Match for Makers: Match your generosity with creativity
When creativity thrives, communities thrive — but Alberta’s artists, musicians, dancers, and performers can’t always create without support.
Across Alberta, many creative professionals face financial hardship when illness, loss of income, or emergencies strike. Unlike other workers, most independent artists and performers don’t have access to benefits or safety nets. Without timely support, talented makers are forced to pause — or abandon — their creative work altogether.
Elephant Artist Relief Society (EAR) provides direct emergency funding, wellness support, and free entrepreneurial workshops for Alberta’s creative professionals. Our Match for Makers campaign will raise $5,000 over 8 weeks, with every donation matched dollar-for-dollar to help artists recover, rebuild, and keep creating.
Funding for makers facing an emergency is limited and often unpredictable. EAR bridges that gap — providing grants and resources quickly when makers need them most. This campaign ensures that when an artist’s world falls apart, there’s a community ready to lift them back up.
Highlights
See all activity1About EAR
Elephant Artist Relief Society (EAR)
Supporting Artists. Strengthening Communities
Who We Are:
Elephant Artist Relief Society (EAR) is a Calgary-based non-profit
committed to supporting artists and creative professionals through
every stage of their careers. Since 2007, EAR has helped artists
facing financial hardship, health challenges, and professional
barriers. We are dedicated to reducing financial insecurity, improving
health, and fostering social inclusion by providing emergency
support, access to essential
resources, and community
connections. Our goal: to ensure artists have the stability,
well-being, and resilience needed to create and thrive.
Why EAR Matters:
EAR supports artists by reducing financial hardship, improving health and well-being, sustaining careers, and strengthening the communities we all share.
- Reducing Financial Hardship: Helping artists cover rent, food, and medical needs in times of crisis.
- Improving Health & Well-being: Breaking barriers to healthcare and mental health supports.
- Sustaining Careers: Providing the tools, workshops, and mentorship artists need to thrive.
- Strengthening Communities: Stable artists contribute to strong, vibrant, resilient communities.
What We Do:
EAR addresses the unique needs of artists through direct support and capacity-building programs:
- Emergency Financial Relief : Grants to cover urgent medical, dental, housing, or basic needs crises.
- Health & Wellness Support : Group health insurance, healthcare navigation, and access to mental health resources and wellness events like yoga for creatives.
- Professional Development : Career-building workshops, mentorship, and entrepreneurship support.
- Studio E : An online community with monthly meetups to combat isolation and foster peer connection.
- Resource Navigation : A continually updated hub that connects artists to essential supports, including housing, food security, healthcare, senior and youth services, and transportation assistance.
Our Impact:
EAR’s programs provide life-changing support to artists facing economic and social challenges.
- $55,000+ in emergency financial relief provided since 2020.
- 92% of program participants reported improved financial stability.
- 87% of workshop participants reported new skills to improve their situations.
- 600+ participants engaged in Studio E since launch, building resilience and connection.
Behind these numbers are real lives changed: from artists who avoided eviction, to those who regained health access after years without insurance, to community members who rebuilt stability after crisis.
