Coronavirus disease wipes out the work of many photographers and artists around the world. Here is a list of resources that might help you get by in these difficult times.
CERF+ Emergency Relief Fund
CERF+ Emergency Assistance
Have you or an artist you know experienced a recent, career threatening emergency, such as an illness, accident, fire or natural disaster?
CERF+ emergency assistance includes grants and/or brokered assistance, such as booth fee waivers and discounts or donations on supplies and equipment.
Artists interested in CERF+ emergency assistance must first complete an inquiry form. If it is determined that you may be eligible for assistance, you will be invited to apply for assistance. Before filling out an emergency assistance inquiry form, carefully read through the eligibility criteria and supporting documentation requirements.
Emergency Funds for Individual Artists Participating in Residencies
Alliance of Artists Communities
The Alliance of Artists Communities, with funding from The Joan Mitchell Foundation and continued with support from the Golden Foundation, established an emergency fund in support of artists facing an unforeseen emergency or triggering event to participate in artists’ residencies. The fund disburses mini-grants to artists who have already been accepted and scheduled for a residency, but who would not otherwise be able to participate due to a sudden change in circumstances.
Emergency grants of up to $1,000 are available for eligible artists.
Artists' Fellowship, Inc
Artists' Fellowship
The Artists’ Fellowship provides emergency aid to professional fine artists and their families in times of sickness, natural disaster, bereavement or unexpected extreme hardship.
“Professional” is defined as those visual artists who make their livelihood through sales as reported on a Schedule C with a U.S. Federal tax return. An active exhibition history is also an important part of documenting “professional.”
“Fine Artists” are defined as those who create art for sale through galleries, private commission or reproduction in mass media. Media such as sculpture, painting, drawing, printmaking, art photography, mixed media, installations, and video art are considered “Fine Art” as defined above.
“Sickness, natural disaster, bereavement or unexpected extreme hardship” can be documented through paid or unpaid invoices, bills or contracts.
The “need” must be current and documented, not anticipated.
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant
Foundation for Contemporary Arts
Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.
Each month FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $2,500, and the average grant is now $1,600.
Artists’ Benevolence Fund - Laguna Beach, CA
The Artists’ Benevolence Fund
The Artists’ Benevolence Fund is a unique source of financial assistance to artists living in Laguna Beach, who have suffered a catastrophic event, leaving them unable to work.The Fund began as the Artists’ Relief Fund in 1987, when artwork was auctioned to help a critically ill Sawdust Festival artist. In 1993, the fund was reorganized as a non-profit shelter within the Sawdust Festival and expanded to help not only Sawdust exhibitors, but any working artist in the city of Laguna Beach. With a $1000 maximum monthly grant amount, the Artists’ Benevolence Fund has awarded over $100,000 in relief to artists in their times of need..
Rauschenberg Emergency Grants
Rauschenberg Emergency Grants
The program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for unexpected medical emergencies.
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is proud to partner with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer a new emergency grant program called Rauschenberg Emergency Grants. This marks the first phase of a program that will be in the tradition of Change, Inc., a non-profit foundation established in 1970 by Robert Rauschenberg to assist professional artists of all disciplines in need of emergency medical aid.
The program will provide one-time grants of up to $5,000 for unexpected medical emergencies. The grants are available to visual and media artists and choreographers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States, District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories. If you aren’t sure if your artistic discipline fits within these guidelines, please contact the grants administrator.
Tamarack Artisan Foundation - West Virginia
Tamarack Artisan Foundation
If you are an artist that has been directly affected by a significant disaster such flood, fire, or emergency medical needs, you may be eligible for the Tamarack Emergency Relief Program.
The foundation offers grants and bridge loans of up to $5,000 for artist businesses on a rolling basis to help with these events. These funds are available to artists juried into the Tamarack: The Best of West Virginia retail facility in Beckley, WV.
