ACCESSIBILITY
- An Artist's Guide to Virtual Events: How to perform like a pro-from your living room by Lara Ehrlich and Tiffany Hopkins. Tiff is the media producer and Lara is the director of marketing at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas. Whether you have a home office or just a corner of the kitchen table, you can construct a professional production studio in your own home. All you really need is a camera, a mic, and the internet.
- Event Safety Alliance - The Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide, released in May and now downloaded 30,000 times, has been an invaluable guide to many for the details on reopening safely. Six months later, the Event Safety Alliance has released an update that highlights what we have learned about how event professionals might safely get through this pandemic, providing links to useful materials, and updating recommendations based on current science and the experiences of those attempting to resume live events. Download here.
- National Endowment for the Arts - With more of the arts community pivoting to an online presence and organizations are reaching more and more people through virtual events, it is more important that organizations ensure that these virtual activities are accessible to people with vision, hearing, and other disabilities, through captions, sign-language interpretations, visual description, etc. To respond to this need, the National Endowment for the Arts has expanded its resources on their website and started a blog post ensuring all audiences and participants have access to these important virtual events. For questions please email accessibility@arts.gov.
EMERGENCY FUNDS
- Actors Fund - Emergency Assistance
- Actos de Confianza: Relief Grants - In collaboration with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and Intercultural Leadership Institute partners, the 2021 Actos de Confianza relief effort will expand to support Latinx artists and arts organizations who have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. NALAC will distribute $2,500 grants to Latinx artists and cultural workers and $5,000 grants to Latinx arts organizations facing critical financial emergencies. Third open call ended May 12, 2021 - Currently closed.
- Artists Relief - To help artists affected by COVID-19 and affirm their essential role in society, Joan Mitchell Foundation has joined forces with fellow arts funders to form Artist Relief, a new national, multidisciplinary initiative offering rapid, unrestricted funding of $5,000 to individual artists in all disciplines, plus additional resources to help those in need. Currently closed.
- Arts and Culture Leaders of Color - Emergency Fund - They have put a pause on this fund. Additional information will be provided in the late Summer/early Fall of 2021.
- Authors League Fund - The Authors League Fund helps professional writers in financial need because of medical or health-related problems, temporary loss of income, or other misfortune by providing no-strings-attached “loans” to pay for pressing expenses.
- CERF+ - Emergency Grants and Resources for Artists
- Creative Capital - List of funds and resources
- FCA Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund - The FCA Emergency Grants COVID-19 Fund closed for applications on June 14, 2021. FCA is now focusing its COVID-19 relief efforts on grantmaking through the FCA COVID-19 Bridge Fund.
- GrantStation - COVID-19 Related Funding
- Greater New Haven Creative Sector Relief Fund - Application | Donations
- PEN American Writers’ Emergency Fund - Emergency grant provides financial assistance for painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. The Fund has been temporarily depleted but they are still seeking donations. Currently pausing acceptance of new applications.
- Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for recent, unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies experienced by artists in need who are practicing in the disciplines of visual arts, film/video/electronic/digital arts, or choreography. Deadline October 4. APPLY HERE!
- Shuttered Venue Operators Grant provides emergency assistance for eligible venues affected by COVID-19. On August 11, the U.S. Small Business Administration is announcing a call to all eligible Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) applicants seeking economic aid for live entertainment small businesses, nonprofits, and venues. New applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. PT on Friday, August 20, 2021. The SVOG program has so far awarded $8.4 billion in grants to more than 10,800 businesses to assist in getting the nation’s cultural institutions, which are critical to the economy and were among the first to shutter, back on track. MORE INFO | APPLY HERE.
- WomenArts - Emergency Funds List
- Unemployment Insurance + Medicaid/HUSKY Health Services - expanded benefit details here
- Yale Community for New Haven Fund - Through the new fund, Yale will support the delivery of healthcare, assistance to local businesses, community educational needs, and area not-for-profits focused on such pressing issues as the well-being of children and families, homelessness, and food insecurity. The fund will focus initially on agencies providing healthcare and basic-needs services to those most affected by COVID-19. To apply or donate to the fund please click here.
- Fundraising in Difficult Times - Templates from Fractured Atlas to help you solicit support during the COVID-19 crisis and other difficult moments.
- Fundraising and Media - Toolkit designed to support members of the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities network in raising awareness of the importance of community-based human services organizations, which become even more vital in times of crisis.
- The COVID-19 Fundraising Template Kit for Nonprofits - The COVID-19 Fundraising Template Kit for Nonprofits equips your team to easily craft fundraising campaigns that engage your donors at home.
SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE
Connecticut Small Business Administration Loans
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Small businesses and nonprofit organizations in Connecticut that have been negatively impacted by the global COVID-19 outbreak are eligible for disaster relief loans of up to $2 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
- Loans to businesses of all sizes and private non-profit organizations
- These loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses. The interest rate for non-profits is 2.75%.
- SBA offers loans with long-term repayments in order to keep payments affordable, up to a maximum of 30 years. Terms are determined on a case-by-case basis, based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.
Learn more about the program and apply for financial assistance at www.sba.gov/disaster or call the SBA at 1-800-659-2955. You can also check out this webinar from the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce.
OTHER ASSISTANCE
- Business Interruption Insurance: A business interruption insurance policy should list or describe the types of events it covers. Events that are not described in the policy are typically not covered. It is important to review the policy exclusions, coverage limits, and applicable deductibles with your agent, broker or insurer. The Connecticut Insurance Department has an FAQ that provides more information.
