Hermanowski Family Foundation Initial Request Form

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Organization Name: First Stage
Legal Name (if Different): First Stage Milwaukee, Inc.
Also Known As: First Stage Performing Arts Center
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

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Today’s Date: 03/28/2025
Requested Amount: $10,000

Project Title: 2025-2026 Access for All Program
Project Description:

While theater plays a significant role in shaping youth’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 marginalized youth and families through our Community Partnership Program. In 2024, we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the program by renaming it and relaunching it as Access for All, continuing our commitment to serving those facing economic disparities.

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 $10 tickets for any production
-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)
-We host Pay What You Choose (PWYC) performances at which audience members may attend at any dollar amount.

Theater Academy:
-We provide financial aid awards, healthy snacks and meals, Academy t-shirts, and transportation, as needed, to ensure successful participation in Academy classes.

Theater in Education:
-We provide our Theater in Education programs, such as Field Trip Packages or Arts-Integrated Workshops, at highly subsidized rates to historically underserved 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: $1,517,996

Other Funding
Sources For The Project (Committed & Potential): The Burke Foundation… Committed… $180,000 Bader Philanthropies… Committed… $50,000 A.O. Smith Foundation… Potential… $5,000 Ameriprise Financial… Potential… $5,000 Brewer’s Community Foundation…Potential… $10,000 Johnson Controls… Potential… $25,000 Froedtert Medical College… Potential… $3,000 Generac Power Systems, Inc… Potential… $5,000

Project Duration: July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2026
Geographical Area Served: Southeastern Wisconsin/Greater Milwaukee Area
Age Group To Be Served: Youth ages 3-18 and their families

Contact Information

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Contact Prefix (Mr,Mrs etc.): Mx.
Contact First Name: Abi
Contact Last Name: Michalski
Contact Title: Grants Manager
Contact Phone: 414-267-2939
Contact Email: grants@firststage.org