Search Through King County Grants for Nonprofits in Washington

Touring Arts Roster Presenter Incentive Program Grant

Hire from our Touring Arts Roster and receive up to $2,500. Support local arts and bring some of the best King County performing artists to your community!

The Presenter Incentive provides up to $2,500 per calendar year to organizations who hire performing artists from our Touring Arts Roster—a juried list of some of the best performers in King County. Funding is available to Local Arts Agencies, city agencies, business associations, Sustained Support organizations, and Public Development Authorities producing free or low-cost performing arts events for their communities. Organizations and events must be located in King County.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents will benefit from the work you do.

Equity Investments

To combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture engages in the practice of making Equity Investments. This practice involves looking at several indicators of structural inequity and applying that knowledge to our peer review panel process. These indicators include but are not limited to: geographic location of applicants, operating budget, communities engaged with and audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors in our grantmaking decisions and panel review process, we anticipate funds will be distributed to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding.

Funding

• Reimburses 50% of artist fees for Touring Arts Roster performers only.
• $2,500 maximum per calendar year; can include multiple events.

Emergency and Unforeseen

We know that cultural work comes with unexpected building costs, whether it’s good—an opportunity for a lease or property—or bad—fires, floods, and other damage. This grant is always open as long as funds are available and operates on a faster schedule to help meet those needs.

What Emergency and Unforeseen Funds

Emergency and Unforeseen grants meet a wide variety of unexpected facility needs for cultural organizations, and our funds are only available for actual costs incurred to repair or renovate cultural spaces. This grant starts with a conversation with 4Culture staff, who will help determine whether your project meets eligibility requirements. We’ll keep in touch as you prepare your application. The kinds of documents you’ll submit will depend on the nature of your facility project.

Criteria

We carefully evaluate all grant applications. We want to see that you have a good plan behind your project, and that it will result in tangible benefits for the public.

For this particular grant, we’ll look at the following:

• Quality and Qualifications: the thought and reasoning you have put into responding to this emergency or assessing this unforeseen opportunity, including assembling a qualified and prepared project team. If it’s an emergency, we’ll evaluate the immediacy of need and whether there’s a clear plan for resolving the crisis; if it’s an opportunity, we’ll assess the potential to further your organization’s mission.
• Feasibility: your ability to successfully manage this project to gain stability, as demonstrated through the financial and operational information you provide.
• Project Impact and Public Benefit: if the project involves a cultural or science and technology facility, the impact of your project on your organization’s ability to serve the community. If the project involves a landmark, the extent to which the project will aid in the long-term preservation and continued use of the property.
• Advancing Equity: your organization or project’s focus on serving or including historically marginalized communities, especially communities that are disproportionately impacted by structural racism. This is not a requirement for funding but will be considered in the review process.
• Economic Impact: your organization or project’s impact on the local economy, including staff and contractors employed, volunteer hours and in-kind donations leveraged, and other spending; and indirect impacts like increasing commercial activity, activating spaces, and enhancing the vibrancy of communities.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

4Culture is a public agency supporting the cultural sector through revenue from Lodging Tax, 1% for Art, and Doors Open funding sources. Core to our work and defined in our Charter is a requirement that everything we fund serves the public interest, enriching communities throughout King County.

We define Public Benefit as the opportunity for King County residents and visitors to access and engage in arts, science and technology, and other cultural activities, events, communities of practice, historic and cultural spaces, and works of public art related to our program areas. It is a service requirement for all recipients of funding from 4Culture. Public benefit makes it easier to experience culture! 

Liberty Mutual Foundation

At Liberty Mutual Insurance, we believe progress happens when people feel secure. By providing protection for the unexpected and delivering it with care, we help people embrace today and confidently pursue tomorrow. This purpose serves as a guiding principle for our philanthropic efforts, which seek to advance security and build resiliency for vulnerable people and communities.

We support organizations that work to empower individuals who are struggling to thrive amid challenging situations. 

Types of Support:

Liberty Mutual Foundation primarily provides programmatic and general operating support to 501(C)(3) organizations. Priority is given to organizations and projects that serve low-income youth and young adults. Each year, the Foundation awards a limited number of capital grants to current partner organizations whose missions closely align with our strategic grantmaking framework. 

The Norcliffe Foundation is a private family foundation established to improve the ​quality of life for all people in our community.

What we fund

Areas of support include human services, healthcare, civic and community projects, education, and arts and culture. 

Funding Areas

The foundation makes grants in the following areas: 

• Arts & Culture
• Civic & Community
• Education
• Healthcare & Research
• Human & Social Services

Grant Amounts

The Norcliffe Foundation provides support to a wide variety of organizations and projects. Grant size depends on the scope of the project and the capacity of the organization.

Nearly 60% of the grants we make are $15,000 or less.

Things to consider when determining the appropriate amount to request:

• What is the gift range already committed or pending from other funders and foundations? The Norcliffe Foundation is most interested in joining a community of funders and is rarely the largest donor to a project.
• Is there a history of funding from The Norcliffe Foundation and what is the range for those grants?

Funding Types

Funding types include:

• Capacity Building
• Capital and Infrastructure 
• Challenge or Matching
• General Operating
• Program Support ​

Allen Family Philanthropies invests in arts & culture because we believe that arts & cultural experiences contribute to a deeper understanding of ourselves and others, helping to foster connections and strengthen communities.

