With so many people out of work and businesses shuttering in light of the current coronavirus pandemic, many are up against a wall financially. COVID-19 is predicted to set into motion a recession worse than The Great Depression, and the government as well as charitable organizations are moving swiftly to help provide relief.
Below we’ve included an extensive list of organizations that are stepping up to help during this difficult time. There are a wide array of specialized resources and options for individuals, businesses and non-profits. From funding for artists and freelancers to small business relief loans and food assistance for families. So, if you’re struggling, there is help out there.
As always, when it comes to emergency funds and loans, the sooner you apply, the better. Here is a comprehensive list of current programs and emergency funding sources for you or your business, courtesy of Grantspace.org.
For your convenience, you can also download the list here.
FOR NONPROFITS:
- Funding for coronavirus (COVID-19) – Candid’s pop-up webpage shares information about philanthropy’s response to the pandemic.
- Find Your State Association of Nonprofits map – Click on your state to find your nonprofit state association’s website on the National Council of Nonprofits’ map. Your state association is a great place to find local resources and the latest COVID-19 news affecting nonprofits in your area.
- CARES Act: How to Apply for Nonprofit Relief Funds – A guide created by Independent Sector
- Loans Available for Nonprofits in the CARES Act – chart from National Council of Nonprofits providing details on loan options, eligibility criteria, terms, and application information.
- State Public Policy Resources on COVID-19 – National Council of Nonprofits’ page for nonprofit-specific materials from state officials and useful resources on what states are doing in response to COVID-19.
- Esri (GIS) Disaster Response Program – Esri is providing the ArcGIS Hub Coronavirus Response template at no cost through a complimentary six-month subscription of ArcGIS Online with ArcGIS Hub Basic. The template includes examples, materials, and configurations to rapidly deploy an ArcGIS Hub environment. ArcGIS Hub is a framework to build your own website to visualize and analyze the COVID-19 crisis in the context of your organization’s or community’s population and assets.
- Seed Commons: Worker Response Fund – Fund will provide direct support to worker-owners at cooperative businesses most affected by closures and downturn associated with the COVID-19 outbreak, such as food service businesses, custom manufacturing, and child care cooperatives.
- Nationwide list of community foundation relief efforts – An aggregated list by The Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative.
FOR INDIVIDUALS:
If you need assistance finding food, paying housing bills, accessing free childcare, or other essential services, dial 211 to speak to someone at the United Way who can help.
NOTE: Financial assistance is NOT available through every 211.
211.org also has a comprehensive list of available resources for the following needs:
- Health insurance & medical expenses
- Home Internet access
- Unemployment benefits
- Federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
- Mortgage, rent, and utilities payment assistance
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)/Food Stamps
- Food Assistance
- Relief for “gig economy” workers and contractors
- Mental health and crisis
EMERGENCY GRANTS FOR INDIVIDUALS
- COVID-19 Emergency Fund (Cambridge, MA – Cambridge Community Foundation) – Must be a resident of Cambridge, MA
- * Season of Sharing Fund (Sarasota County, FL – Community Foundation of Sarasota County) – Funds go directly to nonprofits; to receive funds from Season of Sharing, individuals must be working with a case worker at a social service agency. United Way 2-1-1 assists potential clients in finding the appropriate agency.
- *One Sioux Falls Fund (Sioux Falls, SD) – to help residents in the Sioux Falls MSA (Minnehaha, Lincoln, McCook and Turner counties) avoid evictions and financial hardships if they are unable to work due to COVID-19 and if they are unable to qualify for federal or state assistance. Nonprofits, the County and the City will coordinate to distribute the funds to make sure assistance gets into the right hands.
- ONE22 COVID-19 Financial Relief Awards (Teton, WY) – Need-based awards for anyone who lives or works in Teton County, WY, and has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Neighbor-to-Neighbor Grants (Berkshire Taconic area, NY) – Small grants (generally around $500) to help those with overdue utilities, medical bills, short-term housing costs and transportation problems.
- It Takes a Village Emergency Funds (Parenting Journey) – Stipend to ease financial burdens for Parenting Journey families.
- Bartender Emergency Assistance Program
- DoorDash COVID-19 Financial Assistance Program – Financial assistance for eligible Dashers that are diagnosed with COVID-19 and have been active on the DoorDash platform for at least 60 days and have completed at least 30 deliveries in the last 30 days.
- *One Family, Los Angeles – A fund in development that will distribute grants directly to families in need in Los Angeles, CA; refer to the FAQ page for information about how to access these funds.
- Real Change Vendor Relief Fund – Cash cards and gift cards to supplement reduced income for Real Change vendors.
