Open 4Culture
Open 4Culture is the perfect introduction to 4Culture and grants in general. Whether this is your first grant with us or your first grant ever, our friendly staff will walk you through the entire process. Together, we are making cultural funding more accessible and inclusive!
Steps to Apply
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What Open 4Culture Funds
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What Open 4Culture Funds
This grant awards up to $2,500 to create and share your arts, heritage, and historic preservation projects with our residents and visitors!
Criteria
We fund our grants through a thorough selection process. Reviewers with expertise in your discipline will evaluate your project based on the following criteria:
- Public benefit: The project includes a compelling and feasible way for King County residents and visitors to access, experience, or benefit from the work. The project makes clear efforts to be accessible to many ages, disabilities, languages, and communities.
- Qualifications or catalyst: Your work samples and experience show that you can successfully complete the project. Qualifications can be based on skills, experience, training, or knowledge. If this is your first project of this kind or scale, your qualifications show the ability to learn, grow, and expand your practice, and/or you have mentors or collaborators who can support you.
- Feasibility: Your project will be successfully completed within the 1-year grant period. This is demonstrated through a realistic budget, timeline, and plan in your Budget and Project Plan sections.
- Advancing equity (optional): 4Culture’s mission focuses on racial equity and envisions a county where culture is essential and accessible to all. Your project specifically benefits communities of color and/or historically marginalized communities. The project serves or collaborates with members of these communities. This is not a requirement.
Public Benefit: Why It Matters
Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents will benefit from the work you do. Read about public benefit more in depth here.
Equity Investments
To combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture engages in the practice of making Equity Investments. This practice involves looking at several indicators of structural inequity and applying that knowledge to our peer review panel process. These indicators include but are not limited to: geographic location of applicants, operating budget, communities engaged with and audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors in our grantmaking decisions and panel review process, we anticipate funds will be distributed to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding.
Each of our grant programs utilizes an Equity Investment system tailored to the specific needs of its applicants; please read the After You Submit section of this page for details on how Equity Investments will function for this grant. This organization-wide change—and what we learn about its impact—is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector.
This grant’s Equity Investment is additional funding added to all selected projects that meet one or more of the following requirements:
- You are based outside of the City of Seattle.
- You are located in one of Seattle’s Communities of Opportunity.
- OR your application scores highly on the Advancing Equity criteria.
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Are You and Your Project Eligible?
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Are You and Your Project Eligible?
You
Apply as an individual if you are the sole creator, a producer, or are leading others in the creation of your arts, heritage, or historic preservation project. The reviewers will assess your individual contribution to the project and your work samples.
- You are new to 4Culture and have not yet received our grants or funding. Cultural Relief awardees are still eligible.
- Individuals must be at least 18 years old and a resident of King County from when you apply through the end of your project.
- If selected for an award, you must provide a Social Security Number to receive payment. No fiscal sponsors may be used.
- Multiple applicants may not apply for the same project.
- The following are not eligible to apply:
- 4Culture staff, Board, or Arts Advisory Committee members.
- Past 4Culture grant awardees. Cultural Relief awardees are eligible.
- Individuals applying on behalf of a current Launch or Sustained Support organization. If you are staff at a Sustained Support organization, please let us know in your application (search current awardees here).
Apply as a group if you represent an arts group, a grassroots or non-profit organization, municipality, Tribal government, or business that creates arts, heritage, or historic preservation projects. The panel will assess your group’s contribution to your project and work samples.
- You are new to 4Culture and have not yet received our grants or funding. Recovery Fund awardees are still eligible.
- Groups must be based in King County with a core mission dedicated to Arts, Heritage, or Historic Preservation. If your group is not, you must have a formal partnership with an artist, heritage professional, or preservationist.
- If selected for an award, you must provide an Employer Identification Number, which you can receive for a sole proprietorship, LLC, S-Corp, General Partnership, nonprofit, etc. Your 4Culture group/organization account name must match the name associated with your EIN. We cannot accept EINs under personal names or Social Security Numbers. Reach out to us if you have any questions!
- Fiscally sponsored groups and nonprofits are eligible but not required.
- Multiple applicants may not apply for the same project.
- The following are not eligible to apply:
- Past 4Culture grant awardees. Recovery Fund awardees are eligible.
- Groups applying on behalf of a current Launch or Sustained Support organization. If members of your group are staff at a one of these organizations, please let us know in your application (search current awardees here).
Your Project
This grant offers support for projects in three disciplines: arts, heritage, and historic preservation. Projects can take place in-person, online, or hybrid.
- Arts: your project creates art of any discipline that offers some community access to the art or the artmaking process, such as readings, screenings, exhibitions, performances, workshops, discussions, festivals, activities, and more.
- Heritage: heritage is defined as “the exchange of knowledge and experiences shaped by the past.” Your project focuses on heritage and historical themes in King County through identification, documentation, exhibition, or interpretation. Heritage can include people, memories, places, communities, and events.
- Preservation: your project must contribute to the preservation of King County’s historic buildings, sites, neighborhoods, or landscapes through documentation, identification, research, analysis, educational programming, or advocacy.
