Crisis and Transformation
Current Sustained Support awardees can request Network of Support consultant services in times of operational crisis or transformation.
Applications are now closed for 2026. We have reached our annual budget of 15 awards for a total of $150,000 in services.
Steps to Apply
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What Crisis and Transformation Supports
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What Crisis and Transformation Supports
Cultural work comes with the unexpected. Operation emergencies and crises happen, whether loss of executive leadership, eviction from space, financial insolvency, and more. Unforeseen or planned, there are periods when organizations and Tribes experience significant transformational change. Hiring staff for the first time, moving from leasing to owning a space, merging with a partner organization, these are exciting opportunities but can bring uncertainty and instability.
4Culture can provide services by Network of Support Capacity Builders—including coaches, mentors, and consultants—paid by 4Culture directly, for cultural organizations and Tribes needing consulting assistance in times of crisis and transformation.
Criteria
For these requests, we’ll look at the following:
- Quality and Qualifications: thought and reasoning you have put into responding to this emergency or assessing this opportunity, including assembling a qualified and prepared project team. If it’s an emergency, we’ll evaluate the immediacy of need and whether there’s a clear plan for resolving the crisis; if it’s an opportunity, we’ll assess the potential to further your mission.
- Feasibility: your ability to successfully manage this project to gain stability, as demonstrated through the qualifications of those who will be involved in executing the project and your internal capacity to sustain project outcomes.
- Project Impact and Public Benefit: impact of your project on your ability to serve the community.
Due to limited funds, we will take into consideration your financial resources for this project.
Public Benefit: Why It Matters
4Culture is a public agency supporting the cultural sector through revenue from Lodging Tax, 1% for Art, and Doors Open funding sources. Core to our work and defined in our Charter is a requirement that everything we fund serves the public interest, enriching communities throughout King County.
We define Public Benefit as the opportunity for King County residents and visitors to access and engage in arts, science, and other cultural activities, events, communities of practice, historic and cultural spaces, and works of public art related to our program areas. It is also a service requirement for all recipients of funding from 4Culture. Public benefit makes it easier to experience culture.
As you work through your request, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work. Read about public benefit more in depth here. Here are a few ideas of ways you can provide public benefit:
- Free workshops, trainings, or classes.
- Events in the often under-served areas of suburban or rural King County, to low-income, youth and senior groups, individuals with limited physical abilities, recent immigrants, or residents from minority races or ethnicities.
- Free, electronically accessible materials, including educational resources, research publications, audio, or video recordings.
Geographic and Equity Investments
4Culture recognizes that where an organization or Tribe is based or provides its services to, as well as the communities it serves, can affect access to funding and other resources. To take a step towards balancing these disparities, 4Culture will provide additional funding to organizations and Tribes that are based in parts of King County that are less served by other funding sources and to organizations that specifically serve marginalized communities, especially communities that are disproportionately impacted by structural racism. Organizations and Tribes with an annual budget over $5 million do not qualify for additional Geographic and Equity Investment funding.
Each of our grant programs utilizes geographic and equity investments tailored to the specific needs of its applicants. This organization-wide practice – and what we learn about its impact – is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector. For this program, 25% of the available funds are reserved for requests in an Equity Investment area, which are based on meeting one of the following requirements:
Outside of the City of Seattle
Organizations or Tribes with a primary location outside of Seattle City limits. Eligibility will be determined based on the mailing address in your account profile. This address should be consistent with what your organization uses for IRS reporting purposes.
Communities of Opportunity
Organizations or Tribes that are located in a Community of Opportunity. The Communities of Opportunity (COO) index includes a set of health and socioeconomic indicators to gauge community health and well-being. 4Culture aligns our Equity investments with the COO index to identify the areas of King County in greatest need of support. View this Communities of Opportunity map to determine whether your organization, Tribe, or primary venue is located in a COO. COO areas eligible for an Equity investment are outlined in purple:
Equity Investment Score
Organizations or Tribes that the adjudicating panel of peer reviewers during your most recent Sustained Support application agree are excelling in advancing equity in King County.
