2025-04-23T09:10:06-04:00 2024-09-30 030280081 JMM & ASSOCIATES PC 463 MOUNTAIN VIEW DR STE 403 COLCHESTER VT 05446 990 2023-10-01 133273980 CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND INC CRAF 8022292306 PO BOX 1341 BRATTLEBORO VT 05302 RUBY LOPEZ HARPER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 8022292306 2025-04-03 true false RANDALL L SARGENT CPA P00136499 8026555665 2025-04-23 2023 2025-03-06 01:10:19Z RUBY LOPEZ HARPER PO BOX 1341 BRATTLEBORO VT 05302 2772323 false X WWW.CERFPLUS.ORG X 1985 NY CERF+ SERVES ARTISTS WHO WORK IN CRAFT DISCIPLINES BY PROVIDING A SAFETY NET TO SUPPORT STRONG AND SUSTAINABLE CAREERS. CERF+'S CORE SERVICES ARE EDUCATION PROGRAMS, ADVOCACY, NETWORK BUILDING AND EMERGENCY RELIEF. 12 12 9 15 0 1947505 1716448 6098 25523 53541 96332 0 2007144 1838303 947703 974876 0 824421 816788 0 187950 274208 330501 2046332 2122165 -39188 -283862 3757593 3853657 78088 30978 3679505 3822679 X THE CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND (CERF+) PROVIDES CRAFT ARTISTS WITH SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RELIEF, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND READINESS GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN PREPAREDNESS. COMMITTING TO GENEROSITY, INCLUSION, AND CARE, WE ADVOCATE FOR THE THRIVEABILITY OF CRAFT ARTISTS AND CRAFT AS AN ART FORM. false false 823938 490081 25523 EDUCATION & TRAINING "GET READY" GRANTS - CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED ITS EIGHTH YEAR OF THE "GET READY" GRANT PROGRAM, EMPOWERING CRAFT ARTISTS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR STUDIOS, PROTECT THEIR PRACTICES, AND PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES. IN APRIL 2024, THE GET READY GRANT AMOUNT WAS INCREASED FROM 500 TO 1,000, ENABLING ARTISTS TO ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO PROTECT THEIR PRACTICE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, CERF+ DISTRIBUTED A RECORD AMOUNT IN GET READY GRANTS THIS YEAR, TOTALING 118,376 TO 155 ARTISTS ACROSS 29 STATES AND 1 U.S. TERRITORY. PUERTO RICO ACCOUNTED FOR THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF ARTISTS, MAKING UP 35% OF THE TOTAL. STUDIO SAFEGUARDS WAS THE MOST POPULAR PROJECT CATEGORY, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 64% OF ALL PROJECTS. CERF+ HAS HOSTED 29 TRAINING SESSIONS, CONFERENCES, AND KEYNOTES, ENGAGING 2,351 PARTICIPANTS-NEARLY FOUR TIMES THE NUMBER REACHED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. TOPICS INCLUDED EMERGENCY PLANNING AND BUSINESS INSURANCE, BRIDGING ART, FUNCTIONALITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY, ARTS ORGANIZATIONAL PREPAREDNESS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ARTISTIC PRACTICE, AND ACCESSING EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING. ADDITIONALLY, CERF+ PARTICIPATED AS AN EXHIBITOR AT PROMINENT CONFERENCES, SUCH AS THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS (NCECA) AND THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS (ATALM).CERF+ ARTIST'S READINESS PROJECT - (CARP). IN 2024, CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED THE CERF+ ARTIST'S READINESS PROJECT, ENHANCING THE ROLE OF ARTIST RESPONDERS BY SPECIALIZING THEIR SERVICES, STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS WITH LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NETWORKS, AND PROVIDING RESOURCES AND GRANTS FOR ARTISTS TO TAKE PREPAREDNESS MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD THEIR PRACTICE. TWO PILOT SITES, ARTIST TRUST IN SEATTLE, WA, AND ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE IN BATON ROUGE, LA, IMPLEMENTED CARP. CERF+ PARTNERED WITH THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION THROUGH THE CENTER FOR FOLKLIFE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, AFRICAN