COVID-19 Resources
We’ve gathered some key resources to help Seattle’s creative services community deal with the far-reaching effects of COVID-19.
Money • Work • Skill • Inspiration • Mindset
COVID-19 is hitting us from many angles.
We hope this initial set of links helps.
We’ll update these as frequently as possible.
Submit links for any new items or ideas via our contact form.
photo credit: Nick Bolton
Money
CARES act
4/29 EDIT: The new funding is now available and soon to be gone. Get your applications submitted ASAP.
Original post: This is the big one, but move fast before it’s gone. Whether you’re an agency or a freelancer, if you’ve got a business license and you’re not a giant corporation, you could be eligible for various kinds of aid from the Small Business Administration. You may not even have to pay it back, so definitely check this out.
This loan program provides loan forgiveness for retaining employees by temporarily expanding the traditional SBA 7(a) loan program.
This loan advance will provide up to $10,000 of economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing temporary difficulties.
Enables small businesses who currently have a business relationship with an SBA Express Lender to access up to $25,000 quickly.
The SBA is providing a financial reprieve to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
SBA Disaster Loan Technical Assistance
Sure, we’ve shared links to CARES act assistance, but if filling that out gets confusing, The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development can help. Click the image for up-to-date info.
ALL ABout PPP Forgiveness
UPDATED 5/26: Luke Frye, CPA and Co-Founder of Timber Tax, the tax accountancy for freelance and individual creatives, will discuss how to make sure your PPP loan is forgiven. Every Thursday at 2:00 p.m.
SLU Chamber
Small Business & Nonprofit Relief Fund
UPDATED 5/14: This fund is intended to help support South Lake Union’s small businesses & nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. They’re currently collecting contributions to the fund with a goal of $250,000. Check for eligibility (you don’t have to be an SLU business). Applications open now. They’re also offering free membership for 2020.
COVID-19 Artist Trust Relief Fund
Aimed at individual artists of all disciplines residing in Washington State, it could still apply to lots of us, even if we’re in creative services. Grants range from $500-$5,000 based on artists’ needs.
Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19
This $100 million fund in part supports segments of the creative community such as music, pictures, games and animation, in support up-and-coming creators, artists and all those in professions supporting the industry who have been impacted by the cancellation or postponement of concerts and live events, or the shutting down of film and television productions.
Wh!psmart: Resources
NEW 4/19: Wh!psmart, a new creative economy-focused nonprofit that gives creative professionals the tools they need to succeed, has assembled a live, comprehensive list of resources for creatives that features way more sources for money than our curated list but with a lot less relevance and context, so you’ll have to do a bit of clicking.
Small Business Weekly COVID-19 Resource Webinar
UPDATED 6/3: The City of Seattle’s Office of Economic Development holds bi-weekly calls to share new developments, hear about the impacts you are experiencing, and answer your questions.
Recording, slides, and notes for each session available on their blog here.
Saved You a Click: The Below FUnds Are out of money or IrRelevant
These are the highest profile local funds among the many near and far that got press but are already tapped.
Small Business Stabilization Fund
You heard correctly that the Seattle Office of Economic Development had $2.5 million dollars from which it could offer $10k grants to small businesses in need, but the applications closed March 29th.
UPDATED 4/19: In mentioning a $50k donation from Comcast The City announced they’re continuing to help local small businesses, but we see no new application process.
UPDATED 5/14: Still no new application process. This looks done.
The Seattle Foundation GRANT
The Seattle Foundation’s first grant phase ended April 4th. Fanfare was made that this would aid gig economy and contract workers but the list of grantees doesn’t show anything in that area.
The second phase is open but they are continuing to focus on vulnerable and low income recipients.
Facebook Small Business Grants
Facebook is granting more than $8.5 million to 2,100+ Seattle businesses that have two to 50 employees, have been in business for more than a year, have experienced COVID-19 related challenges, and are near Facebook offices. Applications now open.
UPDATED 5/14: Applications now closed.
Working Washington Small Business Emergency Grants
$10 million in funds will be provided to a limited number of businesses in Washington’s 39 counties with a grant up to $10,000.
UPDATED 5/14: Out of money. The site now lists tons of resources instead.
Keep workers HEALTHY & SAFE FUND
The Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce set up this fund to help small businesses provide uninterrupted medical insurance during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the funds have now been distributed, so don’t bother.
Artist Relief Fund
Artist Relief will distribute $5,000 grants to artists facing dire financial emergencies due to COVID-19. Designers, writers, technologists, and more can all fit into their broad definitions, so don’t give up if you’re really hurting for cash.
UPDATED 5/23: Phase 2 deadline was May 21st. A possible Phase 3 has not been announced.
Work
COVID-19 Handbook
for Creative Industries
King County’s new Creative Economy initiative has issued a handbook that’s more aimed at fine arts, but there are things for us in there, too, including resources on unemployment, help if you’re having trouble paying, rent, utilities, loans, and more; financial info, including tracking losses, working with unemployment, taxes, and more, including industry resources by creative sector. Updated daily.
The Avail List - Advertising & MArketing Folks for Hire (also job listings)
For any of us who find themselves out of work, this Google Sheet can help. What started as a Portland thing blew up nationwide, so add your name if you’re looking for a new gig. Available jobs are on the second tab.
Unemployed Gig Workers Info Sheet
If you’re an unemployed freelancer Washington Filmworks and Wh!psmart have created an info sheet with the basics that you need to know.
