Grant Request First Stage
Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form
Organization Name: First Stage
Legal Name (if Different): First Stage Milwaukee, Inc.
Also Known As: First Stage, and previously as First Stage Children’s Theater
Mailing Address: 325 West Walnut Street
City: Milwaukee
State: Wisconsin
Postal Code: 53212
Main Phone: 414-267-2929
Main Fax: 414-267-2930
Organization Website: www.firststage.org
Employer ID Number: 39-1634828
Organization Tax Status: 501(c)(3) subclass 509(a)(2)
Proposal Information
Today’s Date: 03/25/2026
Requested Amount: $5,000
Project Title: 2026-2027 Access for All
Project Description:
While theater can play a significant and positive role in shaping a young person’s academic achievement, career success, health, and wellbeing, many students throughout Southeastern Wisconsin have limited access to it—due to the lack of arts specialists in schools, budget cuts, and the additional financial, transportation, and logistical challenges that unfortunately prevent them and their families from attending theater performances and enrolling in arts programs.
Since 2004, First Stage has been removing barriers and ensuring access to our transformative theater experiences for Southeastern Wisconsin’s historically under-resourced youth and families through our Access for All program. Funds would go to helping to remove barriers and ensure access in the following ways:
Professional Theater Productions:
-Access for All families are eligible to purchase tickets for any production at a 70% discount
-We provide discounted tickets to our nonprofit partners (e.g., Big Brothers Big Sisters, Boys & Girls Club, La Casa de Esperanza, Penfield Montessori, Ronald McDonald House, and more)
Theater Academy Classes:
-We provide financial aid awards of up to 85% coverage, healthy snacks, Academy t-shirts, and transportation, as needed.
Theater in Education Workshops:
-We provide our Theater in Education programs, such as Field Trip Packages or Arts-Integrated Workshops, at highly subsidized rates to historically under-resourced schools.
Through Access for All, First Stage provides theater experiences to about 15,000 young people and families annually for little or no cost to them. As schools and organizations are forced to spend less on the arts, First Stage fills our community’s need for creativity, enrichment, and connection.
Total Project Budget: $1,696,906
Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): Burke Foundation – $160,000 committed; Partnership for the Arts & Humanities – $63,750 committed; UPAF – $23,015 potential; Johnson Controls – $27,540 potential; Bader Philanthropies – $50,000 potential; We Energies – $5,000 potential; Pieper Electric – $2,500 potential; Kopmeier Family Fund – $1,000 potential; Gene and Ruth Posner Foundation, Inc. – $1,000 potential
Project Duration: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027
Geographical Area Served: Southeastern Wisconsin/Greater Milwaukee Area
Age Group To Be Served: Youth ages 3-18 and their families
Contact Information
Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): N/A
Contact First Name: Abi
Contact Last Name: Michalski
Contact Title: Grants Manager
Contact Phone: 414-267-2939
Contact Email: grants@firststage.org