Priority for grants will be given by an external committee to those most severely affected by career threatening occasions that could result in the closure of business. Requests in excess of $5,000 are eligible for request, but the application must show significant need. These requests will be submitted to the committee and approved by the foundation Board of Directors.
Please contact Executive Director Renee Margocee at renee@tamarackfoundation.org with a brief summary of your situation to receive more information about obtaining funds. Please include your telephone number.
Fellow artists are to be credited for the assistance of their peers. Funds for this program are raised through the art auction portion of the foundation’s annual dinner.
The Haven Foundation
The Haven Foundation
Provides financial assistance to artists who have a health crisis; grants are one-year, and the financial amount provided is to the discretion of the Foundation.
Awesome Foundation
Awesome Foundation, Chicago
Financial Contribution: Commit $100 per month in the interest of Awesome for at least 6 months. This contribution goes towards the $1,000 award we grant each month.
Artadia
Artadia
Artadia is a national non-profit organization that identifies innovative visual artists and supports them with unrestricted financial awards and connections to a network of opportunities. New York Awards Application: March 1 - April 1
Bloom Fund
Bloom Fund
Provides unrestricted $1,200 grants in visual arts, literature, small business, non-profit, research, and education for individuals who identify as black, indigenous, and/or person of color.
Harpo Foundation
Harpo Foundation
The award provides direct support to under-recognized artists 21 years or older.
The deadline to submit an application for the 2020 grant cycle is April 17, 2020
Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.
Pollock-Krasner Foundation, Inc.
Grants for artistic merit and financial need to visual artists who are painters, sculptors or artists who work on paper, including printmakers
The Mayer Foundation
The Mayer Foundation
The Mayer Foundation was incorporated in March 2002 as a New York nonprofit corporation. The core mission of the Foundation is to make economic relief grants to needy individuals who are distressed or suffering as a result of poverty, low income or lack of financial resources, including as a result of natural or civil disasters, or from temporary impoverishment, loss of employment, death or incapacity of a family wage earner or damage to home and property; to provide health care to those who cannot afford health care or whose health insurance or financial resources are insufficient to cover medical needs. Grant sizes vary but generally range around $2,000 per grant.
Change Inc. Emergency Grant
For professional visual artists in need of emergency aid to avoid eviction or to pay for medical expenses, utility bills, avoiding eviction, or another emergency the organization board deems worthy.
Contact: Emergency Grants, Change Inc.
P.O. Box 54 Captiva, FL 33924 (212) 473-3742
Boston Artist Relief Fund
Boston Artist Relief Fund
The Boston Artist Relief Fund will award grants of $500 and $1000 to individual artists who live in Boston whose creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).
With events of all types being cancelled to reduce spread of COVID-19, people who make income partially or fully through gigs and freelance work are losing critical opportunities to support their well-being in our city.
Artist Relief Tree
Artist Relief Tree
A relief fund for artists affected by cancellations due to COVID-19.
Joust for Freelancers
Regain money lost from events cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Have you missed out on much-needed income, publicity, or just all around fun because an event was cancelled? We would like to support those impacted, which is why we're offering:
Advances on unpaid invoices, Absolutely zero processing fees on payments, Free bank account, This special offer is for all businesses impacted by COVID-19 cancellations.
Financial Solidarity Mutual Aid Google Sheet
Financial Solidarity Mutual Aid Google Sheet
Seattle Artist's Relief Fund
Seattle Artist's Relief Fund
The Seattle Artist's Relief Fund is a crowd-sourced financial relief fund that is already distributing financial relief to artists in the Seattle area.
The GoFundMe campaign has reached $175,950 as of March 18, 2020 and has already received 800 applications. This fund is for individual artists only who live in the greater Seattle area, not organizations or nonprofits. Donate if you can and apply if you need assistance.
Max’s Kansas City Project Emergency Grant
Max’s Kansas City Project
Max’s Kansas City Project provides emergency funding and resources to professional artists in the creative arts who live in New York state. Grants of up to $1,000 are given to artists that demonstrate a financial need for medical aid, legal aid, or housing.
