Entertainment Community Fund provides financial assistance to 400 non-writers – Deadline
Rosy Cordeo
EXCLUSIVE: A solidarity relief fund that the Writers Guild and several of its prominent members set up to help non-members during the guild’s ongoing strike has now reached over $2.2 million and has already helped more of 400 industry members. The needs-based fund is administered by the , formerly known as the Actors Fund.
The fund, which recognizes that writers aren’t the only entertainment industry professionals impacted by the strike, was launched May 10 with $1.7 million in donations from the Guild and WGA members JJ Abrams, Greg Berlanti, Adam McKay, Ryan Murphy, Shonda Rhimes, Mike Schur and John Wells.
“The Fund has received over $2.2 million in donations to support film and television professionals,” Joe Benincasa, president and CEO of the Entertainment Community Fund, told Deadline. “And, we have helped over 400 people with emergency financial assistance and referred them to our additional programs and services to help them in areas such as health and wellness, career and life, housing and more.
The WGA West, meanwhile, has a separate $20 million strike fund to help its own members during the walkout. The WGA East also offers strike loans to its members.
The WGA strike, now in its 25th day, began on May 2 after negotiations with the Alliance of Film and Television Producers failed to produce an acceptable deal. Major guild issues include significant pay increases, minimum staffing, length of employment, implementation of viewer-based streaming residuals, and restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence to create scripts.
