As artists, culture bearers, creative workers, freelancers, and more lose work and income due to cancellations and closings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, we look to share resources to support our community. This is a non-comprehensive list of emergency relief funds and funding resources as we navigate this moment together.
Updated April 2021. Please note that while we have made every effort to ensure the information below is as up to date as possible, the majority of these resources were assembled in the spring and summer of 2020, and some specific information may have changed since then. Accuracy at any given point cannot be guaranteed as, even more than a year later, this is a fast-moving and evolving situation. Please consult with a professional before making any decisions, or contact us at info@springboardforthearts.org with questions, suggestions or additions.
Below are some quick links to regularly updated FAQ pages about unemployment, Paycheck Protection Program and the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG).
This is an ongoing FAQ for questions about applying for Minnesota Unemployment Insurance benefits for individual artists, with a focus on freelancers and contractors. Who this is for: If you've lost full-time, part-time or contract/freelance work and are applying for Unemployment Insurance (UI) for the first time, or if you've been on UI and have basic questions about reporting.
This is an ongoing FAQ for questions about applying for the PPP for small businesses and individual artists, with a focus on freelancers and contractors. Who this is for: If you run a small business, even if it's just you, and looking for economic relief.
This is an ongoing FAQ for questions about applying for the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant (SVOG). Who this is for: If you run or manage a venue for live performance or entertainment.
A broad listing of health and basic needs resources. Who this is for: If you are in need of healthcare, mental health support, are experiencing food or housing insecurity.
More emergency resources and relief funds for artists, creative workers, and self-employed freelancers:
The Personal Emergency Relief Fund is a longstanding program of Springboard for the Arts. We are not currently accepting applications, but we continue to fundraise to support artists as we respond to this long-term crisis.
We have set up a fundraiser to expand the Personal Emergency Relief Fund, so that we can continue to support artists, contractors, and freelancers in Minnesota who have lost income due to Coronavirus/COVID-19. Please click below to give online, or send a check to:
Springboard for the Arts
Attn: Individual Giving
262 University Avenue West
Saint Paul, MN 55103
If you have any questions about individual giving, please contact Katie Hae Leo, Development Director, at katiehl@springboardforthearts.org, or 651-292-4381.
MINNESOTA
Arrowhead Regional Arts Council COVID-19 Emergency Grant
Serving Aitkin, Carlton, Cook, Itasca, Koochiching, Lake, and Saint Louis counties. A COVID-19 emergency relief grant has been offered in 2020; check back for more information. Paused.
East Central Regional Arts Council (ECRAC) Resiliency Grant
Serving Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Mille Lacs, and Pine counties. Provides funding of up to $600 for artists and art organizations to do art projects online or in other forms during the current extraordinary circumstances of a pandemic and racial disparities. Open.
FilmNorth Minnesota Film Community Emergency Relief Fund
Open statewide. This fund will provide $500 grants to filmmakers and film crew in need until funds are exhausted. Open.
MN Department of Human Services General Assistance
General Assistance (GA) helps Minnesotans with little or no income meet their basic needs. It offers a monthly cash grant to people with serious illnesses, disabilities or other circumstances that limit their ability to work. Open.
The North Stands
Open statewide. Our mission is to help the hospitality industry in Minnesota Thrive amidst hardship and provides a one-time stipend in support of those hospitality workers who have lost income to shutdowns during this unprecedented time. Open.
Twin Cities Music Community Trust
Open statewide. Relief for entertainment industry, including musicians, night staff, door staff, bartenders, security, stage crews, tour managers, merch sellers, photographers, local musicians, and more. No longer actively accepting applications, but fill out the form in the link to be contacted if additional funding becomes available. Paused.
For statewide and region-specific individual artist grants, please see our grants page.