AMERICAN CRAFT INITIATIVE (CFCH AACI), AND SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATIONS ON A PROJECT TO EXPAND THE VISIBILITY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CRAFT ARTISTS AND MAKERS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. IN ADDITION, CERF+ IS WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK ON A PROJECT TO EXPAND THE MODEL OF PREPAREDNESS TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO BETTER SERVE BLACK ARTISTS. CARP GET READY: IN FY24, THE MELLON FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE GET READY PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING TO HELP ARTISTS TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR PRACTICES. THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE, ARTIST TRUST, AND THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK ADMINISTERED GET READY GRANTS IN THEIR REGIONS, IMPROVING ACCESS TO PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES, AND FOSTERING CONNECTIONS AMONG ARTISTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR RESILIENCE. EMERGING ARTIST READINESS PROGRAM: WITH SUPPORT FROM THE WINDGATE FOUNDATION, CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE SECOND COHORT OF THE EMERGING ARTIST READINESS PROGRAM, LED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS. TWENTY NATIVE CRAFT ARTISTS PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-MONTH TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED PERSONALIZED MENTORSHIP. EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVED 10,000 TO IMPLEMENT A BUSINESS PLAN DESIGNED TO GROW AND PROTECT THEIR PRACTICE. THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS WILL ALSO LEAD THE THIRD AND FINAL CYCLE OF THE PROGRAM, SUPPORTING 21 CRAFT ARTISTS. 584755 474280 EMERGENCY RESPONSE - CERF+ PROVIDES CRITICAL EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CRAFT ARTISTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A RECENT, PRACTICE-THREATENING EMERGENCY SUCH AS CLIMATE- RELATED DISASTERS, ILLNESS, INJURIES, STUDIO OR HOME FIRES, AND THEFT. ONCE APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETED, GRANT DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE WITHIN TWO WEEKS. THIS YEAR, 141 ARTISTS AFFECTED BY PRACTICE -THREATENING EMERGENCIES RECEIVED DIRECT EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS. THESE ARTISTS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 421,734 9 IN EMERGENCY AID (403,000 IN GRANTS) AND 18,734 OF GIFTS-IN- KIND (DONATIONS OF EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, BOOTH WAIVER FEES, ETC.), FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 421,734. THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF EMERGENCIES FOR ARTISTS WAS CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS, REPRESENTING 31% OF TOTAL GRANTS. MAJOR RESPONSES INCLUDED THE HAWAII WILDFIRES, CALIFORNIA FLOODS, AND HURRICANE BERYL. THE SECOND-LARGEST CATEGORY WAS ILLNESS, ACCOUNTING FOR 26% OF ALL GRANTS, FOLLOWED BY ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, WHICH MADE UP 23% OF THE GRANTS. CERF+ ADMINISTERED THE ETSY PROGRAM TO SUPPORT MAKERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTER WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. IN FY24, ETSY AND CERF+ AWARDED 60 GRANTS TOTALING 124,000. 