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2004, the Children's Musical Theatre Workshop has developed a strong tradition of educational fun
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• National YoungArts Foundation: National nonprofit that identifies and supports exceptional young performing artists through scholarships, mentorship, and programs — directly comparable to the Donna Reed Foundation's performing arts scholarship model for high school students.
• Stagecoach Performing Arts: Global children's performing arts education provider offering part-time classes in singing, acting, and dancing — comparable to the foundation's children's musical theatre workshop, though at much larger scale.
• iTheatrics: Organization that licenses and produces children's musical theatre productions and runs educational workshops — comparable in mission to the Donna Reed Foundation's Children's Musical Theatre Workshop for grades K-8.
• TADA! Youth Theater: Nonprofit youth theater company producing original musicals and offering musical theatre education programs for NYC youth — directly comparable to the Donna Reed Foundation's children's musical theatre education mission.

Regional players

• Iowa Community Theatre Association: Iowa-based nonprofit supporting community theatre across the state — directly comparable geographic and mission alignment to the Donna Reed Foundation's Iowa-focused performing arts programming.
• The Johnny Carson School of Theatre at the University of Nebraska: Regional performing arts educational institution based in Nebraska — geographically and mission-aligned with the Donna Reed Foundation's Iowa-based performing arts scholarship programming.

Broad incumbents

• The Actors Fund: National nonprofit providing social services, financial support, and programs for performing arts professionals — comparable nonprofit infrastructure supporting the performing arts community more broadly than the Donna Reed Foundation's niche focus.
• National Theater Institute: Educational theater training program affiliated with professional theater institutions — comparable in mission of providing rigorous performing arts training to emerging students and young artists.
• American Film Institute: National nonprofit organization preserving and celebrating American film history through education, training, and preservation — comparable in mission to the Donna Reed Foundation's film heritage preservation and American Icon program.
• Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: Honorary organization for the motion picture industry that maintains archives and supports film preservation — directly relevant to the Donna Reed Foundation's filmography heritage programming given the Academy Award references on the foundation's materials.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/DReedFoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/thedonnareedfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/donna-reed-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about The Donna Reed Foundation For The Perfor