Broadway Cares Sends $3.2 Million to Food and Meal Delivery Programs Across The Country

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS this week awarded a record $3,207,500 to 158 food pantries, meal delivery services and congregate meal programs nationwide. These vital grants are made possible by the passion and commitment of the theater community and generosity of audiences on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country through the annual #RedBuckets fall fundraising campaign and Broadway Cares donors.

A committee of 19 dedicated Broadway actors and stage managers, each of whom played an integral role in Broadway Cares' in-theater fall fundraising, awarded the grants on February 10, 2026. Distributed annually, these grants mark the first round of Broadway Cares' 2026 National Grants Program.

Through this support, people affected by HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses will receive healthy, nourishing meals through often underfunded programs and organizations, reaching communities large and small in 38 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C.

As needs increase and federal funding remains paused or in limbo for many organizations - particularly those serving the most vulnerable, including the LGBTQ+ community, communities of color, those living close to or below the federal poverty line and people living with HIV/AIDS - Broadway Cares remains steadfast in its commitment to ensuring no one is left behind.

“At a moment when so many trusted safety nets are at risk nationwide, these grants are about showing up with consistency, dignity and care,” Broadway Cares Executive Director Danny Whitman said. “For communities facing hardship and individuals living with life-threatening illnesses, access to nutritious food is not a luxury. It's a lifeline. We are deeply grateful to the theater community and audiences, whose generosity allows Broadway Cares to reach people in every corner of the country.”

These grants follow an unprecedented additional $1.5 million in emergency funding awarded to each organization during the federal government shutdown last November. The emergency grants helped ensure access to meals and essential nutrition for millions impacted by the uncertainty surrounding federal SNAP benefits.

The 2026 grants eclipse the previous record, set last year at $2.9 million.

This spring, Broadway Cares will award additional grants to nationally recognized AIDS service and advocacy organizations, as well as theater and entertainment industry social service, advocacy and emergency assistance programs. This summer, grants will extend to hundreds more social service organizations nationwide, supporting work that includes direct health and mental health services, emergency financial assistance, harm reduction programs and quality-of-life services.

Broadway Cares is also the single largest funder of the Entertainment Community Fund, which provides a critical safety net for professionals across the performing arts and entertainment industry. Already this fiscal year, Broadway Cares has given the Fund $3 million with a goal of at least $5.8 million.

Broadway Cares' partnership with the Fund began more than 30 years ago with the creation of the HIV/AIDS Initiative in 1988, for which Broadway Cares provided initial funding and continues to support the majority of the program's annual budget. Since then, Broadway Cares has expanded its support to launch the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and to champion a wide range of social services, including the Artists Health Insurance Resource Center (AHIRC), Addiction and Recovery Services, The Dancers' Resource and the Broadway Flu Shot Initiative. In 2017, Broadway Cares began supporting the Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, which provides both general and specialized care for Broadway and performing arts professionals.

In 2025, $18.3 million was awarded to the Entertainment Community Fund and 483 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. When need or crisis arises, Broadway Cares, buoyed by the generosity of those onstage, backstage and in the audience, responds with urgent, essential care and support.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the philanthropic heart of Broadway, is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has awarded more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund), including The Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts, the HIV/AIDS Initiative and the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative. Broadway Cares provides annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., providing lifesaving medication, healthy meals, counseling and emergency assistance. At times of crisis, Broadway Cares also awards one-time humanitarian grants to provide emergency aid across the US and around the world.