Creative Youth Development Request for Proposals

The Creative Youth Development Request for Proposals (RFP) seeks to advance equitable access to high-quality creative youth development programs, for Washington youth ages 13 to 26. The RFP aims to support programs that specifically utilize arts and culture as a tool to develop artistic skills, strengthen wellbeing through creative expression, and increase civic engagement. Eligible community-serving nonprofit organizations and Tribal entities may apply for up to $500k over three years. A total of $5M will be available to fund 10-12 organizations via this RFP.

What is Creative Youth Development?

Creative Youth Development (CYD) is an approach that enables young people to develop artistic and leadership capabilities, advance wellbeing, and connect with their communities and the world around them. CYD programs are diverse, spanning artistic disciplines such as film, various forms of dance, visual arts from photography to sculpture, musical composition to performance, and creative writing. Traditional and contemporary cultural traditions are also recognized within the practice of CYD, including but not limited to beadwork, dance, language preservation, storytelling, weaving, and wood carving. What they share are a set of intentional features, including artistically rigorous learning opportunities that are culturally relevant and responsive to youth needs; safe and supportive learning environments; youth-driven program design; relationship and network building among peers and adults, and youth civic engagement. CYD is distinct from traditional arts education, which focuses primarily on teaching artistic skills and techniques.

Opportunity Overview

This new funding opportunity, offered by Allen Family Philanthropies, supports existing (not new) efforts that provide youth with CYD experiences, with priority support for projects that serve youth who have limited access to quality arts and cultural experiences. Programs must work with youth ages 13-26 during out-of-school-time programs that are driven by youth interests and influences and delivered by teaching artists. Allen Family Philanthropies recognizes that there are many approaches that could be effective in advancing the goals of the RFP and encourages organizations that meet the eligibility and review criteria to apply. We are particularly interested in programs that serve youth communities outside of King County and within Washington State. Learn more about the definitions, eligibility criteria, and Letter Of Interest (LOI) and RFP timeline below.

Apply for a grant

NW Children’s Foundation works to end the intergenerational cycle of child abuse, neglect, and trauma. We are committed to advancing trust-based philanthropy, recognizing the equally valuable contributions of funders, grant-seeking nonprofits, and the communities they serve in advancing equity and racial justice.

Our funding is focused on prevention, early intervention, and treatment to heal children, strengthen families, and empower youth. We invite child welfare organizations aligned with our mission to apply for funding.

Strategically maximizing every gift

Through our Grantmaking, we support prevention, early intervention, and treatment programs to heal children who have suffered trauma, strengthen families, and empower youth. Our grant portfolio includes a broad array of organizations – new and established, large and small, rural and urban.

To ensure our donors’ gifts can make the biggest difference, NW Children’s Foundation takes a strategic, hands-on approach in evaluating each grant candidate. 

Twice a year, our Board assesses grant requests from a wide variety of child welfare agencies. We look for a number of qualities in the agencies we select, including:

• Focus on children/youth
• Dedicated personnel
• Financial integrity
• Innovative and effective approaches to problem-solving

Once a first-level assessment has been completed, we conduct a comprehensive review, visiting each agency under consideration, seeing programs in action, and talking face-to-face with the individuals behind them.

General Operating Support for Emerging and Small Organizations Grant

General Operating Support for Emerging and Small Organizations offers small grants to support young arts organizations. Groups that do not have 501(c)(3) nonprofit status and do not have Fiscal Sponsorship can apply for fiscal sponsorship when completing this grant application through our partnership with Shunpike.

Organizations that focus on the work of communities not fully or authentically represented in their region, especially those that focus on communities impacted by historical and structural inequity, are strongly encouraged to apply. Please reach out with questions and for assistance.

We will implement priorities-based criteria to ensure our limited funds are distributed equitably. This funding structure and process is strategically designed to maximize support for our growing community while aligning with the objectives in our strategic plan. We seek to keep diverse communities engaged in the creative economy, support the creative sector statewide, and emphasize cultural equity, community diversity, and sector growth. 

Definitions for this grant:

• Emerging Organizations have at least one year of experience managing their organization and providing at least one public program.
• Small Organizations have at least three years of experience managing their organization and providing regular public programming.

Partnership with Shunpike

ArtsWA is pleased to partner with Shunpike to offer fiscal sponsorship to new groups wishing to apply to the General Operating Support Emerging and Small Organizations grant program.

• Groups can apply for fiscal sponsorship within the grant application.
• Groups that apply for fiscal sponsorship within the Emerging grant application must attend a fiscal sponsorship info session with Shunpike.
  • Please register here.
• Groups that are awarded a grant and gain fiscal sponsorship under Shunpike must attend a 90-minute on-boarding session.

Please read Shunpike’s Applying for Fiscal Sponsorship document if you are seeking fiscal sponsorship. It includes important information about fiscal sponsorship, including how you will get paid.

Funding

ArtsWA’s Grants to Organizations program has experienced exponential growth since the pandemic. Our funds have not kept pace with this growth. Beginning this funding cycle our grants will be smaller than previous years. Applicants can request $6,000 for general operating expenses. Funds are distributed in equal portions over two years ($3,000 x 2). Grant amounts may vary depending on available funds and number of applications received. ArtsWA grants are reimbursement grants. Payments are made after expenses are incurred, normally at the end of your operating year.

