Request Aid
All information below is an archive of our fundraising and disbursement campaign, which ended on December 31, 2020.
If all of the following criteria apply to you, request support by filling out the form below.
- I am a current or former employee at the Met. If I am a former employee, I was employed by the Met as of the Met’s closure due to COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
- I am facing financial hardship due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- I have not previously submitted a request for aid to Mutual Aid for The Met Museum Staff.
We aim to evolve Mutual Aid beyond the current direct cash assistance system and into a sustainable network of care for our community. We will communicate more details about these efforts when we are able.
We recognize that this initiative cannot fully alleviate the stresses and structural inequities that the pandemic has thrown into sharp relief, and which disproportionately affect our colleagues who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, LGBTQIA+, who have disabilities, and/or who have compromised immune systems.
Your personal identifying information will only be visible to Artadia, our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, and select volunteers who have signed a confidentiality agreement. One of these select volunteers will contact you for any further information needed to fulfill your request.
Traducción en español:
Por favor tome en cuenta: El formulario y la recaudación de fondos se cerraron el 31 de diciembre del 2020 cuando terminó el contrato con nuestro patrocinador fiscal Artadia. Por qué la demanda de esta iniciativa ha cambiado, hemos ajustado los requisitos de elegibilidad para poder ayudar igualmente a todos los solicitantes que sea posible. Vamos a distribuir los fondos disponibles igualmente a todos que llenaron una solicitud hasta el 31 de diciembre y cumplan con los requisitos de elegibilidad. Los desembolsos finales comenzarán el 13 de enero 2021
Debe cumplir con todos los criterios siguientes para ser elegible para ayuda financiera:
- Soy un empleado actual o anterior del Met. Si fui un empleado, fui empleado del Met desde el cierre del Met debido a COVID-19 el 13 de marzo de 2020.
- Estoy enfrentando dificultades financieras debido al impacto de la pandemia del COVID-19.
- No he llenado previamente una solicitud de ayuda del Mutual Aid for the Met Museum Staff.
All information below is an archive of our fundraising and disbursement campaign, which ended on December 31, 2020.
I am a current or former employee at the Met. If I am a former employee, I was employed by the Met as of the Met’s closure due to COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
Your personal identifying information will only be visible to Artadia, our 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor, and select volunteers who have signed a confidentiality agreement. One of these select volunteers will contact you for any further information needed to fulfill your request.
Por favor tome en cuenta: El formulario y la recaudación de fondos se cerraron el 31 de diciembre del 2020 cuando terminó el contrato con nuestro patrocinador fiscal Artadia. Por qué la demanda de esta iniciativa ha cambiado, hemos ajustado los requisitos de elegibilidad para poder ayudar igualmente a todos los solicitantes que sea posible. Vamos a distribuir los fondos disponibles igualmente a todos que llenaron una solicitud hasta el 31 de diciembre y cumplan con los requisitos de elegibilidad. Los desembolsos finales comenzarán el 13 de enero 2021
Debe cumplir con todos los criterios siguientes para ser elegible para ayuda financiera:
- Soy un empleado actual o anterior del Met. Si fui un empleado, fui empleado del Met desde el cierre del Met debido a COVID-19 el 13 de marzo de 2020.
- Estoy enfrentando dificultades financieras debido al impacto de la pandemia del COVID-19.
- No he llenado previamente una solicitud de ayuda del Mutual Aid for the Met Museum Staff.
Nuestro objetivo es hacer que esta iniciativa evolucione de la asistencia financiera y poder ofrecer otras formas de ayuda a nuestra comunidad. Comunicaremos más detalles sobre estos esfuerzos cuando podamos. Si tiene alguna pregunta o comentario, por favor envíenos un mensaje a metmutualaid.help@gmail.com.
Spread the Word
All information below is an archive of our fundraising and disbursement campaign, which ended on December 31, 2020.
This is a grassroots effort, so we’ll need your help to get the word out. Share this website with those who you think would like to donate or request aid. If you would like to share any of the images below on your personal social media, save the images to your phone or desktop.
Download the flyer below and print on letter-sized paper.
Volunteer
If you would like to support our colleagues by volunteering your time and skills, please fill out the form below. Please note that since this effort is one of solidarity between museum staff and independent of the Met, all volunteer work will be done outside of Met working hours.
