Landmarks Capital

Whether you are an individual owner or you represent an organization, if you are the steward of a designated historic landmark property in King County and are working to rehabilitate it, you should consider applying for a Landmarks Capital grant. Projects that center on underrepresented communities and that contribute to the diversity of property types and histories represented in King County’s built environment will receive additional consideration. Landmarks Capital grants are capped at $30,000.

Criteria

We fund all of our grants through a competitive process, carefully evaluating each application.

Projects located in a 4Culture Equity Investment area shall receive additional consideration during the grant allocation process. Projects qualify as being in an Equity Investment area by meeting one or more of the following requirements. Your project does not need to meet one of these to qualify; these only give certain projects priority:

• • The project is outside of the City of Seattle.
  • The project is located in Seattle but is also in a 2010 US Census tract area with a Communities of Opportunity index percentile of 60% or greater.

For Firefox users, you may find it easier to view the map using this link.

Please notify Program Manager Dana Phelan at 206-263-1604 of your intent to apply for a Landmarks Capital grant. If you are a first-time applicant, we recommend making an individual phone appointment to discuss your project.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

Every time a visitor to Washington State stays in a hotel, they pay a Lodging Tax—this is where our funding comes from, and our mission is to put it back into the community. As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your project will benefit your fellow King County residents and visitors. Here are some ways historic preservation projects may benefit the public:

• The landmark property has high visibility in the community, is accessible to the public, or is a part of historical programs or tours.
• Investment in your landmark property will help promote economic activity in the neighborhood or have other positive impacts in your community.
• Your project will contribute to the long-term viability and use of the landmark property.
• Your project will contribute to the diversity of property types and histories represented in King County’s built environment.

You

• We accept applications from individuals, businesses, organizations, and local governments that are either the owner or long-term leaseholder of a historic property in King County.
• Your property must be designated as an official landmark at the city or county level, or a historic building within a locally designated historic district. Properties listed in the National Register of Historic Place are eligible only in jurisdictions without a local historic preservation ordinance. Please contact 4Culture staff if you have questions about the eligibility of your property.
• This grant is not available to K-12 schools or school districts.

Your Project

• You may request up to $30,000. Matching funds are not required but can help to demonstrate additional support.
• Your project can include materials, labor, permits, and fees, as well as architectural design and engineering directly related to construction costs. Project management costs may be up to 15% of the award amount.
• Your project should focus on the stabilization or restoration of historic building fabric, repair or replacement of essential building systems, or the restoration of historically significant landscapes.
• Landmarks Capital funds may not be used for property acquisition, new additions, equipment purchases, planning and pre-development studies, general operating support, overhead costs, employee benefits, or any regular staff salaries.

Workshops

Workshops make a big difference in the success of your application—each year, we find that the strongest applications come from people who have attended a workshop.

Three workshops will be virtual and have captioning available. You’ll need a Zoom account to join. One workshop will be held in-person at the 4Culture office.

Not able to join us for a workshop? View this workshop recording:

Tutorial Video

Watch this step-by-step application tutorial video to assist you through the process of creating an account, starting your application, and saving it for later.

Contact

Staff are here to assist you! If you have any questions, please email or call at any time. Please notify Dana Phelan of your intent to apply, and arrange for an individual phone appointment if you are a first-time applicant.

Dana Phelan
dana.phelan@4culture.org
206-263-1604

We will make every effort to ensure equal access for all applicants. If you require accommodations, please contact us.

You can also view last year’s funded applicants on our Past Grants page.

Translation and Assistance

If you anticipate a barrier to your participation due to limited English writing ability, visual impairment, or would like to request assistance to access this application, please contact us at hello@4culture.org or 206-296-7580 or TTY 711.
 
Si anticipa una barrera para su participación debido a la capacidad limitada de escritura en inglés, discapacidad visual, o desea solicitar asistencia para acceder a esta aplicación, contáctenos en hello@4culture.org o 206-296-7580 o TTY 711.
 
如果您由于英语写作能力有限，视力障碍而希望参加比赛，或者希望获得协助来访问此应用程序，请通过hello@4culture.org或206-296-7580或TTY 711与我们联系。

Timeline

The deadline for this grant is September 21, 2022 at 5:00 pm PDT. We will announce our funding decisions following our Board of Directors’ approval of the awards on December 7, 2022. You can start your project—or the portion of your project described in your application—no earlier than December 8, 2022, and you must complete it by September 30, 2024.

Informational Survey

After submitting your application, you will be contacted by 4Culture staff to participate in an informational survey related to equity in preservation planning and project execution. The survey results will help 4Culture learn about equity-focused efforts in the historic preservation field and develop resources for owners and stewards of historic places. Your responses to these questions will not be shared with the review panel or be part of the application scoring process for 2022, but will help 4Culture to refine criteria for future funding.

Panel Process

4Culture staff will review your application to ensure eligibility. A panel of historic preservation specialists and community members, which changes annually, then evaluates all eligible applications. 4Culture staff facilitates the panel process but does not vote or try to influence the outcome. The panel selects and recommends the most compelling projects to the 4Culture Board for funding, based on the criteria outlined above in the What Landmarks Capital Funds section of this page.

Contracts and Payment

If the 4Culture Board approves your project for funding, your grant manager will work with you to create a contract outlining a payment schedule.

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.

Once you’ve started your application, you can save it as a draft and continue to work on it up to the deadline. Once you click Submit, your application is final. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions during the process.

What’s in the Application

The online application includes questions connected to the criteria for this grant, and a project budget. You must complete all required fields in the online form in order to submit your application for review. Read all the instructions carefully, answer all the questions as thoroughly as possible, and complete the project budget to the best of your ability.

Below, you will find information on additional support materials. We recommend assembling them early in the application process and encourage you to call or email us with any questions as you work on these materials.