The Denver Actors Fund offers financial and practical assistance for members of the entire Colorado theater community in medical need, on stage and off. The DAF has distributed $1,180,000 in our first 10 years.
Prosthetics and makeup effects artist Todd Debreceni was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April 2019, and will require ongoing chemotherapy treatments for life because of an accompanying rare blood disease. As of May 2023, the Denver Actors Fund has off-set his out-of-pocket medical bills by $14,000.  "My wife and I appreciate The Denver Actors Fund more than words can describe. I am one of the (un)fortunate six people in 1.2 million to have this blood disease. The  support we have received from The Denver Actors Fund is incredible."
In the summer of 2017, actor Abner Genece and his 11-year-old son were nearly killed on a Wyoming highway when they were rear-ended by a semi-truck going 60 mph. Their injuries have required multiple surgeries. Abner now has nine metal plates in his body supporting him. The Denver Actors Fund not only paid $10,859 toward his medical and dental bills, DAF volunteers provided ongoing practical help with everyday needs such as meals, cleaning and transportation. "Simply put, I would not be here without the Denver Actors Fund," he says.
Actor Sue Thompson endured the terrible tragedy of a daughter dying when she was eight months pregnant. To add to her misery, Sue had to be induced and deliver the child. The experience left Sue and husband Tyler not only devastated, but with out-of-pocket hospital and doctor bills that added up to $4,944. The Denver Actors Fund paid for all of it. "When I was told the DAF wanted to pay for all of my medical debt, I was blown away," she said. "I had taken an extended leave from work, which was a huge financial burden. Knowing I no longer had to worry about the debt I had was the best news I have received in many months. I will be eternally grateful for the generosity of DAF and their many donors."
The Denver Actors Fund, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization established in June 2013, is a source of immediate relief when members of the Colorado theater community find themselves in situational medical need. The Denver Actors Fund offers both financial and volunteer assistance. In 2020, the DAF expanded its mission to provide emergency income replacement for artists affected by the COVID shutdown. The DAF has made $1,180,000 available to individual artists overall, and in 2020 made $275,000 available in immediate pandemic relief.
The Denver Actors Fund is a grassroots volunteer group that takes the old "telephone tree" concept of helping members of our community in medical need and responding in an immediate, organized way. It is intended to be a safety net to help families tackle financial problems in times of medical crisis. In addition to financial assistance with medical bills, affordable mental-health care, emergency dental and free teledoctoring, DAF "Action Teams" have provided more than 300 hours of practical, neighborly services ranging from meal delivery to snow-shoveling to personal company.
Organization name
The Denver Actors Fund
other names
DAF
2013
Tax id (EIN)
46-2988908
Category
Human Services, Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
P.O. Box 11182Denver County, CO, US