NYFA Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants

The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program, administered by the New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA), is funded by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. Inspired by artist Robert Rauschenberg’s legacy of mutual aid among artists, this initiative provides critical support to visual artists, choreographers, and creators in the film/video/digital arts who face recent and unexpected medical, dental, or mental health emergencies. It aims to help artists who, due to financial hardship, might otherwise delay treatment or incur overwhelming medical debt. The program offers one-time grants of up to $5,000 and operates in bi-monthly cycles. Each round typically distributes a total of $150,000. Applicants must demonstrate that the emergency occurred within the last six months and that the incident significantly impacts their ability to maintain their creative practice. Funding may cover out-of-pocket medical expenses including treatment, therapy, diagnostics, transportation to medical appointments, and prescriptions directly linked to the emergency. Routine care, elective procedures, and chronic condition management without recent exacerbation are not eligible. Funds are disbursed directly to the artist via direct deposit, unless otherwise arranged. To be eligible, applicants must be practicing generative artists in one of the eligible disciplines with consistent public-facing artistic activity over at least the last five years. Applicants must be at least 21 years old, U.S. residents (including U.S. territories and Tribal Nations), not currently enrolled in a degree-seeking program, and must meet financial eligibility with an average adjusted gross income of $80,000 or less (or $160,000 for joint filers) based on their most recent two tax filings. Prior grantees are eligible to reapply five years after their last award. Applications are submitted via Submittable and must include a description of the medical emergency, its impact on the artist’s life and practice, financial documentation, and estimates or invoices for expenses. Applicants are also required to submit a detailed resume or CV that demonstrates ongoing activity in their eligible field, as well as documentation to confirm their medical need. Artistic work must be original and not created for hire or commercial use. Cycle 34 opens on December 9, 2025, and closes January 6, 2026. It supports emergencies occurring from June 1, 2025, onwards. Notifications for this cycle will be issued by February 20, 2026. The grant program continues through at least June 2026 with regular cycles. Contact for inquiries is Mollie Quinlan-Hayes at emergencyfunds@nyfa.org or 212-366-6900 ext. 239. Applications must be submitted in English, and accommodations are available upon request for accessibility needs.

4–6 hours