New England Musicians Relief Fund is dedicated to fostering long-term security for professional musicians in New England by providing financial assistance and critical resources as a safety net for musicians experiencing unexpected or catastrophic income loss.
The global pandemic created acute financial distress for the thousands of freelance musicians who make their living playing music in New England. Due to the “gig” nature of freelance work, when the halls went dark on March 13, 2020, freelancers were left—overnight—with no regular income, few benefits, and for many, no qualified unemployment insurance, even under the emergency CARES Act. NEMRF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit philanthropy founded in 2020 in response to the needs laid bare by the Covid-19 shutdown of the music industry to create a safety net that will serve the professional musician community in New England for years and decades to come.
Please print, fill out, and email your completed application and supplementary materials to us at relief@nemrf.org with the subject “NEMRF application”
New England Musicians Pandemic Relief Fund Eligibility Requirements:
- You must reside or be professionally active primarily in one or more of the six contiguous New England states.
- At least 50% of your income must have come from employment as a performing musician and/or music teacher in at least three calendar years since 2017.
- You are experiencing extraordinary financial hardship due to recent circumstances.
- If you are not sure you qualify by these measures, please do apply anyway. Other factors may be considered.
Required Documentation (Applications will not be processed without this information):
- Completed Basic Application, Career History Section, and description and documentation of the extraordinary circumstances causing financial hardship.
- Financial Statement (below). Financial information will be reviewed separately from the rest of the application and without your name attached.
- Proof of Music Industry Employment. Examples can include: roster lists from concert programs or performing organization websites, resume with contact information for employers, proof of AFM union membership, online biography, discography, etc. If applicable, proof of school enrollment.
- Follow-up documentation may be requested.
When scanning documents, we strongly recommend using one of the many excellent available scanning apps, such as Adobe Scan, CamScanner, or Genius Scan.
A demographic survey is also included, which will help us with tracking, reporting, and self-evaluating our commitment to equity and inclusion. It is not required, and your answers if you choose to respond are not reviewed or considered in the approval process.