Emergency Mental Health Grant Program: January 2026 Update
Dear IndieSpace Community,
We want to share an important update regarding our Emergency Mental Health Grant Program.
Beginning January 21, we will pause the Emergency Mental Health Grant application for a brief period of reflection and thoughtful revitalization. As IndieSpace moves through a transition with our Program Manager role, we see this as an opportunity to take a meaningful look at the program and make intentional improvements to the applicant experience, lottery system, and overall grant management process.
This pause is rooted in care for our community and for our internal team. Our goal is to limit the amount of time the program is paused while also giving ourselves the time needed to make changes thoughtfully and transparently. We plan to re-open the application as soon as possible.
THIS PROGRAM IS NOT GOING AWAY! We are committed to supporting artists’ mental health and want to make sure we are always doing that in the best way possible.
In order to ensure that all the artists’ needs from last year's application cycle are met before we make this transition, we will be paying out all the remaining eligible applicants from applications submitted in 2025.
All eligible applicants who applied before January 1, 2026, and are still awaiting a grant will receive a $500 Mental Health Grant this month. A member of the IndieSpace team will be in touch within the next week to confirm acceptance of the grant and collect any payout details. With this, it means that EVERY single artist who applied for a grant in 2025, and was found eligible, will have received at least one $500 grant by the end of this month.
FOR 2026 APPLICANTS
This means that there will be NO lottery drawing for this month. If you submitted an application on or after January 1, 2026, you will remain in the applicant pool and be entered into the first lottery of 2026 when that occurs. Once that lottery date is set, you will be notified of that date, your new lottery number, and if there are any eligibility concerns or additional actions needed before the lottery takes place.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
All applicants who applied in 2025 and are still awaiting a grant WILL receive a $500 grant this month.
There will be no lottery drawing for this month, January 2026.
Anyone who submitted an eligible application in 2026 will remain in the lottery pool until the next lottery.
Starting January 21, the Emergency Mental Health Grant Application will PAUSE and will not accept any new applications until it re-opens in the next couple of months.
THIS PROGRAM IS NOT GOING AWAY and will remain a GRANTING program!
We are deeply grateful for your patience, trust, and grace as we take this time to strengthen the program so it can better serve our community now and in the future. We’re excited about what’s ahead and look forward to sharing updates as the refreshed program takes shape. In the meantime, if you have any questions, concerns, or ideas about how we can improve the program, please reach out to The IndieSpace Team at hello@indiespace.org.
With love,
The IndieSpace Team