4Culture

Eligible Applicants Are King County-Based:

• Nonprofit heritage and cultural organizations, and public agencies, other than K-12 schools or schools districts, with at least a two-year operating history, tax exempt status, and demonstrated long-term site control

Note: All applicants must be able to demonstrate that they provide programmatic activities focused on the identification, collection, evaluation, preservation, restoration, exhibition, and/or interpretation of King County heritage.

Requirements for Applicant Organizations:

• A legally-constituted and working board of directors
• A record of providing heritage programs and services
• At least a two-year operating history as a legally constituted entity. Organizations may not apply under another organization's umbrella.
• Tax exempt status, preferably 501(c)(3)
• If an applicant's tax-exempt eligibility is "pending," but the application is recommended for funding, no contract will be negotiated until nonprofit status has been confirmed. Contact staff to discuss your organization's status, if you are unsure.
• Ability to maintain net current liabilities at less than thirty percent of general operating expenses
• Ability to sustain operational capacity beyond the completion of the facility or the purchase of fixed asset(s) as evidenced by project and operating budgets
• A strategic plan for the organization, the facility, and its programming or content is required for all facility applications
• Control of the site through ownership or a long-term lease (10 years; five years w/5 year option to extend) for all facility proposals
• The ability to enter into a contract that requires your organization to provide proof of nonprofit status and a W-9 form, complete an ADA status review, have liability insurance that names 4Culture as additional insured, and provide other information as required by King County statutes

Facilities Funding May be Used for:

• The purchase, design, construction and remodeling of heritage facilities
• The purchase of equipment that the organization plans to use to support heritage activities for at least 10 years. Fixed assets (casework, etc.) intended for use in permanent interpretive exhibits are eligible; items intended as collections items or for display in permanent exhibits are not eligible as purchases for this program.
• Preservation and restoration of cultural facilities to be used for Heritage Interpretive purposes that are designated as landmarks by a Certified Local Government or listed on the National Register
• Compliance with Section 504 of the Federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act

Facilities Funding May Not be Used For:

• For stand-alone general feasibility studies at the outset of a project
• For general facility maintenance, or to make repairs to buildings or equipment
• To purchase consumable items (i.e.light bulbs, small tools)
• To cover operating expenses, regular salaries or program expenses
• To pay for elements of a project completed before the award of funds
• To pay for fundraising costs associated with a capital project
• To preserve or restore a facility not used for heritage interpretation

Applications to the Heritage Cultural Facilities program are reviewed by staff for eligibility, accuracy, and completeness. An independent peer review panel, composed of heritage specialists, museum professionals, and other community representatives, meet to review applications. All applicants must appear before this panel for a 10-minute interview. Be sure to send representatives who can answer questions regarding project budget, financial statements, and project goals and timelines.

Note: In 2011, 4Culture is initiating a two-stage review process for Cultural Facilities requests over $30,000.

• Heritage and Arts proposals over that threshold amount will be reviewed by a combined panel of heritage and arts specialists.
• Heritage proposals not recommended for funding by the first panel will then be submitted, along with proposals under $30,000, to the Heritage Cultural Facilities panel for review.
• Applicants requesting over $30,000 must contact staff in advance of the deadline to determine whether additional material, such as drawings, purchase agreements or other documents, should be submitted with their proposals.

Review panels will select and recommend funding for the most highly qualified proposals based on the following criteria:

Questions about your proposal or its eligibility? Contact Eric Taylor at 206 296.8688.

Funding from 4Culture programs is awarded on a competitive basis. The following opportunities are available to help applicants plan projects and prepare applications:

Requirements and appeals

You are required to submit your application using the online form. In this section, you will find information on how to prepare your application and submit support materials.

At the end of this section, a link will be provided to the Online Application.

Support Materials (Required)

Additional Support Materials (Optional)

Mail/Deliver Instructions

If you prefer to send hard copies of the above, materials must be postmarked on or before September 14, 2011, or delivered to 4Culture offices by 5:00 p.m. PST, September 14, 2011, addressed to:

Note: Once you have started the process of applying online, you can hit "save" after each completed step in the application, sign out, and your application will remain saved as a draft. You can then return to your application any time before the deadline to continue working or to make changes by signing in with the username and password you created. Once you hit "submit," you will still be able to see your application, but you will not be able to make any changes.

For technical questions about the online application system, contact staff member Brandi Link at 206 296.8707.

This funding opportunity is currently closed. We will reopen the application for this opportunity at least 6 weeks before the next deadline.