CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND INC
535 STONE CUTTERS WAY SUITE 202, MONTPELIER, VT 05602 www.cerfplus.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: CERF+ SERVES ARTISTS WHO WORK IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES BY PROVIDING A SAFETY NET TO SUPPORT STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE CAREERS. CERF+ CORE SERVICES ARE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, ADVOCACY, NETWORK BUILDING, AND EMERGENCY RELIEF. EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY RESOURCES, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, ARTISTS PREPAREDNESS CAMPAIGN, NATIONAL COALITION FOR ARTS PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND RESEARCH ON THE NEEDS AND STATUS OF WORKING ARTISTS.

CERF+ SERVES ARTISTS WHO WORK IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES BY PROVIDING A SAFETY NET TO SUPPORT STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE CAREERS. CERF+'S CORE SERVICES ARE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, ADVOCACY, NETWORK BUILDING AND EMERGENCY RELIEF.

IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, CERF+ FOCUSED ON FIVE MAIN GOALS: (1) RESPONDING NIMBLY AND QUICKLY TO NATURAL DISASTER RELATED REQUESTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND SCALING OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM (2) RESPONDING TO THE ECONOMIC FALLOUT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AND CREATING A SPECIAL RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM FOR ARTISTS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING DIRE FINANCIAL AND MEDICAL SITUATIONS RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC (3) ENHANCING AND EXPANDING OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND CAREER PROTECTION RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE; (4) EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF ARTISTS SERVED THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY RELIEF AND RESPONSE PROGRAM AND ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS; AND (5) SUSTAINING OUR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH ABOUT TRENDS WITHIN THE CRAFT FIELD. IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN PROGRAMS AND SERVICES, WE PLAYED A NATIONAL LEADERSHIP ROLE IN THE EMERGING MOVEMENT WITHIN THE ARTS SECTOR TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL SAFETY NET BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER DISASTERS FOR ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS. EMERGENCY RESPONSE CERF+ PROVIDES CRITICAL EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ARTISTS WORKING IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A RECENT, CAREER-THREATENING EMERGENCY. ONCE APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETED, GRANT DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND ON AVERAGE, WITHIN SEVEN DAYS. THIS YEAR, 138 ARTISTS RECEIVED DIRECT EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS. THESE ARTISTS WERE IMPACTED BY NATURAL DISASTERS, ILLNESS, INJURIES, STUDIO OR HOME FIRES, AND THEFT. RECEIVING A TOTAL OF 425,824 IN EMERGENCY AID (414,000 IN GRANTS) AND 11,824 WORTH OF GIFTS-IN-KIND (DONATIONS OF EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, BOOTH WAIVER FEES, ETC.), FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 425,824 IN AID. RESPONDING TO ARTISTS WHO SUFFERED LOSSES IN NATURAL DISASTERS LED OUR WORK THIS YEAR. 35% OF THE FY20 ASSISTANCE WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE MAJOR DISASTERS. OUR PERSONALIZED INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING AND REFERRALS HELPED 2,107 ARTISTS RESPOND TO THEIR EMERGENCY IN A TIME OF CRISIS. 35% OF THIS PERSONALIZED ASSISTANCE WAS IN RESPONSE TO NATURAL DISASTERS - PRIMARILY HURRICANE BARRY, SALLY, AND MARIA, TROPICAL STORMS IMELDA AND ISAIS, SOUTHERN TORNADOES, EARTHQUAKES IN PUERTO RICO, AND WILDFIRES IN THE WEST. COVID RELIEF - IN RESPONSE TO THE FINANCIAL EMERGENCIES THAT ARTISTS EXPERIENCED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, CERF+ INSTITUTED A NEW QUICK RELIEF 1,000 GRANT PROGRAM DESIGNED TO SERVE THOSE ARTISTS WORKING IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES FACING DIRE FINANCIAL SITUATIONS. THE REQUESTS FOR RELIEF WERE UNPRECEDENTED IN CERF+ HISTORY, RECEIVING MORE THAN 3,000 APPLICATIONS OVER THE COURSE OF THE TWO APPLICATION CYCLES. CERF+ FUNDED 585 GRANTS FOR A TOTAL OF 585,000 DISTRIBUTED TO ARTISTS ACROSS THE STATES AND US TERRITORIES. CERF+ IS PLANNING A THIRD APPLICATION CYCLE FOR THIS GRANT IN EARLY 2021 AND EXPECTS TO FUND AT LEAST 300 GRANTS. CERF+ PLACED SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON ENSURING THAT BLACK INDIGENOUS PEOPLE OF COLOR HAD ACCESS TO THIS RELIEF PROGRAM RESULTING IN 68% OF AWARDEES WERE BLACK, INDIGENOUS, PEOPLE OF COLOR AND 24% WERE FOLK/TRADITIONAL ARTISTS. IN 2020, CERF+ BECAME A FIELD ADVISOR TO ARTIST RELIEF, A NATIONAL INITIATIVE TO SUPPORT ARTISTS DURING THE COVID-19 CRISIS CREATED BY A COALITION OF NATIONAL ARTS GRANTMAKERS WHO CAME TOGETHER TO OFFER FINANCIAL AND INFORMATIONAL RESOURCES TO ARTISTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. AS A FIELD ADVISOR, CERF+ PROVIDED 250,000 IN FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE (THANKS TO A GIFT MADE TO CERF+ THROUGH AN ANONYMOUS DONOR), ADVICE AND REVIEW ASSISTANCE FOR THIS PROGRAM WHICH BEGAN DISTRIBUTING 100 5,000 DIRECT GRANTS TO ARTISTS IN APRIL OF 2020. AS OF DECEMBER 2020, 350 ARTISTS WORKING IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES HAD RECEIVED AN ARTIST RELIEF GRANT, WHICH TOTALED 1,750,000 IN DIRECT AID.

