Arts Wisconsin

Location
Madison, Wisconsin
Industry
Nonprofit
https://www.artswisconsin.org

Story Overview

The creative economy has launched thousands of artisans, crafters and makers into the world of entrepreneurship. Arts Wisconsin fosters this vital connection between the arts and the economy through community-based cultural development and resources for artists throughout the state.

When the organization’s membership and grant funding streams dried up during the COVID-19 pandemic, executive director Anne Katz worried most about making payroll to support the organization’s mission, vision and purpose, including a full-time staff member and contractors, interns and part-time staff employed during the economic downturn.

With Arts Wisconsin’s in-person advocacy work on hold, Katz sought a PPP loan from CRF in order to make payroll and ensure the 30-year-old organization could survive at a time when creative entrepreneurs needed its advocacy the most.

Through a referral from IFF, Katz applied for a PPP loan and got approval by the end of the same week. With the loan in hand for paying staff salary, the organization can re-focus its efforts on rebuilding its donor base and continue to stay involved in the creative communities it serves.

We are a community- and value-based organization bridging the divide between economics and business, but the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was almost too much for our small team to bear. We are so grateful to CRF for helping us with the application process; the CRF team was indispensable and we couldn’t have done it without them.

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