Financial Resources for Artists Impacted by COVID-19

As an organization that remains dedicated to continuing to provide a high level of support to artists during these extraordinary circumstances, Pentacle is offering financial resources for artists impacted by COVID-19. Alongside many other key and respected organizations in the field, we have begun accumulating and curating a list of resources for artists and organizations experiencing income loss and other troubles as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Below you’ll find resources providing financial assistance in loan applications and emergency grants for individual artists as well as incorporated companies. We will continue to update this list as the situation evolves.

FINANCIAL RESOURCES FOR ARTISTS IMPACTED BY COVID-19

Resources from Pentacle:

• Financial Urgent Care – NEW pro bono analysis for individual artists and small non-profits
• Unique projects – FREE membership to our most basic Fiscal Sponsorship which can be used for select grant applications and crowd-funding campaigns
• nextSteps – NEW educational website for artists in need of infrastructural support

For Individual Artists:

• Cultural Solidarity Fund – Microgrants for food, rent, medical, and more. Administered by The Indie Theater Fund
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts – Relief from canceled performances or exhibitions
• NYFA
  • Rauschenberg Emergency Grants Program – Emergency grants for up to $5,000 to cover medical emergencies
  • Barbara and Carl Zydney Grant for Artists with Disabilities – $1,000 Emergency grants to artists who experienced financial hardship due to Covid-19.
• New York Community Trust – Loans & Grants for Non-Profits
• Freelance Artists Resources – List of resources for arts groups and freelance artists
• Actors Fund – Emergency funding for Individual Artists
• Indie Theater Fund – Apply for grants of up to $500 to companies, venues, and individuals working in NYC independent theater operating with budgets under $250,000
• American Guild of Variety Artists – Information on sick and relief Fund for AGVA members
• Dramatists Guild Fund – Emergency grants for individual playwrights, lyricists, and composers
• Episcopal Actors Guild of America – EAG Emergency Aid & Relief Program
• Boston Artist Relief Fund – Apply to grants of $500 & $1,000 for individual artists living in Boston
• The Haven Foundation – Financial assistance to freelance professionals in the arts
• Freelancer COVID-19 Emergency Fund – Financial assistance for freelance professionals
• Access HRA – Financial assistance for NYC Residents
• Go Fund Me Campaigns for Individual Artists:
  • NYC Low-Income Artist/Freelancer Relief Fund
  • NYC Dancers Relief Fund
• Artist Relief Tree – Application to receive funds collected through a fundraiser
• DIEMlife – Application to receive funds collected through a fundraiser
• Force Majeure Under the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic – Updated information regarding force majeure in contracts
• New Music USA Solidarity Fund – Emergency Grants to performers of music by living composers
• Dance/NYC Coronavirus Dance Relief Fund
  • Freelance Dance Workers
  • Dance Making Organizations
• For help applying for unemployment – contact your local city councilperson (NYC specific, though maybe worthwhile in other areas as well)
• Nonprofit Finance Fund – Advice for Nonprofits
• Federal Corona Virus Relief Package – Gig workers WILL be able to apply for unemployment
• Freelancers Union – What freelancers need to know about the coronavirus
• Anonymous Was A Woman Emergency Relief Grant – Anonymous Was A Woman (AWAW) has partnered with the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA)
• Dance Magazine – A Freelancer’s Guide to Unemployment Benefits–and Other Financial Help
• Artist Relief – distributing $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19
• National Endowment for the Arts CARES Act – supporting Arts Jobs and helping sustain Arts Organizations (must have received NEA funding in the past 4 years)
• Abrons Arts Center Relief Fund – supporting artists and arts workers in our local community
• Arts Administrators of Color –Arts Leaders of Color Emergency Fund
• Robin Hood Relief Fund – open to all frontline nonprofit organizations that are responding to the COVID-19 crisis in NYC
• Dancers Above Water Relief Fund –  Barkin/Selissen Project is helping dancers who are struggling right now.  Option to donate or apply for funds.
• NYC Arts In Education Roundtable – Grant to Provide Critical Assistance to Arts Education Community Amid COVID-19
• Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants – one-time grants of up to $5,000 for health emergencies experienced by artists in financial need

For Small Companies/Businesses & NonProfits:

• Facebook Small Business Grants Program – Sign up for updates and alerts as more information becomes available
• U.S. Small Business Administration – Small business loan application
  • Payment Protection Program (PPP)
    • PPP First Draw
    • PPP Second Draw
  • Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG)
  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans – Application for loans that provide up to $2 million in assistance for small businesses
  • Fact Sheet (by Arts Action Fund)
• NYC Emergency Management – COVID-19 Services & Resources
• NYC Small Business Services
  • Relief for small businesses seeing a reduction in revenue because of COVID-19
    • Businesses with fewer than 100 employees who have seen sales decrease of 25% or more will be eligible for zero-interest loans of up to $75,000 to help mitigate losses
    • Businesses with fewer than 5 employees can apply for a grant to cover 40% of payroll costs for two months
  • Form to Apply for either grant above
• New York Forward Loan Fund – Focused on supporting small businesses that were less likely to receive federal loans, especially women and minority-owned businesses, and very small businesses with 20 or fewer employees.
  • Only available for businesses or nonprofits who have NOT received a loan through PPP or EIDL for COVID-19 in 2020
• South Arts Community Grants – Offering a limited number of $5,000 to $20,000 grants to statewide or regional (multi-state) arts and cultural service organizations based in our nine-state region to help sustain operations during or after the pandemic.
• DCLA NYC Arts in Education Roundtable’s Arts Educator Emergency Relief Fund program Announcement 

Other Misc. Resources & Ideas:

• Student Loan Refinancing – For those who have student loans and could use those funds toward artistic activities, consider refinancing.
• Amazon Wishlists
• Joust Business Banking app – Freelancers can sign up to receive an advance on late or unpaid invoices
  • Promo code: JOUST4FREELANCERS
• Artists in a Time of Global Pandemic panel – 2-hour webinar hosted by HowlRound discussing freelancer rights/contractual protections, how-tos for emergency grants, ways to digitize performances, etc.
• Con Edison has begun suspending late payment fees
• NYSIF has launched a new COVID-19 page where you can access the latest information, guidance, and tools for your policy during the coronavirus pandemic. The new page serves as a centralized source of help for policyholders as well as workers.
• Bridge loans for the balance of NYSCA or other government funds
• New Credit Card – if your company is eligible, usually no interest for the first 12-18 months
  • Congress has also decreased interest rates
• Impact of COVID-19 on Women in the Labor Force – Annuity has published a guide that measures the impact of COVID-19 on women in the labor force.

Last updated on November 29, 2021.

Pentacle-nextSTEPS | Date 3.31.20

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