Applications open for Emergency Grant Program (US)

Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate, project-based assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.

Funding Information

• Each month FCA receives an average of 100 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-21 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,900.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be living in the United States or U.S. territories and have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other)
• Applicants must have committed performance or exhibition opportunities, and be able to provide specific dates at the time of application.
• Applicants must be individual artists, or an individual representing an artist collective, ensemble, or group. Curators, producers, workshop organizers, organizations, or arts presenters are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants may not reapply for a project for which they have previously been denied funding.
• There is a three-year (36-month) waiting period between grants. Emergency Grants and Grants to Artists recipients must wait three years from the time of their grant before applying for an Emergency Grant.
• If you were a lead artist on a project that received an Emergency Grant in the last three years, or if a primary collaborator on your current project received a Grants to Artists award or an Emergency Grant in the last three years, you are not eligible to apply.

Ineligibility Criteria

• Life-related emergencies such as food, rent, medical bills, childcare, and other basic necessities
• Reimbursement for expenses that you have already incurred
• Projects with no scheduled exhibition or performance dates
• Fees for participation in a residency program, or other educational and artistic development opportunities.
• Deposits and registration fees for participation in an exhibition, fair, or other presentation opportunity
• Projects taking place in commercial gallery spaces or at art fairs
• Youth or educational programming
• Requests to attend, present at, or organize professional training, workshops, lectures, symposiums, conferences, or competitions
• Students (high school, undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., doctoral candidates, and other students enrolled in any degree program at the time of application) are not eligible to apply
• Production of CDs, albums, or music videos
• Framing is generally not considered to be an urgent need unless the framing is clearly demonstrated to be an essential part of the work that will be presented.

Application Requirements

• Work Sample Guidelines
  • Applicants are not expected to fill out every work sample section. You should submit samples based on your artistic discipline and medium. Follow the discipline-specific guidelines below for submitting samples, as well as the specifications on time-based work samples (if applicable). If you already have documentation of the work for which you are requesting support, please include it. If the work is not yet complete, provide related work that will allow the panel to clearly visualize your project and the need.
• Dance and Performance Art/Theater
  • In the “Time-Based” section, provide at least two, full-length videos from recent works, preferably made in the past five years. If possible, include footage from the work for which you are requesting funds. Please do not submit trailers or reels. Current rehearsal footage is acceptable for one sample. Note title, date, venue, 1-2 lines of context, and cue points.
• Music/Sound
  • In the “Time-Based” section, please provide links for at least two complete works, preferably made in the past five years. Include the work for which you are requesting funds if possible. Note title, date, venue, 1-2 lines of context, and cue points.
• Poetry
  • Attach up to eight pages in the “Writing” section. Note title, date, and 1-2 lines of context. You are also encouraged to provide a link to a live reading in the “Time-Based” section.
• Visual Arts/Moving Image
  • Attach up to ten images in the “Images” section. If you work in film/video, include 2-3 video work samples with cue points in the “Time-Based” section. Provide title, year, medium, dimensions, and 1-2 lines of context.
• For All Time-Based Work Samples
  • If you are submitting time-based works, please submit full-length work samples and identify 1-2 minute segments of each sample for the panel to review. This ensures that the panel sees sections of your work that you feel best highlight your artistic practice.
  • Please include any passwords and enable the “Download” option for all video and audio files. They recommend using Vimeo, Dropbox, Google Drive, or Sound Cloud, rather than YouTube.
  • They will not distribute your downloaded work samples publicly and they do not save them beyond their panel meetings.

For more information, visit FCA.