SUPPORTER SPOTLIGHT: CHRISTEL DEHAAN FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Christel DeHaan Family Foundation has served the arts community in Indianapolis and education programs statewide for over two decades. Since 1997, the Christel DeHaan Family Foundation (CDFF) has distributed over $50 million to arts, education, child welfare and human need organizations. At the Indiana Repertory Theatre, we consider CDFF not only a funder, but also a partner in creating art.
 
CDFF acknowledges that “a community rich in artistic offerings enhances quality of life by providing opportunities to enjoy, learn and appreciate creative expression. Arts and cultural organizations bring significant value to our community. It is important for individuals, corporations and foundations to embrace and sustain the arts.” The IRT is lucky to have such a strong proponent of the arts in our backyard. Organizations like CDFF that not only support the arts, but advocate on behalf of arts organizations garners attention from other individuals, corporations, and foundations in the community. The support from CDFF shows confidence in the work that we do.
 
In the past season, Christel DeHaan Family Foundation’s funding supported nine productions that engaged and entertained over 100,000 public and student audience members. CDFF’s support allowed the IRT to employ 87 actors and even more artisans. Because of CDFF’s unrestricted support, IRT has the flexibility to program for audiences from ages 3-93.
 
While support from CDFF garners attention from the greater Indianapolis area, the most valuable impact of the support from CDFF is IRT’s ability to create beautiful, impactful, and thought-provoking art each season. We cannot thank CDFF enough for providing the IRT with funding for nearly twenty years.