Nonprofit Community Recovery (NCR) Grants
The Nonprofit Community Recovery grants program is now closed.
ArtsFund is thrilled to announce a new grantmaking program, the Community Accelerator Grant, a historic investment in Washington’s arts and culture sector. This program is open to Washington State-based arts and cultural organizations, whose primary mission is to produce or support arts and cultural activities. Eligibility includes organizations with their own 501(c)(3) status, fiscally sponsored organizations, and tribal organizations. The application will be open in January 2023. To learn more about the Community Accelerator Grant, visit the Community Accelerator Grant page.
ArtsFund, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Commerce, administered $10,780,000 million in Nonprofit Community Recovery (NCR) grants. Grants were distributed statewide, providing critical COVID-19 pandemic recovery relief to nonprofits across Washington state. All funds will be distributed before June 30, 2021.
• $10.78 million in relief funding allocated to 702 nonprofits.
• NCR grants met over 91% of the recipients’ requested amount of funding.
• Nonprofits in 34 counties across all regions of the state were funded.
Click here to view the full list of recipients.
About the NCR Grants Program
Nonprofits help build community; their recovery is critical to a thriving post-pandemic economy and healthy communities within Washington. These pandemic recovery grants were administered by ArtsFund to nonprofits across Washington state. Organizations that are led by and/or serve under-resourced communities, culturally diverse populations, and underrepresented groups were encouraged to apply. These included, but were not limited to, organizations in rural communities and organizations led by and/or serve communities that identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), as people with disabilities, and as LGBTQ+.
Washington State Department of Commerce partnered with ArtsFund to center the grants program on arts, cultural, science, and heritage organizations. Grants were also awarded to nonprofit neighborhood associations, sports and recreation organizations, and veterans’ organizations.
Applicants requested funding amounts between $2500 to $25,000. Relief funds were awarded to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021, due to financial hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funds were awarded as unrestricted grants but could not be used to cover expenses previously covered by other COVID-19 related public funding sources.
Eligibility Requirements
Organizations considered eligible to apply met all of the following criteria:
• Organizations that have 501(c)(3) status, or fiscal sponsorship by a 501(c)(3), with appropriate documentation since FY2019
• Organizations that have a 2019 annual operating budget greater than $25,000
• Organizations that operate in one or more of the following four focus areas:
- Arts, culture, science, and heritage organizations
- Neighborhood Associations
- Sports and Recreation Organizations
- Veterans Organizations
Organizations considered ineligible to apply:
• Individuals
• For-profit organizations
• Political advocacy organizations
• Homeowners’ associations
• Organizations located outside of Washington state
For more information about eligibility requirements, please visit the FAQs.
Grant Making Process
Grant applications were accepted between May 10, 2021 and May 24, 2021. A twelve-person panel of statewide sector representatives reviewed the applications and approved the awards. For a full list of the panelists, click here.
Info Session
Please click here to view a recorded information session.
FAQ
Please click here to review Frequently Asked Questions.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about the NCR Grants program, please contact: grants@artsfund.org.
Please visit the Department of Commerce grants page for updates to opportunities that you may qualify for in the near future: https://commercegrants.com.