What Is USA Fellows?

Every year, 50 USA Fellowship grants of $50,000 each are awarded to outstanding performing, visual, media, and literary artists. In the last six years, we have invested $15,000,000 in America’s finest artists.

Meet the USA Fellows

Our selection process

Who will act to support our actors and artisans?

Who will empower our poets and painters?

Who will underscore our composers?

Who will encourage our choreographers?

Who will donate to our designers and dancers?

Who will underwrite our writers?

Who will finance our filmmakers?

We the people.

Name a USA Fellowship in honor of your support.

We are currently looking for visionary philanthropists to donate $50,000 or more and become members of our National Leadership Committee. In return, you will have the opportunity to name the fellowship you support (e.g., USA Smith Fellow for Dance).

You or your organization will be among the first-movers to support this groundbreaking initiative. And you will be joining a stellar list of donors from across the country who have joined the National Leadership Committee thus far:

Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts
New York, NY
Annenberg Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Suzanne and David Booth
Austin, TX
Broad Art Foundation
Santa Monica, CA
California Community Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Collins Family Foundation
Chicago, IL
Peter D. and Julie Fisher Cummings
Birmingham, MI
David and Francie Horvitz Family Foundation
Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Laura Donnelley
Santa Monica, CA
Shawn M. Donnelley
Chicago, IL
Eileen Harris Norton Foundation
Geyserville, CA
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation
Kansas City, MO
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros
Miami, FL
Ford Foundation*
New York, NY
Matt Groening
Los Angeles, CA
Agnes Gund
New York, NY
Sandra and Jack Guthman
Chicago, IL
Hillcrest Foundation
Pasadena, CA
John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Miami, FL
Jeanne and Michael Klein
Austin, TX
Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund
New York, NY
Toby Devan Lewis
Shaker Heights, OH
Lynn and Douglas Freeman (on behalf of the Ernest and Irma Rose Foundation)
Irvine, CA
Susan and Larry Marx
Aspen, CO
Michael R. Bloomberg, Bloomberg Philanthropies
New York, NY
Susan Bay-Nimoy and Leonard Nimoy
Los Angeles, CA
Nancy and Steven Oliver
Geyserville, CA
Philip and Muriel Berman Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Prudential Foundation*
Newark, NJ
Rasmuson Foundation*
Anchorage, AK
Rockefeller Foundation*
New York, NY
Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Eve and Fred Simon
Santa Fe, NM
Annette and Paul Smith
Omaha, NE
Susan and Pat Stevens
Minneapolis, MN
Marion Boulton "Kippy" Stroud
Philadelphia, PA
Target
Minneapolis, MN
Todd and Betiana Simon Foundation
Omaha, NE
Barbara Van Dusen
Birmingham, MI
Christopher V. Walker
Los Angeles, CA
Caroline and Tiger Williams
Norwalk, CT
Windgate Charitable Foundation
Siloam Springs, AR
Wynn Family Foundation
Las Vegas, NV
Helen Zell
Chicago, IL

USA also wishes to thank the following individuals who have made significant contributions in support of America's finest artists.

USA Benefactors

Katherine Farley and Jerry Speyer
New York, NY
Mattsson McHale Foundation
Austin, TX
Mohn Family Foundation
Santa Monica, CA
Fran and Ray Stark Foundation on behalf of Wendy Stark Morrissey
Los Angeles, CA

USA Partners

William Anderson
Los Angeles, CA
Susan V. Berresford
New York, NY
Nancy M. Berman and Alan Bloch
Los Angeles, CA
Marilyn and Larry Fields
Chicago, IL
Ann Hatch
San Francisco, CA
Hauptman Family Foundation
Los Angeles, CA
Samuel Hoi
Los Angeles, CA
Diane Kaplan
Anchorage, AK
Linnaeus Thomson Fund
Mountain View, CA
Corinna Cotsen and Lee Rosenbaum
Santa Monica, CA
Marge and Irv Weiser
Minneapolis, MN

USA Patrons

David Bohnett Foundation
Beverly Hills, CA
Katharine DeShaw
Los Angeles, CA
Alice and Nahum Lainer
Beverly Hills, CA
Brenda Potter
Beverly Hills, CA

Each USA Fellow receives $50,000 in unrestricted funds, granting them the freedom to realize their creative visions.
Find out how USA Fellows use their funds.

To request a proposal, please contact Katharine DeShaw, executive director, at 323.857.5857.