WEAF Application

What is WEAF?

WEAF offers grants to professional freelance writers who, because of illness, disability, natural disaster, or extraordinary professional crisis, are unable to work.

Am I Eligible?

• You do not need to be an ASJA member, but you must qualify for professional membership in ASJA. This means you must be an established nonfiction freelance writer with clips in national publications and/or more than one book with a traditional publisher.
• As an established freelance writer, your normal writing capacity must be severely diminished or non-existent as a result of illness, disability, a natural disaster (such as a fire or hurricane) or an extraordinary professional or personal crisis (such as a professional lawsuit or having to care for a seriously ill spouse).
• You will be required to provide documentation that demonstrates your need and the reasons you are eligible for a WEAF grant. See the checklist below.
• WEAF funds are not available to those who are experiencing economic difficulties because of downturns in the publishing industry, a client or publication that has not paid for contracted work, the closure of a publication or client’s business, or the loss of a staff or permalance position.
• WEAF does not award grants for writing projects, nor does it fund works-in-progress. WEAF grants are offered to help recipients meet living expenses.
• No more than two WEAF grants can be awarded to one candidate.

Documentation Checklist

The following materials must accompany your application. Before starting your application, please gather the required documentation.

Samples of your published nonfiction work

• Links to books published by traditional publishers. These links may come from Amazon, a publisher’s website, or Bookshop.org, for example.
• Links or pdfs of bylined, full-length magazine or newspaper articles or other nonfiction writing done on a freelance basis for major publications, including national consumer or trade magazines and websites
• Links or pdfs of non-bylined articles or other nonfiction writing done on a freelance basis for content marketing companies, plus documentation—such as a signed contract—demonstrating that you completed this work
• A list of magazine and/or book credits
• Your bio or CV

Financial Documentation

All of the following documents are required. If your application does not include one or more of the following, it cannot be considered for a grant.

• Schedule C and pages 1 and 2 of the 1040 from your income tax return filed for the most recent year in which you made a living as a professional freelance writer
• Schedule C and pages 1 and 2 of the 1040 from the most recent year in which your income was diminished by disability, illness, or crisis
• The most recent bank statement(s) from all of your bank accounts, showing the amounts on deposit
• A completed W-9 form (download now)

Medical and Household Documentation

• Copies of medical, household and other monthly bills to help the review committee understand your financial need
• Professional and/or medical references to document your illness or disability
• If you are applying due to a natural disaster or an extraordinary professional crisis, provide an explanation (including dates) and describe how your ability to work has been affected