Social Impact

We’re building brighter futures through technology.

Every teen has dreams, and we’re working to make sure they have the opportunity to achieve them. Our programs connect young people with resources to realize their potential and channel their talent, energy and ideas into brighter futures. We believe that with technology, training and mentorship, anything is possible.

The Best Buy Foundation™ is on a mission to build brighter futures through technology.

By partnering with nonprofit organizations that share our focus on supporting young people through tech access, career training, and the cultivation of vibrant communities, we are better able to prepare the next generation for the tech-reliant jobs of the future. Together, we open a door that transforms teens from consumers to creators – a new generation of engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, designers and dreamers.

Community Support

The Best Buy Foundation is committed to strengthening the communities where our employees and customers live. Every year, we provide funding to local and national nonprofit partners, schools and libraries to support tech education programs for underserved youth to help them prepare for the future.

Seattle Fund

Grant funding supports organizations serving teens through technical education and career training. Funding is available in two areas of focus: Career Pathways grants support out-of-school programming focused on career development, including and especially in fields related to STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics); Teens & Tech grants encourage technological exploration for teens and young people. Please note that you may only apply to one program. Preference is given to programs that emphasize cutting-edge technology and/or promote rigorous tech-related curriculum; programs that include wraparound support for participants; and programs that encourage Best Buy employee volunteerism.

Teens and Tech programs

Teens and Tech programs that encourage teens to learn, experiment and collaborate with the latest technologies, developing skills and experiences to help them succeed in their careers, contribute to their communities and lead outstanding lives.

Programs should help teens build tech skills by utilizing cutting-edge technology such as computers, digital cameras, video cameras and professional software in a wide range of areas including, but not limited to

• Audio production (including music mixing & recording)
• Website development
• Computer maintenance and repair
• UX/UI (user experience/user interface)
• Digital arts, such as graphic design and photography
• Cybersecurity
• Mobile & game app development
• 3D Animation
• Programing & coding
• Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality
• Robotics
• Green technology

Grant Program Guidelines and Expectations:

• Engage youth from disinvested communities.

• Request amount must not exceed 49% of the program budget.

• Completion of an online impact report for program evaluation purposes. Components include program length, progress made towards goals, number of program participants and demographics, Best Buy volunteer engagement (if applicable), community collaboration, technology and work life skills gained, organizational change and teen engagement.

Career Pathway programs

The Best Buy Foundation seeks nonprofit partners that provide programming outside of school time that generates interest and awareness in tech-related careers, improves access to training, credentialing and employment and supports tech career progression. Our goal is to help teens from disinvested communities obtain the tech skills and training they need to be prepared for a successful career.

Grant Program Guidelines and Expectations:

• Build awareness of the program to drive youth participation.

• Ensure access to teens from disinvested communities to programs outside of school time.

• Request amount must not exceed 49% of the program budget.

• Completion of an online impact report for program evaluation purposes. Components include program length, progress made towards goals, number of program participants and demographics, Best Buy volunteer engagement (if applicable), community collaboration, technology and work life skills gained, organizational change and teen engagement.

Healthy Communities and Parks Fund - Tier 1 (WA)

The Healthy Communities & Parks Fund (HCPF), part of the Targeted Equity Grant Program, supports projects that increase access to recreation and use of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities in underserved areas and communities. This grant program intends to reduce health disparities in various underserved communities and invest in their capacities to meet the unique needs of their residents.

Examples of Funded Projects

• Improving access to Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands by extending open hours, installing ADA trails, adding site amenities that include signage and expanded u-pick gardens, and enhancing site stewardship
• Renovating and improving the popular areas bordering the playfields of Garfield Park with historic and culturally relevant public art installations, site furnishings, a loop path, ADA ramps, inclusive play equipment, safety upgrades, and a new restroom facility
• Connecting the Latino/Latina/Latinx immigrant community in South King County with culturally relevant, multilingual parks, recreation, and outdoor opportunities through youth soccer programs, summer camps, and parent advocacy

Youth and Amateur Sports Grants (WA)

Youth and Amateur Sports Grants (YASG) supports fit and healthy communities by investing in programs and capital facility projects that increase access to sports, play, and outdoor recreation. 

Why We Invest in Youth Sports

Physical activity is vital to youth development, physical health, mental health, and social emotional learning, and is also associated with better educational outcomes. The Center for Disease Control recommends that youth get at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily to stay healthy. However, only 19% of youth in King County meet this recommendation according to the Healthy Youth Survey.

Disparities in access to physical activity and health outcomes are evident by race, place, and income. By investing in organizations and agencies serving low-income youth and youth of color King County Parks is working to increase youth access to and participation in physical activity.

Funding

Awards up to $250,000 for construction; $100,000 for programs

Art Projects

Art Projects grants help fuel the experiences that make up the cultural fabric of King County. If you are sharing your work with the public, we can help you bring your ideas to life.

What Art Projects Funds

Artists and arts groups all over King County use Projects grants to create and share their work.

Criteria

We fund these grants through a competitive process. For this particular grant, the panel will carefully evaluate your application using the following:

Core Criteria:

• Art is the primary component of your project.
• The budget for your project is feasible and you’ve requested an appropriate amount of funding.
• You have described one or more compelling, feasible public events in King County.
• If your project and/or public event is intended to support people or communities historically marginalized in King County, you have outlined why and how this will take place.
• Relevant work samples or other documentation that supports your application has been provided.
• Group applicants must demonstrate that they have or will hire artists and/or arts professionals with relevant experience to achieve the project.

Art Projects also gives you the opportunity to let the panel know how you’d like to have your project evaluated. You must select one of the following three Choice Criteria for the panel to use when they review your application: 

Choice Criteria:

• Sustained value: your project shows a dedication to artistic discipline and form over an extended period of time, has consistent value, or preserves a creative and/or cultural tradition.
• Community engagement: your project provides an interactive and educational art experience beyond a public presentation, for the general public or a specific community—geographic, ethnic, youth, senior, etc—which is integral to your project.
• Artistic development: your project deeply explores or expands your discipline, medium, or concepts in new directions, and/or is a departure from your past or current work.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents will benefit from the work you do.

Equity Investments

In order to combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture is introducing Equity Investments. This practice will incorporate indicators of structural inequity into our panel process, including geographic location, income, operating budget, audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors, we intend to more equitably distribute funds to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding.

Each of our grant programs will implement an Equity Investment system tailored to the specific needs of its applicants; please read the After You Submit section of this page for details on how Equity Investments will function for this grant. This organization-wide change—and what we learn about its impact—is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector.

Healthy Communities and Parks Fund - Tier 2 (WA)

The Healthy Communities & Parks Fund (HCPF), part of the Targeted Equity Grant Program, supports projects that increase access to recreation and use of parks, open spaces, and recreational facilities in underserved areas and communities. This grant program intends to reduce health disparities in various underserved communities and invest in their capacities to meet the unique needs of their residents.

Examples of Funded Projects

• Improving access to Rainier Beach Urban Farm and Wetlands by extending open hours, installing ADA trails, adding site amenities that include signage and expanded u-pick gardens, and enhancing site stewardship
• Renovating and improving the popular areas bordering the playfields of Garfield Park with historic and culturally relevant public art installations, site furnishings, a loop path, ADA ramps, inclusive play equipment, safety upgrades, and a new restroom facility
• Connecting the Latino/Latina/Latinx immigrant community in South King County with culturally relevant, multilingual parks, recreation, and outdoor opportunities through youth soccer programs, summer camps, and parent advocacy

Funding

Awards between $15,000 and $250,000

General Operating Support for Large Organizations Grant

This grant offers two-year funding to support the day-to-day costs of arts organizations in their work of providing creative experiences with and for the people of Washington State.

we will implement priorities-based criteria to ensure our limited funds are distributed equitably. This funding structure and process is strategically designed to maximize support for our growing community while aligning with the objectives in our strategic plan. We seek to keep diverse communities engaged in the creative economy, support the creative sector statewide, and emphasize cultural equity, community diversity, and sector growth.

Funding

ArtsWA’s Grants to Organizations program has experienced exponential growth since the pandemic. Our funds have not kept pace with this growth. Beginning this funding cycle, our grants will be smaller than previous years.

• Applicants can request $6,000 for general operating expenses. Funds are distributed in equal portions over two years ($3,000 x 2). Grant amounts may vary depending on available funds and number of applications received.
• ArtsWA grants are reimbursement grants. Payments are made after expenses are incurred, normally at the end of your operating year.

General Operating Support for Midsized Organizations Grant

General Operating Support for Midsized Organizations offers two-year funding to arts, heritage, and culture organizations for general operating expenses. These small two-year grants support organizations in providing public arts and culture experiences.

We will implement priorities-based criteria to ensure our limited funds are distributed equitably. This funding structure and process is strategically designed to maximize support for our growing community while aligning with the objectives in our strategic plan. We seek to keep diverse communities engaged in the creative economy, support the creative sector statewide, and emphasize cultural equity, community diversity, and sector growth. 

Funding

Applicants can request up to $12,000 split across two years ($6,000 x 2) for general operating expenses. If awarded, grant amounts may vary depending on available funds.

What Launch Funds

The Launch program supports new and emerging cultural and science organizations in King County. Organizations that are selected through the Launch program will receive three years of general operating support and will also have access to additional capacity-building support services.

4Culture awards Launch grants based on an organization’s overall mission and plans—this grant is not project-based. 

You can use this grant:

• To cover a variety of expenses, including operating and start-up costs for cultural and science programs and activities accessible to King County residents and visitors; staff salaries; utilities; supplies; fees; and services.
• To access capacity-building support and technical assistance as you build your organization.
• Applicants can choose from two tracks for this program, each tailored to a specific type of start-up organization. Please read details about the two tracks here.

New Organizations

This track is for groups that:

• Began public programming within the last three years or plans to begin programming in 2026.
• Are currently operating or intend to operate as a nonprofit.
• Have never received a Sustained Support or Launch grant from 4Culture.

This can include new collaborative ventures initiated by existing organizations that offer new and distinct programs or services and have a decision-making body and leadership structure independent of the participating organizations.

