About the Endurance Grants
The Artist Trust (AT) Endurance Grants (END) re-envisions our work with COVID-19 relief into a new grant program that allows us to continue to help artists with emergency support for their financial needs. Our goal is to provide 40 unrestricted 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. This grant 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.
Guidelines
The Guidelines for the 2022 Endurance Grants will be available on Monday, June 27.
Selection Process
All applications are reviewed for eligibility (as stated on page X) 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 randomized lottery system created by Artist Trust staff and are selected based on documentation of emergency need.
Timeline
June 27 Guidelines available.
July 11 Application opens.
July 19 Study Hall.
August 1 Application closes.
August – September Panel review.
September Board votes.
October Notification of grant status.
Eligibility Information
The 2022 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines. This grant is open to 2022 Artist Trust recipients. Recipients of the 2022 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, see Choosing Your Artistic Disciplinary Category in our guidelines.
- 18 years of age or older by application deadline and payment (payment will be made in October 2022)
- Individual artists who are the originators of works of art
- Having had a career-threatening emergency within 6 months of the application opening (application will open on July 11, 2022), see What Is a Career-Threatening Emergency section in our guidelines.
- Identifying 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 King County, and/or low income
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 2022)
- 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
2022 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. If your question is not covered in this FAQ, please contact Program Manager, Grace Nakahara at grace@artisttrust.org
2022 Endurance Grants Guidelines will be published on our website July 27th
What are the Endurance Grants?
The Artist Trust (AT) Endurance Grants (END) re-envisions our work with COVID-19 relief into a new grant program that allows us to continue to help artists with emergency support for their financial needs. Our goal is to provide 40 unrestricted 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. This grant 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 July 11, when applications open.
Am I eligible for this funding?
The 2022 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are open to artists residing in Washington State working in all disciplines. This award is open to 2022 Artist Trust grant recipients. Recipients of the 2022 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
- 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 2022)
- Individual artists who are the originators of works of art
- Having had an unforeseen emergency, crisis or catastrophic event within 6 months of the application opening (application will open on Monday, July 11)
- Identifying 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 King County, and/or low income
APPLICANTS MUST NOT BE:
- Current graduate or undergraduate students enrolled at the time of both application and payment (payment will be made October 2022)
- 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 a career-threatening emergency?
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 a career-threatening emergency?
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.
When do applications open?
Applications for the Endurance Grants open on Monday, July 11.
When is the application deadline?
The application deadline for the Endurance Grants is Monday, August 1 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
- Biography – 150 words
- Emergency statement – 300 words
- Work samples (3 samples required)
More information on each application component can be found in our guidelines.
If you are selected for funding, you will also be asked for documentation of emergency need, see What Qualifies as Documentation of Emergency and Need section in 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. 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.
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 then put into a pool and selected at random by a system created by Artist Trust staff. Applicants are then determined based on documentation of emergency need.
When will my application be reviewed?
Applications will be reviewed by the panel after the August 1 deadline. All applications will be under review between August and September 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 in 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 2022 Artist Trust Endurance Grants are still eligible for other Artist Trust grants of the same year.