Format Photographer Fund
Format Photographer Fund
A $25,000 fund to help photographers impacted by COVID-19.
Self-employed photographers who are facing financial hardships are invited to apply.
We will be offering assistance of up to $500 per person, and we’ll use our discretion to determine who gets the funds. Knowing this isn’t a huge amount, we’re aiming to support as many people as we can—our hope is that this helps independent photographers stay on their feet
Women Photograph Emergency Fund
Women Photograph Emergency Fund
This Emergency Fund is meant to provide a small amount of one-time support to independent women and non-binary photographers who need assistance — there are no restrictions on what the funding can cover: it can be healthcare, childcare, rent, or professional expenses. Photographers may request up to $500 in support, though we ask that you request only for what you critically need so that we can attempt to help as many people as possible.
Anonymous was a women emergency relief fund
NYFA
This program will distribute $250,000 in grants, up to $2,500 apiece, to women-identifying visual artists over the age of 40 who have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) has partnered with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) to launch an emergency relief grant program to support artists impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The program will distribute $250,000 in unrestricted grants, up to $2,500 apiece, to artists who have experienced financial hardship from loss of income or opportunity as a direct result of the crisis. As with AWAW’s annual award, the program is open to women-identifying visual artists over the age of 40 in the United States and territories, and aims to address the unique challenges faced by artists in middle age or older, particularly at this critical time.
Artist + Activist Relief Fund
The Soze Foundation
This Artist + Activist Relief Fund, created by The Soze Foundation, TaskForce and Invisible Hand, will support artists and activists whose work has been impacted by COVID-19. They will be making $250-$750 grants to selected applicants on an on-going basis. Currently, they have $50,000 total for this first round of grants.
International Women’s Media Foundation Journalism (IWMF) Relief Fund
Journalism Relief Fund
The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)’s Journalism Relief Fund is open to women-identifying journalists in dire straits – journalists who have faced significant financial hardship, lost work, were recently laid off or who urgently need assistance to avoid severe, irreversible outcomes. This fund will provide small grants of up to $2,000 USD per request. However, special consideration will be given on a case-by-case basis to those who have greater financial need.
Freelancers Relief Fund
Freelancers Relief Fund
Freelancers Relief Fund will offer financial assistance of up to $1,000 per freelance household to cover lost income and essential expenses not covered by government relief programs including: Food/food supplies, Utility payments, Cash assistance to cover income loss. 100% of all donations will be distributed directly to freelancers in need. Applications for funding will open on April 2, 2020.
COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists
NatGeo Covid-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists
The fund will distribute support ranging from $1,000–8,000 USD for local coverage of the preparation, response, and impact of this global pandemic as seen through evidence-based reporting. Beyond reporting on medical and physical health related to COVID-19, we especially encourage reporting that covers social, emotional, economic, and equity issues. Narratives around the Pandemic necessarily include facts and numbers, but ultimately, must also go deeper—telling the stories of inequities that COVID-19 has brought to light.
The Lenfest Institute Grants
The Lenfest Institute Grants
Announcing $1 million in grants to support coronavirus news reporting.
The Creator Fund
ConvertKit
ConvertKit has established a $50,000 fund to help creators in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. Please read details below and then submit your information if you are in need. Thanks to our generous partners the fund is now up to $185,300.
What might help also:
Check out our list of best photography grants
Check out our list of photo contests
Check out our list of best photo contests with cash prizes
Artist Relief Fund
Artist Relief
Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19; serve as an ongoing informational resource; and co-launch the COVID-19 Impact Survey for Artists and Creative Workers, designed by Americans for the Arts, to better identify and address the needs of artists.
