Stage Directors And Choreographers Foundation Receives $200,000 Anonymous Gift for Emergency Assistance Fund

The Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation (SDCF), the not-for-profit foundation of the theatrical union Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), announces that it has received a $200,000 gift from an anonymous donor to support its Emergency Assistance Fund.

The Emergency Assistance Fund was established in April 2020 to help Members of SDC who are experiencing financial hardship due to the devastating impact of the COVID-19. Funds are available to assist with basic needs such as health care, rent, food, and utilities. When combined with SDC's 2020 Income Relief Fund, which was established in the wake of the shutdown to offset lost employment, the total support available to distribute to SDC Members now surpasses $550,000, with more than $200,000 granted to date. This extraordinary gift also allows SDCF to increase the grant amount for SDC Members to $750 and newly provides an opportunity for SDC Associate Members to apply for grants up to $300.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, unemployment for the more than 4,000 SDC directors and choreographers and their associates remains at over 90%, and roughly 80% of Members previously receiving health insurance through the Union's plan will lose coverage on March 1. "This unexpected and incredibly generous gift, from an unknown 'patron saint' of directors and choreographers, will prove to be a lifesaver for many of our Members in the difficult months ahead," says SDCF President Mark Brokaw.

The Emergency Assistance Fund was established through leadership gifts from SDC Members Marc Bruni, Rachel Chavkin, Michael Greif, Thomas Kail, Susan Stroman, and Evan Yionoulis, with Josh Lehrer & Jeffrey Seller joining these Union Members. The Fund would not be possible without additional generous donations from the James & Deborah Burrows Foundation, the Jean and Louis Dreyfus Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and the Miranda Family Fund. SDCF is also grateful to Richard Nelson for his support of the Fund through the streaming of his play Incidental Moments of the Day - The Apple Family: Life on Zoom.

Those wishing to donate to SDCF's Emergency Assistance Fund may do so at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/StageDirectorsChoreographersW/sdcfoundation.html Members will receive more information about the Fund via email from SDCF in the coming days.