Freelance Co-Op

Making Creativity Sustainable

Freelancer COVID-19 Emergency Fund

Contribute to the Fund

Welcome to the Freelance Co-op COVID-19 Emergency Fund.

Part of our mission of making creativity sustainable is supporting freelancers in uncertain and unprecedented times. (It’s what we do here.)

We cooperate.

Partner-Level Donors ($1000+)

Fund Donors

  • Pretty Fly Copy
  • Linda Perry
  • Tim Woo
  • Laura Babcock
  • Patricia Moyer
  • Brett Randell
  • Chris Wright
  • Matt Hall
  • John O’Connor
  • Gear Driven Media LLC
  • Samar Murtaza Ansari
  • Chantelle Zakariasen
  • Julie Cabezas
  • Andrew Yedlin
  • The Scribesmith
  • Claire Obrien
  • Jenny Smiechowski
  • Jamie Cassata
  • Michele Wolk
  • Nicole Piper
  • Alexandra Oshinskie
  • Mary Dooe
  • David Baumann
  • Daniel Woldorff
  • John Howell
  • Impact Marketing & Media
  • Laura Ferguson
  • Coywolf
  • Allison Blum
  • Writing For Oil Inc.
  • Laura Ruiz De Gamboa Peres
  • Sage Polaris
  • Chris Patao
  • Lisa Christoffel
  • Isaac Humphrie
  • Carolyn Bothwell
  • Multiplied Marketing
  • Adrian Horton
  • Mikayla Terrell
  • Meara Oberdieck
  • Dale Noelle Weil
  • Jake Forsythe
  • Dawn Del Russo
  • Alysse Davis
  • Kathryn Sammartino
  • Olga Stahurski
  • Jamie Cassata
  • Stublisher, Inc.
  • Angie Colee
  • Melanie Warren
  • Gale Creative
  • Christina Torres
  • Thomas Schmidt
  • Ashlee Berghoff
  • Juan Rodriguez
  • Sorcha Kate MacKenzie
  • Joel Klettke
  • RDC Worldwide
  • Aubrey Schieuer
  • Rose Womelsdorf
  • Kyle Butler
  • Valerie Hooks
  • Christine Laureano
  • Jessie Lewis
  • Titans Marketing LLC
  • Scott Martin Creative Services Incorporated
  • Nicolas Segovia
  • Mike Andreasen from WP Bullet
  • Victor-Alan Weeks
  • Benjamin Frisch
  • Elizabeth Jacobs
  • Raeshawn wilson
  • Hailey Peek
  • Vectra Trading Inc.
  • Knowledge Bridge Partners
  • Credo
  • Song Mieke
  • AFFcelerator
  • Marcia Adair
  • Anita Bacher
  • Kevin Rogers – Copy Chief
  • Chanti Zakariasen
  • Christina Allsop
  • David Deutsch
  • Sarah Hamel-Smith
  • Karen Ortiz
  • Smocked PolkaDot
  • Renee Cafaro
  • N2A Ministries
  • Rochelle Turner
  • Erica Sperber
  • Catherine Trautwein
  • Kathryn Sammartino
  • Ian Cameron
  • Chris Orzechowski
  • Lorena Bueno
  • Darren Hanser
  • Childress Business Communication
  • Punchline Conversion Copywriting
  • Zafira Rajan
  • Jody Robertson
  • Bernie Boyd
  • Katro Global Services
  • Chantal Diaz Collection
  • Tech Guys Fix Marketing
  • Serena Savage
  • Mayank & Prerna Malik, Content Bistro
  • Kids Guitar Academy, LLC
  • Candice Parsons
  • brandbliss
  • Bailey Rogg
  • Antoinette Ansah
  • Laura Marquardt In honor of Ryan Heffington’s Instagram dance parties
  • Serena Savage
  • Ann M. Celsi
  • Alex Kirschenbaum
  • Mihai Vasile
  • James LaParl
  • Raj Beats
  • John Sanderson
  • Janelle Gooley
  • Monica Day
  • Victoria Wilkerson
  • qi mu
  • Riviere Agency
  • Dan Ferrari
  • Jenelle DeLaRosa
  • Dalmas Onyango
  • Irene Lopez
  • Si-Ning Li
  • Liz Hall
  • Jonathan Ingram
  • Amivi Sogbo
  • Alexander Lotovsky
  • Patricia B Lawson

Pay-It-Forward Donors

These are prior recipients of the fund who have “paid it forward” by donating back to the fund once on their feet. THIS is what the Freelance Co-op is all about

  • Gustavo Bernal
  • Tom Brink

Become a partner

Currently (as of June 17 at 6am Eastern), we have $515,573.23 in requests and we have raised $24,242. Please consider contributing and being listed as a partner.

