One of America's most prestigious charities of national stature has awarded a grant to the William Inge Festival Foundation, in tandem with a Theatre Communications Group New Generations/Future Leadership grant.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) has awarded $15,400.00 to the William Inge Festival Foundation for support of the Inge Center at Independence Community College. The grant is intended to be used towards activities or purchases that address the long-term health and goals of the Inge Center outside of normal operations.

The William Inge Center for the Arts is a participant in the New Generations Program, funded by Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and administered by Theatre Communications Group, the national organization for the American theatre.

Though founded only in 1996, the DDCF has become one of the most recognized charitable foundations in the nation. The DDCF is endowed with financial assets that totaled approximately $1.5 billion as of the end of 2009.

"The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is noted as a dynamic funder that carefully selects its beneficiaries for their unique artistic service," said Peter Ellenstein, Artistic Director of the William Inge Center for the Arts. "The imprimatur of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is invaluable in itself, for the prestige it confers," Ellenstein said. "This is another grant of national recognition for the high-quality artistic and educational programs of the William Inge Center at Independence Community College."

The grant was received in association to the previously awarded $80,000.00 Theatre Communications Group New Generations/Future Leadership Grant, which has fully funded an 18-month full-time position for artist/administrator Amanda White.

The Inge Center has used the funds to purchase video equipment to aid in the creation of the annual tribute and to archive Inge activities, as well as a storage unit for supplies.

The DDCF is named after the patron Doris Duke, who passed away in 1993. An only child, her father was founder of the American Tobacco Company and a benefactor of Duke University. Ms. Duke pursued many interests, which included the arts, historic preservation, environmental conservation, and horticulture. The DDCF makes contributions in these areas and others, as well as medical research.

In addition to collecting artworks, Doris Duke was a participant of the performing arts as well as a patron, actively exploring various art forms as a jazz pianist and composer, a student of modern dance, and a singer with a gospel choir.

In her will, Doris Duke expressed her interest in assisting "actors, dancers, singers, musicians and other artists of the entertainment world in fulfilling their ambitions and providing opportunities for the public presentation of their arts and talents." During her lifetime, she gave away some $400 million, often anonymously.

The William Inge Festival Foundation was founded in 1992 to help support the William Inge Center for the Arts at Independence Community College.

The Inge Center sponsors educational and artistic programs year-round. It is best known as sponsor of the annual William Inge Theatre Festival, the Official Theatre Festival of the State of Kansas.

For more information, visit www.ingecenter.org/ingefestival.html or call (620) 332-5492.