The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) was the driving force behind lobbying and grassroots efforts to pass the bipartisan Save Our Stages Act, now officially named the Shuttered Venues Operators Grant Program, which was signed into law as part of the second COVID-19 Relief Bill on December 27, 2020. The program allocates $16 billion in federal emergency relief via the Small Business Administration, saving the industry from mass collapse.

Formed in mid-April 2020, just three weeks into the pandemic’s shutdown, NIVA’s members are independent venues, promoters, and festivals representing every state, Washington, D.C., and Guam. With the support of its members and their fans, the organization successfully launched a nationwide movement to #SaveOurStages, pulling together voices big and small to save independent venues and promoters on the brink of collapse due to COVID-19 shutdowns. Legislation was the driving focus, but there has been much more.

In the months between the association’s launch and the successful passage of federal aid, the NIVA Emergency Relief Fund was established to provide critical short-term assistance to those independent venues and promoters in the U.S. on the precipice of closing forever as they await federal relief. The organization also launched a three-day virtual music festival and fundraiser with YouTube Music called #SOSFEST, expanded into the charitable non-profit realm with the creation of the 501(c)3 National Independent Venue Foundation, and began making plans for a post-COVID future with a spotlight on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry.