Grant Process | ArtsFund

About Arts Fund

How to Apply

Eligibility

ArtsFund grants are institutionally oriented, operational grants for organizations that present or produce a season of programs. Minimum eligibility requirements for funding consideration include the following:

Note: Meeting the requirements does not guarantee funding. Criteria are subject to change.

• Be incorporated as a Washington state non-profit 501(c)(3) organization operating in the performing, visual or related arts.
• Have a minimum 3-year record of continuous operation in King or Pierce County.
• Have a board of directors consisting primarily of members who are not paid employees of the organization.
• Have at least one professional, paid, full-time management staff member (two or more staff members may combine for one FTE).
• Have an annual operating budget, averaged over three years, of at least $200,000 if operating in King County, or $100,000 if operating in Pierce County.
• Provide more than 50% of its services in King and/or Pierce Counties.
• Have an audited financial statement for the year preceding the award year on which an opinion has been expressed by an independent certified public accountant; or, have financial reports for the year preceding the application year, signed by the board treasurer.

Application Deadlines for 2010 grants

New Applicants

February 3, 2010

Continuing Members/Members

February 3, 2010

Charter Members

March 5, 2010

Application Procedure

Contact Cheryl Oliver, Director of Finance and Operations, for guidelines at:
ArtsFund
P.O. Box 19780
Seattle, WA 98109-6780
Or e-mail cherylo@artsfund.org.

Grant applications are e-mailed in mid-December to Continuing Members/Members and mid-January to Charter Members.

How it Works

ArtsFund's thorough and scientific grant-making process involves professional grant makers from our largest corporate donors (Boeing, Microsoft, WaMu, Safeco Insurance, Amgen, etc.) and several private philanthropists.  Separate committees review comprehensive applications and conduct interviews in King and Pierce Counties.  Groups typically send three representatives to be interviewed, usually the Board President or Chairman, the Managing and/or Artistic Director, the CFO or Board Treasurer or a senior member of the development staff.  Discussions cover artistic aspirations and accomplishments as well as the practical aspects of the business operation. 

Allocations committee members’ work is supplemented by a sophisticated decision-making support software called Dwaffler®, provided to ArtsFund as an in-kind donation by its creators.  In the months following announcement of the annual grant decisions, ArtsFund President and CEO Jim Tune meets with all applicants to provide specific feedback so groups can benefit from the experience and insights of our allocations committee members.  For more information on the Dwaffler decision support system, visit www.dwaffler.com. To understand Dwaffler’s importance to the non-profit community, please visit http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2007/05/07/focus4.html.