REGION-SPECIFIC RESOURCES
4Culture Cultural Relief Fund – (King County, WA)
https://www.4culture.org/cultural-relief-fund/
516 Fulcrum Fund – (New Mexico)
https://www.516arts.org/
Artist Emergency Relief Fund – (Greensboro, NC)
https://www.artsgreensboro.org/emergency-fund-artist-application/
Artists Benevolence Fund – (Laguna Beach, CA)
https://sawdustartfestival.org/about/artists-benevolence-fund/
Artists of Color Emergency Grants – (Illinois)
https://www.forthepeoplecollective.org/
Arts Aid PHL – (Philadelphia, PA)
https://philaculture.org/
Arts for Illinois – (Illinois)
https://3arts.org/artist-relief
Black and Brown Creatives Artist Emergency Fund for Boston Area Critically At-Risk Artists – (Massachusetts)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZOo3u7pYkDnnWx52uNcSn8NYnlb6T4nTxf03KWz51r4/viewform?edit_requested=true
Black Cube Open Call – (Colorado)
https://blackcube.art/event/video-art-open-call-for-submissions
Boston Artist Relief Fund – (Boston, MA)
https://cityofbostonartsandculture.submittable.com/submit/af2153eb-2d87-4e9d-9ebc-5861eb135999/boston-artist-relief-fund
Boston Dance Alliance Dance Relief Fund – (Boston, MA)
https://www.bostondancealliance.org/boston-dance-alliance-dance-relief-fund/
Cambridge Artist Relief Fund – (Cambridge, MA)
http://cambridgecf.org/artist-relief-fund/
Charlottesville Emergency Relief Fund – (Charlottesville, VA)
https://thebridgepai.org/charlottesville-emergency-relief-fund-for-artists/
Chicago Artist Relief Fund – (Chicago, IL)
https://docs.google.com/forms/
Crosshatch Artist Emergency Fund – (Michigan)
https://www.crosshatch.org/emergency
Culture Connects Coalition Artist Relief Fund – (Santa Fe, NM)
https://www.santafenm.gov/culture_connects_coalition
Dancers Above Water Relief Fund – (NYC, NY)
https://www.barkinselissenproject.org/dancersabovewater
Durham Artist Relief Fund – (Durham, NC)
https://www.northstardurham.com/artistrelief
Emergency Relief Fund for Arizona Artists and Arts Professionals – (Arizona)
https://azarts.gov/grant/emergency-relief-fund/
Erie Arts & Culture, Emergency Financial Assistance Fund – (Erie, PA)
https://www.erieartsandculture.org/programs-and-services/funding/emergency-financial-assistance-fund/
Fairmount Cultural Corridor Artist Relief – (Boston, MA)
https://www.ds4si.org/blog/
Flamboyan Arts Fund – (Puerto Rico)
https://mellon.org/news-blog/
Houston Arts Alliance – (Houston, TX)
https://houstonartsalliance.
Indy Arts & Culture COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – (Indianapolis, IN)
https://indykeepscreating.org/apply/
Imagine 2020 Artist Assistance Fund – (Denver, CO)
http://www.artsandvenuesdenver.com/about-imagine-2020/imagine-2020-artist-assistance-fund
Imagine MKE – (Milwaukee, WI)
https://imaginemke.org/mke-artist-relief-fund/
KC Spaces Fund – (Kansas City, MO)
https://kcspacesfund.com/
Martha Kate Thomas Fund for Artists Grant, Boulder County Arts Alliance – (Boulder, CO)
https://www.bouldercountyarts.org/thomas_fund_grant_guidelines
New Orleans Business Alliance Relief Fund for Gig Workers – (New Orleans, LA)
https://www.nolaba.org/relief-fund/
North Carolina Artist Relief Fund – (North Carolina)
https://vaeraleigh.org/artist-relief-fund
Oolite Arts - Relief Fund for artists for COVID-19 – (Miami, FL)
https://oolitearts.org/relieffund/
Pittsburgh Arts Council Emergency Fund for Artists – (Pittsburgh, PA)
https://www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/programs/artist-services/emergency-fund
Safety Net Fund Bay Area – (Bay Area, CA)
https://medium.com/@safetynet/the-safety-net-fund
Seattle Artists Relief Fund Amid COVID-19 – (Seattle, WA)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/for-artists
http://www.scartshub.com/
Tamarack Foundation for the Arts – (West Virginia)
https://tamarackfoundation.org/fund-your-ideas/emergency-relief-funds/
The Columbus Foundation Emergency Response Fund – (Columbus, OH)
https://columbusfoundation.org/coronavirus-emergency-response-fund
Theatre Bay Area’s Performing Arts Worker Relief Fund – (Bay Area, CA)
https://www.theatrebayarea.