- *Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN) Emergency Community Stabilization Fund – Will distribute mutual aid directly to Asian immigrants and refugees in areas where APEN works (Oakland & Richmond, CA).
- Freelancers Relief Fund – Assistance of up to $1,000 per household for any independent worker in the U.S. who has primarily earned income through freelance work for at least one year and has experienced a recent, sudden, and unforeseen hardship or loss of income as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Moonlighting.com – A leading freelance & work-from-home job site is offering free job searching and access to its business tools to help independent workers better manage jobs and gigs.
- A Better Balance – A free helpline (call or email) that offers answers to questions about the law for workers facing issues at work related to sick, family, or medical leave.
- New Mexico Caregiver Emergency Child Care Grants – Immediate grants to New Mexico’s caregivers and home care workers who have a young child/children (aged 0-12) in child care settings.
- One Fair Wage – Emergency Coronavirus Tipped & Service Worker Support Fund – Cash assistance to restaurant workers, care service drivers, deliver workers, personal service workers
- United Way of Western Connecticut ALICE Emergency Fund – Provides fresh produce for individuals & families living in the 15 cities/towns this United Way serves in Western Connecticut.
- Napa Valley Emergency Financial Assistance Program – Financial help for workers who live in Napa County, CA.
- One Louisville (KY) COVID-19 Response Fund – Household assistance for Jefferson County (KY) residents experiencing a loss of income due to COVID-19.
- *The Workers Fund – Help for gig and low-earning contract workers.
- Student Relief Fund – Resources for college students in need of support due to a COVID-19 campus shutdown (note: organization does not offer financial assistance)
- Humboldt Health Foundation Angel Fund – Small grants to meet immediate medical or health-related needs of individuals who are residents of Humboldt County, California.
- Young Nonprofit Professionals Network San Francisco Bay Area COVID-19 Relief Fund – Stipends for young nonprofit professionals in the Bay Area impacted by COVID-19.
- *One Family LA – Direct financial support for Los Angeles, CA, families most economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic
- National Domestic Workers Alliance Coronavirus Care Fund – $400 in emergency assistance for home care workers, nannies, and house cleaners who have participated in activities of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA), NDWA chapters, affiliate organizations, circles and current Alia users.
- San Diego County Refugee Families Emergency Fund – Small, one-time grants to help refugee workers in the San Diego, CA, area.
- Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund – Emergency funding for those employed by or own restaurants or bars that are facing unforeseen expenses not covered by insurance.
- Sacred Heart Community Service Financial Assistance for Low-Income Residents of Santa Clara County (CA) – Fund is no longer accepting applications but you can add your name to an “interest list” if you meet the eligibility requirements.
- HealthWell Foundation COVID-19 Ancillary Costs – Assistance for households that have a positive diagnosis for COVID-19 and have costs associated with delivered food, medication, diagnostics, transportation.
- Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning & the Finger Lakes (NY) COVID-19 Micro Grants for Individuals – Up to $250 per individual for creative community service projects in Elmira-Corning & the Finger Lakes region of New York state.
- Hebrew Free Loan Society Coronavirus Financial Impact Loan (for NYC five boroughs) – Loans to support individuals with financial challenges caused by the coronavirus outbreak.
- Apron Inc. Emergency Fund for Restaurant Workers – Grants of up to $500 each for restaurant workers for all currently employed persons (at least 6 months) who work in locally owned independent food service businesses.
- American Kidney Foundation Coronavirus Emergency Fund – Small grants for kidney patients affected by coronavirus (NOTE: funds have been depleted & there is a waiting list).
- Free Speech Coalition Emergency Fund – Provides grants for eligible talent and crew of working in the adult film industry.
- Another Round, Another Rally Emergency Assistance – $500 relief grants for workers in the hospitality industry (dishwashers, bartenders, servers, bussers, chefs/cooks, sommelier, managers, hosts, concierge, cleaning staff, or barbacks may apply).
- UndocuFund for Disaster Relief in Sonoma County, CA – Help for undocumented individuals & families residing in Sonoma County, CA, who have lost homes, wages, or employment
- 805 UndocuFund – Fund to assist immigrant families in Ventura & Santa Barbara County, California.
- Betancourt Macias Family Scholarship Foundation for Undocumented Families – Funds to support undocumented families and individuals impacted by coronavirus.
- Oakland (CA) Undocumented Relief Fund – A relief fund set up for undocumented workers who live or work in Oakland, California, and have lost their jobs or had their hours cut as a result of the Coronavirus and the shelter in place orders.
