Emergency Relief
From the beginning, it was clear that COVID-19 would have a devastating impact on the arts and cultural sectors and that Arts Work Fund needed to pivot to provide unrestricted, immediate support to arts organizations as they grappled with the fallout. In short order, a robust collaborative was formed between Arts Work Fund, 3Arts, Arts Alliance Illinois, the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the local philanthropic community, and individual donors. Called the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, Arts Alliance Illinois administered the fund, 3Arts leveraged its expertise to make grants available to artists, and the Arts Work Fund focused on grants to nonprofit arts organizations.
An amazing team of 21 volunteer grant reviewers from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events and local foundation program officers collectively reviewed 687 applications in weekly batches from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020. Just under $3 million in unrestricted grants were ultimately awarded to 233 arts organizations across the state of Illinois during this period. About 50% of all grant dollars supported arts organizations led by, for, and about people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ people, and women.
View the Arts Organizations That Received Grants
We are grateful to the foundations that quickly provided the support and lent their time and expertise to launch this effort. They are Albert Pick, Jr. Fund, The Chicago Community Trust, City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust, Elizabeth Morse Genius Trust, Exelon, Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Leslie Hindman, Joyce Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Paul M Angell Foundation, Polk Bros. Foundation. Prince Charitable Trusts, The Richard Driehaus Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, Walder Foundation, and two anonymous foundations and many individual donors.
Arts Work Fund – Arts For Illinois Relief Fund
Report on COVID-19 Relief Grants to Arts Organizations
Round 1 & 2 (April 1 - June 1, 2020)
Summary Overview
Summary Overview |
All Applications |
All Grants |
Chicago Specifc |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
# |
% |
$ |
| Applications receiving a full review |
612 |
89% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Applications funded |
233 |
38% |
|
|
$2,898,000 |
186 |
80% |
$2,384,000 |
| Applications reviewed and declined |
332 |
54% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Applications rolled into Round 3 |
