A Letter from VP of Grantmaking, Ellen Milligan
Greetings,
Fiscal year 2024 was ArtsFund’s largest grantmaking year ever. Between October 2023 and September 2024, we granted out more than $12.5 million to arts and cultural organizations across Washington, a record in our 55-year history. This brings ArtsFund’s all-time grantmaking to $130 million.
As we head into 2025, I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the many fantastic arts and cultural organizations in our state, including the more than 800 organizations that received an ArtsFund grant in 2024. Thank you for the vital work you do to build a more healthy, equitable, and creative Washington.
Arts and culture are critical to a healthy society, and we know that your work is more essential than ever. We also know that the need for funding is as great as it has ever been, which is why our team is gearing up for another big year of grantmaking in 2025. We look forward to partnering with you in the new year – and again, thank you for all you do to strengthen our communities.
Sincerely,
Ellen Milligan
Vice President of Grantmaking, ArtsFund
Leadership
2025 Statewide Convening
Your next opportunity to join us for a Statewide Convening will be in early 2025, and we hope to see you there!
At ArtsFund, Statewide Convenings are virtual gatherings, networking sessions, and webinars that are designed to bring the local, regional, and national practitioners to you, providing you and your colleagues with very important data and trainings to help your organization navigate an ever-evolving landscape.
We believe that when your nonprofit arts and cultural organization has access to tools, training, and resources, your communities thrive. Stay tuned for more information about the upcoming Statewide Convening!
Learn more about Convenings by visiting here.
Advocacy
Ready to improve your accessibility?
You can now audit your organization’s physical space, programming, and communications for accessibility with the new arts & culture accessibility self-assessment tool from Open Door Arts Massachusetts. Familiarize yourself with the legal responsibilities around access, set goals for your organization, and leave with a plan to implement or improve your current accessibility measures. Information Sessions on how to complete and utilize the tool are held monthly via Zoom.
The fully online self-assessment is free and can be accessed here: https://www.artsaccessresources.org/
Use code AAWA25 to join other Washington state arts & culture organizations in the move towards access for all (see full instructions). Using this optional code will include your anonymous responses in an aggregate data set which ArtsFund may access in the future for analysis and advocacy purposes.
Careers in the Arts Toolkit
The Careers in the Arts Toolkit was developed by the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) in partnership with Art Beyond Sight as a resource promoting equity, access, and inclusion for people with disabilities seeking careers in the arts.
What you’ll find in the toolkit:
- Resources for artists, cultural workers, and youth with disabilities
- Resources for arts employers
- Resources for arts educators
- Resources for arts Grantmakers
New Research from ArtsFund
Ready to improve your accessibility?
Research spearheaded by ArtsFund President & CEO Michael Greer, completed in June 2024, includes data from 349 organizations across 28 counties and looks at funding composition and expense trends at cultural nonprofit organizations over 6 years. In white papers How are the Arts Being Funded Today? and What do Expenses Look Like Today? he explores possible levers for change, the benefits of balancing earned and contributed revenue, and the positive impact of competitive wages as a means to create long-term strength in the sector.
Read More: How are the Arts Being Funded Today?
Read more: What Do Expenses Look Like Today?
New NEA Research Explores Arts Engagement and Social Connectedness
The U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey collected from April to July of 2024 uncovers the relationship between arts engagement and social connection among U.S. adults according to a recent NEA (National Endowment for the Arts) brief.
Grantmaking
Community Accelerator Grant Case Studies
In 2024, $10 million was distributed to 811 organizations across Washington through the Community Accelerator Grant. The unrestricted funding, designed to be an investment in Washington state’s arts and culture sector was distributed statewide and saw an increase of 140 grantees compared to year one of the program in 2023. How does this funding impact the grantees and the communities they serve? The Grantmaking team at ArtsFund met with eight grantees to hear their stories, how they work to keep their cultural histories alive, and how they make plans for a new future.
Check out the 2024 case studies!