Frequently Asked Questions
What will my donation support?
Donations to the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund go toward recovery efforts for artists that continue to be financially impacted by COVID-19 closures.
Will all of the money donated go to the community?
Yes. Other than a small credit card processing fee, 100% of all donations will go directly to support artists and organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19 closures.
Are donations to the fund tax deductible?
Yes. Donations to the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Can I designate my donation to a specific organization?
Donations made through this portal are unrestricted. If you wish to donate to a specific organization, we encourage you to make that gift directly.
How much has the fund awarded so far, and who has received support?
There has been an enormous response from Illinois’s cultural community. Thousands of individuals and organizations have applied for relief and more than $8,100,000 has been awarded to 2,493 artists and 366 organizations across the state. Due to the high volume of applications, grants are being awarded in cycles.
Round 1
In the first round of funding, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund awarded more than $3.3 million dollars to 906 artists and 166 arts organizations across the state. For privacy reasons, the list of individual artist grantees is not publicly available. Visit the Arts Work Fund website for a list of organizational grantees.
Individual Artists
In Round 1, the fund received 7,951 applications and awarded 906 grants of $1500/each, totalling $1,359,000.
In keeping with funder restrictions, 70% of awardees are artists of color and artists with disabilities. 40% are women and 10% are disability-identified. 28% of grants were awarded to artists located outside of the city of Chicago.
Arts Organizations
In Round 1, the fund received 534 applications and awarded 166 grants totalling $2,006,000. Grants ranged in size from $4,000 - $30,000.
In keeping with funder restrictions, 38% of the awardees are organizations by, for and about people of color; 2% are women-centered; 3% represent people with disabilities, 1% are LGBTQ-focused, and 1% are focused on veterans and people who are incarcerated. 22% of grants were awarded to Illinois organizations located outside of the city of Chicago.
78% of grants equaling 63% of available funding was awarded to organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less.
Round 2
Individual Artists
In Round 2, the fund received 1,058 new applications, which were added to those remaining in the Round 1 pool totaling 9,009 applications. Grants of $1500/each were awarded to 554 artists totaling $831,000.
In keeping with funder restrictions, 70% of awardees are artists of color and artists with disabilities. 45% are women and 13% are disability-identified. 34% of grants were awarded to artists located outside of the city of Chicago.
Arts Organizations
In Round 2, 153 new applications were submitted and 182 applications were rolled over from Round 1. Grants ranging in size from $4,000 - $30,000 were awarded to 67 arts organizations around the state totaling $892,000.
85% of grants were awarded to organizations located in Chicago. 46% of awardee organizations are by, for, and about people of color, 3% represent people with disabilities, 1% are women-centered, and 1% are LGBTQ-focused.
67% of grants equaling 49% of available funding was awarded to organizations with annual budgets of $500,000 or less.
Round 3
Individual Artists
In July 2020, the fund initiated a third round of grants to individual artists drawing from the existing application pool. To provide relief to as many individual artists who previously applied as possible, the fund did not accept additional applications from individuals for Round 3. Grants of $1500/each were awarded to 1,033 artists totaling $1,549,500.
Arts Organizations
To further provide relief to cultural organizations across Illinois, a limited number of grants were awarded in partnership with seven local community foundations to arts organizations located outside the seven-county Chicago metropolitan region. 36 grants totaling $271,950 were awarded to arts organizations in 20 communities around the state.
Round 4
Performing Arts Venues
The fund was proud to support the City of Chicago’s Performing Arts Venue Relief Program. Performing arts venues are among the hardest hit by the pandemic. They have ongoing facilities expenses but continue to experience major income losses due to the necessary restrictions on gatherings in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19. This program was intended to support for-profit and non-profit venues that have suffered an earned income loss of more than 75% due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In December 2020, 97 grantees were chosen via a lottery and awarded grants of $13,115/each, for a total of $1,272,155.
What were the eligibility requirements for individual artists?
To be eligible, artists had to be able to answer “Yes” to all of these questions.
Illinois is my home base and geographic focus.
I am legally able to receive taxable income in the U.S. (e.g. citizen, permanent resident, and/or any other person who can provide a W9 and SSN or ITIN).
I am at least 18 years of age.
I am not currently enrolled in a degree program (e.g. Bachelor’s or Master’s; if pursuing a Ph.D., coursework must be completed).
I am experiencing financial loss and/or hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
I am an artist working in any one of the following disciplines: Dance, Film & Media Arts, Interdisciplinary, Literary Arts, Music, Teaching Arts, Theater, and Visual Arts/Design.
I am capable of providing examples of creative work made within the last two years.
What were the eligibility requirements for organizations?
501c3 non-profit status.
Located in Illinois.
Demonstrated track record of programming and services.
Demonstration of immediate lost revenue and non-recoverable expenses due to COVID-19.
Priority given to organizations led by, for, and serving people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, and women.
No limit on budget size.
The following organizations were not eligible for this funding opportunity:
Organizations whose primary mission is related to social services (juvenile justice, housing, community development) but also have an arts program.
Stand-alone or one-time festivals, conferences, or other events.
Stand-alone publications, films/videos, or websites.
Religious-based activities.
Groups that are legally, financially, or operationally part of a larger institution, e.g. the art department of a college.
What were the eligibility requirements for performing arts venues?
To be eligible to apply for a Performing Arts Venue Relief Program grant, organizations must have met the following criteria:
Have a primary mission/purpose to produce or present performing arts programming, including theatre, dance, comedy, performance art and/or music, including live mixing by DJs.
Have a PPA (Public Place of Amusement) or Music and Dance license in good standing.
Be located in the city of Chicago with a valid street address (P.O. Boxes will not be accepted).
Own or lease year-round a venue or club that is demonstrated as a primary component of the organization, at which performing arts performances are the primary amusement/activity, as verified by past programmatic listings and website content documenting featured artists.
Be an independent venue that is not owned, run, or exclusively booked by a multinational corporation or publicly-traded company.
Must have been incorporated and operating since at least December 2019.
Must not be able to open at full capacity as part of Restore Illinois or Reopening Chicago Phase 4.
Must pay fair fees to artists in accordance with standard wage and labor laws. *
Must have experienced an earned revenue loss of at least 75% due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Must not owe more than $2,500 in unpaid fees, services, or other costs to the City of Chicago.
*Artists employed or contracted by venue must be paid at or above minimum wage and/or be paid a percentage of cover fees/ticket sales.
The following entities were not eligible to apply:
Organizations applying using a fiscal agent.
Organizations applying on behalf of an organization/program for which they serve as a fiscal agent or fiscal sponsor.
National chain businesses or not-for-profit organizations that have a national affiliation.
Religious institutions.
Public or governmental agencies.
Athletic teams, social organizations, fraternal organizations.
Strip clubs or adult entertainment facilities.
Individuals.
Where can I find more resources for artists and arts organizations dealing with the impact of COVID-19?
Please reach out to info@artsalliance.org for more information.