A One-Time Opportunity for Nonprofit, New York State-Based Publishers Affected by the Closure of Small Press Distribution
The NYSCA-CLMP Forward Fund was a one-time grant opportunity, offering awards of $500 and $1,000 to eligible publishers that were affected by the closure of Small Press Distribution (SPD). Grants were used to defray expenses related to SPD’s closure, such as the cost of shipping books, lost sales income that was owed or that was incurred as a result of the closure, staff time spent on finding a new distributor, and other related distribution costs.
Eligibility and Requirements
- Applicants must have been New York State-based presses.
- Applicants must have been nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor.
- Applicants must have published at least one title within the past 18 months.
- Applicants must have been clients of SPD at the time of its closure.
- Publishers that received direct funding from NYSCA were eligible for this one-time award, as well as those that had received a NYSCA NYTAP regrant through CLMP, in addition to those that had never received either type of award.
- Grant recipients were required to submit a brief final report at the end of 2024.
Review Process
A short application assessed eligibility by confirming:
- The press’s former relationship with SPD
- The effects of the closure on the press
- The press’s ability to spend the funds on allowed expenditures in 2024
Awards were given with consideration to budget size, prioritizing presses with smaller budgets, and to total losses, as they relate to a press’s budget size. Presses that hadn’t received direct NYSCA support were prioritized.
Timeline
April 25, 2024: Application portal opened
May 17, 2024 (5 PM ET): Application portal closed
May 30, 2024: Grants announced
December 15, 2024: Final reports due
