About
Named for Dennis Mangers, former Chair of the Foundation’s Board of Directors, whose career in public service has spanned five decades, the Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists supports young performing artists from high-promise backgrounds in the Sacramento region, ensuring they enjoy increased access to performing arts education and training.
The cause is a personal one for Mangers. He recalled the barriers he encountered as a young man who loved the performing arts but whose family was unable to afford the costs of private art instruction. Even when his music teachers in school noted his talent — and passion — for singing, he was unable to pursue further training.
Application Opens
October 6, 2025Application Closes
November 10, 2025Grant Criteria & Application
The Dennis Mangers Fund for Young Performing Artists supports high-promise youth in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo counties by strengthening established, in-house youth training programs offered by arts, cultural, or nonprofit organizations whose mission is to advance the performing arts.
Grant requests may be made for up to $5,000.
Definitions
- Performing arts include instrumental, vocal, theater, or dance art forms.
- High-promise youth are defined as children ages 8–17 from communities of color who have not had affordable access to private training or educational programs in the performing arts.
Goals
Applications should address one or more of the following goals:
- Develop long-term, in-depth partnerships between schools, local arts organizations, and teaching artists to identify young performing artists in need of financial assistance for continued instruction.
- Enhance students’ artistic abilities and creativity through sequential, hands-on performing arts education.
- Create sustainable opportunities for low-income youth to access quality performing arts training.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be located in and serve the four-county Sacramento region (El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo).
- Be a 501(c)(3) organization in good standing with the IRS.
- Have the performing arts as a major component of their programming.
- Maintain a current profile on GivingEdge, the region’s nonprofit database. (Organizations may apply without a profile but must have an approved one by the end of their grant term. GivingEdge will accept new profile applications beginning mid-June.)
Eligible Program Activities
Programs funded by this grant may include, but are not limited to:
- Performing arts training (basic, intermediate, or advanced) in instrument, voice, theater, dance, or spoken word.
- Experiential or peer learning opportunities.
- Workshops, forums, or field trips to performing arts events.
- Access to professional artists as trainers, teachers, or mentors.
- Apprenticeships, internships, or auditions that extend learning opportunities.
- “Front of house” or “back of house” education, including business planning, marketing, production, set or costume design, and other related fields.
Allowable Expenses
Grant funds may be used to:
- Underwrite full or partial tuition for low-income students.
- Pay fees for professional staff or teaching artists.
- Cover direct costs such as instruments, sheet music, transportation, or other program materials.
- Provide stipends or fees for youth participating in apprenticeships or internships.
Note: Indirect costs may not exceed 10% of the total request.
Selection Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
Program Design (60%)
- Demonstrates a clear purpose aligned with the organization’s mission.
- Includes measurable objectives that address identified needs.
- Employs a practical, effective strategy with built-in evaluation measures for continuous improvement.
Fiscal Soundness (40%)
- Presents a detailed, realistic, and responsible budget.
- Shows evidence of diversified funding sources and a plan for sustainability.
- Demonstrates past fiscal responsibility with no significant deficits or cash flow concerns.
Please contact us for questions about proposal content and the grant application system. Proposals will only be accepted through our online application; no email or paper applications will be accepted. Please ensure your organization’s legal name associated with your tax ID number and mailing address are current in your grant organization profile. If you are a fiscally sponsored organization, please make sure your fiscal sponsor name and tax ID number are current in your grant organizational profile.
Applicants will be screened internally by Foundation staff for eligibility. Submission will then be reviewed by a selection committee. Selected organizations will be required to submit a final report describing how the funds were used.
- Balance Dance Project
- CLARA
- Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
- Friends of Sacramento Arts
- Sisters of Nia Inc.
- NorCal Arts
- Arab Community Center for Integration Services
- Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
- Sacramento Theatre Company
- 3 Point 0 – Studio T Arts & Entertainment
- E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts
- Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc
- Latino Center of Art and Culture
- E. Claire Raley Studios for the Performing Arts
- The Freedom Bound Center
- Sacramento Theatre Company
- Sacramento Theatre Company
- Rose Family Creative Empowerment Center Inc.
- University Enterprises
- 3 Point 0 – Studio T Arts & Entertainment
- Child Abuse Council of Sacramento, Inc.
- Mandarins of Sacramento, Inc
- Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera
- Sacramento Theatre Company
- Lincoln Theatre Company
- Society for the Preservation and Encouragement of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America
- Broadway Sacramento
- Lincoln Theatre Company
- Sacramento Youth Symphony
- Sacramento Ballet Association