Community Accelerator Grant

ArtsFund is pleased to partner with Allen Family Philanthropies on the fourth round of funding for the Community Accelerator Grant, a $10 million investment in Washington state’s arts and culture sector. The program, now in its fourth year, provides unrestricted grants to cultural nonprofit organizations across Washington state. 

In 2025, the Community Accelerator Grant awarded 930 grants to organizations in Washington’s 39 counties. The funds are intended to boost arts organizations’ ability to invest in their missions and essential roles serving communities across the state. 

More information on eligibility, how to apply, and when funds will be distributed will be shared in the summer. 

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Funded by Allen Family Philanthropies, Year 4 of the Community Accelerator Grant program will provide unrestricted grants for cultural organizations across Washington State in amounts of $2,500 to $25,000.  

The 2026 application will open at 12:00 noon on Wednesday, July 15. The deadline to apply will be 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 21. To preview the application, click here. 

Review our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). 

Join us on Wednesday, July 8 at 12:00 p.m. for an overview of Year 4 of the Community Accelerator Grant Program! This Zoom webinar will walk prospective applicants through the application process, review the program’s updated eligibility parameters, and provide an opportunity for a question-and-answer session with ArtsFund staff. 

REGISTER HERE

ASL interpretation, ASR captions in 30 languages, and visual descriptions will be provided. A recording will be available after the session. If you are unable to attend this event live, we encourage you to join the statewide email list to be notified when the recording is posted. 

In 2026, the program’s eligibility will shift to focus on organizations with annual operating budgets of $1 million or less, recognizing that these grants will have an outsized impact on organizations. Additional eligibility for year 4 of the Community Accelerator Grant program will be determined in the summer. Eligibility in previous cycles does not guarantee eligibility in year 4.

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 accelerator@artsfund.org. 

Grants will be issued by December 31, 2026.

The program is informed by a Community Advisory Panel that represents geographic and demographic diversity. The panel works to ensure decision-making is as close to the impacted communities as possible.

The Community Accelerator Grant invests in a stronger, more inclusive and thriving arts and cultural sector for Washington state by allowing organizations to self-determine how best to utilize their funding. The funds are intended to boost arts organizations’ ability to invest in their missions and essential roles serving communities across the state. 

Sign up to our statewide newsletter to learn more about the program as information is released.

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You can reach us at accelerator@artsfund.org for any questions. Please allow 3 business days for us to respond to your message.