New Organizations have three options for how much they can request from 4Culture’s Launch program:

• $180,000 over three years ($60,000 per year; only for organizations based outside the City of Seattle)
• $90,000 over three years ($30,000 per year)
• $45,000 over three years ($15,000 per year)

Building for Equity: Cultural Facilities

Building for Equity: Cultural Facilities grants provide funding for building, remodeling, and buying specialized space that houses and facilitates cultural work in King County. A total of $1,100,000 is available in the funding pool.

This grant is a part of 4Culture and King County’s Building for Equity initiative to support cultural building projects and create a pathway to racial equity in cultural facilities funding. To help us achieve this goal, applicants must show an ongoing commitment to a racial equity practice, fill out the Equity in Development and Construction Assessment, and projects receiving $100,000 or more will be required to meet a Cultural Space Contribution Requirement.

Why Racial Equity?

With a focus on racial equity, 4Culture funds, supports, and advocates for culture to enhance the quality of life in King County. We acknowledge that systematic inequity takes many forms—racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, heterosexualism, and more. Our focus on racial equity provides us with the tools we use to dismantle all oppressions.

By centering communities that have historically faced barriers to purchasing and stewarding cultural space, Building for Equity is modeling a new facilities funding program. The goal of this program is to create pathways toward a racially equitable cultural landscape in King County.

I. Introduction

As our region faces a housing affordability crisis, this RFP seeks community-based organizations (CBOs) to partner with DCHS to advance a community planning process or implementation process to support community-led and community-owned models of permanently affordable housing in Skyway-West Hill and North Highline. This RFP specifically aims to support the capacity of CBO(s) to lead a community-led planning or implementation process.

In 2021, King County released the Skyway-West Hill and North Highline Anti-Displacement Strategies Report (Anti-Displacement Strategies Report). In this report, the Executive recommended that these community planning processes needed funding for purposes such as staffing, as well as supporting program expenses including participation stipends and fees for consultants, training, and overhead costs.1 DCHS has allocated up to $175,000 for the Skyway West-Hill and North Highline Community Planning RFP.

DCHS seeks to fund, and will prioritize the applications of, community-led and community informed organizations that are reflective of Skyway-West Hill and North Highline. DCHS aims to support organizations that recognize and address the disparities that exist within the communities that they serve. 

II. RFP Overview

A. Program Purpose Statement

Amidst displacement pressures and rising costs of housing, community-led and community-owned permanently affordable housing models, such as Community Land Trusts (CLT), converting a rental project to a homeownership project or limited equity co-ops, can provide increased housing stability for generations. The development of community-led and community-owned models of permanently affordable housing is a multi-step process that can take many years, significant financing, strong partnerships, and community buy-in. This RFP will support the capacity of CBO(s) to engage their communities in the planning and development of these housing models.

Directed by Ordinance 19146 and Motion 15539, King County released the Anti-Displacement Strategies Report in 2021. Motion 15539 directs the Executive to pursue “strategies to implement community land trusts; including funding a year-long community engagement process with monthly meetings to ensure that the North Highline and Skyway-West Hill community voices are being included in the process to shape any possible strategy; and exploration into a variety of funding sources for such a community land trust.” In response to that recommendation, this RFP will deploy up to $175,000 to initiate a year-long community planning process, or a year-long implementation process to further explore permanently affordable housing models in Skyway-West Hill, or North Highline. The goal of this RFP is to increase the supply of affordable housing to mitigate, repair, or prevent residential displacement in Skyway-West Hill and North Highline.

These RFP funds are intended to fund either a community planning process or implementation process to explore permanently affordable housing models in Skyway-West Hill & North Highline communities.

B. Objective

Community-based organizations funded by this RFP would lead a year-long community planning process or a year-long implementation process within their respective community. A community planning process would focus on exploring different permanently affordable housing models and making recommendations regarding these housing models. An implementation process would focus on utilizing feedback from previous community engagement and planning efforts and translating it into implementing recommended permanently affordable housing models.

DCHS released a Request for Information (RFI) in spring 2023 to further inform the objectives and elements of this RFP. This RFI specifically solicited feedback from Skyway-West Hill and North Highline communities and resulted in the recommendations below:

• Fund underrepresented communities;
• Ensure community alignment with previous and current work;
• Provide funding flexibility; and
• Define success as supporting the creation of community-informed and community-led permanently affordable housing models that are culturally relevant, sustainably built and strengthens communities. 

The intent of these RFP funds is to support the capacity of one, or more Skyway-West Hill and North Highline CBO(s) to lead community planning processes exploring or implementing community-led and community-owned models of permanently affordable housing. This work includes CBO(s) facilitating monthly community meetings to engage their community to identify models of permanently affordable housing in their neighborhoods and evaluating the possibility of establishing these types of models in their neighborhood, and to provide recommendations about how to best support planning and implementation efforts related to permanently affordable housing models.

Successful Applicant(s) will partner with DCHS staff to draft a performance measurement (PM) Plan as part of contract negotiations. During the contracting development process, procedures on regular reporting to DCHS staff on performance measures will be collaboratively defined. This is the method staff will use to evaluate progress made towards key performance measures by each funded CBO, as well as to support HCD Division’s accounting processes.

