Thank you for helping to #SaveOurStages!

 Save Our Stages Act Has passed as part of the COVID-19 Relief Bill 

 Thank you for helping to #SaveOurStages! NIVA thanks those across the country who sent 2.1 million emails to their elected officials expressing their support for the Save Our Stages Act. All 535 Congresspeople heard from their constituents through SaveOurStages.com. We encourage you to tell your legislators you appreciate their support and for including independent venues and promoters in the latest COVID-19 Relief Bill!

Without your support and continued attention, we could not have accomplished this goal together!

 

WHAT’S NEXT

We know you have many questions. NIVA has assembled the Implementation Task Force for a 50 state outreach and education effort as the Small Business Administration promulgates regulations for the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant program (SVO, fka Save Our Stages Act) included in the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses. NIVA’s Implementation Task Force’s aim is to help ensure this emergency relief is implemented as Congress intended: accurately, equitably and as expediently as possible to protect the smallest and hardest hit businesses.

More information will be shared through member messaging as soon as it is available. Questions should be directed to implementation@nivassoc.org.

Since it could take many weeks, even months for the funding to flow, the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, with The Giving Back Fund as its 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, continues to raise money to assist the venues at greatest risk of permanently going under as we wait for the grants to be issued. Anyone wishing to donate can do so below.

Donate Now

Benefiting the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund

Even with the Save Our Stages Act passed, it could take many weeks, even months for the funding to flow. The NIVA Emergency Relief Fund, with The Giving Back Fund as its 501(c)3 fiscal sponsor, continues to raise money to assist the venues at greatest risk of permanently going under as we wait for the grants to be issued.

NIVA's mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent venues and promoters throughout the United States.

These entertainment hubs are critical to their local economies and tax bases as employers, tourism destinations, and revenue generators for neighboring businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail. Independent venues exist in every state across the country; they were the first to be closed, they will be the last to open. The economic recovery process will extend past just reopening the front doors, requiring solutions unique to the industry.


Impact 


The value added by arts and culture to the U.S. economy is “five times greater than the value from the agricultural sector” (2017 study by The National Endowment for the Arts)

Venues are forecast to lose up to $8.9 billion of revenue if the rest of 2020 were to remain dark
( Pollstar)

Arts and culture contributed $877.8 billion, or 4.5 percent, to the nation’s gross domestic product (2017 Arts and Cultural Production Satellite Account)