Contribute to the Fund

How the Fund Works

***NOTE: We have closed the fund for new applications due to the overwhelming amount of requests. We will continue to fundraise in order to fund as many requests as possible***

The foundation of the Freelance Co-op is creative freelancers pooling resources for success. If you’re a freelancer who is in a position to help others, please consider donating to the fund and being added to our partner listing above.

We will be funding creative freelancers who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 virus and resulting public response. Examples of funding usage are:

  • Your child’s school has been closed and you have unexpected childcare expenses.
  • Your client has cancelled an event or contract and you are unable to pay basic living expenses.
  • Someone in your family has contracted the virus and you have unexpected medical expenses.

This fund is for freelancers specifically affected by the COVID-19 virus or resulting public response.

Please do not call or visit the Freelance Co-op office regarding your application. Due to NYS Social Distancing Guidelines, we are not in the office nor manning phones.

Policies:

Policies will be reviewed and updated regularly.

  1. We have closed the fund to new applications due to the overwhelming number of requests. We currently have 2,196 requests totaling $515,573.23.
  2. It’s like that scene in It’s a Wonderful Life. We’ll be able to help a lot more people if you only ask for what you need to get you through the short-term. This is a not a substitute for finding client work or a fund to be used to start your business.
  3. We’re in this together. So as part of the application, you will agree that if you receive funding you will “pay it forward.” This means that when you are back on your feet, whether it’s 5 days or 5 months, you will either 1) contribute back to the fund or 2) contribute the same amount to a charity that supports creative freelancers. The Freelance Co-op and our funding partners reserve the right to revoke funding if this obligation is not met.
  4. The Freelance Co-op reserves the right to revoke funding and demand distributed funds be returned if misuse or fraud are discovered.
  5. The Freelance Co-op distribution team will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis as long as the fund is solvent. Prioritization of applications and distributions via Paypal will happen Tuesdays and Fridays at noon Eastern time. Note: just because you are not selected one round does not mean that your application is denied. We will distribute funds based on priority of applications and reevaluate all open applications each funding cycle. You will be contacted if your application is denied outright.

FAQ

Is my donation tax deductible?

Are you going to really hold me to this ‘Pay it Forward’ policy?

Are there other organizations supporting freelancers in this time?

What about Canada?

How much money is in the fund?

Why aren’t you accepting new applications?

What’s the status of my application for funding?

The Freelance Co-op Values and Mission

Connection

The key to freelance success is to abolish the myth that we’re in this alone. We create true, deep connections with each other, our clients, and our community,  — the physical communities we live and work in, and also the larger creative freelancer and industry communities. We believe if you give more to your community than you take, you’ll always end up with more than you need.

Agency

We believe that freelancers have agency. We are in control of our own story, our own business, and our own successes and failures. We don’t tolerate victim mentalities or shifting blame. While we can and do work toward solving client problems, we approach all issues as opportunities to improve our own processes not blame “bad clients.”

The Pro Code

We commit to the “Pro Code”: Be where you said you’d be, when you said you’d be there, having done what you said you’d do. We expect our members to commit to the pro code with each other, with the co-op, and with their clients.

Brutal Honesty

Honesty is key to cooperation. We’re open to our clients about our shortcomings, problems that arise, and our capabilities. Clear, honest feedback is central to freelancer/client relationships. It’s the only way we can grow. We’ll be honest with our members, with our clients, and with our team. In return, we solicit brutally honest feedback about how we’re doing.

Boldness

Success doesn’t come from copying. It comes from understanding market trends and best practices and constantly pushing the boundaries of what’s possible. We seek to experiment, innovate and stay on the leading edge of the freelancing industries.

Intentionality

Everyone has a system for how they work. The difference is whether it’s an intentional or haphazard system. We guide our members to be intentional and build better systems for productivity, marketing, and client relationships.

 

Figuroutableness

Challenges will happen. Challenges in life. Challenges with clients. We believe that every problem can be solved with creativity, experimentation, and persistence. We love being around people that keep going until they’ve got it.

Bon vivant

We love pursuing excellence in our creative life. The result is a beautiful, diverse, delicious world. We expect excellence from our vendors, employees, customers. And we all share in the spoils.