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 provides unrestricted grants to cultural organizations across Washington, prioritizing communities with less access to mainstream funding, including organizations centering BIPOC, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, and rural communities. Awards will be unrestricted, allowing recipient organizations to utilize funding in ways that they determine and prioritize for highest impact.

In 2026, the program’s eligibility parameters have shifted to focus on nonprofits, fiscally sponsored organizations, and tribal entities with annual operating budgets of $1 million or less, recognizing that these grants will have an outsized impact on these organizations. 

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The Community Accelerator Grant application, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), and Demographic Data Use Statement have been translated into 10 languages.

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). 

The Community Accelerator Grant is intended to fund Washington State’s arts and culture sector. 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 been established on or before December 31, 2022. 

– Have an average annual operating budget greater than $25,000 and less than $1,000,000 over FY2023, FY2024, and FY2025 (actuals). 

Applicants considered ineligible include:   

– Individuals 

– Private foundations 

– For-profit organizations  

– Political advocacy organizations  

– Organizations located outside of Washington State 

– Churches and religious organizations  

– Government entities, except tribal governments

– Info Session: Wednesday, July 8 

– Application Window Opens: Wednesday, July 15, at 12:00 pm 

– Application Window Closes: Friday, August 21, at 5:00 pm 

– Grantees Notified: On or before Tuesday, December 1 

– Funds Disbursed: On or before Thursday, December 31 

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. 

You can reach ArtsFund’s grantmaking team via email at accelerator@artsfund.org. Please allow up to 3 business days for a response. Starting on July 15, you can also reach the grantmaking team by calling the Community Accelerator Grant phone line at (206) 788-3051. This line will be staffed at the following hours: 

Tuesdays            10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Wednesdays        2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Fridays                      10 a.m. – 1 p.m. 

Please allow 3 business days for us to respond to your message. 

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