Arts for Illinois Relief Fund
Collaborative funding to support Illinois artists impacted by COVID-19
The onset of COVID-19 devastated Illinois’ cultural community, as theatres, performance spaces, and arts organizations shuttered seemingly overnight.
Realizing the immediate and critical needs of the performing arts community in Illinois, Walder Foundation contributed to the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund, bringing financial assistance to artists and cultural organizations impacted by COVID-19. The Arts for Illinois Relief Fund is a public-private partnership between the City of Chicago, the State of Illinois, the broader philanthropic community, and grassroots donors. The Fund continues to accept donations from individuals, foundations, and public sources.
Since its launch on April 1, 2020, the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund has provided over $7 million in financial relief to 2,493 artists and 269 organizations around the state who were able to apply for one-time grants to help sustain them during the temporary shutdown.
Meg Leary, senior program director of Performing Arts at Walder Foundation, was part of a team of funders, artists, and administrators who came together to develop and operationalize this collective effort.
“While they are so important to the fabric of our community, many people working in the cultural sector live paycheck to paycheck with little savings, stringing many gigs together to make a living,” said Leary. “Our support of performing artists and organizations aims to sustain these careers and cultural groups so artists can continue to create and perform for the betterment of our communities.”
The impact of COVID-19 will have a long-term impact on the health of Illinois’ cultural industry and its economic role in the city of Chicago and the state. We are committed to responding to the urgent needs of our grantees, partners and Chicago communities during this challenging time.
Update December 2020: Funding for Performing Arts Venues
The City of Chicago launched the Performing Arts Venue Relief Program to help performing arts venues recover from significant revenue loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Previously, the Walder Foundation had committed funding to the Year of Chicago Music (YOCM), but because of the pandemic, many YOCM events moved online or were outright canceled. Funds for YOCM were reallocated to support the Performing Arts Venue Relief Program, making this the fourth round of grants directed from the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund.
Support is allocated through an equity lens that considers the history of disinvestment and the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on the South and West sides of Chicago. The program prioritized Low and Moderate Income (LMI) communities, and organizations that have not yet received grants through the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund.
Through a lottery system, the program awarded 100 for-profit and nonprofit Chicago-based performing arts venues with grants for at least $10,000.
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