A list of potential funding sources for artists facing lost income due to COVID-19.
Artist Relief Emergency Funding Program An initiative that includes immediate, unrestricted emergency funding of $5,000 for individual artists of all disciplines, and resources to help those in need due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Practicing US-based artists working in any discipline are eligible to apply for the $5,000 grant. Artists demonstrating the most severe financial needs will be prioritized, with an emphasis on funding widely across disciplines and geographies. Learn more.
Actors The Actors Fund provides services and financial support to entertainment professionals facing personal or work-related problems. It is also a conduit for emergency financial assistance in times of pressing need or in response to catastrophic events.
Artist, Arts Administrators The Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund is intended to help those pursuing careers as artists or arts administrators whose income has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This fund is for those who self-identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color).
Artists The Gottlieb Emergency Grant Program provides financial assistance to painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation.
Artists CERF+ Emergency Relief Fund provides grants for artists who have suffered from a recent, career threatening emergency, such as an illness, accident, fire or natural disaster, can apply for funding.
Artists, Musicians, Performers Artists in any discipline who has been impacted by COVID19-related cancellations and closures may apply for assistance from the Artist Relief Project fund.
Artists, Performers The Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants offers Emergency Grants between $200 and $2,500 for visual and performing artists.
Authors The Author League Fund helps professional writers in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses.
Berkshire County Theater Artists The GKV Foundation has donated $30,000 to Mass Cultural Council to be awarded to theater professionals who live in Berkshire County who have lost income as a direct result of COVID-19 related cancellations and closures. The deadline to apply is May 29, 2020.
Boston Artists, Musicians The City of Boston has repurposed their Opportunity Fund in order to establish an emergency relief fund. Only for Boston artists.
Boston Area Musicians The Boston Music Awards and Jack Daniels have partnered to create an Artist Fund for the Boston music community.
Boston Area Dancers Beginning April 1, 2020, the Boston Dance Alliance’s Dance Relief Fund will disburse stipends of $250 to assist with immediate basic needs.The fund will disburse grants on a first-come, first-served basis until April 15, 2020 or until all donations are exhausted. A second round of grants may be announced after that date. The Boston Dance Alliance Dance Relief Fund is designed to support freelance dancers, choreographers/dancemakers, dance teachers, and teaching artists in any dance genre who have lost income due to cancelled or postponed paid rehearsals, performances, and teaching.
Cambridge Artists The Cambridge Community Foundation, in partnership with the City of Cambridge and its generous donors, are addressing the urgent need of arts and culture nonprofits, artists, and performers by offering the Cambridge Artist Relief Fund.
Cape Cod Artists Cape Cod Arts Relief Fund provides one-time relief funds of up to $500 per individual artist. Applications accepted starting April 1, 2020. Funds will be distributed beginning in late April. Applicants must be artists who live, work, create, and/or perform on Cape Cod and have been financially impacted as a result of the pandemic.
Choreographers, Media Artists, Visual Artists NYFA and the Rauschenberg Foundation have teamed up to offer visual and media artists and choreographers in the US grants of up to $5,000 for medical related emergencies.
Curators The Kinkade Family Foundation’s emergency grant provides funding for a curatorial project that sheds light on the world during this time of darkness. Priority will be given to curators who have a venue secured for their project and are greatly impacted by the challenges we are facing due to COVID-19.
Essex County Artists The Essex County Artist Fund will be open on Monday March 30, 2020. Funding will be distributed beginning April 13 and through May 30, 2020. Applications will be reviewed by a panel weekly and we will notify you within 10 business days about the status of your application. Applications accepted from all individual artists, musicians, actors, writers, or other creative professional living in Essex County, Massachusetts. The fund will prioritize lower-income artists.
Musicians Club Passim in Cambridge, MA, has launched an artists relief fund to assist musicians in their community who are in dire need of financial aid due to the COVID-19 pandemic, where a huge amount of musicians are losing income due to relying on a gig economy.
Musicians The Musicians Foundation provides grants to U.S. musicians in any genre in a time of acute need due to personal, medical, dental, or family crisis, natural disaster, or other emergency situation.
Musicians The Record Company established a $33k fund for artists who have lost income as a result of COVID19. Specifically for Boston area music makers.
Musicians The Blues Foundation Handy Artists Relief Trust Fund is available to Blues musicians and their families who are in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns.
Musicians Billboard has compiled a list of emergency funds available for musicians.
Musicians The Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet because of COVID-19.
Musicians MusiCares has launched a COVID-19 Relief Fund for musicians.
Musicians Musicians who have made a living playing blues, jazz, and roots music can apply for emergency funding from the Jazz Foundation.
Photographers Format has put together a $25,000 relief fund designed to help photographers facing financial difficulties during the outbreak. The fund offers $500 per person.
Playwrights, Composers, Lyricsts, Bookwriters The Dramatist Guild Foundation provides emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness.
Professionals in Creative Arts The Max’s Kansas City project provides emergency funding and resources to professionals in the creative arts.
Singers The Boston Singers Relief Fund is is offering emergency relief for singers with gigs cancelled due to COVID-19.
Small Businesses A loan fund of $10 million has been created to provide financial relief to Massachusetts businesses that have been affected by COVID-19. Open to Massachusetts-based businesses impacted by the COVID-19 with under 50 full- and part-time employees, including nonprofits.
Theater Artists Theatre Community Benevolent Fund. TCBF provides financial relief to individual theater practitioners and non-profit theater organizations of Greater Boston and the surrounding areas, facing occurrences of a catastrophic nature.
Visual Artists New Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants Program. Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists.
Writers The Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund offers financial assistance to queer writers of color who are in need.
Writers Pen America has compiled a list of emergency funds available for writers.
We’re in this together. If you know of other emergency funding opportunities for artists, please share them in the comments.
Image credit: Poppy field at sunrise. Photograph by Jessiva Nova – Fotolia.
Rebecca says
The funding source activities for COVID-19. affected artists are really really very good initiave. I appeciate it from the bottom of my heart.