View Creative Start Project Grant FY26 Guidelines.

View Sustaining Project Grant FY26 - FY27 Guidelines.

Tribal Cultural Grant  

Funding for Fiscal Year 2026 (July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2026)

This non-competitive grant offers funding for Washington State Federally-recognized Tribes to support Tribal communities as they expand, enhance, or create space for art and culture that is respectful and responsive to each community’s needs.  As long as the proposed project is eligible, your Tribe will receive funding.
 

Funding amounts

The current allocation amount per application this cycle is $18,000 per Tribe if all 29 Tribes apply. The application includes space for each Tribe to identify an additional funding request that will be considered if additional funding becomes available, or if all Tribes do not apply. Funding not requested by the closing date will be reallocated as additional funding to those that applied.
 

Background

In 2023 the Washington State Legislature provided funding to the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA) to support Washington Tribal Communities’ arts and culture. Funding will be distributed through a series of grants that may be used for a broad array of arts and / or cultural-related activities and programs.  

The first round of grant funding was awarded to 20 of the 29 Federally recognized Tribes (all Tribes who applied) in March 2024 in the amount of $552,700.  The second round of grant funding was awarded to all Tribes who applied in November 2024 in the amount of $500,000.

Projects that this funding has supported included: Supplies and instruction for regalia making, a Tribal language dictionary and children’s books, support for culture teacher’s salaries, murals and art for a Tribal youth center and a Tribal health center, a Lushootseed language camp and much more.
 

Eligibility 

• Applicants must be a Washington State Federally-recognized Tribe. 
• Each Tribe may submit one application, but the application may support several different projects.  
• For recipients of the Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) Tribal Arts Grant: In order to receive the funds for your Fiscal Year 2026 funds, the final report for your current grant (2025) has to be completed. 
• Funds may support Tribal cultural activities: this will be determined by your Tribe including but not limited to language, foodways, gathering spaces, classes or mentorships, regalia making, carving, weaving, Tribal museums, support for culture teachers, and more.  
• If you have a question about whether your project is appropriate for the funding, please reach out to us.  

Important Dates 

• Application open February 4, 2025 – March 31, 2025 at 5pm
• Receive notification by May 16, 2025
• Agreements distributed no later than May 16, 2025
• Timeframe to spend funds July 1, 2025 - June 30, 2025
• Final reports due August 31, 2026

 
What are ArtsWA’s Tribal Cultural Grant Priorities? 

• Support Washington Tribal communities as they expand, enhance, and create space for art and culture, in a way that is respectful and responsive to each community’s needs. 
• Support projects, programs, and services spanning a diversity of cultural/art disciplines and traditions. 
• Foster equity and expand the creative economy by funding Tribes and Indigenous artists that have historically been excluded from government arts funding. 

 
What We Can and Cannot Fund

As a state agency, there are restrictions on what ArtsWA can support.  

Examples of what we can fund: 

• Artist, teaching artist, and contractor fees 
• Tribal museum support including, exhibitions, collections, enhancements, planning and consultations 
• Rent (equipment or space)  
• Travel expenses for in-state artists or consultants  
• Materials, supplies, software, and technology 
• Administrative expenses, including printing costs, postage, and other administrative fees  
• Fees for increasing access to programming such as closed captioning, translation services, interpreters, or consultant support on these efforts  
• Support of Native/Indigenous artists for start-up funds (business license, website development, technology) 
• Expenses for Tribal cultural classes 

What we cannot fund: 

• Expenses outside the current grant period 
• Activities that have occurred prior to the period designated by the agreement 
• Requests to cover previous losses incurred by the Tribe  

If you have questions about whether your project is appropriate for this funding, please reach out to us. 

What happens after you apply? 

1. Submission confirmation: You will immediately receive an automated message from Submittable confirming your application was submitted successfully. Make sure you have notifications@email.submittable.com listed as a safe sender for your inbox. 
2. Staff will contact you: Tribal Cultural Affairs staff will contact you directly over email or phone about your proposed project(s). All applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility, we will let you know if there is anything missing in your application. Double check to make sure your contact information is correct so that we can reach you! 
3. Agreement issued: Eligible applicants will be officially notified of award and issued their agreement by May 16, 2025. Your authorizing official can sign the agreement digitally or with ink.
4. Payment: Tribes must select to receive their funds in advance of project expenses or as reimbursement. If you choose Advance Payment, you can receive your funds as soon as you sign your invoice (included in your agreement). If you choose Reimbursement, you will simply sign your invoice (included in your agreement) and let us know when you are ready to receive your funds or submit the signed invoice when you are ready to be reimbursed. It usually takes a few weeks for funds to arrive after they are requested. 
5. Final Report: Final reports are short and usually take about 15 minutes to complete. They will be available in Submittable after your payment is sent. This report is vital for the continued success of the Tribal Cultural Affairs program and our ability to continue providing support for Washington's Tribal communities. This information will be used for upcoming appeals to the state legislature for additional funding for future grants and programming. Photo documentation is also extremely valuable when explaining the importance of this funding and the projects that it supports - we ask that you share photos of your projects! (There is an easy photo upload link in the report.)  

