TACA Distributes About $450,000 in Grants for Short-term Relief
TACA – The Arts Community Alliance – announced in its second cycle of grants it has distributed $148,500 from the TACA Emergency Arts Relief Fund. The funds which were established in March, are to provide financial relief to Dallas County nonprofit art organizations due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Recipients from both cycles of distribution were chosen by board members, donors, and community art leaders. These committee members include: Kymberlaine Banks, Matrice Ellis-Kirk, Tara Lewis, Carol March, Jim Nugent, and Andy Smith.
In total, TACA has granted over $450,000 between the two cycles and has raised over $600,000 for its Emergency Arts Relief Fund. With the balance of funds, TACA is identifying ways they can offer assistance in the months to come.
“Our original goal was to raise $150,000, and to date, we’ve generated $605,800 thanks to institutional foundations, family foundations and individuals who share our passion for supporting the vitality of the arts during this critical time. We know the arts community will need critical support in the coming months, so we are reserving the balance of funds as we identify ways TACA can provide assistance,” said Terry D. Loftis, Carlson President and Executive Director of TACA.
“When we learned COVID-19 was upon us, our team worked swiftly to establish a responsive, need-based fund to support the local arts sector,” added TACA’s Deputy Director of Programs and Marketing Maura Sheffler. “For TACA, establishing a special fund was a departure from our 50-year history of merit-based grantmaking, but of critical importance during this unprecedented crisis. We’ll continue to support the arts community as we navigate the months ahead of us.”
A full list of grantees for both funding cycles may be accessed on the TACA website at https://taca-arts.org/emergency-arts-relief-fund/.
