Request for Funding

The Gene C. McCombs Foundation makes grants to Utah theater, speech and debate programs and community theaters. Inquiries are accepted year round and reviewed quarterly.

Gene McCombs taught theater arts at Granite High School for 29 years, mostly on a budget that never matched his ambition for his students. This program exists because we know what a few hundred dollars at the right moment can do for a program that is scraping by — and because good teachers should spend their evenings directing, not fundraising.

What we fund

• Workshops and teaching — guest artists, masterclasses, student clinics, and professional development for teachers and directors.
• Production costs — royalties and licensing, scripts, sets, costumes, lighting, and sound for school and community productions.
• Other requests that advance our mission — if your need doesn’t fit neatly into the categories above but makes theater more accessible to students, tell us about it anyway. We would rather read an inquiry we end up declining than miss something worth funding.

Who can apply

We fund programs and organizations, not individuals. That includes Utah public and private secondary schools, school districts, community theaters, and nonprofit organizations running theater, speech, or debate programming for young people.

Are you a student looking for help with college? You want the Gene C. McCombs Memorial Scholarship instead.

What we don’t fund

• Individual students, families, or personal expenses
• Retiring existing debt or covering past deficits
• Ongoing operating costs such as salaries, rent, or utilities
• Political campaigns or religious programming

How it works

We use a two-step process so that nobody spends hours on a full application before knowing whether their project is a fit.

1. Send a letter of inquiry. A short form, roughly ten minutes. Tell us who you are, what you need, and roughly what it costs.
2. We review quarterly. The board reviews new inquiries quarterly. You will hear from us either way.
3. Promising inquiries move to a full application. We will ask for a project budget, a W-9, and — for school programs — a note of support from an administrator.
4. Decision and funds. We confirm the award in writing and send funds directly to the school, district, or organization.

Applying well ahead of your production or event is the single best thing you can do for your chances. If your need is genuinely urgent, say so in your inquiry and we will do what we can.

Submit a letter of inquiry

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Your name *

First

Last

Email address *

Phone

Organization, school, or program *

do amount (USD)

City *

What kind of organization is this? *Utah public school or school districtUtah private or charter schoolCommunity theater501(c)(3) nonprofit organizationOther

What are you requesting funding for? *

A short paragraph is plenty. Tell us what the project is, what the money would pay for, and who it reaches.

Approximate amount requested (USD) *

A rough figure is fine at this stage.

Roughly how many students would this reach?

When do you need a decision by?

Leave blank if there is no hard deadline.

Supporting document (optional)

Drag & Drop Files, Choose Files to Upload You can upload up to 3 files.

A budget, quote, or program flyer if you have one. PDF, Word, Excel, or image. Not required at this stage.

Submit

Questions

Not sure whether your project fits? Ask before you write anything. Email jason.wilcox@genemccombs.org or call +1 (801) 613-8326. A two-minute conversation often saves an afternoon.