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 (No more than two 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.

Exclusions

• Individual Artists (except through Artist Trust)
• Children's Museums, Arts Camps
• Public Broadcasting
• Arts Festivals of less than 10 days in duration
• Guilds, unions, or arts service organizations whose mission is to provide technical assistance
• Organizations whose primary mission is historic preservation
• Organizations whose performing/presenting artists are children
• Educational institutions or organizations primarily offering educational or training programs
• Special one-time projects or organizations that produce one program in a year

Application Deadlines for 2012 grants

New Applicants

February 6, 2012

Continuing Members/Members

February 6, 2012

Charter Members

February 29, 2012

Application Procedure

Contact Cheryl Oliver, Vice President, 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 Mari Horita 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.