Save the Arts
TACA creates emergency relief fund for Dallas nonprofit arts organizations
Attention, all (small and mid-size) nonprofit Dallas arts organizations: TACA has some money for you.
The Arts Community Alliance has formed an emergency arts relief fund, "a resource to provide short-term immediate relief to Dallas County nonprofit arts organizations experiencing a loss in revenue or increased expenses due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19."
To date, the fund has a total of $350,000. Grants of up to $10,000 will be made available to eligible arts organizations in Dallas County in two waves, at the end of April and again at end of May. Of special note: Funding is not limited to 2020 TACA Arts General Operating Grant recipients.
"We are privileged to work alongside our amazing emergency fund partners who share our goal of supporting organizations that contribute to a vibrant arts and cultural community," says TACA executive director Terry D. Loftis. "We owe it to these organizations to provide assistance to them during this unprecedented time in history."
The special fund was established in collaboration with The Eugene McDermott Foundation, The Donna Wilhelm Family Fund, Hoblitzelle Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, Texas Instruments Foundation, the March Family Foundation, and the Embrey Family Foundation.
Eligible applicants must have an annual operating budget of less than $5 million and provide performing/visual arts programming for a live, public audience as a core part of their mission. The majority of an applicant's programming must take place in Dallas County.
Priority consideration will be given to current TACA-supported organizations, although all arts organizations that meet the applicant criteria will be considered. The application is available here.
"The entire Dallas arts community is reeling right now from the effects of the COVID virus," says Jennifer Scripps, director of the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. "Many of our relatively smaller groups add so much to the vibrancy of our city — they often train our emerging artists and arts professionals and experiment with new works. However, they do not have the resources — endowments or established large donor bases — to see them through this challenging time.
"Thankfully, TACA has been able to rapidly coalesce some of most stalwart Dallas arts donors to build this emergency fund to assist them. Long-term, shoring up these groups will be a tremendous help to shoring up the artistic diversity and vibrancy of our city."
