The Orange County Arts Support Fund strives to support local artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. This is a money-in, money-out fund. The ArtsCenter in Carrboro is serving as our fiscal agent for this initiative, meaning all payments will be issued by them via personal check. However, please note this is not a fundraising effort by or for The ArtsCenter.
Please click here to to make a contribution.
The fifth round of grants is now open.
The deadline to apply is Monday, May 31, 2021 by 11:59pm.
INDIVIDUALS
The Orange County Arts Support Fund strives to support local artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The application deadline for this round of grants is Monday, May 31, 2021, at 11:59PM.
THIS APPLICATION AND LIST OF GRANTEES IS CONFIDENTIAL. Applications will be viewed only by Orange County Arts Commission (OCAC) staff and the funding panel, comprised of OCAC Advisory Board members. A final list of grantees will be provided to the NC Arts Council, who has contributed funding to this relief fund. Grantees may be asked to offer a testimonial of support to help us raise additional funding, but are in no way required to do so.
This is a money-in, money-out fund. The average amount of past grants for individuals has been $600, but this is subject to increase or decrease depending on the funds available and the applicant pool. The ArtsCenter in Carrboro is serving as our fiscal agent for this initiative, meaning all payments will be issued by them via personal check. However, please note this is not a fundraising effort by or for The ArtsCenter.
ELIGIBLE EXPENSES
The primary purpose of this fund is to provide money for life’s essentials and continued creative development for individuals whose livelihoods have been drastically impacted by COVID-19. With limited funds, we ask that applicants carefully consider their financial circumstances before applying to determine if these funds are absolutely essential. If you have other sources of income and are making ends meet, then we ask that you please allow this fund to help those who are not so fortunate.
This grant may be used for essential expenses such as groceries, rent/mortgage, bill payments, and healthcare, as well as the purchase of essential supplies or services that are critical to your creative work. This grant is not intended to be used for travel, unrelated business expenses, or the purchase of items not related to your creative work or life-sustaining essential expenses.
ELIGIBILITY FOR FUNDING
In order to be eligible to apply for our grants, you must meet one requirement in each of the three categories: Residency, Profession, and Financial Hardship. These requirements allow us to prioritize individuals who live and/or work in Orange County and do not have other sources of emergency funding. You must also have the ability to receive and cash a personal check.
1. Residency
You are a full-time resident of Orange County, NC (this means “home base” is Orange County, other than time spent touring, etc…)
OR
You are an employee of an Orange County-based nonprofit arts organization who has been laid off or furloughed or experienced a significant reduction of hours
OR
You are a freelance or contracted arts industry worker who has lost contracts/gigs in Orange County, NC, and are a resident of a county that does not currently have an arts relief fund. (Durham, Wake, and Chatham Counties currently have relief funds for their resident-artists)
2. Profession
You are a professional artist or arts industry worker whose primary source of income is through your creative work
OR
You are an employee of an Orange County-based nonprofit arts organization or arts-related business who has been laid off or furloughed or experienced a significant reduction of hours
3. Financial Hardship
You have experienced a drastic decrease (30% or more) in your total household income as a result of COVID-19 (this could be from other income sources other than your art). The OCAC reserves the right to request validation of income for all grant recipients.
4. You can receive and cash a personal check
ORGANIZATIONS
The Orange County Arts Support Fund strives to support local artists, arts industry workers, and arts organizations facing financial hardship due to COVID-19. The application deadline for this round of grants is Monday, May 31, 2021, at 11:59PM.
This is a money-in, money-out fund. The amount we can provide is based on donations received, so please help us spread the word about this fund. Organizations can use funds for operations or programming expenses, with the exception of fundraising expenses.
Eligibility for funding:
You must be an Orange County, NC-based nonprofit organization with an arts or cultural-based mission
OR
You must be an Orange County, NC-based unincorporated group of artists with an arts or cultural-based mission
AND
You must have been in operation prior to February 1, 2020.
AND
You must be able to demonstrate a loss of earned revenue of 30% or more as a result of of the pandemic.