Vermont Rapid Response Artist Relief – (Vermont)
https://www.vermontartscouncil.org/grants/artists/rapid-response-artist-relief
Wingspan Theatrical Design – (New York City)
https://charity.gofundme.com/
USA RESOURCES
Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation – (USA)
https://www.gottliebfoundation.org/individual-support-grant-1/
American Documentary COVID-19 Artist Emergency Fund – (USA)
https://www.amdoc.org/create/funds-residencies/
American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) Relief Fund– (USA)
https://agmarelief.org/
Anonymous Was a Woman Emergency Relief Grant – (USA)
https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Anonymous-Was-A-Woman-Emergency-Relief-Grant
Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Emergency Fund – (USA)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv4AazvLFVUNAgXoxqBqfZ7jJVkrMroa-CET6Vt6XygR-CaQ/formResponse
Backstage COVID-19 Resource List for Performers – (USA)
https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/coronavirus-covid19-actor-performing-arts-news-resources-70497/
CERF+ – (USA)
https://cerfplus.org/get-relief/apply-for-help/
Comedy Gives Back – (USA)
https://www.comedygivesback.com/covid-19-grant
COVID-19 Mutual Aid & Advocacy Resources – (USA)
http://bit.ly/covid19collectivecare
Creative Capital Resource List – (USA)
https://creative-capital.org/2020/03/13/list-of-arts-resources-during-the-covid-19-outbreak/
Creative Reaction Lab COVID-19 Youth Creative Leadership Fund
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ApplyYCLF
Dramatists Guild Foundation – (USA)
https://dgf.org/programs/grants/grants-for-writers/
Emerging Artist Initiative
https://www.eaifund.com/
Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund – (USA)
https://equalsound.org/musicians-corona-relief-fund-application/
Field of Vision Virtual Mentorship – (USA)
https://mailchi.mp/fieldofvision/fov-virtual-consult?e=c32d7fc905
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants – (USA)
https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants
International Documentary Association COVID-19 Resources – (USA)
https://www.documentary.org/creators/covid19
Jazz Foundation of America – (USA)
http://www.jazzfoundation.org/what-we-do/housing-and-emergency-assistance
Jenie Gao: Small Business Administration from an artist's perspective
https://learningtosee.jenie.org/sba-disaster-loan-artists-edition-what-you-need-to-know/
Joan Mitchell Foundation – (USA)
http://joanmitchellfoundation.org/artist-programs/artist-grants/emergency
MusiCares – (USA)
https://www.grammy.com/musicares
Opportunity Agenda Creative Change COVID-19 Emergency Assistance – (USA)
https://www.opportunityagenda.org/creativechange-covid19-assistance
PEN America Writers Emergency Fund – (USA)
https://pen.org/writers-emergency-fund/
Pillars Rapid Response Fund for Muslim artists and activists – (USA)
https://pillarsfund.org/rapid-response-fund/
Rauschenberg Emergency Grants – (USA)
https://www.nyfa.org/Content/Show/Rauschenberg-Emergency-Grants
Shade Literary Arts Queer Writers of Color Relief Fund – (USA)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/queer-writers-of-color-relief-fund
Sundance Institute COVID-19 Resources to the Individuals – (USA)
https://www.sundance.org/covid19
Sweet Relief COVID-19 Fund – (USA)
https://www.sweetrelief.org/covid-19-fund.html
Tegan and Sara Foundation Community Grants – (USA)
https://www.teganandsarafoundation.org/communitygrants
The Actors Fund – (USA)
http://actorsfund.org/services-and-programs/entertainment-assistance-program
Unemployment Insurance – (USA)
Check your state's UI for details
University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine COVID-19 Arts Response – (USA)
https://covid.response.arts.ufl.edu/
US Department of Arts & Culture Resource List – (USA)
https://usdac.us/news-long/2020/3/15/community-care-in-the-time-of-coronavirus
Writers Emergency Assistance Fund – (USA)
http://asja.org/For-Writers/WEAF
INTERNATIONAL RESOURCES
Artist Emergency Relief Fund – (Ireland)
https://www.civictheatre.ie/blog/civic-news/artist-emergency-relief-fund/
Artist Relief Tree – (International)
https://artistrelieftree.com/request-funding/
Artists At Risk Connection – (International)
https://artistsatriskconnection.org/
COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resource – (International)
https://covid19freelanceartistresource.wordpress.com/
South West Creatives – Corona Virus Impact Fund – (Bristol, England)
https://www.gofundme.com/f/south-west-artists-corona-impact-fund