Colorado Arts Relief Fund

The Colorado Arts Relief program is a funding initiative passed by the State of Colorado Legislature to support arts, cultural and entertainment artists, crew members and organizations suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic.

For Individuals

Grant awards are available up to $2500. To be eligible you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be an arts, cultural, and entertainment artist or crew member, defined as individuals who work full-time or part-time in the music, dance, visual arts, theater, motion picture, or television industry

  • Earn a significant portion of personal annual income (33% or more) through arts and culture activities

  • Must have been employed or been contracted to work as an arts, cultural, or entertainment artist or crew member prior to March 2020

  • Must have incurred a significant loss of income (33% or more based on 2019 annual income) as a direct result of the mandated closure of venues, galleries, or museums, or as a result of cancelled events and activities

  • Must be at least 18 years old

  • Must be a Colorado resident, as of March 15, 2020

Each narrative question in the online application allows for 350 words. You should prepare answers to the narrative questions in a word processing or notepad document, check the word count and then cut-and-paste into the online application. Narrative questions include:

  • INCOME AFFECTED. Describe how your income or expenses have been adversely affected as a result of closures related to

  • COVID-19. BARRIERS. Describe any additional financial responsibilities you have and/or barriers you have encountered to replacing lost personal income as a result of COVID-19.

For Businesses and Organizations

Grant awards are one-time flat amounts based on the size of the applicant’s cash operating revenue loss from 2019 to 2020. The grant amount is contingent upon available funds.

Colorado Arts Relief Fund grants are open to Colorado-based for-profit, nonprofit and government organizations or businesses involved in the music, theater, dance, visual arts or film industry. This includes but is not limited to independent music venues, nonprofit and for profit community theaters, galleries, art museums, performing arts venues and production companies that depend upon these types of venues. Additional eligibility requirements include:

  • Organizations and businesses must program live music, comedy, dance, theater, motion picture, visual arts or film/television as a primary driver of their business and operate under a business model that relies primarily on revenue generated through in-person programming, including ticket sales, admission fees, rental space, and in-person purchases. 50% of the business or organization’s revenue must be earned income generated through these in-person activities.

  • Must have been fully operational prior to March 15, 2020.

  • Organizations and businesses that are for-profit, nonprofit or government.

  • Applicants must be registered with the Colorado Secretary of State as a Colorado business and its primary business location must be in the state of Colorado.

  • To be eligible for a grant, an organization is required to show it is in “good standing” with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, including being current in annual corporate reports and charitable solicitation registration.

  • Must provide proof demonstrating loss of income and/or increased costs directly due to the COVID-19 pandemic through a document upload of Profit and Loss statements for 2019 and 2020.

Each narrative question in the online application allows for 350 words. You should prepare answers to the narrative questions in a word processing or notepad document, check the word count and then cut-and-paste into the online application. Narrative questions include:

  • ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION. Provide a brief description of your organization or business.

  • MISSION STATEMENT. Define your business or organization's mission or include a mission statement.

  • COMMUNITY. Define, in your own terms, the “community” that you are serving or strive to serve.

  • SIGNIFICANCE: Please describe the significance related to the artistic, cultural and or historic relevance of this business or organization to the local community and/or population that it serves.

  • INCLUSIVENESS. Discuss what diversity and inclusiveness mean to your organization or business. What are your organization's strengths and challenges concerning inclusiveness? How are you addressing the challenges?

All applications have a deadline of Friday, January 8, 2021 at 4pm MST. Learn more on the Colorado Creative Industries website and apply online.

ExpiredBriana HarrisCOVID-19