News
RAMPCLT Offers COVID-19 Relief from Rent and Utilities
March 8, 2021 - Charlotte creatives, the information may help you — or someone you know — get relief from rent and utilities.
𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗖𝗟𝗧 Help Through RAMPCLT
The City of Charlotte and The Housing Partnership (which officially changed its name to DreamKey Partners) are working together to manage RAMPCLT, a program offering rent, utility and mortgage relief.
Applications Open Until 3/15
Applications for rent and utilities assistance are now through Monday, March 15 at 5 p.m. Now is the time to get your paperwork and plans in order.
Info Session for Creatives on 3/3
To help creatives gather the needed paperwork to apply for RAMPCLT, the ASC hosted an information session about the www.RAMPCLT.com application and how creatives can document income loss and need.
To watch a recording of the session, CLICK HERE. Access Passcode: ?*D%bck9
Important Update to the Session
Erin Barbee, Senior Vice President at DreamKey Partners, shared a new update: “We can now pay forward for up to 3 months for people that do not have arrears but, they have been impacted by COVID-19. The Treasury put this in place so we have an avenue to help our homeless or temporarily housed neighbors who take on a new lease to be eligible.”
Thank you each for your perseverance during these difficult days. We are grateful for the creative spark you share, and will continue to advocate for support for all creatives in our community.
$6 Million in Funding Aids Local Cultural Nonprofits and Individual Creatives Suffering Economic Effects of COVID-19
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – More than 50 arts and cultural organizations and 123 individual creatives who have experienced financial hardship related to the impact of COVID-19 are getting some relief through $5 million in CARES funding provided by the City of Charlotte ($4 million) and Mecklenburg County ($1 million) along with private support from the THRIVE Fund for the Arts at Foundation For The Carolinas.
Each funder established specific requirements for their portion of funding. The funds will help organizations retain employees and bolster the artistic community to help the region’s long-term economic growth.
“Creative individuals and cultural organizations in Charlotte-Mecklenburg have experienced devastating financial losses during this pandemic,” said ASC President Jeep Bryant. “Their direct revenue losses are nearly $30 million, and the impact on our economy is even greater. We are grateful to the City of Charlotte, Mecklenburg County and THRIVE for investing in the cultural sector during this critical time, supporting eligible individuals and organizations in every city and county district.”
The grantmaking process was administered through two distinct funding mechanisms: Foundation For The Carolinas, in partnership with the THRIVE Fund, and the Arts, Culture & Creativity Fund with the Arts & Science Council (ASC), Charlotte Is Creative and Hue House.
Foundation For The Carolinas, in partnership with the THRIVE Fund, distributed $4.8 million to 13 eligible large arts, science and history organizations with budgets more than $1 million. Recipients range from Children’s Theatre of Charlotte and Carolina Raptor Center to the Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture and Charlotte Ballet.
ASC – with planning and promotional support from Charlotte Is Creative and Hue House – distributed $1.2 million through the Arts, Culture & Creativity Fund to 123 eligible creative individuals and 38 eligible small to mid-size cultural nonprofits with budgets less than $1 million. Recipients range from creative individuals such as poet and storyteller Hannah Hasan and musician Thomas Billotto to Festival in the Park and Carolinas Latin Dance Company. To ensure all eligible applications were supported, ASC contributed $16,655 towards the Fund.
Of the individual artists, 35% identified as African American/Black, 11% Hispanic/Latinx, 9% Multiracial, 2% Native American/Alaska Native and 2% Asian.
"Establishing this fund provided an important opportunity to witness just how broad, diverse and active the creative community is across Mecklenburg County,” said Tim Miner, co-founder, Charlotte Is Creative. “It also provided powerful insight into how COVID-19 has impacted the sustainability of gig economy creatives, artists and smaller nonprofits. Helping 123 individuals and 38 nonprofits through the Arts, Culture & Creativity Fund was a critical investment in our county's ecosystem, and it can't be the last."
"As Charlotte grows, it's important to remember all parts of its economy, including the creative industries and the individuals who drive it,” said David J. Butler, co-founder of Hue House. “The Arts, Culture & Creativity Fund was an important step in making that possible by being intentional about reaching out to communities that are missed in other funding opportunities."
The nonprofit arts and culture industry generates $240 million in annual economic activity in Charlotte-Mecklenburg – supporting nearly 5,000 full-time equivalent jobs and generating $17.8 million in local and state government revenues according to the Arts & Economic Prosperity 5 study conducted by Americans for the Arts in 2017.
“These grants will make possible the retention of jobs for many local nonprofit organizations,” said FFTC President & CEO Michael Marsicano. “In addition to the economic benefit, let us not overlook the importance of arts and culture in a time of crisis and the role it plays in bettering the human experience.”
For a complete list of grant recipients, click here.
About Foundation For The Carolinas
Founded in 1958, Foundation For The Carolinas is the sixth-largest nonprofit community foundation in the country, serving donors and a broad range of charitable purposes in North and South Carolina. With assets of $2.8 billion, FFTC’s mission is to inspire philanthropy and empower individuals to create a better community. Visit fftc.org.
About Arts & Science Council
ASC is the chief advocate, resource hub and steward for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg region’s cultural community. Its core functions include advocacy, cultural education programs, cultural planning, fundraising, grant making, public art and workshops and trainings for the cultural community. ASC works to ensure Culture For All by combining resources from local and state government with those of the private sector to maximize community impact throughout the cultural sector. Visit ArtsAndScience.org.
About Charlotte Is Creative
Charlotte Is Creative's programs and initiatives are designed to fund, promote, connect and advocate for our city's creative individuals and organizations, and to champion collaboration between them and the larger business community. Visit CharlotteIsCreative.com.
About Hue House
Hue House is a Charlotte-based creative agency opening doors and changing how brands connect to communities of color. Our social enterprise model also supports artists and creative entrepreneurs of color through professional development opportunities and resources. Visit ItsHueHouse.com.
About THRIVE Fund for the Arts
Under the leadership of Hugh McColl, the THRIVE Fund for the Arts was established in 2013 at Foundation For The Carolinas to support Charlotte’s cultural sector. Major donors to the THRIVE Fund include corporate and professional firms, as well as private foundations and individual philanthropists.
Media Contact:
Timothy Hager, 704.973.4587 or thager@fftc.org