SAN FRANCISCO MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT VENUE RECOVERY FUND

Grant application - CLOSED

San Francisco-based live music and entertainment venues can apply for a Venue Fund grant through the VENUE FUND GRANT APPLICATION WEBSITE.

The application deadline is January 12, 2022, at 5:00 p.m. PST.

Note: In the grant application form, in order to search your Business Account Number (BAN), please:

Type in the BAN
Click “Verify your BAN”
Allow up to 30 seconds for search results to appear
Choose the address for which you are applying
Then, if the BAN is applicable (i.e., you had a Place of Entertainment permit as of 2/25/20), click “Next” to go to the next page

Grant applicants will have until 5:00 p.m. PST on Monday, January 31, 2022, to provide required documentation in order to be determined “Eligible Venues” and receive a grant.

Eligible Venues in Round 1 are automatically eligible to receive an additional grant in Round 2 and do not need to reapply.

About the fund

Established in March 2021, the SF Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund (“Venue Fund”) provides financial support to San Francisco-based live music and entertainment venues in order to prevent their permanent closure due to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic. The fund is administered by the SF Office of Small Business.

Venue Fund rules

The Office of Small Business has adopted Venue Fund Rules regarding the Venue Fund based on Administrative Code Section 10.100-308.

Grant information

Grants for Round 1 in 2021 were for $35,720 to help local music and entertainment venues stay in business. Additional grants for Round 2 will be distributed in early 2022.

Grant requirements include but are not limited to:

Your business must have had a Place of Entertainment (POE) permit on February 25, 2020. You also must maintain that POE permit.
The principal function of your business must be offering live entertainment, meaning that you have performance and audience spaces, sound system, and lighting system.
You must show that your business hosts live entertainment regularly. Before February 25, 2020, your business must have provided live entertainment 16 or more days a month on average, or every day you were open to the public.

You can use the grants to pay for rent, mortgage, payroll, unsecured property taxes, insurance or utility costs.

Supplier set-up

If you applied for a Venue Fund grant, you must set up your business as a "Supplier" with the City and County of San Francisco, which will be necessary for payment of grants. Click here for guidelines regarding the Supplier set-up process.

Step 5 in the Supplier set-up process is NOT REQUIRED. Grantees for Venue Fund grants will not be required to demonstrate compliance with the Equal Benefits Ordinance.

There is no cost to get set up as a Supplier.

Application statistics - Round 2

Number of applications submitted: 7 + 70 from Round 1 = 77

Number of applications approved ("Eligible Venues"): 4 + 70 from Round 1 = 74

Grant applicants have until 5:00 p.m. PST on Monday, January 31 to provide required documentation in order to be determined “Eligible Venues” and receive a grant

Date and time of statistics: January 12, 5:00 p.m. PST

List of grantees (Eligible Venues) - Round 2 only

Arena SF

Irelands 32

Milk Bar

Tupelo

Application statistics - Round 1

Number of applications submitted: 84

Number of applications approved ("Eligible Venues"): 70

List of grantees (Eligible Venues) - Rounds 1 and 2

Amados

American Conservatory Theatre

August Hall

Aunt Charlies Lounge

Barbarossa Lounge

Beauty Bar

Beaux

Biscuits and Blues

Black Cat

Boom Boom Room

Bottom of the Hill

Boxcar Theatre

Cafe du Nord

Cat Club

Chapel SF, The

Cigar Bar and Restaurant

Club Deluxe

Club Malibu

DNA Lounge

El Rio

Endup, The

Grand Nightclub

Gray Area Foundation For The Arts

Great American Music Hall

Great Northern, The

Halcyon

Harlot

Harris' Restaurant

Holy Cow

Hotel Utah Saloon

Hue

Independent, The

Jolene's

Knockout, The

Lab SF, The

Lone Star Saloon

Lookout

Lucky Horseshoe Bar

Luxx

Madrone Art Bar

Make Out Room

Marrakech Moroccan Restaurant

Midway, The

Mint, The

Monarch

Mr. Tipple's Recording Studio

Neck of the Woods

Oasis

Origin

Pachamama

Pandora Karaoke

Phonobar

PianoFight

Plough and Stars, The

Pop's Clubhouse

Public Works, The

Rickshaw Stop

Riptide, The

Roccapulco

Saloon, The

SF Eagle

SFJAZZ

Skylark

Space 550

Temple SF Nightclub

Ten 15 (AKA 1015 Folsom)

Thee Parkside

Underground SF

Valencia Room, The

Support San Francisco's music and entertainment venues

Make a tax-deductible contribution

The City and County of San Francisco is accepting tax-deductible monetary contributions for the City's COVID-19 outbreak response efforts. Donations to the Venue Fund provide direct financial support to San Francisco-based live music and entertainment venues in order to prevent their permanent closure due to the pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Presently, you can donate online through Give2SF, by check, or by having funds electronically transferred to the City and County of San Francisco.

1) To make a donation online, go to Give2SF at https://sfgov.org/sfc/give2sf, click on Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund, click Donate Now, check "Yes" under Music & Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund, and answer all the questions.

2) If paying by check, make payments to "CCSF-OSB.” Please include “Venue Fund” in the memo line. Checks can be mailed to:

Music and Entertainment Venue Fund
Office of Small Business
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
City Hall Room 140
San Francisco, CA 94102

3) To have funds electronically transferred to the City and County of San Francisco’s bank account through ACH, email sbc@sfgov.org for instructions.

Why donate?

Do you love concerts, performances, and cultural events? Are you a fan of live music and entertainment? San Francisco’s music and entertainment venues need your help during this challenging time. Your tax-deductible donation will help provide grants and support for nightlife businesses during and after the pandemic.

Launched in March 2021 by the City and County of San Francisco, the San Francisco Music and Entertainment Venue Recovery Fund will provide grants directly to San Francisco’s shuttered music and entertainment venues to:

prevent their permanent closure due to the devastating financial losses of the pandemic
support their reopening or relocation within San Francisco
put them on a path to present live music and entertainment again in the future

Donations of any amount can be made. Donations over $100 will be acknowledged on the City of San Francisco website.

Disclaimer

All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law. The City and County of San Francisco’s Tax ID number is 94-6000417.

The City and County of San Francisco (City) is unable to accept anonymous donations. The City is committed to financial transparency and is subject to open government laws, including the City's Sunshine Ordinance (Administrative Code, Chapter 67). Public reporting includes each donor’s name, the value of the donation, and notes on financial interest(s) a donor may have involving the City. Such financial interests include any contract, grant, lease, or request for license, permit, or other entitlement for use with or pending before the City.

Following your donation, you will be sent a brief survey to ensure the City can provide accurate and complete donor reporting.

Contact

If you have any questions please email sbc@sfgov.org or call (415) 554-6680.