Role of King’s Theatre Foundation in the funding ecosystem
King’s Theatre Foundation is a dedicated charitable foundation established in 1995 to secure the long-term financial health of King’s Theatre in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia. Rather than operating public grant calls, the foundation focuses on building and managing an endowment-style investment fund. The income generated from this invested capital is disbursed each year to King’s Theatre, in accordance with Canada Revenue Agency regulations, helping to underwrite the venue’s ongoing artistic, film and community activities.
Funding sources and mechanisms
The foundation receives donations from individual and planned giving, including contributions by cheque, bequests, life insurance policies, and gifts of stocks and bonds. All donations are eligible for official CRA tax receipts. Investment assets are professionally managed, and the resulting income forms the basis of the annual financial support transferred to King’s Theatre. In recent years, the foundation has also collaborated with the King’s Theatre Society to apply to the federal Canadian Cultural Investment Fund for matching grants of up to 65%, leveraging private gifts to increase their long‑term impact.
Governance, beneficiaries and impact
King’s Theatre Foundation is governed by an independent volunteer board, which includes a representative of the King’s Theatre Society to maintain close alignment between the foundation and the theatre it supports. The sole beneficiary of the foundation’s disbursements is King’s Theatre, a historic performance and cinema venue that presents live music, theatre, dance and film year round and nurtures emerging talent. By combining endowment income, matched cultural investment funds and philanthropy, the foundation helps provide a more stable financial base for the theatre’s cultural and educational offerings in Annapolis Royal and the surrounding region.