Click here to fill out the Volunteer sign-up form
We are eager to bring together a diverse group of volunteers that spans department, position, and expertise. Our hope is to create an evolving, non-hierarchical, broad network of support for one another. We will be in touch with you via metmutualaid@gmail.com, and you can reach out to us with any questions.
Resources
Emotional Support
NY Project Hope
Emotional Support Helpline: 1-844-863-9314
Through an emotional support helpline, educational materials, and trusted referrals, NY Project Hope helps New Yorkers manage and cope with changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Talking to the Crisis Counselors is free, confidential, and anonymous.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Available 24 hours in English and Spanish: 1-800-273-8255
The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress, prevention and crisis resources for you or your loved ones, and best practices for professionals.
Legal Assistance
New York Legal Assistance Group
Provides advice on unemployment, housing (eviction, rent arrears, foreclosures, mortgage relief), public benefits and special education services.
Call 929-356-9582 Monday–Friday, 7am–1pm. Leave a message, and they will get back to you within 48 hours or fill out an online form at the link above.
Food Insecurity
Invisible Hands Deliver
A non-profit organization that delivers groceries and other essential items to populations especially vulnerable to COVID-19.
Click here to find your neighborhood pantry or soup kitchen.
Community Fridges
If you are in NYC, this map can direct you to a community fridge near you.
How to Organize a Food Drive by The Food Bank of New York City
City Harvest
Volunteer with their mobile markets and warehouse.
Give to their annual food drive in partnership with The Daily News. Until Jan. 22, you can drop off nonperishables at any firehouse or police station.
New York Cares
Find a pantry or soup kitchen that needs volunteers.
Violence Prevention and Survivor Support
New York City Anti-Violence Project
Empowers lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and HIV-affected communities and allies to end all forms of violence through organizing and education, and supports survivors through counseling and advocacy.
Have you experienced or witnessed violence, or are you concerned about someone who has? Call the 24 Hour English/Spanish Hotline: 212-714-1141.
Safe Horizon
The nation's leading victim assistance organization, which provides compassionate and expert support for people who have experienced domestic and intimate partner violence, child physical and sexual abuse, rape and sexual assault, human trafficking, stalking, youth homelessness, violent crimes committed against a family member and within communities.
If you need immediate help from an advocate please call one of the 24-hour Hotlines (se habla español).
- Domestic violence victims: 800-621-HOPE (4673)
Domestic violence victims: 800-621-HOPE (4673)
- Victims of crime and their families: 866-689-HELP (4357)
- Rape & sexual assault victims: 212-227-3000
- TDD machine for hearing impaired clients for all hotlines: 1-866-604-5350
Victims of crime and their families: 866-689-HELP (4357)
Mutual Aid Funds
Colleagues: Cultural institution workers have been rallying to support one another, and we are indebted to the advice of the organizers of the following mutual aid funds. Learn about how to start your own mutual aid fund here.
Neighbors: Mutual Aid NYC is a resource for finding neighborhood mutual aid funds, and specific forms of aid.
Free Web Hosting
Cargo Collective was kind enough to offer free web hosting to former and current Met employees:
- Code for former Met staff:
097d01f5. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
- Code for current Met staff:
a5e79b61. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
Code for former Met staff:
097d01f5. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
097d01f5. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
Code for current Met staff:
a5e79b61. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
a5e79b61. Good for 1 year from activation.
Contact metmutualaid@gmail.com for a new code each year.
Frequently Asked Questions
All information below is an archive of our fundraising and disbursement campaign, which ended on December 31, 2020.
What does “mutual aid” mean?
Mutual aid emphasizes equity, democratic participation, and reciprocity. As a form of support, it provides a critical alternative to the traditional charity model, in which aid flows in one direction, entrenching a hierarchy of power between donor and recipient. Mutual Aid for the Met Museum Staff is a community-based effort organized for and by employees.
Who is eligible for support from this fund?
Anyone who fits the following criteria can request aid.
-
I am a current or former employee at the Met. If I am a former employee, I was employed by the Met as of the Met’s closure due to COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
- I am facing financial hardship due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- I have not previously submitted a request for aid from Mutual Aid for The Met Museum Staff.
What constitutes a Met employee?
Met employees constitute current, former, furloughed, or retired unionized and non-unionized full-time and part-time workers, who are salaried or hourly, contractual employees, freelancers, fellows, interns, and volunteers.
Do those who receive aid have to pay the money back?
