A group of Canadian music industry veterans and artists have been working for the past two years to develop Unison Benevolent Fund, a long-overdue assistance and referral program for and by the music industry. It will provide emergency financial assistance and crisis management, insurance and counseling, and will be free to those actively working in the Canadian music industry – artists and service providers alike.

There is a major hole in Canada’s music industry – a supportive infrastructure to help its people deal with life’s unfortunate turns. Much of the Canadian music industry is comprised of independent individual creators and entrepreneurs who engage in micro-enterprise and who are driven by passion rather than profit. As a result, a good proportion of those in the industry don’t have access to many of the safety nets as do those working in other sectors. We all know musicians and industry workers who have been struck by illness or accident, and had nowhere to turn.

Unison is a registered not-for-profit company, federally incorporated, with pending charitable status, and is run by a board of directors from across the country, working in all areas of Canadian music. Building Unison isn’t a quick or easy process, and requires heavy financial commitment to offer these important benefits to our industry.

Unison is currently fundraising and building awareness. The company expects to be active in 2011, but needs the help of everybody in the industry in order to make it work. It takes a community to support a community, and only with help can Unison work towards an even stronger and better supported Canadian music industry. SOCAN supports the Unison Benevolent Fund on behalf of all its members.

How you can help:
           • Register now at www.unisonfund.ca to get updates on Unison’s progress, and to join              the growing list of Canadians in support of this critical initiative.
           • Spread the word – link www.unisonfund.ca on your website, send a blurb (link to a blurb              on the site) to your mailing list. Help build the base.
           • Raise some money – hold a fundraising event, donate a dollar from each concert ticket,               instrument, CD or T-shirt you sell, have a collection box at your shows, and so on

Thanks for your support.