What is the Taking Care Fund? The Taking Care Fund is an initiative of theatreWashington, created to meet a critical need in our community—assisting currently active Washington area theater professionals experiencing unforeseen financial hardship.

• The Taking Care Medical Emergency Fund was created in 2012 to assist area theatre professionals experiencing unforeseen medical emergencies.
• The Taking Care COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund was created in March 2020 during the pandemic causing theatre professionals financial hardships from major loss of work across the community.

Who is eligible to apply for financial assistance? Any theater professional working onstage or offstage who is currently residing and has worked in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area within the past two years. 

What types of emergency requests are eligible for assistance?

• Relief from loss of work due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Medical and personal emergencies of an unforeseen, unanticipated, catastrophic, or extraordinary nature.
• An absence of personal or liability medical insurance, or where such coverage does not meet the demand or emergency in question.
• Normal expenses incurred within the last six months for an applicable emergency. 

Are there requests that are not eligible for assistance? Assistance is not available for:

• General wellness procedures and needs such as standard doctor’s appointments, annual physicals, dental hygiene and maintenance, or standard optical needs.
• Elective or cosmetic procedures (gender affirming surgeries will not counted as "elective or cosmetic" and will be considered for coverage).
• Standard or recurrent needs regarding chronic conditions.

Who determines who gets assistance? All applications for assistance will be reviewed by, and assistance will be determined at the discretion of, the Taking Care Advisory Panel, composed of leaders in the Washington theater community. 

What level of financial assistance can I get? 

• COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund - Financial assistance in the form of grants from $500 to $5,000 is available, with the average grant estimated to be $1,500. Applications will be reviewed by the staff and Advisory Panel on a monthly basis received by the 5th of each month. Grants will be awarded to applicants with the greatest need based on the information provided, and the amount of the grant determined by the number of applications received. Previous funding will be taken into account when distributing grants. You can apply here.  
• Medical Emergency Fund - successful applicants will receive from $500 to $5000 for medical expenses, dependent on the applicant's level of need. You can apply here.

Can I apply for both the COVID-19 Relief Fund and the Medical Emergency Fund?
Yes, as long as you qualify as a theater professional working onstage or offstage who is currently residing and has worked in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area within the past two years and meet the needs of each fund, you are able to apply for both. A combined maximum of $5000 can be granted.

If I get assistance for the Medical Emergency Fund, do you send the funds to me? If assistance is granted, funds will be provided by theatreWashington directly to the medical provider or as reimbursement for expenses already incurred, based on documentation supplied by the applicant.

Can I still apply for assistance if I currently have some insurance coverage? Yes, on the Taking Care Fund application, you will be asked to list all insurance coverage and other sources of assistance available for your need (i.e. health/vision/dental coverage, home-owner’s or renter’s insurance, family/friends) so that we may fully understand each applicant’s particular situation.

Is this a loan that I need to repay? No. Assistance provided is given as a full grant with no obligation to repay theatreWashington.

How often do you dispense funds? Applications are reviewed on a regular basis; there will be some times of the year when it will take longer for an application to be reviewed.

How can I contribute to the Taking Care Fund? The more that we are able to collect, the greater the number of Washington theater artists we will be able to assist. We are fundraising toward a goal of $500,000 to support the Washington-area theater community during the COVID-19 crisis. You can donate to the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund here.

Contributions by check (payable to Taking Care) can be mailed to:
theatreWashington
1825 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 100
Washington, DC 20009

Looking for other ways to get involved? Click here.

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