$1.5 million dollars in cares relief grants available to arts and cultural organizations

Submitted by the Washington State Department of Commerce.

The Washington State Arts Commission in coordination with the Washington State Department of Commerce is accepting applications for CARES Relief funding grants to be distributed to arts and cultural organizations statewide.

The deadline for application is Oct. 23.

“Arts and cultural organizations play a particularly important role as we grapple with the social and emotional challenges of the pandemic and reckoning with inequality,” said Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “These grants will help support a strong creative economy in our state that benefits artists from diverse backgrounds and builds community for all.”

Nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, including tribal organizations, and fiscally sponsored groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are eligible to apply for a grant of up to $10,000. Organizations must have current federal tax-exempt status or be sponsored by a qualifying nonprofit that has arts, culture, and/or heritage in their mission statement. Grants will be processed and paid by the end of December.

“The creative sector is an important part of Washington’s economy that’s been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said ArtsWA Executive Director Karen Hanan. “We’re grateful that the Department of Commerce has made these funds available for arts and cultural organizations that desperately need help to survive.”

A Statewide Cultural and Creative Economic Recovery Survey conducted by 14 partner organizations (including ArtsWA) found that 75% of the 483 arts and culture organizations that responded will have depleted their operating budget by the end of November 2020.

“Because we want to distribute the grants as soon as possible, the application period is only four weeks long,” said Hanan. “We’re especially hoping that rural and underserved nonprofit organizations across the state take this opportunity to apply.”

Applications will be evaluated under three main criteria: Financial need, Arts and Cultural Programming, and Communities Served. To ensure geographic distribution, applications will be evaluated by regional panels serving the northwest, southwest, central, and eastern regions of the state.

Read the ArtsWA CARES Relief Grant Fall 2020 Guidelines at https://www.arts.wa.gov/cares-act-grants/.

For questions contact Miguel Guillén at miguel.guillen@arts.wa.gov