Emergency and Relief Funding for Artists by Discipline
Multi-Discipline / Miscellaneous
The American Institute for Conservation – offers financial relief opportunities for historic sites and art conservation due to a natural disaster.
American Guild of Variety Artists - AGVA members who have completed initiation and paid dues for one year can apply for emergency aid for basic needs or medical expenses.
Artists at Risk Connection- serves assistance to visual artists, musicians, filmmakers, performance artists, writers, and other individuals who produce significant creative output in any medium.
Behind The Scenes Grant – supplies emergency funding for entertainment technology industry professionals (behind the scenes in any type of performance venue, behind the camera, on the road, or for dealers, manufacturers, production companies, consulting and design firms), who are unable to work due to illness or injury.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts – gives funding for innovative visual and performing artists who have unanticipated, sudden opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding, or incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates.
The Haven Foundation – gives financial assistance to established freelance artists, writers and other members of the arts and art production communities who have suffered disabilities or experienced a career-threatening illness, accident, natural disaster or personal catastrophe.
The Rauschenberg Emergency Grants – expected to be rolled out in late May or early June 2020; will provide visual artists, media artists, and choreographers up to $5,000 worth of assistance for medical emergencies. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.
Actors, Performing Artists, and Film Industry
The Actors Fund Entertainment Assistance Program – serves the arts and entertainment community including emergency financial assistance, affordable housing, health care and insurance counseling.
Actors Equity Association - provides grants through The Actors Fund to current paid members with earnings of three years. The grants are intended to help with living expenses and are given once per 12-month period.
Dramatists Guild Foundation Emergency Grants - For playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters at all stages of their careers, DGF Emergency Grants regularly support costs associated with healthcare, childcare, housing, disability, natural disaster relief, and other unforeseen circumstances. DGF does not support requests related to production expenses or taxes, nor requests from individuals not actively seeking employment if they are able to work. Requests typically range between $500-$3,000.
Motion Picture and Television Fund – temporary emergency financial assistance is available to qualified industry members experiencing financial hardship due to illness, disability, unemployment, or other reasons.
SAG-AFTRA – provides financial assistance to eligible SAG-AFTRA members and their families for basic expenses during times of crisis.
Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation – provides both short-term and long-term assistance to veterans of the motion picture entertainment industry.
Musicians
American Guild of Musical Artists Relief Fund - provides support and temporary financial assistance to members who are in need. AGMA contracts with The Actors Fund to administer this program nationally as well as to provide comprehensive social services.
The Blues Foundationʻs HART Fund (Handy Artists Relief Trust) - for Blues musicians and their families in financial need due to a broad range of health concerns.
California Jazz Foundation – provides emergency financial assistance to jazz musicians and others who have made substantial contributions to the art form.
Gospel Music Trust Fund – provide financial assistance, in the event of an emergency or major catastrophe, terminal or severe illness, to individuals who have derived a substantial portion of their income from the field of Gospel music.
Jazz Foundation Of America – offers aid to elder jazz and blues musicians in crisis.
MusiCares – provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need including emergency financial assistance. Click “Contact MusiCares” or call 1.800.687.4227.
Musicians Foundation – helps professional musicians by providing emergency financial assistance in meeting current living, medical and allied expenses. All professional musicians are eligible to apply.
Music Maker Relief Foundation – Supplies emergency aid for artists in crisis.
Opry Trust Fund - gives financial aid to any person that is employed full time in the country music industry.
Sweet Relief Musicians Fund – provides financial assistance to career musicians who are facing illness, disability, or age-related problems.
Visual Artists
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant – supports artists working in the disciplines of painting, sculpture or printmaking, who can demonstrate a minimum involvement of ten years in a mature phase of his or her work, whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation.
Artists’ Charitable Fund – assists American artists living anywhere in the United States by provides financial support for artists struck by medical, fire or other disaster.
Artists Fellowship Financial Assistance – provides emergency aid to professional fine artists and their families in times of sickness, natural disaster, bereavement or unexpected extreme hardship.”
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants - offers $200-$2500 in funding for artists dealing with hardship or who incur unexpected expenses for projects close to completion date.
Joan Mitchell Foundation – provides emergency grants for painters and sculptors who have suffered physical losses due to a natural disaster.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant – supports painters, artists and sculptors who work on paper, including printmakers, with demonstrable financial need.
Writers & Journalists
American Society of Journalists and Authors – helps freelance writers who, because of illness, disability, or a natural disaster are unable to work. Recipients do not need to be members of ASJA.
Authors League Fund – helps professional writers and dramatists who find themselves in financial need because of medical problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune.
Book Industry Charitable Foundation – assists with specific unforeseen emergency financial needs of a bookstore employee and their immediate family members living in the same household.
Carnegie Fund for Authors – awards grants to American authors who have been published by a mainstream publisher and who are in need of emergency funds.
Dramatists Guild Emergency Grants – emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness.
Hero Initiative – creates a financial safety net for comic creators who may need emergency medical aid, financial support for essentials of life, and an avenue back into paying work.
PEN Writers’ Emergency Fund – funds professional (published or produced) writers in acute, emergency financial crisis.
Emergency Residencies
Alliance of Artists Communities: In the event of a natural disaster, the Alliance contacts its network of more than 150 residency programs to identify immediate and short-term availability of residencies. They work with affected artists (painter or sculptor) to take advantage of these residency opportunities, including grants of up to $1,000.
Vermont Studio Center’s Displaced Artists Fund: A residency fellowship is open to artists and writers worldwide who have been displaced due to a natural disaster.
GENERAL ASSISTANCE
2-1-1 – call 2-1-1 to be connected with community services in your area, providing services like food banks, clothing closets, shelters, rent assistance, utility assistance and physical and mental health resources.
Insurance California Department of Insurance – Assistance with filing claims
Tax Credits Franchise Tax Board – Info on deducting disaster losses.
Financing California IBank – Low interest and state-guaranteed business loans.
CalCap – Small business and state-guaranteed loans.
Working Solutions – Small business micro-loans
Relocation/Rebuilding GoBiz Business Investment Services – Site consultation and business incentives for relocation
