Sick Pay Grants

qSPF provides Sick Pay Grants to Queer performers who live and work in the Greater Seattle Area. This protects Queer artists and community from financial and physical harm by incentivizing artists to stay home when they’re not feeling well. We believe that the financial and physical health of Queer people guarantees that Seattle will thrive. Queer performers often live paycheck to paycheck, and the loss of even a single gig can be devastating. Other industries have systems of protection and guaranteed sick pay, but Queers just have each other, so Betty Wetter and Drama Tops came together to create this safety net for their community.

Criteria

18 years of age or older
Identify as Queer
Live in Greater Seattle Area*
Miss a live performance gig due to illness or injury
Gig missed must be within the last three months and be in the Seattle City Limits
Gig can be but is not limited to: drag, burlesque, comedy, dance, theater, performance art, and music
Must be a w9 independent contractor and not a w2 employee
Be able to provide stipend and gig verification
Have not received more than $5,000 from qSPF in the current fiscal year (Jan-Dec)
Must be able to make money in the USA

*We define Greater Seattle Area with these edges:

Southern: As far as and including Tacoma.
Northern: As far as and including Everett.
Eastern: As far as and including Bellevue.
Western: As far as the Puget Sound Coast. Not including islands

Verification Requirements

Stipend Verification is Required

To confirm your stipend, we need a dated communication between you and the person booking you that lists your stipend.

This could be:

A copy of your contract listing your stipend and the date you signed it, or
An email thread including the stipend that is dated before the gig, or
A screenshot of a text or message thread with your stipend listed, as long as it has the date it was sent included in the image.

Gig Verification is Required

We need to see proof of the gig that you missed.

This could be:

A link to tickets for the event, or
A link to a social media post about the event, or
A link to a website including information about the event.

Application Timeline

Sick Pay Grants are always open and accepting new applications.

If your application is approved, you will fill out some paperwork with our fiscal sponsor, Velocity Dance Center, then you will receive the money through direct deposit. We estimate this process to take 4 weeks, not as a guarantee, but an estimate.

Additional Rules

This fund grants up to $5,000 a year per applicant as a way for funds to be evenly distributed amongst community.

If you missed multiple gigs due to your illness or injury, please submit an application for each gig that you missed.

If you submit a falsified application, you will be banned from receiving Sick Pay Grants indefinitely.

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