V. Available Funding

The total funds available for this RFP is $175,000 for a 12-month program period. DCHS anticipates awarding at least two Applicant(s); at least one per neighborhood, for work within Skyway-West Hill, and/or North Highline. 

Equipment for Organizations

Museum shelving, stage lights, ceramic kilns, microscopes, and computers—our Equipment for Organizations grant offers up to $15,000 to support these needs and more for arts, heritage, historic preservation, and science organizations in King County.

 What Equipment for Organizations Funds

Equipment for Organizations grants fund the purchase and installation of equipment that can be considered as fixed assets, including computer hardware. You can request a minimum of $1,000 to a maximum of $15,000 for this grant. Applicants often receive partial funding of their request.

Organizations, governments, and public agencies that focus on the arts, heritage, historic preservation, or science and technology, and provide public benefit through their programs or activities, are eligible to apply. If your organization has not received a 2025 Sustained Support grant from 4Culture, we recommend contacting your discipline’s Program Manager by June 25 to check on your organization’s eligibility before starting your application.

Your Organization’s Discipline

4Culture funds Equipment for Organizations projects that are focused on Arts, Heritage, Historic Preservation, and Science and Technology. Below are the definitions for each discipline:

Arts

• includes organizations focused on creative place-making, cultural festivals, dance, design, film, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theater, and visual arts.

Heritage

• includes organizations focused on the preservation and transmission of local history; ethnic history; Native cultures; folklore and intangible cultural heritage; and historic and archaeological resources.

Historic Preservation

• includes organizations focused on advocacy or assistance to preserve, promote, and sustain historic places; education about our historic built environment; or stewarding historic properties that serve as a venue for cultural activities.

Science and Technology

• includes organizations focused on natural and social sciences, characterized by a formalized framework that entails the reproducible testing and revision of falsifiable ideas based on observable facts, as well as formal and applied sciences, such as mathematics and engineering. Applicants that are zoos or aquariums must also be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.

If you’re not sure if your organization fits the eligibility requirements or if you have a question about these criteria, please contact your discipline’s Program Manager.

Your Project

Equipment for Organizations funds may be used to pay for the following:

• Purchase of equipment that can be considered as fixed assets intended to be held for 10 years or more, such as machinery, equipment, or computer hardware.
• Installation fees if they are under 10% of your total request.
• Smaller items that are less than $200 per unit, if you demonstrate that the item is essential to the functionality of the larger equipment requested.

Curiosity Pass: A Cultural Education Program 

Create engaging arts, cultural, and science educational experiences for King County students! This grant funds cultural partners with youth-serving programs and activities that expand learning opportunities in our K-12 public schools. Whether in-school or off-site, these funds support young learners and their holistic growth.

What Curiosity Pass Funds 

Create engaging arts, cultural, and science educational experiences for King County public school students! This grant provides 2-year funding to cultural partners with youth-serving projects that expand learning opportunities in our K-12 public schools.

Groups and Individual educators can use this grant for funding the creation of new cultural education programs, or the continuation or expansion of existing programs. Programs can include in-school activities (residencies, workshops, performances, lessons), before and after school programs, field trips, programs that take place in the summer and/or during school breaks, and professional development ((see eligibility section for more details).

By supporting school and community partnerships that align with and enhance formal classroom learning, the Curiosity Pass program works to advance the right to cultural access for public school students across King County’s 19 public school districts and tribal schools.

Read more here under Steps to Apply, 1 What Curiosity Pass Funds.

Mission Statement

The Beim Foundation, a multi-generational family foundation, honors the past while embracing the future. Founded over 70 years ago by Nels Christian Beim, an immigrant from Norway, the Foundation has both a Minnesota-focused granting component and a program that serves other regions of interest to the Directors. The Foundation’s philanthropic priorities favor small, community-based, and developing organizations. Grants are made in the areas of arts, environment, human services and education.

Regional Grant Program 

The Beim Foundation’s Regional Grant program is a small funding program awarding grants in specific geographic communities throughout the United States

In 2025, The Beim Foundation will accept proposals from environmental education programs or projects that serve children and youth from under-resourced communities. 

• Address ethnic and racial inequality.
• Work to heal historical or community trauma.
• Include a focus on
  • Trauma informed care and
  • Culturally competent and sensitive services

As directors are most interested in supporting programming that provides services directly to program participants, the Foundation will not consider requests that are focused on staff training, curriculum development, or program development.

Funding

Funding awards are anticipated to be in the $5,000 to $15,000 range.

King County Department of Community and Human Services - Housing and Community Development Division

The Housing and Community Development Division (HCD) of the King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) invests in the creation and preservation of affordable housing and community development projects by working collaboratively with local cities, housing authorities, developers, state and federal agencies, nonprofits, and community members.

Key Programs/Initiatives: Affordable housing development, capital operating, services; Health Through Housing; Community development and housing repair; Homeless Housing Program; and Affordable Housing Committee.

Family Child Care Facilities Fund (FCCFF) RFP

The King County Department of Community and Health Services (DCHS) Housing and Community Development Division (HCDD) is pleased to release this Request for Proposal (RFP) to support new investments designed to promote maintenance, repairs and improvements needed for existing Family Child Care Facilities (FCCF). This Family Child Care Facilities Fund (FCCFF) RFP will support these investments through the Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA) Early Learning Facilities (ELF) funding category.

