Q&A With Danny Whitman, Director of Communications and Development, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

With a $14 million annual operating budget, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

BC/EFA awards annual grants to more than 400 AIDS and family service organizations nationwide and is the major supporter of seven programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic.

Here, FundRaising Success talks with Danny Whitman, director of communications and development, about Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and its fundraising efforts.

FundRaising Success: How does the organization fund its mission?
Danny Whitman: Broadway Cares is a little different from many other charitable organizations in that we are a fundraising and grant-making organization. So our mission is about fundraising (not simply a component of what we do to fund services) and grant-making. Most of what we do year-round is fundraise in order to award grants to more than 400 AIDS and family-service organizations around the country and six vital programs of the The Actors Fund.

FS: What are the organization's fundraising strengths/weaknesses?
DW: The greatest strength of Broadway Cares' fundraising is our unique and incredible relationship with the American theatre community, right here in New York and around the country. Behind Broadway Cares is an army of thousands of the most talented, generous and compassionate individuals who make possible so much of what we do, whether through audience appeals and collections; the large fundraising events we are able to produce like Broadway Bares, Gypsy of the Year or Broadway Backwards; or other fundraising opportunities we are able to coordinate through this unique collaboration with the theatre community.