- HEDCO Women/Minority-Owned Small Business Line-of-Credit Program - HEDCO's Women/Minority-Owned Small Business Line-of-Credit Program remains open to offer women- and minority-owned small businesses with 1-year, 0%, potentially forgivable working-capital lines of credit of up to $20,000. For assistance applying for this line of credit, please visit HEDCO DECD COVID19 Line of Credit
- The Paycheck Protection Program prioritizes millions of Americans employed by small businesses by authorizing up to $349 billion toward job retention and certain other expenses. Small businesses and eligible nonprofit organizations, Veterans organizations, and Tribal businesses described in the Small Business Act, as well as individuals who are self-employed or are independent contractors, are eligible if they also meet program size standards. For more information and to apply, click here. All deadlines for 2021 have passed.
- Reimbursement of medical leave costs for small and medium-sized businesses: The Connecticut Department of Insurance reminds small and medium-sized employers of recent guidance from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on COVID-19 - related medical leave.
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The Small Business Reopening Resource Guide is available online and includes valuable information about the following topics:
- Financial Needs – Comprehensive list of state and federal financing resources and advisory partners
- Employee Training & Support – General and industry-specific guidance about who should be trained and what training they need
- Physical Layout – Suggestions for maintaining operations while applying new social distancing standards
- List of Suppliers – Detailed list of suppliers to secure masks, face shields, gloves, cleaning supplies and other resources
The guide provides a starting point for businesses and will be updated as new information and guidance becomes available.
- U.S. Chamber Save Small Business Program - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation has created a Save Small Business Program to provide small businesses with grants of up to $5,000. For more information, please visit Save Small Business. Currently not accepting applications.
FUNDER UPDATES
Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
- The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and its affiliate The Valley Community Foundation are moving quickly to expedite its delivery of funding to nonprofit grantees during the COVID-19 crisis. To facilitate this support, The Foundation has made the following changes to existing grant awards and grant programs - Learn More Here
Connecticut Humanities
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CHANGES TO GRANT COMMUNICATIONS
CT Humanities has begun switching to full electronic communications and submissions for grant award letters, contracts, and final reporting for all FY21 grants. Moving forward, grant award announcements will be transmitted via email versus "snail-mailed" award packets, including instructions on how to access, sign, and submit grant contracts through CT Humanities’ online grants portal.This will have several added benefits for both CTH and grant recipients including greatly reducing the turnaround time to execute contracts, reduced costs, and reduced use of paper. On the back end of grants, final narrative and financial reports will also be collected through CTH’s grants portal moving forward—keeping all grant records in one place for both CTH and grantees to access.
- Please email CTH with any questions.
- Subscribe to CTH’s e-news and follow @CTHumanities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Connecticut Office of the Arts
- If you have a grant to support a program or event taking place during this time of increased concern, be aware that Connecticut Office of the Arts (COA) will allow you to postpone and reschedule and will, if necessary, extend the grant period. Be sure to contact the manager of the grant program via email to alert them to the charge:
- Arts Project and ARTE-accesible grants: Tamara Dimitri
- Arts Learning grants: Bonnie Koba
- Regional Initiative grants: Rhonda Olisky
National Endowment for the Arts
- F.A.Q.s for Applicants and Awardees in Response to COVID-19
- Challenge America Grant Program UPDATE - So that the Arts Endowment can effectively gear up to distribute this funding (which constitutes more than half of the agency’s annual grantmaking), the 2020 application deadline for Challenge America grants is cancelled.
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Important contact information
- Partnership Division (202) 682-5097
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Challenge America and Arts Engagement in American Communities Specialist, Mary Sellers: sellersm@arts.gov
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Challenge America and Local Arts Agencies Specialist, Lara Holman Garritano: garritanol@arts.gov
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Director of State, Regional and Local Partnerships, Michael Orlove: orlovem@arts.gov
- Assistant Grants Management Specialist Partnership Division Alexzandra Fogle: foglea@arts.gov
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Division Coordinator, Partnership, Jennifer Lindow Eskin: eskinj@arts.gov
NewAlliance Foundation
- ALLOWING FLEXIBILITY IN EXPENDITURE OF GRANTS AWARDED ON MARCH 2, 2020 - Note to organizations who received grants in early March: please contact the Foundation if you need to redirect funds to address mission related changes occasioned by COVID-19.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
- Americans for the Arts - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource and Response Center
- Annuity.org - COVID-19 Financial Guide
- Annuity Payment Freedom - Free SEO Marketing Services for Artists
- Arts Ready - artsready.org
- Artist Trust - COVID-19 Resource List
- Billboard - State-by-State Resource Guide for Music Professional
- Carnegie Hall - Online Teaching Resources for Music Educators
- Chelsea Groton Bank - Community Resources Page
- COVID-19 Freelance Artist Resources
- National Coalition for Arts Preparedness and Emergency Response - ncaper.org
- National Endowment for the Arts - COVID-19 Resources for Artist and Arts Organizations
- United Way - Community Resources
- Urban Grants 4 Us
- Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts (VLA) - VLA is ready to provide free support with a volunteer "emergency response panel" of about 5 law firms ready and willing to advise artists and arts orgs on contracts, insurance, and labor and employment issues that might come up due to the coronavirus outbreak. They have also put together an article about covid-19 and "force majeure" clauses for dealing with canceled gigs. Artists can contact their office at VLA@artsandbusinesscouncil.org.