In an effort to help alleviate the COVID-19 related economic strain facing our community, we have organized a Mutual Aid Fund to support incubators of creativity in the Kansas City Region.
DIY, artist-run, and cooperative spaces have been particularly hard hit by the recent closures of large gatherings and events. Such venues exist in a grey area (often uninsured & unincorporated), making their access to financial safety nets limited, at best.
Our goal is to help grassroots arts & culture spaces make ends meet by offering emgergency relief grants of up to $500. Grants will be allocated on a rolling basis, April-June 2020, as funding allows (4/12/20 UPDATE).
More info: FAQ
This Mutual Aid Fund is made possible by the organizers and our fiscal sponsor, Allied Media Projects.
FAQ
Is there an application deadline?
THE APPLICATION FOR FUNDING IS NOW CLSOED (6/4/20 UPDATE)
The Prioirty Deadline for Applications is April 30th, 2020
Any application submitted after this date will be reviewed for eligiblity if funding allows (4/26/20 UPDATE).
The Final Deadline to submit an application is June 1st, 2020
Who can apply for this emergency aid grant?
Grassroots Arts & Culture spaces/venues struggling to make ends meet during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Examples of such spaces include (but are not limited to):
- Artist-run spaces/galleries
- Live/Work performance/exhibition venues
- DIY music venues
- DIY maker spaces
- Community-led dance centers
- Community-led media labs
- Community-led wellness spaces
The grant is unrestricted, meaning it can be used to pay for whatever is needed: rent, utilities, compensation for canceled events, basic supplies, etc.
What do you mean by ‘Grassroots’?
Grassroots as in: where things begin and shoot out from; Movement led by individuals or collectives (untrained or otherwise) with whatever resources are available to them. Grassroots entities often operate without state-sanctioned credentials such as an LLC or 501c3 non-profit status (though not always).
Some words you may hear used in place of this definition of grassroots include “DIY,” “Below Board,” “Underground,” “Artist-run,” “Volunteer Run,” “Collectively Owned & Operated”.
Grassroots spaces are typically non-commercial and rely on community support in the form of monetary donations and volunteer time to stay in operation.
What locations are eligible for this ‘Kansas City’ specific grant?
Any venue whose physical address includes the following designation:
- Kansas City, MO
- Kansas City, KS
- North Kansas City, MO
- Lawrence, KS (4/26/20 UPDATE)
How are applications reviewed?
In order to meet the changing needs of our community, we will now be allocating grants on a rolling basis, April-June, as funding allows. The sooner you apply, the sooner you may receive a grant (4/12/20 UPDATE).
Before any application is approved for financial relief, we will first evaluate your declaration of need. We have 2 levels of priority with which we will assess need:
Level - 1 : Spaces/venues operated by/for folks who have historically been disproportionately affected by economic inequality; BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of color), Immigrants, Disabled people, and LGBTQ+ identified individuals.
Level - 2 : All other Space/venues
Once we have determined your priority level, all applications within that level will be reviewed on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please keep in mind that there is no guarantee we can meet the funding requests made by all spaces/venues that apply.
How are these grants distributed?
Grants are distributed by our fiscal sponsor, Allied Media Projects (AMP). Payment can be made via check, electronic bank payment, or PayPal, whichever is preferred. Note: checks take 10+ business days to process.
Who is organizing this?
We are an ad-hoc group of artists who have been involved in DIY and artist-run spaces in Kansas City for many years. We have come together to meet the emergent needs of our peers and extended community:
- Caitlin Horsmon (STRAY CAT FILM CENTER)
- Jordan Carr (ODDITIES PRINTS)
- Kendell Harbin (RCMA)
- Megan Pobywajlo (ARCHIVE COLLECTIVE)
For answers to any questions not addressed here, please email contact@kcspacesfund.com