The SAG-AFTRA Foundation granted more than $800,000 in emergency financial assistance, Covid assistance, senior financial crisis aid, health assistance and disaster relief this year to members of the union, the foundation’s president, Courtney B. Vance, said in his year-end fireside chat. He also reported that the Foundation awarded another $300,000 in higher education scholarships to 106 SAG-AFTRA members and their dependents.
“We couldn’t have done any of this without the generosity of our donors,” he said, “so on behalf of the Foundation I thank you for continued support of our community in times of need. As has always been true, if you need help, please ask. And if you can help, please give.”
See his fireside chat here:
“As the industry is back up and running and productions are in full swing, the SAG-AFTRA Foundation continues to be hard at work serving as the vital safety net and free educational resource for our community of 160,000 SAG-AFTRA artists nationwide,” Vance said.
Sharing some of the Foundation’s “big wins” this year, he said:
Storyline Online, he noted, has surpassed 900 million views since it was begun over 20 years ago. “And 2023 looks to be the year we may just hit 1 billion views,” he said.
In closing, Vance said: “I want to remind you that our Foundation relies on the generosity of SAG-AFTRA members to keep our work strong and vital. During this time of giving, consider making a donation to support our Foundation and your family of fellow performers. We thank you for keeping us in mind, and we wish you the happiest of holiday seasons. May you and your loved ones be met with peace and good will.”