Question 1

What is the Director's Grant?

Accepted Answer

The Director's Grant is a financial gift sponsored by the Mark W. Foreman Foundation for the Performing Arts. This grant is given to directors of community theater productions to be used toward their productions in order to benefit the cast and crew, the theater, and audiences.

Mark Foreman was known for using his personal funds towards his directed shows for various costs such as costumes, props, a pit orchestra, or obtaining a particular music director or choreographer. It was important to him to have a quality production outside of budgetary constraints.

We understand that this was a choice Mark was able to make, but not everyone has that opportunity. Community theaters are reliant on volunteers and budgets are often tight for each show. We want to support a director and have their vision brought to life in the best way possible. Thus, this grant being used toward a director's specific show is one way the Foundation can financially assist at no additional cost to the theater.

In the spirit of Mark Foreman, it is our honor to bestow this grant for the enjoyment and aid to the Greater Lynchburg community theaters.

Question 2

Who Can Apply?

Accepted Answer

The Director's Grant is available to a director of a community theater production who has been assigned a specific show. The grant may be awarded to any director, regardless of experience, so long as the show is produced by a Greater Lynchburg community theater. Directors must be confirmed by the community theatre as the selected director for the production in order to apply.

Question 3

What is a Community Theater?

Accepted Answer

The Foundation defines community theaters as a non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) that pays less than 25% of production personnel, the remaining 75% comprising of volunteers. This includes cast and crew. The majority of the cast must be comprised of community members through open auditions.

The theaters must be located in the Greater Lynchburg area which includes the city of Lynchburg and the surrounding counties of Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, and Campbell.

Question 4

What is the Amount of the Grant?

Accepted Answer

As of May 2023, the grant amount is for $1,000 per award, which will be given directly to the theater for the benefit of the director and the director's production.

Question 5

How Often is the Grant Awarded?

Accepted Answer

The grant will be awarded semi-annually. A $1,000 grant will be awarded by January 31, and a $1,000 grant will be awarded by July 31 of each calendar year. Applications must be submitted by December 31 and June 30 respectively.

Question 6

How Do I Apply?

Accepted Answer

Visit the application page to fill out an application. Please note the deadlines of each award.

The application will require the director to specify the show and community theater where the funds will be used. The director must also submit his/her experience and connections with the Greater Lynchburg community theaters, as well as the vision for the production and anticipated uses for the funds.

Question 7

Who Decides Who Is Awarded the Grant?

Accepted Answer

Grant winners shall be selected by a voting committee of at least five members with a bona-fide interest in community theater with the following parameters:

1) The Board of Directors shall nominate members for this voting board, which will be chosen by majority vote. 
2) Board members may serve on this committee, but at least four members of the committee must not be serving on the Foundation's Board. 
3) Voting members of the committee may not be currently serving on any community theater board or be paid staff members of any community theater. 
4) Voting members are ineligible to apply for the grant for his or her own production.

The applications will be available as an online form through the website, which will be accessible to the committee chair and distributed to the committee after the grant application period has closed. The committee will review the applications and submit its nomination to the Board for approval.

The 2023 Board is as follows:

William Bodine
Albert Carter
Sally Southall
Tanya Anderson
Casey Carden
Lori Carter
John Gunnoe

Question 8

Can the Grant be Used Toward Anything the Director Chooses?

Accepted Answer

The grant must be used toward the production of the show that the director applied for. This can be for costumes, set pieces, props, a pit orchestra, etc. The production must be enhanced in some way with the funds awarded.

The theater may not use the grant toward any overhead or theater expenses outside of the production. The director may not use the grant to supplement his or her income.

Question 9

Are There Any Limitations on What Productions Can Benefit From the Grant?

Accepted Answer

As long as the show is produced by a Greater Lynchburg community theater (see Community Theater definition in FAQ), there are no limitations on what productions will qualify for application.

Question 10

Do I Have to Prove What I Use the Funds For?

Accepted Answer

Directors and community theaters should be prepared to show receipts or a report to verify the funds were used for their intended purpose. If the receipts do not reflect the funds being used in an approved manner based on the director’s original intention, the Board shall meet to determine if the director shall be disqualified from future awards and/or other consequences as necessary.

Question 11

Does the Community Theater Need to Publicly Acknowledge the Awarding of Funds?

Accepted Answer

There is no requirement for the community theater to mention the awarding of the Director's Grant for the specific production. However, in order to increase awareness and support for the Foundaton, we kindly ask the theater to include an acknowledgement of the grant in the show's playbill/program stating:

“The director and this production are the recipients of the Director Grant from the Mark W. Foreman Foundation”

Question 12

What if I Don't End Up Directing After Being Awarded the Grant?

Accepted Answer

If a director is unable to complete his or her directing obligation, the grant must be returned to the foundation within thirty days. The theater organization may appeal this policy in the event of extenuating circumstances

Question 13

When Must the Grant Funds be Used?

Accepted Answer

The grant must be used within one year of awarding.

Question 14

If I Already Won the Grant, can I Apply Again for a Future Show?

Accepted Answer

The director may apply again in the future. However, the director may not be awarded the grant in two consecutive calendar years.

For example: If the grant is awarded September 2023, the director cannot receive another grant until January 2025. If the grant is awarded January 2024, the director cannot receive another grant until January 2026.

The reason for this is to avoid the same directors receiving grants in multiple consecutive years, thus avoiding any appearance of bias or favoritism. Furthermore, this encourages all directors, new and veterans, to apply and be considered on an equal level.

Question 15

Can I Serve on the Voting Committee?

Accepted Answer

All committee members are committed for one year terms with options of renewal. You must be nominated by a current Board member in order to serve on the committee in the future. If you are interested in serving in a future year, please reach out to a member of the Foundation's Board of Directors. Please note the parameters of serving on the committee in the "Who Decides Who Is Awarded the Grant" in the FAQ section.

Question 16

Can I Donate to the Grant?

Accepted Answer

We are always seeking donations to help fund this grant for future years. The 2023 calendar year has been fully funded by an anonymous donor. Anything donated will go towards this grant and/or other Foundation programs. If you wish to donate to specifically to the grant, please notate this when making the donation.

Question 17

Is the Grant Tax Deductible?

Accepted Answer

The Director's Grant is a tax deductible in its entirety by the community theater awarded.