What’s Our Approach to Racial Equity?
With a focus on racial equity, 4Culture funds, supports, and advocates for culture to enhance the quality of life in King County. Our commitment to racial equity inspires us to cultivate the tools and practices needed to dismantle forms of oppression. To read more visit: Racial Equity at 4Culture Mission, Vision, Values
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Are You and Your Organization or Tribe Eligible?
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Are You and Your Organization or Tribe Eligible?
Your Organization or Tribe
Eligible applicants include current 4Culture Sustained Support awardees that are experiencing operations emergency crisis or transformational change. This program supports organizations and Tribes in emergency crises that threaten the existence of organizations and Tribes before their missions have been effectively achieved. This program also supports organizations and Tribes with transformational change opportunities that would allow them to significantly transform their internal infrastructure/operations to advance their goals and missions in ways not otherwise possible.
This program is open to current Sustained Support awardees, who have not already qualified for Network of Support services. This support is always open as long as funds are available. It starts with a conversation with 4Culture staff, and we keep in touch as you prepare your request for support.
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Helping You Succeed
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Helping You Succeed
Contact
Cassie Chinn, Cultural Services Liaison (206) 263-8324
Translation and Assistance
The grant guidelines, a detailed explanation of how to apply, and the grant application are in English. If this is a barrier that stops you from 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 ensure you get the support you need.
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.
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.
Español (Spanish)
Las directrices de la subvención, la explicación detallada de cómo solicitarla y la solicitud de la subvención están redactadas en inglés. 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.
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.
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After You Submit
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After You Submit
Your request will be reviewed by 4Culture staff. Upon approval, support is capped at $10,000 in services per organization or Tribe across your current Sustained Support award period. Allow at least two months between submitting your request and the start date of services. Requests with less than two months’ lead time will not be accepted. After you have submitted your request, you will receive an email notification of receipt within one month.
If selected for support, you will complete a brief form to confirm your acceptance of Network of Support services. 4Culture staff will work with you to access the Network of Support. Qualified consultants can be found through 4Culture’s Resource Library. Organizations and Tribes cannot have contracted with the selected consultant within the past year. 4Culture will not share your contact information directly with Network of Support coaches, mentors, and consultants unless requested by you.
Once you have selected a consultant, you will meet with them to develop a letter of agreement for a scope of work, which can begin upon 4Culture approval. Here’s a short video presentation (subject to change) initially created for prioritized organizations that describes more about the Network of Support and how it works.
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
Contact Cassie Chinn, Cultural Services Liaison, at to determine eligibility. 4Culture staff will send you an application link after you’ve discussed your project with them.
What’s in the Request?
You are required to answer the narrative questions based on the criteria (see above).
Narrative Questions in the Crisis and Transformation Request Form
Project Title and Description:
- What operations emergency crisis or transformational change is your organization or Tribe facing?
- How long has it been developing?
- Have there been external circumstances that have amplified the need?
- What do you propose to do?
- What do you hope will result for your organization or Tribe through this work?
Project Implementation:
- What is your plan to address the issue?
- Who in your organization or Tribe will be involved in addressing this need?
- What are their respective roles?
- How will you use the Network of Support?
- What is the timing for your plans?
Project Impact and Public Benefit:
- Who will be impacted if the emergency crisis endures or if the transformational opportunity is successful?
- What impact will this project have in your community and among whom your organization or Tribe serves?
- How might your community or audiences experience changes because of this work?
- How will this project enable King County residents to enjoy and learn from what you do as an organization or Tribe?
- Are there ways that other cultural organizations and Tribes can learn from your experience?
Funding:
- Does your organization or Tribe have funding to support this capacity building work now? What other consultant services are your organization or Tribe planning to use currently or soon?
- What are the anticipated total costs for this work?
Demographic Information
Your organization profile in our portal must provide demographic information for your board and staff for the current year. We use this information to help us understand how well we are doing in our efforts to reach all communities in King County.