Broadway Cares has contributed a $1 million emergency grant—made in the name of the Broadway community—to the Entertainment Community Fund to provide assistance for those affected by the SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes.
Tens of thousands of industry professionals remain out of work as the SAG-AFTRA strike continues. Although the Writers Guild has reached an agreement, production on most movies and TV projects remains on hold as the actors strike persists.
“Countless entertainment community colleagues, those in front of and behind the camera, are struggling to cover health care expenses, pay for essentials like food and rent, and otherwise care for their families,” says Broadway Cares Executive Director Tom Viola. “The effects of this work stoppage are sure to ripple through the industry for weeks, if not months to come. Many in our theatre community also work in television and movies. We’re committed to doing what we can to help all those who work so diligently to entertain us—who make us laugh, cry, and feel—keep a roof over their heads, put food on their tables, and get the medical care they need.”
“These vital funds from Broadway Cares will immediately provide relief and resources to those in our industry who are facing tough days now and into the foreseeable future,” adds Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa. “Each day, the calls for help increase. The Entertainment Community Fund is incredibly grateful for the continuous support of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS on behalf of the performing arts community.”
These funds are being sent as the first full week of Broadway Cares’ #RedBuckets Fall Fundraising begins. Last weekend, 24 Broadway, Off-Broadway, and national touring productions began the appeals.
The Entertainment Community Fund provides a safety net of services for everyone in entertainment and the performing arts. Because of the twin strikes, the Fund is distributing more than $500,000 in emergency financial assistance per week, compared to an average of $75,000 per week in the first half of 2023.
Broadway Cares remains the single largest financial supporter of the Fund, already this year awarding $7.6 million to the Fund’s safety net of services, including The Friedman Health Center, the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women’s Health Initiative, and more.
Broadway Cares is one of the nation’s leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising, and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS has raised more than $300 million for essential services for people with HIV/AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.
