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LILLY AWARDS FOUNDATION INC
NEW YORK, NY · EIN 270987854 · Form 990EZ · FY2025 · NTEE A20 · Arts, Culture & Humanities · Micro (<$100K) · the-lillys.org
revenue
$60K
expenses
$489K
net assets
$45K
employees
—
program ratio
92%
mission · from form 990

RECOGNITION OF THE WORK OF WOMEN IN THEATER AND TO PROMOTE GENDER PARITY IN THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS

profile · synthesized from sources

The Lilly Awards Foundation celebrates the work of women in theater and promotes gender parity in theatrical productions. Founded in 2010 by Marsha Norman, Julia Jordan, and Theresa Rebeck, the organization recognizes female artists through annual awards and supports their advancement in a historically male-dominated field. It also fosters community and advocacy among women theater professionals.

irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2023

What they reported doing

  1. #1 primary $100K
    THE LILLY AWARDS CELEBRATES THE WORK OF WOMEN IN THE THEATER AND HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED TO PROMOTE GENDER PARITY IN THEATRICAL PRODUCTIONS
  2. #2 $17K
    3VIEWS: A NEW ONLINE JOURNAL ABOUT THE ART OF THEATER
named programs · 1 · from sources

What they call their work

The Lilly Awards
Annual awards recognizing the achievements of women in theater, including playwrights, directors, and other theater artists
activities · 6 groups

What they do

  • Arts Professional Advocacy & Equity Initiatives 1 activity
    • Conducting research on representation in American theater
      Conducts an ongoing study analyzing and presenting data on representation in American theater production, including a national survey in 2015 called The Count, which demonstrated that BIPOC women were the least represented demographic on American theater stages.
  • Artist Support Grants 1 activity
    • Funding awards and grants for women in theater
      Funds and awards grants to support women in theater, including the 'Go Write a Play' and 'Go Write a Musical' prizes, the 'Go Work in Theater' awards, the Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award, the Lorraine Hansberry Award, and the Lily Fan Director Award, with a focus on directing, design, tech, composing, and writing, and prioritizing women of color in award allocations.
  • Theatre Awards and Honors Administration 1 activity
    • Hosting annual Lilly Awards ceremony
      Hosts an annual awards ceremony to celebrate the work of women in theater, with in-person events in New York City at venues such as Playwrights Horizons and Minetta Lane Theatre, and virtual presentations during the pandemic in partnership with the Dramatists Guild and The Dramatists Guild Foundation.
  • New Play Development Programs 1 activity
    • Operating a residency retreat for playwrights and families
      Operates a family residency retreat for playwrights and their children at SPACE on Ryder Farm, ongoing since summer 2015.
  • Literary and Cultural Publishing 1 activity
    • Producing 3Views online journal
      Produces 3Views, an online journal focused on the art of theater.
  • Uncategorized 2 activities
    • Advocating against harassment in the theater community
      Drafted and published a Statement of Principle on harassment in the theater community in December 2014, in consultation with attorney Norman Siegel, to promote safer and more equitable working environments.
    • Supporting creation of public art honoring women in theater
      Supported the creation of a statue to honor Lorraine Hansberry, the American playwright, as part of its mission to celebrate women in theater.
financials · form 990EZ · fy2025
revenue
Total revenue$60K
Contributions & grants$60K100%
Program service revenue——
Investment income——
Other revenue—
expenses
Total expenses$489K
Program expenses92%
Admin / overhead8%
Fundraising0%
Salaries & benefits$13K
Grants paid out$434K
Largest expense lineProfessional Fees
balance sheet
Total assets$49K
Cash$414K
Investments$0
Liabilities$26K
Net assets$45K
Liquid reserves10.2 mo
3 years on record · 2020–2025 · YoY revenue -88.1%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2025

