Organizer Information
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts service organization established in 1971. NYFA provides artists and cultural workers across disciplines with grants, professional development, fiscal sponsorship, learning opportunities, and online resources. Its programs serve approximately one million constituents annually. The Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants are made possible through support from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation.
Title & Description
Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants
Rauschenberg Dancer Emergency Grants provides one-time emergency financial assistance of up to $3,000 to professional dancers experiencing a serious financial emergency caused by the loss or lack of recent paid live performance work due to circumstances beyond their control. Eligible emergencies may involve essential expenses such as housing, food, utilities, healthcare, and transportation. The program is designed to help dancers regain financial stability and continue their creative practice.
Categories
- Dance
- Performing Arts
- Choreography & Movement
The program covers professional live dance performance across styles including contemporary, modern, ballet, hip-hop and street styles, tap, traditional and cultural dance, circus, improvisation, and interdisciplinary performance where movement is primary.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet individual, artistic, and emergency eligibility requirements:
- Be 21 or older by the application deadline.
- Reside in the United States, Washington, D.C., a Tribal Nation, or a U.S. Territory.
- Have an adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less for individual filers or $160,000 or less for joint filers, averaged over the two most recent federal tax returns.
- Not be enrolled in a degree-seeking program.
- Not have received a Rauschenberg Medical or Dancer Emergency Grant within the previous five years.
- Demonstrate at least five years of paid live dance performance, with at least one eligible engagement annually since 2022.
- Be experiencing a qualifying financial emergency caused by the loss or lack of recent paid dance work.
- The emergency expenses must be incurred and paid in the U.S.
International applicants and dancers residing outside the United States are not eligible.
Program Benefits & Awards
Selected applicants may receive up to $3,000 toward essential expenses for a consecutive period of up to three months. Eligible expenses include rent or housing deposits, utilities, food, medical/dental/mental healthcare, insurance premiums, transportation, and other essential individual expenses. Mortgage payments, student loans, credit-card debt, expenses for family members, vehicle/equipment purchases, and payments to other artists are generally ineligible.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 6 October 2026
- Applicants Notified: 20 November 2026
Location
United States
Additional Details
Applicants must demonstrate a current and sustained professional dance practice, rather than simply having a background in dance. Performances in educational/academic settings, social dance, competitive settings, clubs, exotic dance, commercials, and industrials do not count toward the required performance history. Online presentations published solely through personal websites or social media also do not qualify as live performance history.
NYFA evaluates eligible and complete applications through an outside panel, with economic urgency as the assessment criterion. Because available funds are limited and demand is high, submitting an application does not guarantee funding. Recipient names are not published by NYFA, and financial information is treated confidentially.