FREE COVID-19 JOBS BOARD
NEW 5/14: This free service is open to the entire industry, including individuals at all levels of experience in all departments looking for full-time and project work, freelance assignments and internships. One Club membership is not required to participate.
Any agency, studio, production company or brand around the world can submit postings for immediate openings, as well for job opportunities expected in the future once the pandemic is over.
Design Help for Small Business
NEW 4/17: IxDA have stepped up with this initiative to pair local creatives with small businesses and organizations in the greater Seattle area to offer volunteer support. Want to give work or need help? Click through.
Adweek Jobs
NEW 4/22: Adweek Jobs has hundreds of job listings open right now, and it's free to register as a job seeker (and they're offering five free job post credits to companies hiring at the moment). All sectors of creative services are represented.
Free SEO Office hours
NEW 5/14: Every Thursday from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Logic Inbound’s Vlad Mkrtumyan will be offering free consulting for biz owners impacted by COVID-19. You can discuss everything from SEO to ROI, fundraising introductions, etc.. Click through for a Google Hangout.
Facebook Business Resource Hub
A ton of useful stuff, including guides and toolkits for businesses and individual creatives, plus a full complement of links to government resources.
Free Consulting SEssion
AAF Seattle member agency, Belief, are offering free 90-minute consulting sessions to assist with business development, finance, digital advertising, and more to any local Seattle businesses or nonprofits struggling during this time.
Free Listing + Audience Analysis
If you’re still offering services during COVID-19, the Seattle Times is offering a free listing in an article on SeattleTimes.com. They’re also giving free access to a Prizm audience analysis.
Skill
Book Club: Creative Calling
NEW 5/23: Chase Jarvis returns for a special deep-dive into his new book Creative Calling. In this new 6-week Book Club Series, Chase will go chapter-by-chapter to help Creative Calling readers map out how to build a creative practice into their everyday life. Weekly, starting May 30. Free.
Get the “Creative Calling” e-book for only $2.99 through 5/30 at 8:00 p.m..
Virtual Panel: How PR & Marketing Will Change Post COVID-19
ADDED 6/3: Meltwater wil examine how the changing brand-consumer relationship is reshaping organizations’ reliance on data, values, and even corporate structure.
• How to use data to understand your audience • Why you need to be discussing your CSR agenda
• How (and why) the C-suite is reconsidering reputation management
Thursday, June 18, 11 am
Panel: The Modern Creative Freelancer
NEW 5/14: For everyone who’s considering the freelance life, whether from COVID-19 displacement or even just a new start, this panel of leaders from smart, freelancer-focused platforms will show you how to do it right.
UPDATED 5/29: Recording now available.
CreativeLive TV
CreativeLive offers free live and on-air classes and just launched CreativeLive TV as a 24/7 resource. And during COVID-19 they have made their entire library of Health & Wellness classes available for free to the creative community.
Adobe
Adobe offers resources for staying creative at home, business continuity, training, and remote collaboration. They’ve even made their recent Summit content available for free and extended free trials for many products.
Leading Teams Through Uncertain Times
Future for Us and Shivani Berry, CEO of Ascend and career coach, share how to lead remote teams through uncertain times. This free webinar is designed for womxn of color professionals and allies. Thursday, April 16th.
EDITED 4/21: We’ve now linked to a post-webinar worksheet that helps leaders effectively communicate to their teams.
Inspiration
Cannes: Creativity Moves Us Forward
Cannes has opened up their exclusive platform to all during this crisis, sharing useful talks, Lion-winning work and inspiring stories from the creative community around the world. You can also submit your story of creative inspiration.
CreativeMornings Virtual Field Trips
NEW 4/21: CreativeMornings is offering live virtual field trips, most of which expand your brain beyond specifically creative skills. Makes for a nice change of pace—and some renewal, which we all need.
Watercolor Happy Hour
NEW 5/19: Press pause on everything, grab some paints, and let's look for inspiration (think nearby, like flowers in the garden or maybe some vibrant fruit). You don’t have to be an experienced artist or even know how to draw to join instructor Luz Bratcher, UX Program Manager, Amazon, in these zero stress, non-judgemental, actually happy hours. $0 - Wednesday, 6/3/20, 3:00p - 5:00p
Mindset
Free Headspace Plus for the unemployed
NEW 5/15: The current state of unemployment in the US has become an alarming crisis on many fronts. To help those affected, Headspace is offering a full year of Headspace Plus for free to anyone currently unemployed. Discover meditation and mindfulness tools to help you feel less stressed, more resilient, and kinder to yourself.
Resiliency and Change
NEW 4/22: How do we respond when the rug gets pulled out from under us? Elizabeth Gilbert explains in this snippet from an interview with Chase Jarvis that may realign your perspective for the better.
Virtual Backgrounds by Seattle Art Museum
NEW 5/23: Choose from beloved spaces like the Porcelain Room, the Tea Room, the stunning Art Deco Asian Art Museum building, or an aerial view of the Olympic Sculpture Park. They hope that seeing yourself sitting in these SAM spaces will fill you with good art vibes until you’re able to visit their museums in person.
Artefact Group
Artefact Group shares some helpful practices for Working During Pandemic (WDP). You can also download all these images as a single infographic poster or series.
Silent Listening Party
NEW 4/22: Started in 2009, the silent-reading party is where you bring whatever reading material you want and read silently to yourself while servers bring snacks and a pianist plays. Since it always sells out, The Stranger decided to bring it online and make it weekly—at least while the world is on lockdown and all other parties are literally illegal. Seems like a good way to sooth a creative mind.