DEADLINES
The fund will operate through September 2020 and will fund at least 100 artists per week. The application will be open in cycles based on these exact dates:
Cycle I: April 8 - April 23 (closes 11:59pm ET)
Cycle II: April 24 - May 21 (closes 11:59pm ET)
Cycle III: May 22 - June 18 (closes 11:59pm ET)
Cycle IV: June 19 - July 23 (closes 11:59pm ET)
Cycle V: July 24 - August 20 (closes 11:59pm ET)
The Rory Peck Trust: Covid-19 Hardship Fund
The Rory Peck Trust
During this global crisis, the Rory Peck Trust has created an extraordinary fund to provide practical and financial support to freelance journalists whose work and livelihoods have been affected by COVID-19.
National Geographic Covid-19 Emergency Fund for Journalists
National Geographic
The fund will distribute support ranging from $1,000–8,000 USD for local coverage of the preparation, response, and impact of this global pandemic as seen through evidence-based reporting. Beyond reporting on medical and physical health related to COVID-19, we especially encourage reporting that covers social, emotional, economic, and equity issues. Narratives around the Pandemic necessarily include facts and numbers, but ultimately, must also go deeper-telling the stories of inequities that COVID-19 has brought to light. We seek writers, photographers, videographers, audio journalists, cartographers, filmmakers, and data visualization experts to apply for this funding. Journalists should seek placement of this work within their local media ecosystems and must attribute their support to the National Geographic Society’s Emergency Fund for Journalists. National Geographic Society or National Geographic Partners may also choose to publish some of this work as part of its global coverage.
Artist Relief Project
Artist Relief Project
Any artist in any discipline who has been impacted by COVID19-related cancellations and closures may apply for assistance. Stipends and support will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis, with the only limitation being how much money we are able to raise. The only requirements are (1) you demonstrate you’re an artist by sharing your resume and website, where applicable, and (2) you share this fundraiser with your own networks and provide a screenshot of that activity.
Artists Now (Bay Area CA)
Artists Now
We’re helping Bay Area artists who are most in need get an immediate $500. Artists who live in the Bay Area, who have been financially impacted by COVID-19, who are POC, Women, or identify as LGBTQIA+.
Arts for Illinois Relief Fund
3Arts.org
A statewide effort that provides financial relief to artists and arts organizations with urgent need due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through AIRF, 3Arts will issue $1,500 unrestricted, one-time grants to as many eligible artists as possible, given the total funding available.
The Atlanta Artist Lost Gig Fund
C4Atlanta.org
The Atlanta Artist Lost Gig Fund is designed to provide financial assistance to Atlanta area artists who have unmet essential needs due to lost revenue from cancelled upcoming events and gigs.
This fund is open to arts workers of ANY discipline including arts administrators, visual artists, craft artisans, performing artists of all kinds, musicians, writers, and all others. You must have documentation of your agreement for work (contract, email agreement, etc.) and documentation of the cancellation during the time of the COVID-19 crisis in order to apply (email stating such from contractor, etc.).
Behind the Scenes Grant
Behind The Scenes Charity
Behind the Scenes will accept applications from anyone who has been hospitalized with Covid-19 and is in financial need. You may be eligible for a grant if you currently reside in the United States or Canada and have earned your living for at least five years in the entertainment technology industry. This means that your major source of income is from your work in this industry, which includes being directly involved with production: behind the scenes in any type of performance venue, or behind the camera, or on the road. It also includes working companies who are directly involved in supplying entertainment technology products and services such as dealers, manufacturers, production companies, consultants, and design firms. Performing artists are not eligible.
Desert X Artist Relief Fund, CA
Desert X Artist Relief Fund
The Desert X Artist Relief Fund, funded by the Desert X Board of Directors and the Desert X team, will distribute emergency grants to visual artists living and working in Southern California, including the Coachella Valley and desert environs, who have been directly impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic. One-time unrestricted cash grants of $1,000 will be administered on a rolling basis until the fund is complete.
More Useful Information
A Guide to COVID-19 and Your Finances: What You Need to Know
