About This Grant:

The IndieSpace Mental Health Grant Program awards New York City-based indie performing artists $500 Grants to use toward therapy, medication, meditation classes, and any other mental health-related costs. It is our hope that by providing this financial resource, we can help remove barriers that prevent artists from seeking and receiving the care, support, and information they need to care for their mental health. 

Who is Eligible?:

This application is open to any New York City-based indie performing artist in need of mental health funds, even if you have previously been awarded this grant. In order to be eligible, applicants must meet ALL of the following criteria: 

1. Applicant must live within NYC's five boroughs (Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island)

2. Applicant must be a theater, dance or multi disciplinary artist whose works is primarily presented by NYC-based indie performing arts companies or venues - theaters or performance venues with 99 seats or less 

3. Applicant must be requesting funds to support a  mental health need

Please note that funds will be prioritized to Global Majority (BIPOC), transgender/gender non-conforming/non-binary/Intersex/Two Spirit, disabled, d/Deaf, and immigrant artists AND applicants who HAVEN'T already received a grant this calendar year using a weighted lottery system. 

After receiving a Mental Health Grant, applicants are asked to wait a period of 3 months before reapplying. This allows us to make space for others who are still waiting to receive support. Applicants will be able to receive the Mental Health Grant no more than twice in a calendar year. Once you have received it twice, any subsequent applications will be declined.

Application Process 

To apply for funds, please complete the application below. This application should take you 10 minutes or less to complete. If you have any questions about the application or need assistance completing the application via phone, please reach out to the IndieSpace team at hello@indiespace.org. 

Lottery Process 

Each month, IndieSpace runs a digital lottery and awards at least $10,000 (20 grants).

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis through 3:00 PM (ET) on the fourth Friday of each month. All eligible applications received by that deadline will be included in that month’s lottery, along with any applications rolling over from previous months.

On that Friday, all eligible applicants will receive an email with their assigned lottery number. This number will remain the same for the entire calendar year, even if you receive a grant and apply again later in the year.

The lottery drawing will take place on the following Monday using the Random Picker lottery tool. Screen recordings of each lottery will be made and are available to review by request. 

If your number is not selected, your application will automatically roll over into the next month’s lottery. This process will continue each month until all eligible applicants have received a grant.

Reapplication

Anyone whose number was not pulled in that month's lottery will roll over into our next lottery. Applicants will receive a 1 point increase in their lottery weight for each month their application rolls over. This means that if your application has rolled over across multiple months, your chances of being selected will be higher than folks who have only rolled over one month. Our goal is to make sure that no one is left waiting indefinitely or going long periods without critical mental health needs being met. 

You do not need to reapply to receive this benefit, your application will automatically remain active and carry forward each month until you are selected. To help us keep the process fair for all applicants, we ask that you maintain only ONE active application at a time.

The IndieSpace team is actively working to grow and expand this Mental Health Program. Our goal is to support every artist in need of this funding, and while it may take time, we are committed to continuing to raise and allocate resources to make that possible.

Payment Process

IndieSpace is excited to introduce a new, more streamlined approach to grant payments with even more options! To give recipients the most flexibility when choosing payment methods, we offer ACH payments, free PayPal payouts, or paper checks. 

Once your lottery number is pulled for the grant, you'll receive an email containing a link to choose a payment method. To ensure speedy delivery, please verify that your contact email address is correct in your application, as this will be how you will receive payment instructions. Once you submit the payment form, you will be paid out in the manner you’ve indicated, on the timeline specified for each payment method in the form. 

IndieSpace is constantly working to make the granting process as simple and quick as possible, and we hope that this new process will be helpful to you!

Please note that if you are an individual who has already received funding from us in 2026, you will be required to submit a W-9. If you need a blank copy of a W-9, you can download one here.

About The Emergency Grant:
The IndieSpace Emergency Fund provides grants to arts organizations who have experienced a sudden loss or unforeseen circumstance that will impact their ability to move forward with a production (i.e. broken equipment, an ill artist etc.) Emergency Grants are not available to fill a gap in your fundraising efforts.

Grants will occasionally be provided to individuals facing a hardship that doesn't fall within one of our other grant programs for individuals.

About the Loan Program:

The IndieSpace Loan Program is meant for those with emergencies that are temporary and where funds are anticipated. We are happy to offer loans with 0% interest and flexible repayment terms to be determined together. 

Who is Eligible?:
This application is open to any NYC-based Indie theater company or venue. Indie theater venues are considered theaters or performance spaces with 99 seats or less. Emergency grants are given on a rolling basis, however, we do prioritize funding to companies or venues that are BIPOC, Trans & Non-Binary, Immigrant, and/or Disabled/Deaf run and operated. Individuals may also apply for funds, but they are limited and are only given on a case by case basis.

Application Process:
To apply for funds, please complete the application below. We hope this application will not take a long time to complete. Please note that this application will require some documentation uploading as support to your application. Please have any of the following ready and on hand to submit, if applicable: insurance claim, production or operating budget, photos of space or production damage, etc.  

If you have any questions about the application or need assistance completing the application via phone, please reach out to our Executive Director, Randi Berry, at randi@indiespace.org.

Payment Process:

• Applications will be accepted and reviewed by our staff and board within 24hrs of receipt. We aim to respond with application status update by email and/or payment details within 2 days of your submission. Funds will be paid out via PayPal or check depending on what you selected in your application. Zelle and ACH are also an option that can be discussed via email once the grant is approved.

Additional Info:

• We can not guarantee a payout of the full amount requested in your application. Grants may equal up to 25% of the total in the Emergency Fund pool at the time of the application.
• Grants can not be made to an organization to fill shortfalls in organizational budgets or fundraising as this is an unfortunate circumstance that many in our community are facing and we do not have the resources to support everyone in this way. If you are unsure or have questions about the emergency you are facing and want to discuss eligibility, please email randi@indiespace.org