Happening now: CERF+'s Summer Campaign has Begun!
Dear Craft Community, Today, we are sharing difficult news. After careful evaluation of our financial position, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund has made the difficult decision to suspend all grantmaking programs for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2026. Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2026, we have distributed more than $1 million in direct disaster […]
By: Nichole Potzauf, CERF+ Director of Advancement At the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+), transparency, trust, and a deep culture of care guide how we work with craft artists and the supporters who make our mission possible. We are proud to share that CERF+ has consistently earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, the […]
By: Lindsey Hayakawa, CERF+ Advancement Coordinator The First Decade: 1985 – 1995 The story of the Craft Emergency Relief Fund began with the “passing of a hat.” Glass artist Josh Simpson remembers returning each year to the American Craft Council’s Northeast Craft Fair in Rhinebeck, New York in the early 1980s. “All of us had […]
National arts leader advocates for artists and brings over 15 years of arts and disaster management experience Montpelier, VT (September 28, 2022) – After an extensive and competitive national search, the Craft Emergency Relief Fund’s (DBA CERF+) Board of Directors and Staff are pleased to announce the appointment of Ruby Lopez Harper as the organization’s next […]
Dr. Richard Kurin, the Smithsonian Distinguished Scholar and Ambassador-at-Large, joined the CERF+ board for lunch during their spring meeting in Washington D.C. on April 26. The insight he shared with respect to Russia’s attack on Ukrainian culture and our collective responsibility to protect Ukrainian heritage felt so poignant and pertinent to our community that we […]
After 25+ years of leadership at CERF+, Cornelia Carey has announced that she will step down as executive director in October 2022. During her tenure, Carey has guided CERF+ through extraordinary growth and evolution from its early years as a grassroots mutual aid initiative to a national leader in the emerging field of arts emergency […]
February 3, 2022 The House Small Business Committee Chairwoman, The Honorable Nydia M. Velázquez In re: “The Power, Peril and Promise of the Creative Economy” It is an honor for the Craft Emergency Relief Fund (DBA CERF+ – The Artists Safety Net) to submit this written testimony in response to the House Small Business Committee’s […]
CERF+ – the Artists Safety Net is pleased to announce we have been approved to receive an American Rescue Plan grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. CERF+ is recommended to receive $100,000, and the organization will use the special operating funds […]
CERF+ concluded its annual board meeting yesterday, which was held virtually. Lively discussions about new programs, fundraising initiatives, and exciting opportunities for CERF+ in the coming year filled the day. The board honored departing board members, Donald Friedlich, Reed McMillan, and Paul Sacaridiz and welcomed five new members: Vivian Beer, Molly Bell, Dan Friday, Marjorie […]
During a year of unprecedented tragedy and weather-related disasters of historic proportions, CERF+ — The Artists Safety Net provided over $1.2 million in direct relief assistance to 815 materials-based craft artists across the nation and its territories – a record-breaking number for the 36-year-old Vermont-based nonprofit. This is just one milestone in a long list […]
