ArtsFund
/OVERVIEW: This funder supports many arts and culture groups in the Washington counties of King and Pierce. Typically, grants are invitation-only.
IP TAKE: This arts group receives support from area foundations and re-grants out to local nonprofits. Reach out to staff to get on the radar for annual awards.
PROFILE: ArtsFund is based in Seattle, Washington, and supports a variety of arts groups in the region. It seks to “strengthen the community by supporting the arts through leadership, advocacy, and grant making.” It took on its current name in 2003 and has supported over 75 groups with more than $71 million over the years. ArtsFund has been dedicated to the arts of the Puget Sound Region since 1969.
After Mari Horita took over as president and CEO in 2012, the organization embarked upon a strategic planning process. As part of its 2017-2018 update to that 2013 plan, ArtsFund seeks to better support the arts in building healthy communities. Funding for this strategic planning process was made possible with money from the Boeing Company and the Satterberg Foundation. Other support for ArtsFund has come from Microsoft, Wells Fargo, PACCAR, Bank of America, Starbucks, and Sellen. Private philanthropists also give donations and serve on the allocation committee.
To be eligible for an ArtsFund grant, grant seekers must be located in the state of Washington and have been in continuous operation in either King County or Pierce County for at least three years. Nonprofits must also have an annual operating budget of at least $200,000 in King County or $100,000 in Pierce County. Some exclusions are individual artists, public broadcasting, children’s museums, art festivals that operate for less than 10 days, and historic preservation.
Funding priorities include dance, film, media, literary arts, multicultural arts, multi-disciplinary arts, music, theater, and visual art. Recent grants support the Northwest Film Forum, Velocity Dance Center, the Asia Pacific Cultural Center, Coyote Central, Auburn Symphony Orchestra, Jet City Improv, and the Bellevue Arts Museum. A list of grantees is here. In a recent cycle, ArtsFund distributed over $2.48 million in grants to 58 nonprofit arts and culture organizations in Pierce and King counties.
Past grant application deadlines have fallen in late February. Invited organizations are sent a grant application via email in mid-December to complete. In addition to grants, ArtsFund offers programs and initiatives to equip leaders and volunteers with fundraising skills, board leadership training, capacity building, and capital project support.
Direct general questions to info@artsfund.org. Keep up with them through the newsletter. Find events supported by ArtsFund that bring visibility to the region’s art scene here.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
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