General Fund

The Leela Foundation’s General Fund provides support for Leela’s programs and operations. Through the Foundation, we are building the financial infrastructure that is critical for the viability and sustainability of the Indian classical arts, and ensuring that these art forms will continue to thrive for generations to come. Gifts to the General Fund are the Leela Foundation’s lifeblood, and allow us to direct your support to areas of the organization where it is most needed.

View our list of current and past Individual Patrons that have generously contributed to the General Fund.

Named Funds

Establishing a named fund is a visionary way to honor and memorialize loved ones through a generous act that will advance Leela’s mission well into the future. Named funds can be established to honor and memorialize loved ones. Named funds are permanently endowed, which ensures that they will have a lasting impact by supporting programs and artists for generations to come. These funds will be managed by the Leela Board of Directors, using the Foundation’s established investment policies and structures currently in place. Named funds can be established with a gift of $250,000 or more.

To establish a named fund, contact foundation@leela.dance.

Designated Funds

The Leela Foundation provides donors with the opportunity to align their contributions with their values and direct their impact by donating to a designated fund. Choose to support a specific program or initiative by contributing to one of our funds below.  Contributions to designated funds begin with a minimum gift of $25,000.

To contribute to a designated fund, contact foundation@leela.dance.

Fund for Arts Education
By donating to this fund, you will be supporting dedicated arts educators and teachers with fair salaries, and engaging them in world-class educational programming that ensures the preservation and advancement of Indian classical art for future generations.

Fund for Excellence in Dance
By donating to this fund, you are investing in the creation and production of cutting-edge new works that elevate Indian classical dance and music on the world stage. Through this fund, we are proud to advance excellence and innovation in the field of Indian classical art.

Fund for Artists in Dance and Music
By donating to this fund, you will help the Leela Foundation present awards that recognize master artists whose achievements have shaped the field of Indian classical art and paved the way for future generations of artists. In conjunction with this, our fellowships engage established and practicing artists in residencies, performances and workshops.

Artists in Dance and Music 2020 Award Recipients:
Debashis Sarkar (posthumously)
Jayanta Banerjee
Ben Kunin

Artists in Dance and Music 2021 Award Recipients:
Madhuri Devi Singh
Gretchen Hayden
Joanna de Souza