Endurance Grants

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About the Endurance Grants

The Artist Trust (AT) Endurance Grants (END) are unrestricted emergency need-based grants of $2,500 to artists working in all disciplines across Washington State to assist with an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event. These 40 grants will fund artists who identify with one or more of the following communities: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or Native, LGBTQIA+, immunocompromised, with immigrant status, have or are living with a disability, residing outside King County, and/or low income.

Funding for this program comes in part from a grant from the CERF+ Artist Readiness Program (CARP) with support from the Mellon Foundation, our individual donors, and the Artist Trust Board of Trustees.

Guidelines

Click here to read the 2024 Endurance Grants Guidelines.

Click here to read the plain text version of the 2023 Endurance Grants Guidelines.

Reference Guide

Click here to read the Endurance Grant Reference Guide

Selection Process

All applications are reviewed for eligibility by one multidisciplinary panel of three artists. Each panelist represents different communities and varies by race, age, gender, and geographic location. Panelists are not reviewing need or merit. 

All eligible applicants are put into a pool and selected at random by a system created by Artist Trust staff. After selection, applicants will be asked to provide documentation of emergency need and once confirmed, will be funded.

Timeline

June 6 Guidelines available.

June 28 Application opens.

July 11 Office Hours.

July 29 Application closes.

July – August Panel review.

September Board votes.

September Notification of grant status.

Eligibility Information

The 2024 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines. This grant is also open to 2024 Artist Trust recipients of other awards. Recipients of the 2024 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are still eligible for other Artist Trust grants of the same year.

APPLICANTS MUST BE:

• An artist practicing in one or more of our disciplinary categories; Literary, Media Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts. Learn more more about the disciplinary categories on page 3 of our guidelines.
• 18 years of age or older by application deadline 
• Washington State residents at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made in October 2024) 
• Individual artists who are the originators of works of art 
• Identify as one or more of the following: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and/or Native, LGBTQIA+, immunocompromised, with immigrant status, having or are living with a disability, residing outside of King County, and/or low income

AND

• Have had an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event between January 1 – July 29, 2024 (or within 6 months of the application closing on July 29) that has significantly and adversely affected your ability to meet your basic needs. See What Is An Unforeseen Emergency, Crisis, or Catastrophic Event section on page 3 of our guidelines.

APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:

• Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both the application deadline and payment (payment will be made October 2024) 
• Applying as cultural organizers, curators, or applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group 
• Current AT staff, Board of Trustees, END panelists, or their family 

2024 Endurance Grants FAQ

Please read this FAQ prior to contacting our staff with questions. Due to the high volume of applications, we are not able to respond to every question we receive.

What are the Endurance Grants? 

The Artist Trust (AT) Endurance Grants (END) are unrestricted emergency need-based grants of $2,500 to artists working in all disciplines across Washington State to assist with an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event. These 40 grants will fund artists who identify with one or more of the following communities: Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) and/or Native, LGBTQIA+, immunocompromised, with immigrant status, have or are living with a disability, residing outside King County, and/or low income.

How do I apply? 

To apply, you must submit an application through Submittable. A link to the application will be available here on June 28, when applications open.

Am I eligible for this funding? 

The 2024 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines. This award is also open to 2024 Artist Trust grant recipients. Recipients of the 2024 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are still eligible for other Artist Trust grants of the same year. 

APPLICANTS MUST BE: 

• An artist practicing in one or more of our disciplinary categories; Literary, Media Arts, Performing Arts, Visual Arts. Learn more more about the disciplinary categories on page 3 of our guidelines.
• 18 years of age or older by application deadline 
• Washington State residents at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made in October 2024) 
• Individual artists who are the originators of works of art 
• Identify as one or more of the following: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), and/or Native, LGBTQIA+, immunocompromised, with immigrant status, having or are living with a disability, residing outside of King County, and/or low income

AND

• Have had an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event between February 1 – July 29, 2024 (or within 6 months of the application closing on July 29) that has significantly and adversely affected your ability to meet your basic needs. See What Is An Unforeseen Emergency, Crisis, or Catastrophic Event section on page 3 of our guidelines.

APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE: 

• Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made October 2024) 
• Applying as cultural organizers, curators, or applying on behalf of a company, nonprofit, organization, fiscal sponsorship, or community group 
• Current AT staff, Board of Trustees, END panelists, or their family 

What is an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event? 

Artist Trust defines an emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event as a recent, unforeseen, or triggering event that has significantly and adversely affected your ability to meet your basic needs, including natural disaster, theft, or serious illness or injury. Financial distress that results from the normal uncertainties of being an artist is not considered an emergency. 

All applicants will be asked to select at least one of the following needs they are experiencing as a direct result of an emergency:  

• Food Insecurity 
• Medical Bills 
• Rent, Mortgage, or Foreclosure
• Utility Payments 

Why are emergency needs limited to the selections above? 

The IRS requires Artist Trust to verify that a recipient of funding for disaster relief and emergency hardships is financially or otherwise in need. While those who may not have the resources to meet basic living needs may be eligible, those who do not need continued assistance should not apply for the Endurance Grants. 

To ensure applicants are eligible for funding we encourage applicants to elaborate on one or more of the listed basic needs and describe the nature of their emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event in their Emergency Statement. 

(Emergency Statement Examples) What is an example of an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event? 

Example 1: An artist had their car stolen. Because they no longer have transportation to get to gigs, rehearsals, or their service industry job, they’re unable to work and are left in a state of financial instability. As a result, they are faced with the choice to buy a new car or pay rent.  

Example 2: An artist was involved in a bike accident, suffered an injury, and is unable to work. As a result, they are having trouble paying their medical bills. 

Example 3: An artist’s home has flooded. As a result, they are facing difficult decisions about which bills and invoices to prioritize to pay.  

Example 4: An artist’s creative space or studio caught fire. As a result, they are unable to continue making work to bring in more income to pay for food. 

What is an example of the financial distress that results from the normal uncertainties of being an artist? 

For the purpose of the Endurance Grants and in compliance with the IRS, qualified emergency relief payments do not include income replacement or unemployment compensation. As a result, Artist Trust defines normal uncertainties of being an artist as an inconsistent employment income as a result of a lack of work.

What if I had an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event prior to February 1, 2024, and it is still affecting my ability to meet my basic needs?

Artist Trust Endurance Grants are intended to help artists with emergency support for their financials needs in direct response to an unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event that occurred between February 1 –  July 29, 2024 (within 6 months of the application closing on July 29) . The IRS allows charitable organizations to provide aid in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, however, continuing to provide financial assistance three to six months after the disaster requires further verification that a recipient is financially in need. Providing financial assistance for an emergency hardship that occurred longer than six months ago requires an additional burden of proof for both artists and Artist Trust, as the assistance is no longer a direct response to an emergency and instead becomes long-term assistance.

When do applications open? 

Applications for the Endurance Grants open on Friday, June 28.

When is the application deadline? 

The application deadline for the Endurance Grants is Monday, July 29 at 11:59 p.m. PST.  

How many times can I apply? 

Applicants may only apply once per cycle.  

Can I edit my application after I submit? 

No, once your application has been submitted, you cannot make edits to it. Due to the high volume of applications, we’re not able to reopen applications for revisions.  

What needs to be included in the application? 

The Submittable application will require the following materials: 

• Discipline statement – 50 words or less
• Biography – 150 words or less
• Emergency statement – 50 words or less
• Statement of consequence – 50 words or less
• Work samples (3 samples required) 

More information on each application component can be found on page 3 of our guidelines. 

If you are selected for funding, you will also be asked for documentation of emergency need, see below, or What Qualifies as Documentation of Emergency and Need section on page 5 of our guidelines.

