Request for Proposals: LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund (US)

The Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI), a 501(c)(3) public charity and trusted intermediary focused on the economic security of people in the arts, is administering this Fund. Funds are unrestricted and can be used in any way that alleviates financial hardship. They encourage artists and arts workers who are of low incomes, of historically underserved populations, and those with disabilities to apply.

Funding Information

• Individuals may apply only once for up to $10,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be considered for funding, applicants:
  • Must be a current, full-time resident of Los Angeles County;
  • Must be 18 years or older;
  • Must be affected by the Eaton or Palisades fires in terms of loss, severe damage, or lack of access to one’s home, artmaking studio, or both;
  • Must be an individual working artist and/or a full-time, part-time, or contract arts worker at an LA County arts organization;
  • Must submit a complete application;
  • Can only apply once;
  • Cannot have a conflict of interest (ie, family or financial relationships) with board members, staff, or other agents of CCI. Only CCI staff or CCI-contracted expert consultants, if necessary, will know the identities of the applicants to and beneficiaries of the Fund, and the selection process will be based on meeting priority considerations primarily designed to reflect need (and randomized if necessary due to demand). Eligible affected artists and arts workers of all LA County arts institutions will be eligible to apply.

Application Requirements

• The following is an overview of the items you must respond to and prepare:
  • Applicant Eligibility: This section will include questions that screen for Fund eligibility.
  • Legal Name & Proof of Residence: Applicants are required to upload documentation showing their name and address as they are listed in the application. Documentation of one’s home address must match the address entered in the application. Any one of the following forms of documentation will be accepted:
    • Most recent utility bill (dated between November 2024 and January 2025)
    • Current (i.e., unexpired) driver’s license or State-issued identification card
    • Current (i.e., unexpired) rental or lease agreement (lease agreements must have been entered into on or before January 7, 2025)
    • Current bank or mortgage statement (dated between November 2024 and January 2025)
    • Current health insurance statement or medical bill (dated between November 2024 and January 2025)
    • Current statement of government benefits, such as SSI, SSDI, SNAP, etc. (dated between November 2024 and January 2025)
    • Current (i.e., unexpired) home or renters insurance policy, or other similar materials
  • Fire-Damaged Home, Rental, or Studio: Applicants will provide the address for their affected residence, art making studio, or both. Priority consideration is given to those who entirely lost their primary place of residence, whether as a homeowner or renter, and this address should be the same as the address listed on the proof-of-residence documentation. Applicants will also be able to provide addresses for other lost or damaged structures that were used for an income-generating artistic practice–such as a backyard art studio or a commercial art space.
  • Temporary Location: They understand that the fire has displaced thousands of people and seek to understand the best way to reach applicants at this moment. They will ask you to list where you may be staying (with family, with friends, a hotel or Airbnb, car, second home, rental, etc.) and how long you anticipate being there. This information helps us understand how far applicants have had to temporarily relocate.
  • Displacement Cause: Applicants will be asked if their displacement is due to losing their primary residence or rental because it is destroyed; damaged by light fire, soot, or water but repairable; or in a mandatory evacuation zone. All are eligible, with priority for those with total loss of primary residence and art making studios.
  • Insurance Coverage: Applicants will be asked whether or not they have insurance that will help and what kind of policy they have (e.g., commercial property, homeowners, or renters insurance). They will ask whether or not this may be sufficient to rebuild in your current location and, if not, what your plan might be. Applicants who do not have insurance will be among the factors that determine funding. However, whether or not the insurance amount is enough to rebuild or recover will not be a factor. They recognize that even if applicants may be receiving enough insurance monies, people may be cash strapped and uncertain about the extent of damages at this time.

For more information, visit Center for Cultural Innovation.