Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants

The Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants program is a targeted emergency support initiative developed to provide timely financial relief to professional dancers experiencing severe and unforeseen financial hardship. Administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) and funded through the support of the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, this program reflects Robert Rauschenberg’s long-standing commitment to assisting artists in times of critical need. Rauschenberg’s legacy of philanthropy began with the creation of Change, Inc. in 1970, a nonprofit established to support fellow artists, and continues through this and related programs that respond to the contemporary challenges facing artistic communities. The program offers one-time emergency grants of up to $3,000 to professional dancers across the United States, including those in U.S. territories, Tribal Nations, and the District of Columbia. These grants are specifically intended to alleviate urgent financial pressures that threaten basic necessities such as housing, food, utilities, healthcare, and transportation. Dancers who have recently lost paid performance opportunities or experienced income interruptions due to illness, injury, or external disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply. The funding is designed to help applicants stabilize their lives by covering essential costs for a period of up to three months. Grants are awarded through a competitive, two-step review process. Applications are first screened for eligibility and completeness by NYFA staff. Those deemed eligible are then assessed by an external panel based on economic urgency. The top-scoring application is automatically funded, while a randomized lottery is used to select additional recipients from the highest-scoring tier. Approximately $65,000 is distributed in each cycle, underscoring the program’s limited capacity relative to the volume of applicants. Importantly, applying does not guarantee funding due to the high demand and limited resources. To apply, eligible dancers must complete an online application via the Submittable platform. Required materials include a resume documenting at least five years of professional live performance experience, an income summary, an emergency situation narrative, a list of requested expenses, and a statement outlining steps toward future stability. Eligible expenses include rent, utilities, healthcare costs, and transportation, while ineligible expenses include mortgage payments, family member expenses, or debt repayment. All costs must be individual and incurred within the United States. Eligibility criteria span three main areas: individual, artistic, and emergency need. Applicants must be 21 or older, reside in a qualifying U.S. jurisdiction, and demonstrate income below the threshold of $80,000 (individual) or $160,000 (joint). Additionally, applicants must not be currently enrolled in a degree program or have received a prior Rauschenberg Emergency Grant within the last five years. Artistically, applicants must have been working as paid, live performance dancers for at least five years, with sustained activity since 2020, excluding work in non-public, online-only, or commercial settings. Emergency need is defined as a recent (within six months) financial crisis directly resulting from loss of paid dance engagements. Applications for Cycle 22 opened on January 6, 2026, and will close on February 10, 2026. Subsequent rounds will continue bimonthly, with Cycle 23 opening on March 3 and Cycle 24 on April 21. Notifications for Cycle 22 will be issued by March 20, 2026. Additional cycles are expected to continue through at least June 2026. For questions or accessibility accommodations, applicants can contact Mollie Quinlan-Hayes at NYFA by email or phone. The grant prioritizes accessibility and encourages applications from dancers of all backgrounds, especially those underrepresented in the arts sector.

Clearly demonstrate financial urgency; follow guidelines strictly; highlight public live performance since 2020.