EMERGENCY GRANTS
Created in 1993 to further FCA’s mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who:

• Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding
• Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates

Emergency Grants is the only active, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate assistance of this kind to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad.

Each month, FCA receives an average of 95 Emergency Grant applications and makes approximately 12-15 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $2,500, and the average grant is now $1,600.

They recommend that artists review all of their eligibility guidelines and FAQs before applying. You may also complete their Eligibility Questionnaire, but please note that the questionnaire is not a substitute for a thorough review of program guidelines.

For information on current Emergency Grantees please follow FCA on Instagram and Facebook.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Applicants must be living in the United States or U.S. territories and have a U.S. Tax ID Number (SSN, EIN, ITIN, or other)
• Applicants must have committed performance or exhibition opportunities, and be able to provide specific dates at the time of application.
• Applicants must be individual artists, or an individual representing an artist collective, ensemble, or group. Curators, producers, workshop organizers, organizations, or arts presenters are not eligible to apply.
• Applicants may not reapply for a project for which they have previously been denied funding.
• If you have received an Emergency Grant or a Grants to Artists award from FCA, you must wait three years from the date of your past award before reapplying.
• To confirm that your application meets program guidelines, please review our Emergency Grants F.A.Q.s.

EMERGENCY GRANTS DO NOT SUPPORT

• Life-related emergencies such as food, rent, medical bills, childcare, and other basic necessities
• Reimbursement for expenses that you have already incurred
• Projects with no scheduled exhibition or performance dates
• Fees for participation in a residency program, or other educational and artistic development opportunities. Review their Emergency Grants F.A.Q.s for residency-related questions.
• Deposits and registration fees for participation in an exhibition, fair, or other presentation opportunity
• Projects taking place in commercial gallery spaces
• Youth or educational programming
• Requests to attend, present at, or organize professional training, workshops, lectures, symposiums, conferences, or competitions
• Students (high school, undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., doctoral candidates, and other students enrolled in any degree program at the time of application) are not eligible to apply
• Production of CDs, albums, or music videos

WHEN TO APPLY
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. To meet artists’ last-minute needs in a timely manner, FCA’s Emergency Grants panel meets monthly to review requests.

They recommend applying 6-8 weeks before your presentation date. They review applications received within a shorter timeline, but please keep in mind that you may not hear back from FCA until your project is underway.

You may not apply for a project that is more than eight weeks away, for a project that has already happened, or to request reimbursement for expenses you have already incurred.

Applicants should not request more funding than needed.

HOW TO APPLY
Emergency Grants applications are accepted through an online form.

Apply for an Emergency Grant

If you have difficulty with internet access, please call or email the Foundation for a hard-copy application.

PANEL PROCESS
FCA’s Emergency Grants panel is comprised of established practicing artists. All panelists have an active or former teaching practice and are familiar with emerging work and contemporary practices. Most panelists have also served on other peer review processes.

Panelists consider the urgent nature of each request, the opportunity for which the artist is applying for funding, the impact an Emergency Grant would have on the artist’s ability to carry out the project, the clarity of the written request, and the strength of the work samples submitted.

Panelists serve for two-year terms; to prevent lobbying by applicants we do not disclose panelists’ identities.

NOTIFICATION
Receipt of your application will be acknowledged via an automated email. Please be aware that communication from FCA may unintentionally go to your Spam folder.

Please do not contact FCA about the status of your application. All applicants will receive notification of the panel’s decision following the monthly panel meeting. Grant checks are mailed to awardees the same week.

FCA has a small Programs team that is responsible for reviewing all Emergency Grants requests. They appreciate applicants refraining from calling with phone inquiries.

https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/grants/emergency-grants