Grants of $500 for eligible, qualified artists suffering loss of income due to pandemic crisis

TAMPA, Fla. (April 21, 2020) – Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts (TBBCA) (Tampa Bay BCA) (TBBCA) is privileged to be selected by the Gobioff Foundation to partner on a new artist grant Hillsborough County Artists Relief Program (HARP) . TBBCA “HARP” is made possible by the Gobioff Foundation’s generous funding of $100,000, matched by a generous grant from the Vinik Family Foundation.

HARP is a fund to provide financial assistance to artists within Hillsborough County who are temporarily unable to meet their basic needs (including food, utilities, bills, childcare, housing (rent, mortgage), healthcare (insurance, medical bills). The goal of the fund is to get financial assistance to many artists as promptly as possible. TBBCA HARP launches on Wednesday, April 22, 2020 and is available on a ‘first come, first funded’ basis. HARP is set up to address the current novel coronavirus emergency and is estimated to run until funds are no longer available or need has been resolved. Foundations’ funding and donations to HARP are 100% directed to HARP grants, with additional support from TBBCA.

The HARP grant overview, FAQ’s, and link to the application may be found at the TBBCA website: https://www.tbbca.org/programs-events/harp/ HARP amount is one-time $500.00 in the form of an unrestricted grant (not a loan) that TBBCA will pay to qualified, eligible applicants who are approved by the panel of reviewers.
Eligibility:
• Hillsborough County Resident
• Adults (18 years and older)
• Practicing artist in most artistic disciplines
• Demonstrates financial assistance need
• Legally able to receive taxable income in the U.S. (citizen, green card holder, and/or permanent resident who can provide a W9 and SSN or (TIN)

“Artists are hard-working integral part of our society,” said Neil Gobioff, President of the Gobioff Foundation. “Like any worker who relies on an income from people gathering together, they are struggling to earn at the moment. The Gobioff Foundation wants to support our local artists because they bring the truth of our being (joy, love, sadness, discourse, introspect) into the light for our community to come together.”

“TBBCA is honored to have been selected and entrusted by the Gobioff Foundation to partner on this new program,” said Susana Weymouth, Executive Director of TBBCA. “It is essential that we support our talented artists during this pandemic crisis that has caused so many to lose or shrink their income from the work and gigs and on which they rely.” Donations to HARP are invited and welcomed through the tbbca.org website link. https://www.tbbca.org/programs-events/harp/

“Art is what is helping so many of us get through this,” added Gianna Rendina-Gobioff, Vice-President of the Gobioff Foundation. “We’re trying to balance the stress of the world around us with an escape into something beautiful. All of that only happens because of artists. Our local artists and non-profits have been working hard to provide online content for our community. Art is not optional and we need to help the artists that are struggling more than ever before.”

About The Gobioff Foundation
Located in the Tampa Bay area, the Gobioff Foundation is a private family foundation which works to support human rights organizations and the Tampa, FL arts community. Our grants strengthen the ability of human rights and arts organizations to enrich the Tampa community and improve the state of human rights worldwide so that the world is a better place as intended by our founder. Our mission is not static. It is constantly developing as we grow and our family grows. www.gobioff-foundation.org

About The Vinik Family Foundation (VFF)
The Vinik Family Foundation is a private foundation, created and managed by Jeff and Penny Vinik. Founded in 1997, VFF’s mission is to support initiatives in the areas of education, human services, healthcare, and the arts. To date, the Foundation has donated over $50 million to nonprofits throughout the country, with a specific focus on the Vinik’s previous hometown of Boston and their new hometown of Tampa Bay. Since 2010, Jeff and Penny Vinik have given nearly $20 million to various philanthropic organizations in Tampa Bay, through the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Community Hero program, which honors a grassroots community hero at each of the team’s home games. www.vinikfamilyfoundation.org

About TBBCA
Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (“Tampa Bay BCA”, “TBBCA”) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1989, first in Florida and one of the national Business Committees for the Arts, part of the private sector network and national pARTnership Movement of Americans for the Arts. TBBCA mission is to unite businesses to champion arts and culture for a prosperous community, ‘the arts are good for business, and business is good for the arts.’ For information contact TBBCA Executive Director susanaweymouth@tbbca.org

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