EDUCATION & TRAINING: TRAINING WORKSHOPS - MORE THAN 5,250 ARTISTS, ARTS PROFESSIONALS, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITY AGENCIES ATTENDED CERF+'S NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL WORKSHOPS AND PRESENTATIONS IN FY20. DURING THE PANDEMIC, THESE ACTIVITIES WERE CONDUCTED IN A NUMBER OF FORMATS, RANGING FROM LIGHTING RESOURCES ROUNDTABLES THROUGH PEER ORGANIZATIONS TO LONG-FORMAT PODCAST INTERVIEWS, TO CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS ON NAVIGATING EMERGENCIES DURING AN EMERGENCY. GROWING THE ARTISTS SAFETY NET - CERF+ SERVED ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE VERMONT ARTS & CULTURE DISASTER AND RESILIENCE NETWORK - A NETWORK OF ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE STATE COMMITTED TO DEEPENING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE WITHIN THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR. CERF+ SUPPORTED THE CREATION OF AN ONLINE HUB FOR THIS WORK BY CONTRIBUTING CONTENT TO STRENGTHEN RESILIENCE FOR INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS. CERF+ HAS ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A NATIONWIDE COHORT OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS CONVENED THROUGH THE TREMAINE FOUNDATION TO COORDINATE COVID-19 RESPONSE EFFORTS. CERF+ ALSO PARTICIPATES IN THE LIVING TRADITIONS NETWORK, A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURE BEARERS FOCUSED ON SHARING AND DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT FOLK & TRADITIONAL ARTISTS. CERF+ RESEARCH - CERF+ CONDUCTED A SURVEY FROM MARCH 20TH TO APRIL 3RD TO LEARN HOW THE PANDEMIC WAS AFFECTING STUDIO-BASED ARTISTS. FROM THE OVER 3,000 RESPONDENTS, KEY FINDINGS INCLUDED THE TOP IMPACTS WERE SHOW CANCELLATIONS (79.39%, LOSS OF DIRECT SALES (71.2%), AND LOSS OF REVENUE THROUGH GALLERY SALES (58.28%). IMMEDIATE LOSSES AVERAGED 6,440, WITH THREE MONTH LOSSES PROJECTED AT AN AVERAGE OF 17,444. THE MOST IMMEDIATE NEED CITED WAS INCOME, WITH OTHER NEEDS AND CONCERNS INCLUDING GETTING SET UP FOR AND/OR INCREASING ONLINE SALES, BEING ABLE TO PAY THEIR RENT OR MORTGAGE, AND BALANCING CONTINUING TO MAKE WORK WITH NEEDING TO CARE FOR CHILDREN SCHOOLING AT HOME. "GET READY" GRANTS - CERF+ CONDUCTED ITS FOURTH YEAR OF THE " GET READY " GRANT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE EFFORTS THAT WILL HELP ARTISTS WORKING IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES SAFEGUARD THEIR STUDIOS, PROTECT THEIR LIVELIHOODS AND PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES. FORTY-TWO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS RECEIVED GRANTS OF UP TO 500 (TOTALING 20,538) TOWARDS THE PURCHASE OF GOODS OR SERVICES. PROJECTS INCLUDED PURCHASING AND INSTALLING DUST COLLECTION AND VENTILATION SYSTEMS, IMPROVING DOCUMENTATION SYSTEMS AND SOFTWARE, HIRING ONLINE ARCHIVING SUPPORT, UPGRADING STUDIO INFRASTRUCTURE TO IMPROVE HURRICANE RESISTANCE, CREATING WATER-RESISTANT ARTWORK STORAGE SYSTEMS, ACQUISITION OF A SHOP CRANE TO REDUCE RISK OF SPINAL INJURY, AND ADDING SECURITY GATES. AS PART OF THE GRANT, ARTISTS SHARE WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED THROUGH VIDEOS, BLOGS, WORKSHOPS AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO INSPIRE OTHER ARTISTS TO UNDERTAKE THEIR OWN READINESS AND RESILIENCE PROJECTS. CERF+ ARTIST'S READINESS PROJECT - IN 2019, CERF+ RECEIVED A THREE YEAR GRANT FROM THE ANDREW W. MELLON FOUNDATION TO RESEARCH AND DEVELOP A PILOT PROJECT TO CREATE AND SUPPORT A NETWORK OF REGIONALLY- BASED ARTIST SERVING ORGANIZATIONS LOCATED IN DISASTER AND EMERGENCY PRONE AREAS, TO PROMOTE AND PROVIDE EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS EDUCATION AND RESOURCES TO ARTISTS. CERF+ SELECTED THREE PILOT SITE PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS, ARTIST TRUST IN SEATTLE, WA, THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE, BATON ROUGE, LA AND, SPRINGBOARD FOR THE ARTS, ST. PAUL, MN, AND WORKED WITH THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR 18 MONTH WORK PLANS. THE PILOT PROJECTS WERE OFFICALLY LAUNCHED IN EARLY 2020.

