Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS begins its annual spring fundraising competition on March 13, marking the return of its signature red buckets at theater exits on Broadway and across the country. The six-week campaign, which runs through April 26, enlists cast members, stage managers and volunteers to solicit donations from audiences following curtain calls to help fund medical care, nutritious meals and emergency financial assistance.
The spring initiative follows a record-breaking fall season in which 55 participating productions raised $7.3 million during Broadway Cares’ Red Bucket Follies. This spring’s campaign kicks off with appeals at Broadway productions including “The Book of Mormon,” “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Chess,” “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” “Just in Time,” “The Lion King,” “Maybe Happy Ending,” “Oh, Mary!,” “The Outsiders” and “Ragtime.” Off-Broadway participants include “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “The Play That Goes Wrong.”
Several additional productions are scheduled to join the effort next week, including “& Juliet,” “Aladdin,” “Death Becomes Her,” “Every Brilliant Thing,” “Hadestown,” “Hamilton,” “MJ,” “Operation Mincemeat,” “Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)” and “Wicked.” The campaign also extends to national tours. As is standard for the competition, many shows will offer autographed posters, Playbills and other memorabilia in exchange for specific donation amounts.
The funds raised through the post-performance collections are distributed to more than 450 organizations nationwide via the Broadway Cares National Grants Program. The organization remains the primary provider of financial support for the Entertainment Community Fund’s safety net of initiatives, which serves professionals across the performing arts and entertainment industry. In 2025, Broadway Cares’ annual grantmaking reached a record $18.3 million.
“At a moment when so many people are searching for connection and care, the theater community continues to show up for one another and millions more across the country,” said Broadway Cares executive director Danny Whitman in a statement. “When Red Buckets appear in the hands of theater artists and volunteers, generosity becomes action, ensuring our most vulnerable receive lifesaving meals, medication, health care and hope.”
Since 1988, the organization has awarded more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses.