203746 10515 OUTREACH, MARKETING & ADVOCACY: CERF+ MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE LIST OF OVER 31,648 INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ARTS BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE EMAIL ALERTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A DISASTER. CERF+ ALSO SENDS E-NEWSLETTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE THAT ARTISTS RECEIVE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, INCLUDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND FEDERAL AND STATE ASSISTANCE PACKAGES. OUR INCREASED SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT RESULTED IN 12,700+ INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS (+3,858), 8,200+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS (+400), AND 561 LINKEDIN FOLLOWERS. CERF+ CONTINUES TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE AS A STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR ARTS' PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (NCAPER). OVER THE PAST YEAR, NCAPER HAS SHIFTED FOCUS BACK TO RESPONSE SUPPORTING GROUPS DURING DISASTER EVENTS LIKE THE MAUI WILDFIRE, NORTHEAST FLOODING AND SIMILAR. WE SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE VERMONT ARTS & CULTURE DISASTER AND RESILIENCE NETWORK, AN INITIATIVE LED BY ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE STATE COMMITTED TO DEEPENING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE WITHIN THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR. CERF+ PARTICIPATES IN MANY NATIONWIDE COHORTS OF ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE LIVING TRADITIONS NETWORK, A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURE BEARERS FOCUSED ON SHARING AND DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT FOLK & TRADITIONAL ARTISTS. AND THE HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE (HENTF), SPONSORED BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND FEMA, CONTINUES TO INCREASE RECOGNITION FOR OUR SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE IN ARTISTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER, APPALACHIAN FUNDERS NETWORK, WORLD CRAFT COUNCIL, THE CULTURAL ADVOCACY GROUP AND OTHER NATIONAL NETWORK/COHORTS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE VITAL TO INFORM AND BE INFORMED AROUND LEADING TRENDS AND EVOLVING PRACTICES RELATED TO SUPPORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS. CERF+ WEBSITE AND ONLINE CONTENT: WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW WEBSITE AND CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT WITH NEW CONTENT ON A REGULAR BASIS. AFTER EACH MAJOR DISASTER IN AN AREA THAT AFFECTED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CRAFT ARTISTS, CERF+ CREATED A WEBSITE BANNER THAT LINKS TO AN UPDATED DISASTER RELIEF PAGE WITH DISASTER RESPONSE & RECOVERY RESOURCES. OUR WEBSITE HAS BEEN THE GO-TO DESTINATION FOR ARTISTS SEEKING EMERGENCY RESOURCES. CERF+ COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF BOTH CONTENT AND GRAPHICS FOR ALL STUDIO PROTECTOR MATERIALS AND DEVELOPED A DETAILED GUIDE TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR ARTISTS. CERF+ GREATLY EXPANDED ITS OTHER RESOURCES PAGE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT GRANTS AND TRAININGS THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OFFER TO ARTISTS AS WELL. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A "DISASTER RESOURCE HUB," WHICH PROVIDES ALERTS, INFORMATION, AND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC DISASTER EVENTS. OTHER ADDITIONS TO THE SITE INCLUDE NEW CRAFT ARTIST INTERVIEWS AND STORIES AS WELL AS NEW CONTENT RELATED TO OUR GET READY GRANT PROGRAM CREATED BY RECIPIENTS OF THOSE GRANTS. WE ALSO UPDATED THE EMERGENCY RELIEF INFORMATION PAGES TO INCLUDE SPANISH TRANSLATION. OUR WEBSITE IS NOW INCLUDED ON MANY STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL ARTS AGENCIES- AND ORGANIZATIONS' WEBSITES AND BLOGS WITH DISASTER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION. FINALLY, WE CONTINUED WRITING BLOG ARTICLES, WHICH FEATURE CRAFT ARTISTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER TOPICS RELEVANT TO OUR AUDIENCE. 