- Memphis (TN) Food Industry Worker Assistance – For service industry workers in Memphis, TN, impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Northern Virginia Family Services COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Program – Funds for eligible residents of Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax County, Fairfax/Falls Church, Loudoun County, Manassas, Manassas Park, or Prince William County, Virginia, that are experiencing hardship due to COVID-19.
- Cambridge Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Fund – Funds for those that live or work in Cambridge, MA, and have been impacted by COVID-19.
- Freelancers Relief Fund – Financial assistance of up to $1,000 per freelance household to cover lost income and essential expenses not covered by government relief programs.
- Together Las Cruces (New Mexico) – Grants to qualifying residents of Dona Ana county, New Mexico, that have been laid off or furloughed, or have experiences a significant loss of income as a result of the state’s executive order.
- Samuel Adams & the Greg Hill Foundation Restaurant Strong Fund – Grants for full-time (30 hours/week minimum) restaurant, bar, cafe, or nightclub workers located in AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IL, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT.
- SAG-AFTRA Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund – Emergency financial relief for SAG-AFTRA members.
FOR ARTISTS (ALL DISCIPLINES):
- COVID-19 Freelance Artists Resources – an aggregated list of FREE resources, opportunities, and financial relief options available to artists of all disciplines.
- Creative Capital Arts Resources During the COVID-19 Outbreak – an aggregated list of financial resources for artists working in all disciplines.
- New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) Emergency Grants – for artists in multiple disciplines and geographic regions.
- Dramatists Guild Foundation Emergency Grants – DGF provides emergency financial assistance to individual playwrights, composers, lyricists, and bookwriters in dire need of funds due to severe hardship or unexpected illness. DGF will be processing Emergency Grants based on severity of need, especially as it relates to Coronavirus (COVID-19).
- CERF+ COVID-19 Response Fund – A fund to support artists working in the craft discliplines.
- Artist Relief Tree – A crowdfunding campaign that allows artists to request funds (NOTE: the campaign already has more applications for funding than it can accommodate at this time)
- Americans for the Arts Coronavirus Resource & Response Center – Includes a list of funding/grants resources.
- Artist Relief Fund (Cambridge, MA – Cambridge Community Foundation) – One-time relief funds to arts organizations & artists who live, work, create, and/or perform in Cambridge, MA.
- Boston Artist Relief Fund – Grants of $500 & $1,000 to individual artists who live in Boston whose creative practices & incomes are being adversely impacted by COVID-19
- Taking Care COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund (theatreWashington) – Grants to Washington-area theater professionals who face financial hardship from immediate closings, postponed productions, and other lost wages.
- *Emergecy Grant Program (Musicians Foundation) – Eligible applicants receive up to $200.
- *The Record Co. Boston Music Maker Relief Fund – Small grants of up to $200 to provide financial relief to Boston area music makers experiencing lost income as the result of performance cancellations related to COVID-19.
- *Langston Seattle Artists Relief Fund – A fund aimed at helping those in the greater Seattle arts community who have been financially impacted by cancellations due to COVID-19.
- The Actors Fund Emergency Financial Assistance – Emergency financial assistance is available for people who are unable to pay their basic living expenses (food/housing/health care) over the next two months.
- Rauschenberg Emergency Grants Program – A new emergency grant program that will provide one-time grants of up to $5,000 for medical emergencies.
- American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) Relief Fund – Provides support and temporary financial assistance to members who are in need.
- Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund for Musicians – Relief for musicians who have lost income due to a cancelled gig as a result of the Coronavirus / Covid-19 outbreak.
- Foundation for Contemporary Arts COVID-19 Relief Fund Application – A temporary fund to meet the needs of experimental artists who have been impacted by the economic fallout from postponed or canceled performances and exhibitions.
- MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund – Relief for lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or performances due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures.
- Sweet Relief COVID-19 Fund – Limited number of funds for musicians and music industry workers affected by the Coronavirus.
- Passim Emergency Artist Relief (PEAR) Fund – Grants for artists that have performed a show for Passim or taught at the School of Music in the last 10 years.
- New Music Solidarity Fund – Emergency funds to support freelance artists in the new/creative/improvised music community.
- The Arts Commission (Toledo, Ohio) Emergency Grants for Artists – Grants for individual artists and artist collectives with a residence or a creative studio within 25 miles of downtown Toledo, Ohio.
- Arts for Illinois Relief Fund – Unrestricted, one-time grants of $1,500 for eligible practicing artists in Illinois.
- San Francisco Arts & Artists Relief Fund – Grants of up to $2,000 for eligible artists in San Francisco, CA.
- Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund – Temporary financial assistance for members of the entertainment industry that have needs created or complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- City of Newark, NJ, Creative Catalyst Fund – Fellowships for artists residing in or that have a demonstrable creative practice in Newark, NJ.