Investment Purpose

PSTAA Family Child Care Facilities Fund (FCCFF) investments are intended to increase access to high-quality early learning opportunities by preserving, improving and expanding early learning facilities in King County. There is a two-pronged approach for achieving these outcomes:

• Reduce educational achievement gaps for priority populations by ensuring that more children develop the physical, behavioral, and cognitive abilities to thrive in kindergarten.
• Expand and strengthen the early learning system in King County by providing resources to family child care homes and larger, stand-alone centers alike.

Building for Equity - Native Cultural Facilities Grant

Supports projects including land acquisition, development, renovations, and new construction that advance the preservation, expression, and vitality of Native cultures.

Preservation Sustained Support

Sustained Support assists with the day-to-day needs of preservation organizations over two-year cycles, providing a reliable funding source that promotes stewardship, advocacy and educational opportunities around historic preservation.

What Sustained Support Funds

Preservation Sustained Support typically provides operating funds to groups all over King County for two calendar years with allocations made annually. These awards provide unrestricted support to organizations that have a track record of delivering historic preservation programs and services, for the benefit of the public.

You can use this grant for:

• Annual operating expenses related to preservation programs and activities that are accessible to King County residents and visitors and provide public benefit.
• Staff salaries, utilities, supplies, fees, or consultant services.

Criteria

For this particular grant, we focus on different criteria depending on how your organization is structured and what type of work you do. Below we outline the different types of groups that can typically apply, and what we look for—please contact us if you’re unsure of what category you fit into.

For non-profit organizations and development authorities:

• Quality of programs related to historic preservation, as well as diversity and reach of programs available to the public.
• Tangible contribution to the preservation, conservation, or interpretation of King County’s built environment. Focus on resources that represent neglected aspects of the built environment.
• Public benefit, which may include accessibility of services, open hours of facilities, community outreach and efforts to expand or diversify audience, membership, staff, and leadership.
• Experienced staff, volunteers, and/or board, with background or training in historic preservation or a closely related field. Sound management and oversight by a governing board.
• Community support for an organization as reflected in its financial information, including cash and in-kind contributions from volunteers, the community, and/or partnering governments. The portion of your budget devoted specifically to preservation activities.

For municipalities:

• Volume and impact of activity, as reflected in surveys and inventories, landmark designations, and design review.
• Additional program offerings, such as design guidance, technical assistance, grant-making programs, and tours or events related to preservation.
• Community engagement, as reflected in advocacy, partnerships, and volunteerism. Community outreach, including efforts to expand or diversify audiences, and efforts to diversify commission or board leadership.
• Commitment of local government as demonstrated through staff time dedicated to historic preservation and annual investment in preservation activity.

Geographic Equity Enhancement

4Culture recognizes that where an organization is based or provides its services can affect access to funding and other resources. Many cultural organizations in greater King County have less access to public and private support than those located in Seattle. To take a step towards balancing these disparities, 4Culture will give a modest award increase to the 2021 Sustained Support awards for organizations located outside the City of Seattle, and for organizations located in Seattle in a 2010 US Census tract area with a Communities of Opportunity index percentile of 60% or greater.

Communities of Opportunity (COO) is a partnership and initiative of the Seattle Foundation and King County, whose purpose is to direct resources where they can have the greatest impact while overcome ongoing patterns of underfunding. Annual measures of life and health indicators by census tract are averaged over multiple years and combined to create a single index. 4Culture will use this index for the 2021 Sustained Support cycle to guide award increases toward applicants located in Communities of Opportunity.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Every time a visitor to Washington State stays in a hotel, they pay a Lodging Tax—this is where our funding comes from, and our mission is to put it back into the community. As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work. Here are some ways you can provide public benefit:

• Free performances, exhibitions, workshops, screenings, or readings.
• Events in the often under-served areas of suburban or rural King County, to low-income, youth and senior groups, individuals with limited physical abilities, recent immigrants, or residents from minority races or ethnicities.
• Free, electronically accessible materials, including literary publications, audio, or video recordings.

Arts Sustained Support

Sustained Support assists with the day-to-day needs of arts organizations over two-year cycles—this reliable, consistent support lets creativity flourish in the places that make King County a cultural hub.

 What Sustained Support Funds

Arts organizations and Local Arts Agencies all over King County use Sustained Support funding as a modest but dependable building block in their annual budgets. Sustained Support provides operational funding that organizations and agencies receive for the robustness, creativity, and quality of the overall artistic services they provide to King County residents and visitors.

For arts organizations:

• Clarity and achievement of your organization’s mission and goals.
• Community impact and support, achieved through a consistent level of programming and accessibility for audiences.
• Active role of artists in your organization’s mission and activities, and the continuity of artistic, management, and board personnel.
• Financial accountability as demonstrated through board oversight, audience revenue, and contributed income.

For local arts agencies (LAAs):

• Quality, scope, diversity, and impact of your annual programming.
• Commitment of local government through dedicated staff, commission structure, and annual financial investment in cultural programming.
• Responsiveness to community needs—including diverse populations—through strategic planning, programming, funding, collaboration, technical assistance, convening, and communications.
• Growth and development of resources, scope, impact, and community participation.