OUTREACH AND MARKETING: CERF+ MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ARTS BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE EMAIL ALERTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A DISASTER AND OTHER TIMELY AND RELEVANT COMMUNICATIONS. IN EARLY 2020, IN LIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC AND THE EVOLVING NATURE OF THE SITUATION, CERF+ TRANSITIONED FROM A MONTHLY E-NEWS MODEL TO A WEEKLY COMMUNICATION MODEL TO ENSURE THAT ARTISTS WERE GETTING UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION INCLUDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATION RESOURCES AND FEDERAL AND STATE ASSISTANCE PACKAGES. THOSE COMMUNICATIONS REACHED MORE THAN 34,000 RECIPIENTS AT ANY GIVEN TIME, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE FROM OUR MAILING LIST THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHICH WAS A LITTLE OVER 16,000. OUR INCREASED ONLINE SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT RESULTED IN 981 TWITTER FOLLOWERS; 3,900+ INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS AND 7,300+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS. CERF+ WEBSITE - WE CONTINUE TO UPDATE OUR WEBSITE WITH NEW CONTENT ON A WEEKLY AND MONTHLY BASIS. OUR SITE HAS BEEN THE GO-TO DESTINATION FOR ARTISTS SEEKING EMERGENCY RESOURCES. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, CERF+ GREATLY EXPANDED ITS OTHER RESOURCES PAGE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT GRANTS AND TRAININGS AND THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WERE OFFERING ARTISTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AS WELL AS PANDEMIC SAFETY INFORMATION,. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A "DISASTER PORTAL,"WHICH PROVIDES ALERTS, INFORMATION, AND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC DISASTERS WITH THE CLICK OF A LINK. OTHER ADDITIONS TO THE SITE INCLUDE NEW ARTIST INTERVIEWS AND STORIES AND NEW CONTENT RELATED TO OUR GET READY GRANT PROGRAM CREATED BY RECIPIENTS OF THOSE GRANTS. CERF+ ALSO UPDATED ITS EMERGENCY RELIEF INFORMATION PAGES ON ITS WEBSITE TO INCLUDE SPANISH TRANSLATIONS. IT IS LISTED ON MANY STATE, REGIONAL AND NATIONAL ARTS AGENCIES-AND ORGANIZATIONS' WEBSITES AND BLOGS WITH DISASTER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION. ADVOCACY - CERF+'S RESPONSE TO ARTISTS FACING THE CHALLENGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY COVID-19 INCLUDED OUR CONTINUED ACTIVE ROLE EDUCATING DECISION-MAKERS ABOUT THE NEEDS OF WORKING ARTISTS. IN COORDINATION WITH OTHER ARTS ADVOCATES SUCH AS AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS (AFTA), THE CULTURAL ADVOCACY GROUP (CAG) AS WELL AS ADVOCATES FOR SMALL BUSINESS AND SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS, CERF+ HELPED TO ENSURE THAT THE VARIOUS COVID-19 FOCUSED FEDERAL RELIEF PACKAGES AND RELATED RECOVERY EFFORTS ADDRESSED THE NEEDS OF WORKING ARTISTS AND OTHER SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS. IN ADDITION, CERF+ CONTINUED TO SEEK A REGULATORY CHANGE AT FEMA AND THE SBA TO ENABLE SELF-EMPLOYED WORKERS TO ACCESS OTHER NEEDS ASSISTANCE AFTER FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTERS AS W-2 EMPLOYEES ARE CURRENTLY ABLE TO DO. FINALLY, CERF+ BEGAN WORK ON A SERIES OF POLICIES, ENTITLED PUT CREATIVES WORKERS TO WORK, THAT WILL BE DIRECTED AT THE NEXT ADMINISTRATION IN JANUARY 2021. CERF+'S FOCUS IN THESE POLICIES WILL BE TO IMPROVE THE TREATMENT OF CREATIVE WORKERS AND BUSINESSES WITHIN THE FEDERAL DISASTER RESPONSE STRUCTURE FOR ALL DECLARED DISASTERS. NATIONAL COALITION FOR ARTS' PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (NCAPER)- CERF+ CONTINUES TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE AS A STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER OF NCAPER. THE WORK OF NCAPER THIS PAST YEAR HAS LARGELY FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS DURING THE PANDEMIC THROUGH TRAINGING, INFORMATION DISSEMENTION AND RESOURCE SHARING. HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE (HENTF) - CERF+'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE (HENTF), SPONSORED BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND FEMA, HAS WIDENED RECOGNITION FOR OUR SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE IN ARTISTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY.

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