FAQs

What is The Boomerang Fund for Artists?

The Boomerang Fund for Artists is a not-for-profit organization that raises money for artists and arts organizations of all genres. Direct mail solicitation is the primary form of fundraising, although occasionally Boomerang will hold concerts to benefit the Fund.

How does Boomerang select its grant recipients?

Artists and organizations do not apply for grants. Boomerang is too small an organization to devote its limited resources to reviewing grant applications. Instead, Boomerang’s Board of Directors selects grant recipients with the assistance of Boomerang’s Board of Advisors. The criteria for evaluating potential grant recipients is quite flexible. Recipients may be new artists who have shown extraordinary talent; seasoned professionals who have lived a life in the arts but may not have achieved financial security; arts organizations that need a boost for a particular project; the possibilities are myriad. Grants are awarded with no strings attached, and usually range between $300 and $3,000. Members of the Advisory Board include:

- Mary-Louise Parker (Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe Award winning actress)

- Gen Horiuchi (Artistic Director, Saint Louis Ballet, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, and former member of the Broadway casts of “Cats” and “Song & Dance”)

- Forrest Gander (author, editor, and Professor of English and Comparative Literatures and Director of the Graduate Program in Literary Arts at Brown University)

- C.D. Wright (MacArthur Foundation Fellow and celebrated poet)

- Darla Hoover (Repetiteur, the Balanchine Trust, Associate Artistic Director, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet)

- Charles Randolph-Wright (playwright – “Blue”, director – 75th anniversary of “Porgy and Bess”, director – “Lincoln Heights”, writer/director – “Mama I Want To Sing”)

- Christopher D’Amboise (choreographer, former principal dancer with New York City Ballet, and former Artistic Director of the Pennsylvania Ballet Company)

- Jeff Edwards (Associate Director, Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company)

- Anne Pasternak (Artistic Director, Creative Time, Inc.)

- Tim Guinee (Actor)
Are contributions tax deductible?

Yes. The Boomerang Fund is a 501(c)(3) organization (Fed. Tax ID No. 04-3760294), so all contributions are fully tax deductible. Because Boomerang has no overhead expenses, 100% of every contribution goes directly to grant recipients.

Grant Recipients (as of September 2012)

  • Dafnis Prieto, jazz drummer, percussionist and composer
  • Liz Waldner, writer
  • Candace Bouchard, dancer (Oregon Ballet Theatre)
  • Configuration, dance company (Catherine Batcheller and Joseph Cipolla, Directors)
  • Nicole Lowrance, actor
  • Graham Michael Hamilton, actor
  • Psalmayene 24, actor/playwright
  • Yazmany Arboleda, visual artist
  • Steve Allen, saxophonist
  • Kanji Segawa, dancer
  • Nicolas Kendall, violinist
  • Oni Faida Lampley, playwright/actress
  • Martin Espada, poet
  • Adrian Belic, filmmaker
  • Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance, contemporary ballet company
  • The Women’s Project, theater production company
  • Brenda Shaughnessy & Craig Teicher, poets
  • Charles-Louis Yoshiyama, ballet dancer
  • Alexander Strain, actor
  • America’s Dream Chamber Artists, chamber music ensemble
  • Geoffrey Gatza, poet
  • WordBRIDGE, playwriting laboratory
  • Carl Flink and Black Label Movement, choreographer, dance ensemble
  • Christine Toy Johnson, actress and playwright
  • Colin Tribby, percussionist and teaching artist
  • Karl Miller, actor
  • Harun Mehmedinovic, filmmaker
  • Barbara Barg, poet and musician
  • Margo Hall, actor, director and playwright
  • Catherine Russell, vocalist
  • Ensemble Studio Theatre, theatre company
  • Courtney Lavine, ballet dancer
  • Jo Kreiter, Artistic Director, Flyaway Productions
  • Jeremy Skidmore, director
  • Dan Stroeh, writer (Carpe Diem Award recipient)
  • Darren Canady, playwright
  • Jonathan Jordan, ballet dancer
  • Jay Sullivan, actor
  • Holly Twyford, actor
  • Sharon Hayes, visual artist
  • Gretchen and John Morning, filmmakers
  • John Manzari, dancer/singer/actor
  • Leo Manzari, dancer/singer/actor
  • Genine Lentine, writer
  • Caledonia Curry (a.k.a. Swoon), visual artist
  • The Barrow Group, theatre production company
  • Julio Bragado-Young, ballet dancer (Carpe Diem Award recipient)
  • Nancy Kuhl, writer
  • Dean Young, writer
  • Daniel Karslake, filmmaker
  • Jessica Frances Dukes, actor
  • Erin Weaver, actor
  • Jennifer Mendenhall, actor
  • Mel Chin, visual artist
  • Jeffrey Cirio, dancer
  • Brian Reeder, choreographer
  • Alejandro Cerrudo, choreographer and dancer
  • Grace Pettis, singer/songwriter/guitarist
  • Robert Ransick, visual artist
  • Kate Rouzer, ballet dancer
  • Jeremy Gumbs, singer/actor/dancer
  • Nanna Ingvarsson, actor
  • Dianne Bellino, filmmaker
  • Chris Jordan, filmmaker
  • Connie Hochman, filmmaker
  • John Duvernoy, writer
  • Aaron Kreiswirth, photographer
  • Sean Panikkar, opera singer
  • Ellie Krakow, visual artist
  • Aisha deHaas, vocalist and actor
  • Elizabeth Robinson, writer and poet
  • Russell Harvard, actor
  • Barry Woods Johnston, sculptor
  • Aubrey Deeker, actor
  • Alberto Velazquez, ballet dancer

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Dear Friends of the Boomerang Fund:

The annual Boomerang fundraising campaign will begin shortly.  These are difficult economic times, but Boomerang, thankfully, has not noticed a reduction in contributions.  We appreciate your continued support, and will gratefully accept any donation in any amount.  With your help, Boomerang will continue to honor artists and provide for them an unexpected financial boost.

As always, every dollar you contribute is used to fund grants–Boomerang carries no administrative costs.  This efficient little engine has quietly, steadily supported artists of all genres because you have chosen to contribute to its mission.  We are forever grateful, as are the artists you have honored with your support.

With gratitude,

Joseph P. Morra

President, Boomerang Fund For Artists, Inc.

Fed. Tax ID No. 04-3760294