What qualifies as documentation of an emergency and need?  

If you are selected for funding, you will be asked to provide documentation of your emergency and need. You should provide as much documentation as possible. The following documentation is acceptable:  

• Invoices or bills (paid or unpaid) that document costs for utilities, food, or other expenses related to emergency needs  
• Written prognosis from your doctor, health provider, or insurance company and/or a bill that outlines medical expenses  
• A copy of the police report listing major items lost 
• Photos, lists of items lost/damaged and/or official documents from an emergency management agency or insurance company indicating loss or damage  
• A copy of your rental ledger, foreclosure notices, eviction notices, or housing-related letters 

Do I have to provide documentation of my emergency need equaling the full $2,500? 

No. However, if selected as a recipient, you should provide as much documentation as possible to document your need and emergency in addition to the Emergency Statement explaining the emergency and need (for example, your emergency statement could include descriptions of an upcoming bill, rent, or mortgage payment that isn’t due yet). 

So long as the unforeseen emergency, crisis, or catastrophic event you specified in the application resulted in one or more of the following needs: Food Insecurity, Rent/Mortgage or Foreclosure, Utility Payments, or Medical Bills, you provided additional detail in the Emergency Statement, and you are selected as a recipient, you will receive the full $2,500. 

Why do I have to provide documentation of my emergency need? 

The IRS requires charitable organizations providing funding for disaster relief and emergency hardships to verify that a recipient is financially or otherwise in need unless it is in response to a qualified disaster such as a Presidentially declared disaster, terrorist or military actions, or an accident involving a common carrier.  

Can I still apply if I have received Artist Trust COVID-19 Relief Funding? 

Artists who received support from the Artist Trust COVID-19 Relief Fund in 2020 and 2021 are eligible to apply. 

Can I still apply if I have received an Endurance Grant before? 

Both recipients and unfunded applicants from the 2023 Endurance Grant cycle are eligible to apply.

How are recipients selected? 

All applications are reviewed for basic eligibility by one multidisciplinary panel consisting of three artists. Each panelist represents different communities and varies by race, age, gender, and geographic location. Panelists are not reviewing need or merit.  

All eligible applicants are put into a pool and selected at random by a system created by Artist Trust staff. After selection, applicants will be asked to provide documentation of emergency need and once confirmed, will be funded.

When will my application be reviewed? 

Applications will be reviewed by the panel after the July 29 deadline. All applications will be under review between July and August before being put selected in randomized groups. Applicants will be notified of their applications status in early October. 

How much money will I receive?  

Grants are $2,500.   

How many artists are being funded each year?   

We are able to provide at least 40 artists with $2,500 each. 

Do I have to pay taxes on this funding? 

Payments that individuals receive under a charitable organization’s program, such as the Artist Trust Endurance Grants, as a result of a disaster or emergency hardship are considered to be gifts and are excluded from gross income of recipients under section 102 of the Internal Revenue Code. Artist Trust will not issue you a Form W-2 or 1099 reporting this funding. Please keep a copy of this agreement for your records. You may refer to IRS Publication 3833 or reach out to a tax professional for additional information or guidance. Artist Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, tax ID 91-1353974. 

If I’m selected, what happens next? 

If you are selected for funding, you will be asked for documentation of emergency need, see What Qualifies as Documentation of an Emergency and Need section on page 5 our guidelines. 

Once your documentation has been reviewed and confirmed, we’ll send you a contract and collect your direct deposit information and mailing address which can be completed electronically via DocuSign. Upon receipt of these materials, we’ll process your funding, and it will be directly deposited into your bank account or paid by check and mailed within 7-10 business days.  

Will receiving funding disqualify me from applying for other Artist Trust grants? 

No. Recipients of the 2024 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are still eligible for other Artist Trust grants of the same year. 

 

If you have questions not addressed in this FAQ, please be in touch with our Program Co-Director, Luther Hughes at luther@artisttrust.org.