1612439 true true false false false false false false false false true false false false false true true false false false false false false false false false false true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true 9 0 9 true false false false false false false false false false false false false X 12 12 false false false false false false false true true false false true true true true true true true false false MA NY X X X JAMES HAFFERMAN 8022292306 PO BOX 1341 BRATTLEBORO VT 05302 X RUBY LOPEZ HARPER EXECUTIVE DI 40.00 X 123948 0 16483 JAMES HAFFERMAN DEPUTY DIREC 40.00 X 112376 0 12551 JAYDAN MOORE CHAIR 4.00 X X 0 0 0 ALLISON DRUIN TREASURER 4.00 X X 0 0 0 PATRICIA YOUNG SECRETARY 4.00 X X 0 0 0 JONO ANZALONE DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 DEB DORMODY DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 MARJORIE HUNT DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 JAIME SUAREZ DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 ASHANTI MCGEE DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 LINDA ESSIG DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 LAUREN KALMAN DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 JEAN MANDEBERG DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 GREG STICE DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 CINDA HOLT UNTIL NOV 2023 DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 DAN FRIDAY UNTIL DEC 2023 DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 VIVIAN BEER UNTIL SEP 2024 DIRECTOR 4.00 X 0 0 0 236324 29034 2 false false false 12489 1703959 5014 1716448 PROGRAM SERVICE REVENUE 611710 25523 25523 25523 86065 86065 944287 934020 10267 10267 10267 1838303 35790 86065 183500 183500 791376 791376 146063 102244 37976 5843 511422 289962 120237 101223 22217 11601 5791 4825 89143 46139 23236 19768 47943 28995 11447 7501 12505 12505 60287 60287 21800 21800 63364 50308 13056 11670 10150 1520 42134 26436 6375 9323 63241 40530 9502 13209 791 459 197 135 29751 19657 3210 6884 13355 5664 5248 2443 1272 1272 4470 2595 1114 761 BANK AND CREDIT CARD FEES 5230 2823 1579 828 OTHER EXPENSES 631 631 2122165 1612439 321776 187950 299003 167038 74843 779957 1100489 273443 8292 4381 11504 12045 35313 15313 1271 20000 2262191 2596793 3757593 3853657 78088 30978 78088 30978 X 1496433 2286331 2183072 1536348 3679505 3822679 3757593 3853657 -283862 427036 X false true X true false X 2904661 1912035 2367179 1947505 1716448 10847828 2904661 1912035 2367179 1947505 1716448 10847828 3401755 7446073 36538 31426 34990 45584 86065 234603 11082431 79262 0.67190 0.66740 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED 15313 15313 20000 20000 20000 X 2268033 427036 24494 451530 1816503 21800 21800 1838303 2124859 24494 24494 2100365 21800 21800 2122165 SCHEDULE D, PAGE 3, PART X THE ORGANIZATION BELIEVES IT HAS ADEQUATE SUPPORT FOR ANY TAX POSITION TAKEN AND, AS SUCH, HAS NOT RECORDED ANY LIABILITY FOR UNCERTAIN TAX POSITIONS. true ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE 233 ST FERDINAND STREET BATON ROUGE LA 70802 720735814 501C3 32500 EDUCATION & TRAINING ARTIST TRUST 1835 12TH AVENUE SEATTLE WA 98122 911353974 501C3 32500 EDUCATION & TRAINING NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK PO BOX 56698 NEW ORLEANS LA 70156 061522546 501C3 95750 EDUCATION & TRAINING 3 EDUCATION AND TRAINING 175 318376 EMERGENCY RESPONSE 201 473000 SCHEDULE I, PAGE 4, PART IV THE ORGANIZATION HAS LONG-ESTABLISHED APPLICATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURES FOR INDIVIDUALS APPLYING FOR EMERGENCY GRANTS. FORM 990 - ORGANIZATION'S MISSION THE CRAFT EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND (CERF+) PROVIDES CRAFT ARTISTS WITH SUPPORT AND RESOURCES FOR DISASTER AND EMERGENCY RELIEF, EDUCATION PROGRAMS, AND READINESS GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN PREPAREDNESS. COMMITTING TO GENEROSITY, INCLUSION, AND CARE, WE ADVOCATE FOR THE THRIVEABILITY OF CRAFT ARTISTS AND CRAFT AS AN ART FORM. FORM 990, PART III IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2024, CERF+ FOCUSED ON FIVE MAIN GOALS: (1) RESPONDING TO CLIMATE RELATED REQUESTS FROM CRAFT ARTISTS FOR ASSISTANCE AND SCALING OUR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROGRAM PROPORTIONALLY; (2) ENHANCING AND EXPANDING OUR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND CAREER PROTECTION RESOURCES AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (3) EXPANDING OUR OUTREACH TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF CRAFT ARTISTS SERVED THROUGH OUR EMERGENCY RELIEF AND RESPONSE PROGRAM AS WELL AS ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP IN NATIONAL AND REGIONAL NETWORKS (4) SUSTAINING OUR PUBLIC POLICY ADVOCACY AND RESEARCH ABOUT TRENDS WITHIN THE CRAFT FIELD. WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SECTOR EFFORTS TO IMPROVE ASSISTANCE FOR ARTS COMMUNITIES BEFORE, DURING AND AFTER DISASTER. FORM 990, PAGE 2, PART III, LINE 4A EDUCATION & TRAINING "GET READY" GRANTS - CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED ITS EIGHTH YEAR OF THE "GET READY" GRANT PROGRAM, EMPOWERING CRAFT ARTISTS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR STUDIOS, PROTECT THEIR PRACTICES, AND PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES. IN APRIL 2024, THE GET READY GRANT AMOUNT WAS INCREASED FROM 500 TO 1,000, ENABLING ARTISTS TO ENHANCE THEIR ABILITY TO PROTECT THEIR PRACTICE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2024, CERF+ DISTRIBUTED A RECORD AMOUNT IN GET READY GRANTS THIS YEAR, TOTALING 118,376 TO 155 ARTISTS ACROSS 29 STATES AND 1 U.S. TERRITORY. PUERTO RICO ACCOUNTED FOR THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF ARTISTS, MAKING UP 35% OF THE TOTAL. STUDIO SAFEGUARDS WAS THE MOST POPULAR PROJECT CATEGORY, ACCOUNTING FOR NEARLY 64% OF ALL PROJECTS. CERF+ HAS HOSTED 29 TRAINING SESSIONS, CONFERENCES, AND KEYNOTES, ENGAGING 2,351 PARTICIPANTS-NEARLY FOUR TIMES THE NUMBER REACHED IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. TOPICS INCLUDED EMERGENCY PLANNING AND BUSINESS INSURANCE, BRIDGING ART, FUNCTIONALITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY, ARTS ORGANIZATIONAL PREPAREDNESS, CLIMATE CHANGE AND ARTISTIC PRACTICE, AND ACCESSING EMERGENCY RELIEF FUNDING. ADDITIONALLY, CERF+ PARTICIPATED AS AN EXHIBITOR AT PROMINENT CONFERENCES, SUCH AS THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON EDUCATION FOR THE CERAMIC ARTS (NCECA) AND THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS (ATALM).CERF+ ARTIST'S READINESS PROJECT - (CARP). IN 2024, CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED THE CERF+ ARTIST'S READINESS PROJECT, ENHANCING THE ROLE OF ARTIST RESPONDERS BY SPECIALIZING THEIR SERVICES, STRENGTHENING CONNECTIONS WITH LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT NETWORKS, AND PROVIDING RESOURCES AND GRANTS FOR ARTISTS TO TAKE PREPAREDNESS MEASURES TO SAFEGUARD THEIR PRACTICE. TWO PILOT SITES, ARTIST TRUST IN SEATTLE, WA, AND ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE IN BATON ROUGE, LA, IMPLEMENTED CARP. CERF+ PARTNERED WITH THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION THROUGH THE CENTER FOR FOLKLIFE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE, AFRICAN AMERICAN CRAFT INITIATIVE (CFCH AACI), AND SMITHSONIAN AFFILIATIONS ON A PROJECT TO EXPAND THE VISIBILITY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CRAFT ARTISTS AND MAKERS THROUGH COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION, PUBLIC PROGRAMMING, AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. IN ADDITION, CERF+ IS WORKING WITH THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK ON A PROJECT TO EXPAND THE MODEL OF PREPAREDNESS TRAINING AND RESOURCES TO BETTER SERVE BLACK ARTISTS. CARP GET READY: IN FY24, THE MELLON FOUNDATION CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE EXPANSION AND ENHANCEMENT OF THE GET READY PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES FUNDING TO HELP ARTISTS TAKE PROACTIVE STEPS TO SAFEGUARD THEIR PRACTICES. THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE, ARTIST TRUST, AND THE NATIONAL PERFORMANCE NETWORK ADMINISTERED GET READY GRANTS IN THEIR REGIONS, IMPROVING ACCESS TO PREPAREDNESS RESOURCES, AND FOSTERING CONNECTIONS AMONG ARTISTS TO STRENGTHEN THEIR RESILIENCE. EMERGING ARTIST READINESS PROGRAM: WITH SUPPORT FROM THE WINDGATE FOUNDATION, CERF+ SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE SECOND COHORT OF THE EMERGING ARTIST READINESS PROGRAM, LED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS. TWENTY NATIVE CRAFT ARTISTS PARTICIPATED IN A SIX-MONTH TECHNICAL TRAINING PROGRAM THAT INCLUDED PERSONALIZED MENTORSHIP. EACH PARTICIPANT RECEIVED 10,000 TO IMPLEMENT A BUSINESS PLAN DESIGNED TO GROW AND PROTECT THEIR PRACTICE. THE ASSOCIATION OF TRIBAL ARCHIVES, LIBRARIES, AND MUSEUMS WILL ALSO LEAD THE THIRD AND FINAL CYCLE OF THE PROGRAM, SUPPORTING 21 CRAFT ARTISTS. FORM 990, PAGE 2, PART III, LINE 4B EMERGENCY RESPONSE - CERF+ PROVIDES CRITICAL EMERGENCY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO CRAFT ARTISTS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A RECENT, PRACTICE-THREATENING EMERGENCY SUCH AS CLIMATE- RELATED DISASTERS, ILLNESS, INJURIES, STUDIO OR HOME FIRES, AND THEFT. ONCE APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETED, GRANT DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE WITHIN TWO WEEKS. THIS YEAR, 141 ARTISTS AFFECTED BY PRACTICE -THREATENING EMERGENCIES RECEIVED DIRECT EMERGENCY RELIEF GRANTS. THESE ARTISTS RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 421,734 9 IN EMERGENCY AID (403,000 IN GRANTS) AND 18,734 OF GIFTS-IN- KIND (DONATIONS OF EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS, BOOTH WAIVER FEES, ETC.), FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 421,734. THE LARGEST CATEGORY OF EMERGENCIES FOR ARTISTS WAS CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS, REPRESENTING 31% OF TOTAL GRANTS. MAJOR RESPONSES INCLUDED THE HAWAII WILDFIRES, CALIFORNIA FLOODS, AND HURRICANE BERYL. THE SECOND-LARGEST CATEGORY WAS ILLNESS, ACCOUNTING FOR 26% OF ALL GRANTS, FOLLOWED BY ACCIDENTS AND INJURIES, WHICH MADE UP 23% OF THE GRANTS. CERF+ ADMINISTERED THE ETSY PROGRAM TO SUPPORT MAKERS WHO HAVE EXPERIENCED A FEDERALLY DECLARED DISASTER WITHIN THE PAST YEAR. IN FY24, ETSY AND CERF+ AWARDED 60 GRANTS TOTALING 124,000. FORM 990, PAGE 2, PART III, LINE 4C OUTREACH, MARKETING & ADVOCACY: CERF+ MAINTAINS AN ACTIVE LIST OF OVER 31,648 INDIVIDUALS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND ARTS BUSINESSES THAT RECEIVE EMAIL ALERTS BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A DISASTER. CERF+ ALSO SENDS E-NEWSLETTERS ON A REGULAR BASIS TO ENSURE THAT ARTISTS RECEIVE UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, INCLUDING GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES, AND FEDERAL AND STATE ASSISTANCE PACKAGES. OUR INCREASED SOCIAL MEDIA ENGAGEMENT RESULTED IN 12,700+ INSTAGRAM FOLLOWERS (+3,858), 8,200+ FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS (+400), AND 561 LINKEDIN FOLLOWERS. CERF+ CONTINUES TO PLAY AN ACTIVE ROLE AS A STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL COALITION FOR ARTS' PREPAREDNESS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE (NCAPER). OVER THE PAST YEAR, NCAPER HAS SHIFTED FOCUS BACK TO RESPONSE SUPPORTING GROUPS DURING DISASTER EVENTS