No. This payment is a qualified disaster relief payment, and it does not need to be repaid. According to IRC § 139, any payment received on or prior to December 31, 2020 for relief from the COVID-19 disaster will not be included in gross income and is therefore considered tax-exempt.
Why did you choose to work with a fiscal sponsor for this fund?
Our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, is a nonprofit that takes on the tax liability and disbursement responsibilities for our volunteer effort, protecting any single co-organizer from financial risk. This partnership with Artadia also makes all your donations to the mutual aid fund tax deductible. For their support and administrative labor, Artadia will receive a small set-up fee and 4% of the donations.
Are donations tax deductible?
Yes, thanks to our partnership with Artadia, all donations to this mutual aid fund are tax-deductible. Those who contribute will receive a letter of acknowledgment on Artadia letterhead for their personal tax records.
What transactional fees does the 2.3% tip cover on the donation page?
The 2.3% tip goes to Stripe, which processes your credit card payment. CauseVox is donating their fundrasing platform for free to Mutual Aid for the Met Museum Staff so that more funds are allocated to our community members.
Why did the system for fiscal aid change in December?
Our contract with our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, expires at the end of 2020, so we must close the fund and Request for Aid form on December 31, 2020. In order to equitably assist as many requesters as possible, we have decided to fundraise until the end of the year and distribute the fund evenly among those who submit Requests for Aid between now and December 31, 2020 and meet the eligibility requirements outlined above. These final disbursements will begin on January 13, 2021.
Are you offering non-material forms of support in addition to direct cash assistance?
Even though the fundraiser and Request for Aid form will close when our contract with our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, expires on December 31, 2020, we realize that this crisis is ongoing and there are many forms of non-material support that our community needs. Our form to request support includes a space to describe non-material needs (such as help with grocery shopping, essential errands, or childcare) so that such a network of support may evolve and expand in the future. We will work towards evolving this effort beyond the fundraiser and into a sustainable network of care. We will be updating this website with more details about these efforts when we are able.
- I am a current or former employee at the Met. If I am a former employee, I was employed by the Met as of the Met’s closure due to COVID-19 on March 13, 2020.
- I am facing financial hardship due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- I have not previously submitted a request for aid from Mutual Aid for The Met Museum Staff.
What constitutes a Met employee?
Met employees constitute current, former, furloughed, or retired unionized and non-unionized full-time and part-time workers, who are salaried or hourly, contractual employees, freelancers, fellows, interns, and volunteers.
Do those who receive aid have to pay the money back?
No. This payment is a qualified disaster relief payment, and it does not need to be repaid. According to IRC § 139, any payment received on or prior to December 31, 2020 for relief from the COVID-19 disaster will not be included in gross income and is therefore considered tax-exempt.
Why did you choose to work with a fiscal sponsor for this fund? Our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, is a nonprofit that takes on the tax liability and disbursement responsibilities for our volunteer effort, protecting any single co-organizer from financial risk. This partnership with Artadia also makes all your donations to the mutual aid fund tax deductible. For their support and administrative labor, Artadia will receive a small set-up fee and 4% of the donations.
Are donations tax deductible?
Yes, thanks to our partnership with Artadia, all donations to this mutual aid fund are tax-deductible. Those who contribute will receive a letter of acknowledgment on Artadia letterhead for their personal tax records.
What transactional fees does the 2.3% tip cover on the donation page?
The 2.3% tip goes to Stripe, which processes your credit card payment. CauseVox is donating their fundrasing platform for free to Mutual Aid for the Met Museum Staff so that more funds are allocated to our community members.
Why did the system for fiscal aid change in December?
Our contract with our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, expires at the end of 2020, so we must close the fund and Request for Aid form on December 31, 2020. In order to equitably assist as many requesters as possible, we have decided to fundraise until the end of the year and distribute the fund evenly among those who submit Requests for Aid between now and December 31, 2020 and meet the eligibility requirements outlined above. These final disbursements will begin on January 13, 2021.
Are you offering non-material forms of support in addition to direct cash assistance?
Even though the fundraiser and Request for Aid form will close when our contract with our fiscal sponsor, Artadia, expires on December 31, 2020, we realize that this crisis is ongoing and there are many forms of non-material support that our community needs. Our form to request support includes a space to describe non-material needs (such as help with grocery shopping, essential errands, or childcare) so that such a network of support may evolve and expand in the future. We will work towards evolving this effort beyond the fundraiser and into a sustainable network of care. We will be updating this website with more details about these efforts when we are able.