ArtsWA Community Investments

View Creative Start Project Grant FY26 Guidelines.

View Sustaining Project Grant FY26 - FY27 Guidelines.

FY26-FY27 Art Service Organization Support - Strengthening Washington’s Creative Economy Workforce
ArtsWA offers operating support to regional and statewide non-profit Arts Service Organizations that provide programming to support, increase, diversify, and raise the proficiency of arts professionals in Washington State.   
 

What is an ASO?

An Arts Service Organization (ASO) provides training, workshops, convenings, conferences, networking, technical assistance, and other professional development services to established and emerging arts professionals. 

Regional ASOs:

• Provide in-person and online professional development services for arts professionals from a minimum of three counties in one ArtsWA defined region.  
• Are based in the region where services are provided.  
• Commit a minimum of 10% of total public programming budget to professional development services. 

Statewide ASOs:

• Provide professional development opportunities, support, services, and resources to arts professionals.  
• Provide in-person professional development services in ten or more counties and/or an annual convening of arts professionals from across the state. Annual convening should include structured professional development components.  
• Do not perform, produce, preserve, present, or teach art.  

Regions:

• Northwest Region: Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom 
• Southwest Region: Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, Wahkiakum 
• Central Region: Chelan, Douglas, Ferry, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, Yakima 
• Eastern Region: Adams, Asotin, Benton, Columbia, Franklin, Garfield, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, Whitman

Purpose of the Grant

This grant supports ASO’s day-to-day business expenses (operating support), allowing them to dedicate more time to professional development programming.  

View a full list of what ArtsWA can and cannot fund as a state agency.

Grant Details

Amount: Applicants can request $12,000 split across two years ($6,000/year for two years). 

Type: This is a reimbursement grant (funds are provided after expenses are submitted and approved). 

Timeline:

• The first half is distributed in Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026).  
• The second half is distributed in Fiscal Year 2027 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027).  
• Final Reports due July 31, 2026, and FY27 due July 31, 2027. 

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3)
• Have at least two years of continuous operation as a non-profit arts organization or fiscally sponsored organization. 
• Have at least two years of ongoing professional development services. 
• Employ at least one paid staff member that works 20+ hours weekly.
• Have a board of directors 
• Have a board-approved annual year-end operating budget that reflects actuals and includes program expenses.

Ineligible to Apply: Individuals, for-profit organizations, religious organizations, government agencies and departments (unless designated as Local Arts Agencies), universities, colleges, academic departments, and K-12 schools. 

How to Apply

Submit your application through Submittable between January 6, 2025 – January 31, 2025 (5 PM).

Required Documents:

• 501(c)(3) applicants and Fiscally Sponsored groups
• IRS Letter of Determination, or Fiscal Sponsor’s IRS Letter of Determination.
• Your organization’s, or Fiscal Sponsor’s board approved operating budget for your last fiscal year, that includes actuals for program expenses. 
• Your organization’s board approved next fiscal year’s anticipated operating budget.   
• List of your organization’s board of directors and active staff. Include position titles and number of hours worked per week per position. 
• Your organization’s most recent board approved strategic plan.
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI), Tax ID (EIN), and Statewide Vendor (SWV) number (fiscal sponsors use their own).

Evaluation Criteria

1. Programming & Services (40 Points):

• Clear descriptions of professional development programs and/or services. 
• Clear description of the impact on the capacity of arts professionals.  
• Effort to diversify the field by broadening access for individuals from communities historically excluded* from the Creative Economy. 

2. Management & Impact (20 Points):

• Evidence of sound management of programs and finances; reasonable budget in relation to programming scope; mix of income sources.  
• Evidence of sound program planning and program evaluation method. 

3. Service Distribution (40 Points)

• Regional ASO - Significant impact on, and service to, arts professionals from three or more counties in an ArtsWA designated region. 
• Statewide ASO - Significant impact on, and service to, arts professionals in ten or more counties statewide and/or provides an annual convening. 

*Historically excluded refers to any group of people that have historically been left out, not considered, or actively barred from opportunities and privileges by a society or organization. In the context of arts funding, governmental and private funders have historically designed grant programs for and uplifted European/European-American art for able-bodied, cis/straight groups, often in urban settings, for example. Learn more about the National Endowment for the Arts' Equity Plan here. For a FAQ on Civil Rights for applicants and to ensure your organization complies, click here.

Key Dates:

• Application window: January 6-31, 2025 
• Scoring and ArtsWA Board Approval: May 6-7, 2025
• Applications are scored by staff who make recommendations for funding to ArtsWA’s Board of Commissioners at our board meeting
• Notification of application status: Last week of May 2025.
• If awarded a grant, you will receive a contract and further instructions in a few weeks after notification. Learn more about managing a grant here. 

Contact Us

Miguel Guillén, Grants to Organizations, Program Manager at 360-252-9970 or miguel.guillen@arts.wa.gov

Ashley Marshall, Grants to Organizations, Program Assistant, at 360-485-1524 or ashley.marshall@arts.wa.gov 

Additional Information

Accessibility

Federally funded projects must be accessible to people with disabilities. You can use this accessibility checklist when planning your programs. You do not need to check all boxes to be eligible for funding; this is simply a worksheet and resource for your organization.

Civil Rights

All applicants for funding from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) are required to certify that they are following the civil rights statutes that govern nondiscrimination in Federally assisted programs. For a FAQ on Civil Rights for applicants and to ensure your organization complies, click here.

Appeals

Unsuccessful applicants can appeal in accordance with Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 30.12.036, found here: http://app.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=30-12-036.

About ArtsWA 

ArtsWA is the Washington State Arts Commission. The Washington State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts fund our programs. Grants are contingent on available state and federal funding. ArtsWA complies with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations concerning civil and human rights. For more information regarding Washington State Arts Commission’s policies on Accessibility, Diversity, and Nondiscrimination, click here.