Creative Equity Fund

The Creative Equity Fund supports organizations led by and serving communities historically most removed from large-scale philanthropy (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities) that employ arts and culture to build a more healthy, equitable, and creative King County. Three grantees will receive transformational three-year grants of $210,000—$70,000 per year for three years—paired with grantee-led cohort learning. This funding is unrestricted.

The Creative Equity Fund is collaboratively supported by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Lorna Jordan Foundation, Satterberg Foundation, Seattle Foundation, ArtsFund, and others. The Fund is guided by a panel of community members primarily composed of previous grantees who will work to ensure decision-making is as close as possible to centered communities.

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The Creative Equity Fund supports organizations led by and serving communities historically most removed from large-scale philanthropy (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities) that employ arts and culture to build a more healthy, equitable, and creative King County. Three grantees will receive transformational three-year grants of $210,000—$70,000 per year for three years—paired with grantee-led cohort learning. Visit our FAQ section for more about cohort learning. 

The Creative Equity Fund is collaboratively supported by the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, Lorna Jordan Foundation, Satterberg Foundation, Seattle Foundation, ArtsFund, and others. The 2026 cycle has been designed by a panel of community members primarily composed of previous grantees.

The Creative Equity Fund supports organizations led by and serving communities historically most removed from large-scale philanthropy (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; LGBTQ+, and people with disabilities) that employ arts and culture to build a more healthy, equitable, and creative King County. 501(c)(3) public charities, organizations fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) public charity, and state or federally recognized tribal entities are eligible to apply. In addition, organizations must:  

– Have a primary mission to produce or support arts and cultural activities.   

– Have existed for five or more years.  

– Have an average annual operating budget between $50,000 and $500,000 over FY2023, FY2024, and FY2025 (all actuals).  

Applicants considered ineligible include:   

– Individuals  

– Private foundations 

– For-profit organizations  

– Political advocacy organizations  

– Organizations located outside of King County, WA  

– Churches and religious organizations  

– Government entities, except tribal governments  

– Info Session: Wednesday, May 20

– Application Round 1 Opens: Tuesday, May 26 

– Application Round 1 Closes: Friday, June 12 

– Application Round 2 Invitations Issued: Tuesday, August 18 

– Application Round 2 Applications Due: Tuesday, September 8 

– Grantees Notified: Tuesday, December 1

Review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Please join us for a brief virtual info session on Wednesday, May 20 at 2:00 p.m. We will walk prospective applicants through the application process, review eligibility parameters, and provide an opportunity for a question-and-answer session with ArtsFund staff.  

When: May 20, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. 

REGISTER HERE

This info session will be recorded and shared on ArtsFund’s website. If you are unable to attend, we encourage you to join the statewide email list to be notified when the recording is posted.

Accessibility: 

ASL interpretation
Visual descriptions
Auto-generated closed captioning available in 30+ languages 

The virtual info session will incorporate the following accessibility features: ASL interpretation, visual descriptions, and live ASR captions in 30+ languages.    

The application portal will be tested for screen reader compatibility. A copy of the application is available for download here.  

If you have any additional access needs or questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to the grantmaking team at grants@artsfund.org.  

The application will be administered in two rounds. The first round is open to all eligible applicants in King County and will be open from May 26 to June 12. Up to thirty finalists will be selected and invited to complete a second-round application on or around August 18. Second round applications will be due September 18, with grantees notified by December 1, 2026.

The Creative Equity Fund is guided by a panel of community members primarily composed of previous grantees. The panel represents demographic diversity as well as a diversity of lived experience and will work to ensure decision-making is as close as possible to centered communities.

The Creative Equity Fund has three goals:  

1) Build the capacity of BIPOC-, LGBTQ+-, and disability-led and serving community-based organizations that are using arts and culture to reduce the effects of structural racism and other forms of systemic oppression through systems and policy change. 

2) Grow community power, through arts and culture as strategies, to imagine and actualize a just and liberated world. 

3) Spur action towards improving outcomes for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disability communities who are disproportionately impacted by structural racism and other intersecting forms of oppression. 

We are grateful to our funding partners for their generous contributions and commitment to this effort.  

City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture 

Lorna Jordan Foundation 

Satterberg Foundation 

Seattle Foundation

You can reach us via email at grants@artsfund.org. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response.  

You can also sign up for our ArtsFund Statewide Newsletter to stay updated about grant opportunities as they are released.