Tom Viola Announces Retirement From Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS

Tom Viola, executive director of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations, announced that he’ll retire from the nonprofit at the end of 2024, ending a 36-year tenure.

Current Broadway Cares Director of Development Danny Whitman, who’s been with the nonprofit for 15 years, will succeed Viola as executive director, beginning January 1. Viola will remain involved with the organization as a consultant throughout 2025, advising on Broadway Cares’ National Grants Program strategies and procedures.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has awarded more than $300 million under Viola’s leadership: $142 million to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund) and another $160 million to 450 local organizations nationwide through its National Grants Program providing meals, medication, and health care to individuals and families.

Viola has been with the organization since 1988, when he was executive assistant to Colleen Dewhurst, then the president of Actors Equity Association. Viola served as Equity’s staffer on the committee helping it focus on raising money for the just-created AIDS Initiative of the Actors Fund (now the Entertainment Community Fund). Working closely with Rodger McFarlane, Viola oversaw the merger of Equity Fights AIDS and Broadway Cares in 1992.

In 1996, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS began expanding its mission beyond HIV/AIDS and awarded the Fund $10,000 to help create the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative. Today, the organization supports every program and service provided by the Entertainment Community Fund, including the Friedman Health Center, HIV/AIDS Initiative, Artists Health Insurance Resource Center, Senior Services, Addiction and Recovery Services, the Dancers’ Resource, the Broadway flu shot program, and more.

In 2010, Viola was recognized by the Tony Awards with the Tony Honor for Excellence in Theatre for “the leadership, advocacy and creativity through which he has mobilized the theater community’s response to AIDS and other critical health issues.”

Whitman joined Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in 2009 as director of development and member of its senior staff. He has overseen corporate, individual, major and planned giving, and event underwriters and sponsors. Under his leadership, those areas of fundraising have increased from $2.4 million in 2009 to $11.1 million in 2024. Prior to joining Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, Whitman worked at New York’s LGBT Center as volunteer manager, corporate relations officer, and deputy director of development.