Storyteller Relief Fund
What type of expenses can be reimbursed? This fund aims to offer financial relief as well as further support with resource guidance. The fund is limited, and is designed to offer relief ranging from $100 to $300, according to need. The funds granted are to cover immediate, urgent survival expenses, including: -Groceries -Medications and medical bills -Utility bills -Rent Businesses expenses to replace, re-establish, and/or sustain an existing storytelling business. Funding will NOT be granted to cover: -Education expenses, such as college fees, workshop fees, or training courses. -Business expansion expenses.
What are the qualifications? Applicants should have a permanent residence in the United States, District of Columbia, or a U.S. Territory. Applicants must be able to demonstrate past, current, and ongoing activity in the storytelling profession. To cut down on paperwork, applicants will not have to supply documentation to support this, but may be contacted by phone or email for verification. Applicants must fill out all of the requested information in the application.
How are the funds approved and disbursed? Applications will be reviewed by the Storyteller Relief Fund Committee, which is composed of a diverse cross-section of the storytelling community. The Committee will use its discretion to determine which applications can be funded based on urgency and availability of funds. We know we cannot help everyone to the extent that help is needed. Applicants will be directed to additional resources as needed and available. Upon approval, the committee will notify the ASST Treasurer. ASST will disburse the funds to the applicant either by check or payment via PayPal.
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The storytelling community has been dealt a hard blow by the COVID-19 pandemic. If not affected by the illness itself, many in our community have been hard hit by the economic consequences of this virus. While this pandemic’s reach has been wide and demanding of attention, we realize that there are many times when storytellers need relief. The Storyteller Relief Fund is established as an ongoing fund to extend relief to storytellers with urgent financial needs due to any national, regional, local, or personal emergency, disaster, or loss.
The Storyteller Relief Fund, administered by Artists Standing Strong Together (ASST), receives donations and disburses funds to help storytellers in urgent need of funds from the cancellation of storytelling programs due to any major disaster or emergency. If you are a storyteller and have experienced a loss of income from your storytelling business due to any national or local or personal disaster, please read the guidelines below and submit your application.
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There is no deadline. Applications will be reviewed and funds will be released on a rolling basis after each regularly scheduled Storyteller Relief Committee application review meeting.
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(UPDATED NOVEMBER 18, 2020)
Questions in regard to the guidelines and application process can be directed to:
Storyteller Relief Fund Committee Chair
Nicolette Nordin Heavey
ASST, and by extension the Storyteller Relief Fund Committee, does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, staff selection, committee selection, and provision of services and funding.
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