Emergency Funding and Resources for the Creative Sector During COVID-19 Outbreak

​Finally, some good news: This morning the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced that 156 Iowa artists and 14 Iowa nonprofit arts organizations will receive grants in the wake of the Covid-19 outbreak. The first round of grants from the newly created Iowa Arts and Culture Emergency Relief Fund totaled $191,000.
 
And more good news: Round Two is now open. We’re accepting applications from Iowa arts nonprofits through next Friday, May 1. These grants range from $1,000 to $20,000, funded by $442,700 from the National Endowment for the Arts through the CARES Act.
 
Also, keep in mind:
 

• We've extended the deadline to June 1 to apply for our annual grants for arts, filmmaking, history and other cultural projects.

 

• Iowa Workforce Development continues to update its array of resources about unemployment and the Paycheck Protection Program.

 

• Congress approved an additional amount of CARES Act funding for small businesses and nonprofits through the Paycheck Protection Program and provided further clarification this week. The U.S. Small Business Administration and its Iowa chapter offer practical guidance for small businesses, as does the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and you can find further advice from your financial institutions.

 

• The information many of you have reported in the ongoing Americans for the Arts survey is already shaping public policy and relief efforts. For example, 255 Iowa arts nonprofits reported a total loss of $2.85 million in revenue as of April 7, a figure that has surely grown in the last few weeks. Please take a moment to take the survey, if you haven’t already, and spread the word.

 

• You can find more coronavirus-related resources for Iowa's creative entrepreneurs and cultural nonprofits on our website, including timely advice from the Association of Fundraising Professionals and a state-by-state list of community foundations that have recently set up relief funds.

 

• Even if you don't work in arts or culture, there are lots of ways to support Iowans who do. We discussed a few of them in a recent webinar with Bravo Greater Des Moines and the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

 
And I can’t say it enough: Don’t hesitate to contact our staff with any questions or concerns. We're here to help.
 
Take care,
 
Chris Kramer
Director