Geographic Equity Enhancement

4Culture recognizes that where an organization is based or provides its services can affect access to funding and other resources. Many cultural organizations in greater King County have less access to public and private support than those located in Seattle. To take a step towards balancing these disparities, 4Culture will give a modest award increase to the 2021 Sustained Support awards for organizations located outside the City of Seattle, and for organizations located in Seattle in a 2010 US Census tract area with a Communities of Opportunity index percentile of 60% or greater.

Communities of Opportunity (COO) is a partnership and initiative of the Seattle Foundation and King County, whose purpose is to direct resources where they can have the greatest impact while overcome ongoing patterns of underfunding. Annual measures of life and health indicators by census tract are averaged over multiple years and combined to create a single index. 4Culture will use this index for the 2021 Sustained Support cycle to guide award increases toward applicants located in Communities of Opportunity.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Every time a visitor to Washington State stays in a hotel, they pay a Lodging Tax—this is where our funding comes from, and our mission is to put it back into the community. As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work. Here are some ways you can provide public benefit:

• Free performances, exhibitions, workshops, screenings, or readings.
• Events in the often under-served areas of suburban or rural King County, to low-income, youth and senior groups, individuals with limited physical abilities, recent immigrants, or residents from minority races or ethnicities.
• Free, electronically accessible materials, including literary publications, audio, or video recordings.

Collections Care

The preservation of our past is vital to our present and our future. Our Collections Care grant helps King County’s archivists, librarians, and historians protect the real, tangible objects that make up history so that the generations of today and tomorrow can continue to learn from them.

What Collections Care Funds

Our annual Collections Care grant program supports the work of King County non-profit heritage organizations by providing the funds necessary to assess, organize, catalog, clean, repair, photograph, scan, and, ultimately, save, the King County’s cultural material.

You can use this grant for:

• Care of historic and cultural materials, artifacts, and archival records including the purchase of materials and consumable supplies used for collections care purposes.
• Developing and/or implementing a collections management policy, improving emergency preparedness plans, instituting and improving security methods for collections.
• Performing collections needs assessment surveys and implementing recommendations, completing inventories, descriptive catalog, and/or condition surveys, bridging a funding gap to conduct assessments such as Museum Assessment Program, Collections Assessment for Preservation Program, or Standards and Excellence Program for History Organizations.
• Digitization of collections or archives to minimize handling.
• Training and professional development for staff and/or volunteers in preventive collections management.
• Fees for conservators, heritage specialists, interns for collections care projects; fees directed to staff, if their work on the project is outside their regular job duties and payment is above-and-beyond their regular compensation structure.

Criteria

We fund all of our grants through a competitive process, carefully evaluating each application.

For this particular grant, we’ll look to see how well your project shows the following:

• Quality and qualifications: how well your project aligns with professional standards and best practices, the qualifications of you and your project team, and how your project meets the goals of your organization’s mission or needs in the community.
• Feasibility: your organization’s ability to develop and complete your project within 18 months of the award date. This is demonstrated through the qualifications of you and your project team, your budget—including your ability to raise additional funding—and your ability to fund the project on a reimbursement basis. Demonstration that your organization has completed the necessary planning and assessment to care for collections in the long-term.
• Project impact and public benefit: how your project develops and preserves the historical record in King County, its potential to raise the visibility of heritage collections care and preservation, its ability to preserve heritage resources held in the public trust, your project’s ability to generate broad and/or lasting public benefit.
• Heritage priorities: how your project preserves endangered heritage resources, addresses neglected aspects of King County heritage, and provides opportunities for youth, underserved communities, and multicultural audiences.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Every time a visitor to Washington State stays in a hotel, they pay a Lodging Tax—this is where our funding comes from, and our mission is to put it back into the community. As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work.

PHSKC Centering Diverse Healers in Youth Well-Being and Mental Health

We are excited to announce the Centering Diverse Healers in Youth Well-Being and Mental Health Request for Proposal (RFP). Our goal is to center organizations, groups, and entities with close ties to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) communities in entering, accessing support and resources, and increasing representation within the broader youth mental health and healing fields. We recognize that the community holds experience and expertise in developing creative solutions tailored for them, by them.

This project will include outcomes such as:

• Increasing access to mental health resources and training.
• Improving retention for youth-serving organizations that support youth mental health.
• Increasing support for diverse providers who provide youth mental health and well-being services and support.

Open Space - River Corridors Grant (WA)

The Open Space – River Corridors grant program supports projects that help restore the natural functions of rivers, create or restore public access, and/or increase public awareness of river corridors as valuable natural resources. This grant program incentivizes multi-benefit projects that integrate recreation and habitat restoration with larger floodplain management efforts.

Examples of Funded Projects

• Planning for Gateway North Park, a new park along the Duwamish River in Georgetown that will feature upland restoration, passive recreational opportunities, and access to the river
• Acquiring a 17-acre parcel of undeveloped floodplain adjacent to Three Forks Park between North Bend and Snoqualmie
• Restoring critical riparian habitat along the Lower Green River in Auburn and connecting diverse youth to green jobs training and the engaging community with salmon recovery efforts

Funding

Awards up to $1 million