47 |
8% |
Round 3 – for arts organizations outside the seven-county Chicago region only |
Summary Detail of Applicants Receiving Full Review
By Artistic Discipline |
All Applications |
All Grants |
Chicago Specifc |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
# |
% |
$ |
| Dance |
48 |
8% |
29 |
12% |
$366,000 |
28 |
15% |
$358,000 |
| Digital / Media Art |
23 |
4% |
13 |
6% |
$132,000 |
12 |
6% |
$116,000 |
| Folk / Traditional Arts |
7 |
1% |
4 |
2% |
$50,000 |
3 |
2% |
$38,000 |
| Interdisciplinary |
200 |
33% |
54 |
23% |
$726,000 |
41 |
22% |
$590,000 |
| Literary |
9 |
1% |
2 |
1% |
$36,000 |
2 |
1% |
$36,000 |
| Museums - Art |
24 |
4% |
6 |
3% |
$98,000 |
3 |
2% |
$44,000 |
| Museums - Culturally Specific |
8 |
1% |
5 |
2% |
$84,000 |
5 |
3% |
$84,000 |
| Music |
106 |
17% |
39 |
17% |
$460,000 |
26 |
14% |
$340,000 |
| Opera |
5 |
1% |
4 |
2% |
$36,000 |
3 |
2% |
$28,000 |
| Theater |
133 |
22% |
56 |
24% |
$676,000 |
48 |
26% |
$584,000 |
| Visual Arts / Design |
49 |
8% |
21 |
9% |
$234,000 |
15 |
8% |
$166,000 |
By Diversity & Equity (summary) |
All Applications |
All Grants |
Chicago Specifc |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
# |
% |
$ |
| By, for, about people of color* |
116 |
19% |
95 |
41% |
$1,172,000 |
88 |
38% |
$1,096,000 |
| By, for, about people with disabilities |
3 |
0% |
7 |
3% |
$68,000 |
6 |
3% |
$60,000 |
| By, for, about LGBTQ people |
4 |
1% |
3 |
1% |
$40,000 |
2 |
1% |
$28,000 |
| By, for, about women** |
5 |
1% |
5 |
2% |
$40,000 |
5 |
2% |
$40,000 |
| Other (Outsider, Veterans, Incarcerated)*** |
2 |
0% |
2 |
1% |
$42,000 |
2 |
1% |
$42,000 |
**(women/ formerly incarcerated) Still Point Theatre Collective.
N/A*
***Intuit, Creativets, Storycatchers, Free Write, Nat Museum of Veteran Art.
|
*By, for, about people of color (in detail) |
All Applications |
All Grants |
Chicago Specifc |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
# |
% |
$ |
| African American or Black |
46 |
40% |
38 |
40% |
$500,000 |
36 |
41% |
$488,000 |
| American Indian or Alaskan Native |
3 |
3% |
2 |
2% |
$28,000 |
1 |
1% |
$12,000 |
| Arab or Middle Eastern |
3 |
3% |
2 |
2% |
$32,000 |
2 |
2% |
$32,000 |
| Asian or Asian American / Pacific Islander |
11 |
9% |
10 |
11% |
$116,000 |
8 |
9% |
$88,000 |
| Latinx |
23 |
20% |
22 |
23% |
$254,000 |
20 |
23% |
$234,000 |
| Multi-racial |
30 |
26% |
21 |
22% |
$242,000 |
21 |
24% |
$242,000 |
By Organization Budget Size |
All Applications |
All Grants |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
| Under $30,000 |
N/A* |
0% |
30 |
13% |
$120,000 |
| $30,000 - $100,000 |
210 |
34% |
45 |
19% |
$360,000 |
| $100,001 - $500,000 |
235 |
38% |
102 |
44% |
$1,220,000 |
| $500,001 - $800,000 |
54 |
9% |
17 |
7% |
$272,000 |
| $800,001 - $1.5 million |
53 |
9% |
24 |
10% |
$476,000 |
| Above $1.5 million |
60 |
10% |
15 |
6% |
$450,000 |
By Geography |
All Applications |
All Grants |
| # |
% |
# |
% |
$ |
| City of Chicago |
407 |
67% |
186 |
80% |
$2,356,000 |
| 7-county metro (not City of Chicago) |
135 |
19% |
28 |
12% |
$294,000 |
| Outside 7-county Chicago metro |
69 |
14% |
19 |
8% |
$248,000 |
Geography in Detail – By Chicago Neighborhood |
# of Grants Awarded |
% of Grants Awarded |
| Albany Park |
1 |
1% |
| Andersonville |
2 |
1% |
| Avalon Park |
1 |
1% |
| Avondale |
2 |
1% |
| Belmont Cragin |
1 |
1% |
| Belmont Gardens |
1 |
0% |
| Bridgeport |
4 |
2% |
| Bronzeville |
3 |
2% |
| Bucktown |
1 |
1% |
| Budlong Woods |
1 |
1% |
| Buena Park |
4 |
2% |
| Calumet Heights |
1 |
1% |
| Edgewater |
10 |
5% |
| Englewood |
3 |
2% |
| Fulton River District |
1 |
1% |
| Garfield Park |
1 |
1% |
| Gold Coast |
4 |
2% |
| Graceland West |
2 |
1% |
| Greater Grand Crossing |
1 |
1% |
| Hermosa |
4 |
2% |
| Horner Park |
1 |
1% |
| Humboldt Park |
2 |
1% |
| Hyde Park |
10 |
5% |
| Irving Park |
1 |
1% |
| Jackson Heights |
1 |
1% |
| Jefferson Park |
1 |
1% |
| Lakeview |
5 |
3% |
| Lakeview East |
2 |
1% |
| Lincoln Park |
5 |
3% |
| Lincoln Square |
1 |
1% |
| Little Italy |
1 |
1% |
| Little Village |
1 |
1% |
| Logan Square |
3 |
2% |
| Loop |
17 |
9% |
| Lower West Side |
1 |
1% |
| Margate Park |
1 |
1% |
| Mayfair |
1 |
1% |
