JAZZ ROAD: Quick Assist Fund - apply now

[Dr. Nelson Harrison]

Application

UPDATE: April 13, 2020, 1:06 p.m. ET. Please be aware that our grant service provider is experiencing some technical difficulties. If you are unable to access or complete your application at this time, we apologize for the inconvenience. Please wait a few minutes and try again. We are working with our service provider to help them resolve this issue. Thank you for your patience.

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The Jazz Road Quick Assist Fund is a new, temporary emergency relief fund for jazz artists around the country who have lost work due to the COVID-19 pandemic and response. Through this fund, we are offering a limited number of $1,000 grants to artists whose tours and gigs in March, April, or May 2020 have been cancelled.

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Dates and Deadlines

Application Opens: Monday, April 13, 2020
Application Deadline: The process will close when funds are depleted; artists are encouraged to submit as soon as possible.
Grant Notification: Beginning Monday, April 27, 2020
Award Payments Distributed: Beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2020

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Program Description

As the world responds to the COVID-19 pandemic, performing artists were among some of the first and hardest hit. In response, Jazz Road Quick Assist Funds are available to freelance jazz musicians who have lost work throughout March, April, and May 2020. A limited number of $1,000 grants will be distributed to jazz musicians across the country to offset significant lost gig revenue.

In the interest of privacy to those who have lost income, the Jazz Road team will not publicly publish a list of recipients from this fund. We will allow the recipients to choose, at their discretion, to announce their status.

Award Amount: $1,000

Note: Grant funds are taxable. Grantees must comply with all applicable city, state, and federal laws when reporting grant income.

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Eligibility

Jazz Road recognizes the aesthetic range of jazz music and its genres, and will not attempt to define “jazz” in the guidelines.

Only individual artists (as an individual, an artist-led nonprofit organization, or an artist-led corporation) may apply to this program. An eligible artist is:

• A professional jazz artist;
• Age 18 or over and not currently a full-time student;
• A musician who relies on performing as a significant source of income;
• A musician who has had significant losses of income due to COVID-19 pandemic response and cancellations beginning in March 2020;
• Based in the U.S. or its territories, and is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

Previous recipients of Jazz Road Tours grants are eligible to apply for this Quick Assist Fund.

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Review Criteria

Applications will be reviewed in the order in which they are received. Highest priority will go to the artists who have faced the most significant, damaging losses due to COVID-19 pandemic response cancellations.

The final grant pool, however, will reflect Jazz Road goals such as diversity and intersectionality in multiple areas including geographic, gender, race/ethnicity, age, disability, etc., as well as reach artists located in more rural, isolated areas. There will also be a priority to support artists who represent the African-American community as well as those who identify as women.

Demographic questions will be asked as part of the application process; while these questions are optional for all applicants, choosing to not answer them may impact our ability to prioritize your request.

Note: Even if you do not find yourself in one or more of these priorities — or perhaps especially if you do not find yourself in these priorities — please consider either sharing this opportunity with your colleagues who might be a priority or assisting them with an application. The Jazz Road team views this pandemic as an opportunity to offer the most assistance to those who are the most impacted, and we thank you for any help you can offer your colleagues.

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Application Requirements

• Proof that applicant is a professional jazz artist (links to website or a biography)
• Proof of significant lost revenue (in excess of $1,000)
  • For musicians who rely on cash tips or otherwise unprovable income, a signed note explaining your situation will suffice

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Application

To begin or continue an application in-progress, please visit our application portal.

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About

Jazz Road is led by South Arts in partnership with the five other U.S. Regional Arts Organizations (Arts Midwest, Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Western Arts Alliance/Western States Arts Federation. Regional Arts Organizations represent geographical groupings of states who partner with the National Endowment for the Arts, State Arts Agencies, and others to develop and deliver programs, services, and products that support and advance the arts. Jazz Road represents the first long-term formal collaboration including all six RAOs. This program is funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional support from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The Jazz Road Quick Assist fund launches with generous gifts totaling $445,000 in funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew. W. Mellon Foundation.