Additional requirements for both individuals and organizations:

• Funding cannot cover training, medical procedures, or be redistributed through a regrant program
• Funding cannot be used to cover costs related to a program or project that has been previously funded by ASI (e.g., 2020 DEC or Global Warming Art Project)

At this point, all of the funding available has been distributed. You can submit an application using the button below and if more funding becomes available, our panel will consider it for funding. Please contact Holly Grant at [email protected] or 716-833-3004 x512 if you have any questions.

There is no deadline for this fund. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until the fund is depleted. ASI staff will administer and review applications along with several community leaders on a weekly basis pending the number of requests and overall need. Applications will be considered on a first come, first served basis. Funding will be assigned based on need and is representative of the full creative sector from a variety of perspectives including socio-economic, cultural heritage and history, ethnicity, size and scope of organization, artistic discipline, geographic location, and career-level of artists. Partial funding may be awarded instead of filling the full request. Applications will be reviewed and assessed based on the following criteria:

• Need for funding
• Urgency of request
• Impact of funding on organization/individual
• Efforts to continue art and creative practice beyond COVID-19

Every application will be evaluated based on its own merits. Applicants must demonstrate the above items in their application. Applicants who do not receive funding will be provided feedback and may submit another application for consideration. At this point, the WNY Arts Emergency Relief Fund is a one-time award. ASI is will be evaluating this process and the funds on a regular basis and may adjust our policies based on need and availability.

Western New York is incredibly lucky to have a vast and vibrant arts and cultural community that has an economic impact of $352M and employs over 10,000 full time equivalent jobs. As a result of all the cancelled or postponed events, programs, and projects, many artists and arts organizations are left without funding to cover basic living and operating expenses. Based on survey results from 178 artists and arts organizations from across Western New York, the current total loss of revenue/income is $2,532,576 — and that’s as of March 31, 2020. The total anticipated loss from respondents is $4,459,319. The arts need your support—now more than ever. Many organizations, especially in the performing arts, are not able to reopen and start in-person programming until 2021 at the earliest. In addition to loss of event revenue, foundations, corporations, and government are cutting their support of the arts during this time as well. Your donation will help ensure that our vibrant and invaluable arts and cultural community will survive this global health crisis and be around for you to enjoy and participate in once it finally safe to us all to gather in person. All proceeds from ASI’s WNY Arts Emergency Relief Fund will be distributed directly to eligible arts organizations and artists of all disciplines. This fund is possible thanks to the generous support of local foundations, corporations, and you—individual donors and neighbors within our community.

Thank you to everyone who supported this fund! We could not have done it without you.

ASI has created a WNY Arts Emergency Relief Fund with seed funding from Fund for the Arts. The Fund for the Arts is a funder’s cooperative of public, private, family and corporate foundations that assesses the needs of our arts community, promotes collaboration and strengthens the sector through systems change approaches.

To date, the Fund for the Arts has distributed just under $3M to strengthen our arts and cultural sector and supported creation of Arts Services Inc. and Young Audiences of WNY’s Art Partners for Learning program.

Funders:

Cameron and Jane Baird Foundation Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo First Niagara Foundation M&T Charitable Foundation John R. Oishei Foundation WNY Foundation

The Marilyn Gohr McTaggart Reveal Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

A Family Fund at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo

Tobin/Filvaroff Family Endowment at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo