Emergency Relief Fund for Artists and Arts Professionals
On Tuesday, we announced an effort to provide emergency relief grants of $500-$1,500 to artists and arts professionals experiencing cancelled events and residencies or terminated contracts due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Emergency Relief Fund for Arizona Artists and Arts Professionals has been seeded with funding from the Arizona Community Foundation, Artlink Inc., the Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona, and the City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture, with the submission process managed by the Arizona Commission on the Arts.
We know the need is substantial. At its current level we expect the fund can support about 150 artists. Thus far, thousands of individuals have shared and visited the ERF page on our website.
Because the need is so great, we are inviting you to contribute to the effort. No contribution is too small.
Tax-deductible donations can be made via credit card or mailed to: Arizona Community Foundation, 2201 East Camelback Road, Suite 405B, Phoenix, AZ 85016. Checks must indicate that funds should be deposited to the AZ Covid-19 Community Response Fund for AZ Artists and Arts Professionals.
To potential applicants, we encourage you to act quickly, apply early, and be patient; we expect significant site traffic on the platform when the application goes live this Saturday, April 4, 2020. Details on eligibility and requirements can be found at https://azarts.gov/grant/emergency-relief-fund/.
Urgent Information for Nonprofits Applying for CARES Act Support
The Arizona Commerce Authority has released information on several small business provisions in the federal CARES Act that benefit nonprofit organizations, including arts organizations. The federal government is providing a forgivable loan (essentially a grant) to small businesses and organizations that will use loan funds for payroll, utilities, and rent for the next eight weeks.
Nonprofit organizations can access this funding through most banks, and the loans are expected to be available this Friday, April 3, 2020. Organizations are encouraged to act swiftly.
Review Arizona Commerce Authority guidance at https://www.azcommerce.com/media/1544629/aca-covid19-webinar-ensuring-business-continuty-4120.pdf.
View more information relevant to these loan provisions at https://www.tsne.org/blog/urgent-information-nonprofits-applying-cares-act.
Additional information on COVID-19 Resources for individuals and organizations will continue to be updated and published on the Arts Commission’s website at https://azarts.gov/news/covid-19/.
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