LIKE THE MAUI WILDFIRE, NORTHEAST FLOODING AND SIMILAR. WE SERVE ON THE STEERING COMMITTEE OF THE VERMONT ARTS & CULTURE DISASTER AND RESILIENCE NETWORK, AN INITIATIVE LED BY ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS FROM ACROSS THE STATE COMMITTED TO DEEPENING EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESILIENCE WITHIN THE ARTS AND CULTURE SECTOR. CERF+ PARTICIPATES IN MANY NATIONWIDE COHORTS OF ARTS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE LIVING TRADITIONS NETWORK, A NATIONWIDE NETWORK OF ORGANIZATIONS AND CULTURE BEARERS FOCUSED ON SHARING AND DEVELOPING RESOURCES TO SUPPORT FOLK & TRADITIONAL ARTISTS. AND THE HERITAGE EMERGENCY NATIONAL TASK FORCE (HENTF), SPONSORED BY THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION AND FEMA, CONTINUES TO INCREASE RECOGNITION FOR OUR SPECIALIZED EXPERTISE IN ARTISTS DISASTER PREPAREDNESS AND RECOVERY. WE ALSO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS ACTIVE IN DISASTER, APPALACHIAN FUNDERS NETWORK, WORLD CRAFT COUNCIL, THE CULTURAL ADVOCACY GROUP AND OTHER NATIONAL NETWORK/COHORTS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE VITAL TO INFORM AND BE INFORMED AROUND LEADING TRENDS AND EVOLVING PRACTICES RELATED TO SUPPORTING INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS. CERF+ WEBSITE AND ONLINE CONTENT: WE LAUNCHED OUR NEW WEBSITE AND CONTINUE TO UPDATE IT WITH NEW CONTENT ON A REGULAR BASIS. AFTER EACH MAJOR DISASTER IN AN AREA THAT AFFECTED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CRAFT ARTISTS, CERF+ CREATED A WEBSITE BANNER THAT LINKS TO AN UPDATED DISASTER RELIEF PAGE WITH DISASTER RESPONSE & RECOVERY RESOURCES. OUR WEBSITE HAS BEEN THE GO-TO DESTINATION FOR ARTISTS SEEKING EMERGENCY RESOURCES. CERF+ COMPLETED A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE OF BOTH CONTENT AND GRAPHICS FOR ALL STUDIO PROTECTOR MATERIALS AND DEVELOPED A DETAILED GUIDE TO EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS FOR ARTISTS. CERF+ GREATLY EXPANDED ITS OTHER RESOURCES PAGE TO INCLUDE INFORMATION ABOUT GRANTS AND TRAININGS THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS OFFER TO ARTISTS AS WELL. WE ALSO MAINTAIN A "DISASTER RESOURCE HUB," WHICH PROVIDES ALERTS, INFORMATION, AND RESOURCES ON SPECIFIC DISASTER EVENTS. OTHER ADDITIONS TO THE SITE INCLUDE NEW CRAFT ARTIST INTERVIEWS AND STORIES AS WELL AS NEW CONTENT RELATED TO OUR GET READY GRANT PROGRAM CREATED BY RECIPIENTS OF THOSE GRANTS. WE ALSO UPDATED THE EMERGENCY RELIEF INFORMATION PAGES TO INCLUDE SPANISH TRANSLATION. OUR WEBSITE IS NOW INCLUDED ON MANY STATE, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL ARTS AGENCIES- AND ORGANIZATIONS' WEBSITES AND BLOGS WITH DISASTER-SPECIFIC INFORMATION. FINALLY, WE CONTINUED WRITING BLOG ARTICLES, WHICH FEATURE CRAFT ARTISTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND OTHER TOPICS RELEVANT TO OUR AUDIENCE. FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 11B THE CERF+ FINANCE/AUDIT COMMITTEE REVIEWS THE 990 PRIOR TO FILING. THE FINANCE/AUDIT COMMITTEE THEN SHARES THE 990 WITH THE BOARD AT THE TIME IT IS FILED. FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 12C EACH YEAR BOARD MEMBERS ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE A FORM DISCLOSING IF THEY HAVE ANY CONFLICTS. FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 15A COMPENSATION IS SET BY THE BOARD AND IS BASED ON CURRENT NON-PROFIT SALARY SURVEYS FOR ORGANIZATIONS OF SIMILAR BUDGET SIZE. FORM 990, PAGE 6, PART VI, LINE 19 GOVERNING DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE ON WEBSITE, GUIDESTAR AND UPON REQUEST. FORM 990, PART VII CORNELIA CAREY SERVED AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR UNTIL OCTOBER 31, 2022. SHE SERVED AS AN ADVISER FROM NOVEMBER 1, 2022 UNTIL APRIL 30, 2023.