See a list of past Awardees here.
This grant does not fund:
- Projects produced or funded by a 4Culture Sustained Support or Launch recipients organization (search current awardees here)
- Food and beverages
- Purchase of equipment (see our Equipment for Organizations grant)
- Murals and permanent public art
- Religious worship, exercise, or instruction
- K-12 schools or school districts (see our Curiosity Pass grant)
- Tuition and cost-of-living expenses for students in any degree program
- Fundraising events and/or fundraising expenses
- General operating support (see Launch or Sustained Support grants)
- Capital construction (see our Facilities grant)
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Helping You Succeed
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Helping You Succeed
Helpful Resources
Worksheet
This worksheet includes the full application with helpful tips. Use this to prepare your answers. Remember, you can only apply after you have received staff approval.
Sample Applications
Here are samples of applications that received funding:
PDF | Word
See last year’s grant recipients on our Awardees page.
Personal Feedback
We are happy to offer feedback on a draft of your application! Feedback takes about 1 week.
Contact
Translation and Assistance
The guidelines, a detailed explanation of how to apply, and the application are in English. If this is a barrier that stops you from understanding the grant or applying due to limited English writing ability, visual impairment, or you would like to request assistance to create an application, please contact or call (206) 296-7580 or TTY 711, and we will make sure you get the support you need.
中文 (Chinese)
資助指南、如何申請的詳細說明以及資助申請表均為英文版。如果您因英語書寫能力有限、視力障礙而無法申請，或是在填寫申請表時需要協助，請發送電子郵件至 或致電 (206) 296-7580 或 TTY 711 進行聯絡，我們會確保您獲得所需的幫助。了解更多相关信息 ›
Русский (Russian)
Правила предоставления гранта, подробная инструкция по подаче заявки, а также сама заявка на грант составлены на английском языке. Если вы не можете подать заявку из-за недостаточного владения письменной английской речью или нарушений зрения, либо нуждаетесь в помощи для составления заявки, напишите по адресу или позвоните по телефону (206) 296-7580, либо TTY 711. Мы предоставим вам необходимую поддержку. Дополнительная информация ›
Soomaali (Somali)
Tilmaamaha deeqda, sharraxaada faahfaahsan ee ku saabsan sida loo codsado, iyo codsiga deeqda waxay dhammaan ku qoran yihiin Af-Ingiriisi. Haddii arrintaan ay tahay caqabad kaa hor istaageyso codsashada oo ay sabab u tahay awoodda qorista Af-Ingiriisiga oo xadidan, naafanimo aragga ah, ama aad jeclaan lahayd inaad codsato in lagaa caawiyo in aad codsi sameyso, fadlan la xiriir ama wac (206) 296-7580 ama TTY 711, waxaana xaqiijin doonnaa inaad hesho taageerada aad u baahan tahay. Xog badan ka ogow ›
Español (Spanish)
Si esto supone un impedimento para presentar la solicitud debido a una capacidad limitada para escribir en inglés, una discapacidad visual o necesita ayuda para crear una solicitud, póngase en contacto con o llame al (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711, y nos aseguraremos de que reciba la ayuda que necesita. Más información ›
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Các hướng dẫn về khoản tài trợ, giải thích chi tiết về cách nộp đơn và đơn đăng ký tài trợ đều bằng tiếng Anh. Nếu đây là rào cản khiến quý vị không thể nộp đơn đăng ký do khả năng viết tiếng Anh hạn chế, suy giảm thị lực hoặc quý vị muốn yêu cầu hỗ trợ để tạo đơn đăng ký, Làm ơn liên hệ hoặc gọi (206) 296-7580 hoặc TTY 711 và chúng tôi sẽ hỗ trợ những gì quý vị cần. Để biết thêm chi tiết ›
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After You Submit
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After You Submit
Review Process
Once you have contacted our staff and submitted your application, you will receive an email notification on your award status within 2-4 weeks. If your application is not accepted this time, we are happy to share the reviewers’ feedback.
Contracts and Payment
If we select your project for funding, your grant manager will work with you to create a contract. Contracting may take 2-4 months. Please keep this in mind as you plan your finances.
Payments are made as reimbursements. Time permitting, you can request 50% of the award to start your project and 50% upon completion.
Requirements and Appeals
Learn about what will be required if you are awarded a grant, and about the process for appeal of a 4Culture decision.
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Apply
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Apply
Please contact us if you are interested in applying!
- 4open@4culture.org
- (206) 477-9879
Due Date
- Applications must be submitted at least 3 months before the project or event. For example, if your event is August 1, you must submit by May 1.
- Applications will be closed February 1–March 31, 2027.
Timeline
Plan ahead! If you receive the award, it can take around 4-5 months from the date you contact us to receiving your first payment.
- Contact us to start the process. We’ll respond within 2-4 business days.
- Approval to start an application can take 1-2 weeks.
- Once approved, we will send you the application and instructions.
- Reviewing your application will take 2-4 weeks.
- If you receive the grant, contacting can take 2-4 months.
All eligible applicants will be notified if they were awarded funding or not. Check out more of 4Culture’s grant opportunities and other local grants.