New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is proud to partner with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer a new emergency grant program called Rauschenberg Emergency Grants. This marks the first phase of a program that will be in the tradition of Change, Inc., a non-profit foundation established in 1970 by Robert Rauschenberg to assist professional artists of all disciplines in need of emergency medical aid.

The program will provide one-time grants of up to $5,000 for unexpected medical emergencies. The grants are available to visual and media artists and choreographers who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States, District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories. If you aren’t sure if your artistic discipline fits within these guidelines, please contact the grants administrator.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

- Open to visual and media artists and choreographers. If you aren’t sure if your artistic discipline fits within these guidelines, please contact [email protected].
- Open to artists who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents in the United States, District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories.
- Applicants must demonstrate current and ongoing activity in artistic discipline/s.
- Applicants cannot be enrolled in any degree-seeking program.

GUIDELINES:

- The fund provides one-time cash grants of up to $5,000 to cover expenses caused by one-time, unexpected medical emergencies. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to: hospital and doctor bills (including insurance co-pays), tests, physical/occupational therapy, prescription drugs specifically for the emergency medical condition, and emergency dental work.
- Grants cannot be used to cover expenses for non-emergency medical conditions, ongoing psychiatric treatment, regular dental check-ups or procedures, eyeglasses or standard vision care, elective surgery, non-medical expenses resulting from financial hardship, purchase of materials, loan repayment, purchase of insurance, and loss of property, even if the result of an emergency.
- Recipients can receive one grant from the Rauschenberg Emergency Grants program in their lifetime.
- Funds go directly to the artist, not a medical provider, vendor, or any individual on the grantee’s behalf. Grant awards are routinely paid by check. Grantees with a Chase account can request an electronic funds transfer (ETF). - Other grantees may receive an ETF and will be charged at $50 transaction fee, which cannot be paid by grant funds.
- Period covered: expenses from six months prior to applying and/or projected six months into the future can be requested.