Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe has been approved by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to receive $50,000 in direct funding through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The NEA recommended 855 arts organizations in every state, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico to receive a total of $44.5 million in non-matching funds to support staff salaries, fees for artists or contractual personnel, and facilities costs. Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe was one of 33 grantees in Florida. 

The agency used more than 200 application readers and panelists to review and score each application using the published review criteria. The NEA awards will help recipient entities and their employees endure the economic hardships caused by the forced closure of their operations due to the spread of COVID-19. As part of this important investment, the NEA has designed a plan to expedite the distribution of funds to help retain as many jobs as possible, as quickly as possible. The funds are intended to help save jobs in the arts sector and keep arts organizations' doors open.