Who runs it

board members · 6
  • AMANDA GREEN — BOARD MEMBER
  • ANTONIA BELT — BOARD MEMBER
  • JANE ABRAMSON — BOARD MEMBER
  • LYNN NOTTAGE — BOARD MEMBER
  • MANDY GREENFIELD — BOARD MEMBER
  • SARAH RUHL — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 26

Who they work with

  • Brigit Huppuch Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich ‘Go Work in Theater' Award in 2021.
  • C.A. Johnson Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich 'Go Write a Play' Award in 2021.
  • Costume Industry Coalition Partner — Joint recipient of the Miss Lilly Award, indicating a recognized collaborative relationship in service to theater artists.
  • Crystal Monee Hall Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich 'Go Write a Musical' Award in 2021.
  • Dramatists Guild Network — Multiple board members serve on the Council or Steering Committee of the Dramatists Guild, indicating an organizational affiliation.
  • Dramatists Guild Partner — Partnered to conduct the national survey The Count on representation of women in American theater.
  • Dramatists Guild Partner — Partnered with The Lillys to present the 2020 Lilly Awards virtually.
  • France-Luce Benson Partner — Recipient of the Lorraine Hansberry Award in 2021.
  • Itohan Edoloyi Partner — Recipient of the Daryl Roth Creative Spirit Award in 2021.
  • Julia Jordan Partner — Co-founded The Lilly Awards Foundation with Marsha Norman and Theresa Rebeck.
  • Kimie Nishikawa Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich ‘Go Work in Theater' Award in 2021.
  • Machel Ross Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich ‘Go Work in Theater' Award in 2021.
  • Maestra Partner — Collaborates with Maestra, as highlighted by Georgia Stitt's speech at the 2019 Lilly Awards, which addressed gender equity in music direction and hiring.
  • Norman Siegel Partner — Consulted with the organization in drafting the 2014 Statement of Principle on harassment in the theater community.
  • Playwrights Horizons Partner — Host venue for the 2023 Lilly Awards ceremony.
  • Playwrights Horizons Partner — Hosted the 2014 Lilly Awards ceremony.
  • Playwrights Horizons Partner — Hosted the 2015 Lilly Awards ceremony at its venue.
  • SPACE on Ryder Farm Partner — Collaborates to operate a family residency retreat for playwrights and their children.
  • Signature Theatre Partner — Hosted the 2016 Lilly Awards ceremony at the Irene Diamond Stage.
  • Stephanie Rolland Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich ‘Go Work in Theater' Award in 2021.
  • The Dramatist Guild Partner — Partners in conducting The Count, an ongoing study on representation in American theater production.
  • The Dramatists Guild Foundation Partner — Partnered with The Lillys to present the 2020 Lilly Awards virtually.
  • The Lilly Awards Network — Organization that inspires and supports women playwrights through recognition and public advocacy.
  • Theresa Rebeck Partner — Co-founded The Lilly Awards Foundation with Marsha Norman and Julia Jordan.
  • Victoria Detres Partner — Recipient of the Stacey Mindich ‘Go Work in Theater' Award in 2021.
  • Whitman Network — Invokes Whitman's concept of containing multitudes in discussing empathy and imagination in criticism.
strategies · 3

How they approach the work

Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.

  • Intersectional Equity Through Recognition and Financial Support
    methodology: intersectional_equity_initiative
    By combining public recognition with targeted financial grants and apprenticeships, we reduce systemic barriers for women and non-binary playwrights of color, because addressing both visibility and material access creates compounding effects toward equity.
  • Recognition as Leverage for Systemic Change
    methodology: visibility-through-celebration
    By publicly celebrating women and gender-minority theater professionals through high-visibility awards and prominent advocates, we increase representation and shift industry norms, because visibility disrupts entrenched patterns of exclusion and creates pathways for systemic equity.
  • Women-Led Institutions and Mutual Support Networks
    methodology: community-based_mutual_support
    By fostering self-organized communities and women-led institutions, we create sustainable systems of advocacy and professional development, because collective ownership and peer-driven support challenge patriarchal structures more effectively than individual interventions.