 
Submittable Tips 

• Saving: Save your application as you work on it by clicking the "Save Draft" button located at the end of this webpage. You can log out and log back in, take a break, or work on your application over several days without losing your data. 
• Collaboration: If multiple people from your organization will be contributing to your application, invite them to collaborate by clicking on the "Invite Collaborators" button located at the top right of this webpage. 
• Required Questions: Questions marked with a red asterisk '*' must be completed before you submit your application. You will not be able to submit your application if any required questions have been left unanswered. 
• Submitting: Once you have completed your application, click the "Submit" button at the end of this webpage. You will receive an automated email confirming that your application has been successfully submitted. 
• Print or download a copy of your application by navigating to your "Personal Submissions" account list. Click on your Application submission. This will open up the submission's details page, where you can click the Download button in the upper right of the viewing box. 

Questions? 

Cheryl Wilcox, Tribal Cultural Affairs Manager, at 360-485-1278 or cheryl.wilcox@arts.wa.gov
    Todd Clark, Tribal Cultural Affairs Program Lead at 360-485-1223 or todd.clark@arts.wa.gov

Questions about Submittable:

Linnea Ingalls, Tribal Cultural Affairs Program Coordinator, at 360-252-9969 or linnea.ingalls@arts.wa.gov 

FY26-27 General Operating Support – Emerging and Small Organizations

Deadline: February 28, 2025 at 5:00 pm

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.

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 on Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. online.
• Groups that are awarded a grant and gain fiscal sponsorship under Shunpike must attend a 90-minute on-boarding session. Check our website for dates/times. 

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  
 

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. 

Purpose of Funding

 Small and Emerging Organization grants help cover day-to-day business expenses (operating support) so that young organizations can focus on building capacity and providing cultural experiences for their communities.  
 

Funding Amount and Payment Process

 
 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.  
• Full list of what ArtsWA can and cannot fund as a state agency. 

 Requirements to Apply
 

• Organizations must have three members or more with assigned titles, roles, and duties. 
• A mission that centers arts, culture, and/or heritage. 
• Publicly accessible programming.  
• 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. 
• Be based in Washington State. 
• Organizations operating as affiliates of National Organizations must be part of a group exemption. Read more here. 
• Annual operating budget between $0-$50,000, or  
• Annual operating budget between $50,000 and $100,000.  
• 501(c)(3) nonprofit, or 
• Fiscally sponsored by a 501c3. Click here for ArtsWA’s Fiscal Sponsorship Requirements 
• Unincorporated groups may apply but must gain fiscal sponsorship before July 1, 2025.   

 Ineligible to Apply
 

• Individuals  
• For-profit organizations 
• Religious organizations (eligible for Project Support grants only) 
• Government agencies and departments (unless designated as Local Arts Agencies) 
• Universities, colleges, academic departments, and K-12 schools 
• Nonprofits explicitly established to administer and develop a Creative District are ineligible for operating support but may apply for project support grants through our Project Support grant program. Organizations applying for operating support grants, because they produce an annual event as their primary purpose and mission and are also administrators of a Creative District, may not use Grants to Organizations funds for the administration of the Creative District.

 Required Documentation  
 

• IRS Letter of Determination. More information on Letter of Determination here. 
• Fiscally sponsored groups will use the fiscal sponsor’s IRS Letter of Determination. 
• Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).  
• Fiscally sponsored groups will use the fiscal sponsor’s UEI. 
• Federal Tax ID (EIN).  
• Fiscally sponsored groups will use the fiscal sponsor’s EIN. 
• Statewide Vendor (SWV) number. * 
• Fiscally sponsored groups will use the fiscal sponsor’s SWV.  
• Washington State Unified Business Identifier (UBI) (all organizations must be registered as a WA Nonprofit/Charity with the Secretary of State).

*If you have previously received payment from Washington State, check on the status of your SWV number here: vendor number lookup or by contacting: PayeeRegistration@ofm.wa.gov. They are good for two years.
 

Evaluation, Scoring, and Notification
 

Our grant programs support organizations of all sizes, ensuring the arts remain accessible to all Washingtonians. However, the demand for funding has surged, with some programs seeing a staggering 385% increase in applications. Our available funds, however, have remained stagnant. Starting with the FY26 funding cycle, 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.

  Priorities for Operating Support Grants
 

• Annual operating budgets of $0 to $50,000 (first consideration). 
• Annual operating budgets of $50,000 to $100,000 (second consideration). 
• Organizations outside of King County, the City of Tacoma, and the City of Olympia.  
• Businesses located in counties identified by the state as a distressed area: Clallam, Cowlitz, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens, Wahkiakum, Yakima.  
• Organizations serving constituencies consisting of 25% or more of an underserved group. 

"Underserved" means populations whose opportunities to experience the arts are limited by geography, historical exclusion and marginalization due to race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, economics, disability, or other social or institutionally imposed barriers.

Priority Scoring

 Applications are reviewed and scored by staff who make recommendations for funding to ArtsWA’s Board of Commissioners.  
Executive Director Approval  
 Staff make recommendations for funding to ArtsWA’s Executive Director for Approval.   

Board of Directors Ratification
 Executive Director’s Approval of funding is presented to ArtsWA’s Board of Directors for oversight and Ratification.

Notification
Notifications of application status will be sent April 2025. Grant recipients will receive a contract and instructions a few weeks after notification. Read about managing a grant here.  
 

Important Dates
 

• Application open period is January 21, 2025 – February 28, 2025, 5pm 
• Notification of application results: April 2025 
• Funds can cover expenses for the period between July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 
• Final report due July 31, 2026 

  To Apply
 

• If you need assistance with Submittable, take a look at our Submittable FAQs. 

  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. 

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