Foundation for Contemporary Art Accepting Applications for Emergency Grants

EMERGENCY GRANTS

In keeping with FCA’s mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, applicants must demonstrate that their artistic practice falls within this context. Created in 1993, Emergency Grants provides prompt funding for innovative visual and performing artists who:

• Have unanticipated, sudden 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. Grants range in amount from $200 to $2,000.

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

Eligibility requirements:

• Applicants must be living, working, and paying taxes in the United States.
• Applicants must have committed performance or exhibition opportunities, providing 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.
• 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.
• Successful applicants to the Emergency Grants program may not reapply for three years from the date of their past award.
• Similarly, Grants to Artists recipients may not apply for three years from the date of their award.
• Awardees may receive a maximum of two Emergency Grants during their lifetime.
• Applicants may not reapply for a project for which they have previously been denied.
• To confirm that your application meets program guidelines, please review our Emergency Grants F.A.Q.s.

The following are NOT within Emergency Grants’s scope of support:

• Life-related emergencies such as food, rent, medical bills, childcare, and other basic necessities
• Reimbursement for expenses already incurred
• Projects with no scheduled exhibition or performance dates
• Residencies that do not include a confirmed exhibition or performance opportunity.
• Youth or educational programming
• Requests to attend or organize professional training, workshops, lectures, symposiums, conferences, or competitions
• The production of CDs, albums, or music videos

When to Apply:

Emergency Grant applications are reviewed monthly by a volunteer committee of established artists. We recommend applying within 6-8 weeks of your performance or exhibition date. You should apply no sooner than 8 weeks prior to when funding is needed.

How to Apply:

Emergency Grants applications are only accepted through an online form. Apply for an Emergency Grant.

Notification:

Receipt of your application will be acknowledged via email. Please do not contact FCA about the status of your application. Applicants are notified of the Panel’s decision immediately following monthly Panel meetings. Grant checks are mailed to awardees the same day. Rejected applicants may not reapply for the same proposal or request.

DUE TO OUR SMALL STAFF AND THE OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF INCOMING REQUESTS, YOUR APPLICATION MUST FOLLOW THE GUIDELINES EXACTLY AS STATED ON THE APPLICATION FORM. NO PHONE INQUIRIES PLEASE. THANK YOU.

Emergency Grants are supported by generous grants from: The Amphion Foundation, Milton and Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation, The Aaron Copland Fund for Music, The Cowles Charitable Trust, New York City Council District 33/Council Member Stephen Levin, Mertz Gilmore Foundation, The Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation, The Donald & Shelley Rubin Foundation, Thanksgiving Fund, Trust for Mutual Understanding, and an anonymous donor. This program is also supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.