| McKinley Park |
2 |
1% |
| Near North Side |
3 |
2% |
| Near South Side |
3 |
2% |
| Near West Side |
5 |
3% |
| North Center |
4 |
2% |
| O’Hare |
1 |
1% |
| Old Irving |
3 |
2% |
| Old Town |
3 |
2% |
| Peterson Park |
1 |
1% |
| Pilsen |
7 |
4% |
| Princeton Park |
1 |
1% |
| Pulaski Park |
1 |
1% |
| Pullman |
1 |
1% |
| Ranch Triangle |
1 |
1% |
| Ravenswood |
3 |
2% |
| Ravenswood Gardens |
1 |
1% |
| Ravenswood Manor |
1 |
1% |
| River North |
3 |
2% |
| River West |
4 |
2% |
| Rogers Park |
8 |
4% |
| Roscoe Village |
2 |
1% |
| South Loop |
3 |
2% |
| South Shore |
3 |
2% |
| Ukrainian Village |
4 |
2% |
| Uptown |
5 |
3% |
| West Edgewater |
1 |
1% |
| West Loop |
2 |
1% |
| West Town |
2 |
1% |
| Wicker Park |
5 |
3% |
| Woodlawn |
1 |
1% |
Geography in Detail – By Chicago Ward |
# of Grants Awarded |
% of Grants Awarded |
| Ward 1 |
8 |
4% |
| Ward 2 |
10 |
5% |
| Ward 3 |
6 |
3% |
| Ward 4 |
9 |
5% |
| Ward 5 |
8 |
4% |
| Ward 6 |
2 |
1% |
| Ward 7 |
3 |
2% |
| Ward 8 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 9 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 11 |
8 |
4% |
| Ward 12 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 11 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 12 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 15 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 20 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 21 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 22 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 24 |
2 |
1% |
| Ward 25 |
3 |
2% |
| Ward 26 |
4 |
2% |
| Ward 27 |
11 |
6% |
| Ward 28 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 30 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 31 |
3 |
2% |
| Ward 32 |
9 |
5% |
| Ward 33 |
4 |
2% |
| Ward 35 |
4 |
2% |
| Ward 36 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 38 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 39 |
5 |
3% |
| Ward 40 |
6 |
3% |
| Ward 41 |
1 |
1% |
| Ward 42 |
17 |
9% |
| Ward 43 |
7 |
4% |
| Ward 45 |
3 |
2% |
| Ward 46 |
8 |
4% |
| Ward 47 |
11 |
6% |
| Ward 48 |
14 |
8% |
| Ward 49 |
7 |
4% |
Geography in Detail - Counties |
All Applications |
All Grants |
|
# |
% |
# |
% |
| Adams |
6 |
3% |
1 |
0% |
| Bureau |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
| Carrol |
2 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Champaign |
2 |
1% |
2 |
1% |
| Cook (not Chicago) |
110 |
47% |
16 |
7% |
| DeKalb |
4 |
2% |
1 |
0% |
| Dixon |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| DuPage |
25 |
11% |
5 |
0% |
| Effingham |
2 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Jo Davies |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
| Jackson |
2 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Jefferson |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Kane |
16 |
7% |
2 |
1% |
| Kankakee |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Kendall |
3 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Knox |
4 |
2% |
3 |
1% |
| Lake |
16 |
7% |
0 |
0% |
| LaSalle |
2 |
1% |
1 |
0% |
| Lee |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
| Macoupin |
2 |
1% |
2 |
1% |
| Mac
| 1 |
0% |
0 | |
| Madison |
3 |
1% |
1 |
0% |
| Marion |
2 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| McHenry |
10 |
4% |
0 |
0% |
| McLean |
8 |
3% |
2 |
1% |
| Monmouth |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Montgomery |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Morgan |
2 |
1% |
1 |
0% |
| Outside IL |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Peoria |
7 |
3% |
2 |
1% |
| Rock Island |
6 |
3% |
0 |
0% |
| Rockford |
5 |
2% |
0 |
0% |
| Sangamon |
9 |
4% |
0 |
0% |
| Schuyler |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
| St Clair |
3 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Stephenson |
1 |
0% |
1 |
0% |
| Tazewell |
4 |
2% |
0 |
0% |
| Vermilion |
3 |
1% |
0 |
0% |
| Warren |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
| Whiteside |
2 |
1% |
1 |
0% |
| Will |
2 |
1% |
1 |
0% |
| Winnebago |
6 |
3% |
0 |
0% |
| Woodford |
1 |
0% |
0 |
0% |
Visit the AWF Emergency Relief Archive
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