The New England Musicians Relief Fund (NEMRF) has launched an initiative to reach $500,000 in donations by March 13, the one year anniversary of COVID-19 shutting down the entertainment industry in Massachusetts.

Founded in 2020 by a host of Boston-area musicians, union leaders, executives, and music supporters, NEMRF is helping New England musicians weather financial difficulties by providing relief checks to qualified musicians. The fund is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The global pandemic has created an acute crisis for the more than 2,000 freelance musicians who make their living playing live music across New England. Because of the nature of freelance musicians’ work, many do not fit neatly into either the traditional economy or the gig economy.

As a result, when venues shut down in last March, musicians were left without regular income, few benefits, and, for many, little or no qualified unemployment insurance. One year later, without a clear sign of when their industry will return, many of these professional musicians are in desperate need of relief.

NEMRF President Gabriel Rice said when things shut down last year, “We never imagined that one year later, venues would still be closed, musicians would still be out of work, and that we’d have no idea when live music might return.”

Applications for relief funds are arriving “at an accelerating pace,” Rice also noted.

To date, NEMRF has provided grants of $1,000 to more than 300 performers across every genre and region in New England.

Any professional musician who resides or is professionally active in the New England or New York’s Upper Hudson Valley may apply for a grant provided that at least 50% of their income has come from employment as a performing musician and/or music teacher in the three calendar years 2017-19.

Anyone enrolled in a degree program within that time frame does not need to demonstrate a full three years of the 50% threshold.

Those who are unsure of their qualification under those measure are encouraged to at least apply, as other factors may be considered, according to NEMRF’s website. Details and applications are available at nemrf.org/apply.

Rice said that reaching its target of $500,000 by March 13 will allow NEMRF to keep up with incoming applications and get relief checks out to as many musicians as possible, providing a meaningful financial boost to help pay the rent and buy food.

“We want to help bridge the gap until musicians can get back to work,” he said.

Yahuba Garcia-Torres is one recipient of an NEMRF grant.

“Over the past year, we’ve all tried to find innovative ways to keep playing music and raise funds to support ourselves, but these efforts have done little to make up for the lost tours and weekly gigs that filled my calendar before the pandemic,” said the Lowell, Massachusetts-based percussionist. “By the holidays I was really feeling the pinch, and I am so grateful for the NEMRF grant I received. It truly saved Christmas for my family.”

NEMRF Vice President Hazel Dean Davis noted, “Even the most optimistic predictions suggest live music won’t return before fall of 2021, and it could be years before we return to the vibrant music scenes that existed before COVID.

“The NEMRF plans to be here throughout the recovery and for years to come, but we will need the continued support of music lovers across New England,” Davis added.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Immediate Relief Fund, visit nemrf.org/takeaction, and to stay up to date on the latest announcements, follow NEMRF on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.