FOR SMALL BUSINESSES:
- Small Business Administration Disaster Assistance Loans
- Amazon Neighborhood Small Business Relief Fund – Grants for businesses in Bellevue, WA, and the South Lake Union and Regrade neighborhoods of Seattle.
- Facebook Small Business Grants Program – Facebook is offering $100M in cash grants and ad credits for up to 30,000 eligible small businesses in over 30 countries where it operates.
- *Birmingham Strong Fund (Birmingham, AL) – will rapidly deploy resources to small businesses in Birmingham that are substantially affected by the Coronavirus.
- Small Business Administration (SBA) Disaster Loans (Washington, DC )
- Delaware Hospitality Emergency Loan Program (HELP) – No-interest loans of up to $10,000 per business/per month available to eligible businesses in the hospitality industry.
- Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund – Grants up to $10,000 for Maryland small businesses and nonprofits.
- San Francisco COVID-19 Small Business Resiliency Fund – Access of up to $10,000 for employee salaries & rent for eligible businesses in the San Francisco area.
- Los Angeles City Small Business Emergency Microloan Program – Loans ($5,000-$20,000) for eligible businesses in the Los Angeles area.
- Denver Small Business Emergency Relief – Cash grants of up to $7,500 to small businesses in Denver that have lost the ability to operate because of coronavirus.
- Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan COVID-19 – Loans of up to $50,000 available to small businesses in Florida experiencing economic damage as a result of COVID-19.
- Chicago Small Business Resiliency Fund – Loans to provide Chicago-area small businesses with emergency cash flow during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Michigan Small Business Relief Program – Grants & loans to small businesses affected by the coronavirus.
- NYC Employee Retention Grant Program – Grants of up to $27,000 to cover 40% of payroll costs over the course of 2 months; for small businesses or nonprofits with 1-4 employees that have lost 25% of revenue due to coronavirus.
- NYC Small Business Continuity Fund – Up to $75,000 in interest-free loans to NYC businesses that have experienced at least a 25% reduction in revenue due to coronavirus.
- Beaverton (Oregon) Emergency Business Assistance Programs – Businesses in Beaverton, Oregon, that were ordered to close as a result of government coronavirus guidelines can apply for $2,500 per month in rent or mortgage reimbursement while the city is in a declared state of emergency.
- Hillsboro (Oregon) Small Business Emergency Relief Program – Grants of $5,000 for businesses in Hillsboro, Oregon, to offset losses associated with the coronavirus.
- *Entrepreneur Fund (MN) Small Business Relief Fund – Direct grants to small business owners in northeast & central Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin.
- Grand Rapids (MN) Emergency Working Capital Loan Fund – Quick turnaround loads to Grand Rapid-based businesses impacted by COVID-19.
- Itasca (MN) Small Business Relief Fund – County-wide relief to small businesses in Itasca County, MN, impacted by COVID-19.
- Dream Maker Small Business Emergency Relief Fund – Funds to provide short-term gaps of small businesses in Jackson, Michigan.
- Small Business Continuity Loan Program (KY) – The loan program will provide zero-interest loans up to $25,000, with no payments for 12 months, for businesses with 10 full-time employees or fewer. *Applications open April 6*
- James Beard Foundation Relief Fund – (Applications suspended due to overwhelming response; Foundation will notify its audience if the application will be reopened.) Provides critical financial assistance to small, independent restaurants that, due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) national disaster, have an immediate need for funds to pay set operating expenses and keep from going out of business.
- SBA Paycheck Protection Program – An SBA loan that helps businesses keep their workforce employed during the COVID-19 crisis.
- Michigan Small Business Relief Program – Grants & loans for eligible small businesses in Michigan.
- PMBC COVID-19 Emergency Access & Retooling Grants – Grants for eligible Michigan businesses looking to retool and manufacture critical supplies.
- Tampa Bay Wave’s COVID19 Emergency Fund (FL) – Tampa Bay Wave will offer short-term zero interest microloans for quick cash infusions to Florida startups while they apply for and await state and federal funding.
INTERNATIONAL AID:
- *Community Foundation of Southeastern Alberta, Canada – Funds are being raised for nonprofit organizations in Alberta, Canada, impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- More coming soon – check back for resources
- Canada AFC COVID-19 Fund – Short-term emergency financial assistance for entertainment industry professionals working in TV and film, music, theatre, and dance.
- Fondation Des Artistes (Canada) – Supports professional artists from all disciplines, whether they work in the performing arts, theater, television, cinema, circus, music, dance or visual arts.
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