Public Free Access

Our new Public Free Access program aims to reduce the significant barrier that admission fees pose to many King County residents— particularly underserved communities—and visitors in accessing quality, relevant, cultural experiences.

In 2023, this is an exploratory program. We are piloting this new funding effort in support of our mission and will use this first year to gather information about the best protocols for the program going forward. $50,000 in total funds are available in 2023 and will be allocated in three roughly equal award pools in quarterly application deadlines:

• March 31, 2023
• June 30, 2023
• September 29, 2023

You may request awards of either $1,000 or $2,000 and may receive only one award during this first year. The amount requested is not a factor in whether an application is funded. Applications not funded in one round may be carried forward for a subsequent deadline in 2023 at your request.

Funds may be used to provide free or reduced cost admission to your cultural programs, events, venues, or activities—existing, new, or restarting in 2023—that are open to the public and publicized to residents and visitors to King County.

Criteria

Maintaining our focus on equitable access to funding at 4Culture, this program minimizes the costs incurred in applying by pre-qualifying applications. This means that applications will be automatically pre-qualified if they meet all eligibility requirements and have been funded by 4Culture during the two most recent calendar years or the current calendar year for Sustained Support, Projects, Open, or any other 4Culture arts, heritage, or preservation funding program.

Applicants who have not been funded previously by 4Culture, but are otherwise eligible under the guidelines, will be screened for pre-qualification by 4Culture staff.

After an application is pre-qualified, all applications for a given round of funding will be ranked in a pool according to the following criteria:

• Based in and primarily serving a King County Community of Opportunity (see the eligibility section below).
• Organization mission explicitly mentions serving currently and historically underserved communities.
• Smallest previous year total revenue.
• Based outside the City of Seattle.

To be eligible to receive Public Free Access program funds in the 2023 exploratory year, you must meet the following requirements:

• Provide cultural experiences open to the public, King County residents and visitors.
• Be based in and primarily serving King County Communities of Opportunity.
• Last completed fiscal year total revenue less than or equal to $50,000.
• Have 501(c)(3) IRS determination or a fiscal sponsor.
• Be a nongovernmental organization.

Communities Of Opportunity

The Communities of Opportunity (COO) index was first developed in 2012 and 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 or primary venue is located in a COO. COO areas eligible for the Public Free Access program are outlined and in purple.

Contact Us

We are available by email and phone to assist you! Please don’t hesitate to contact us with questions.

Bart J. Cannon, PhD
bart.j.cannon@4culture.org
206-263-1584

Workshops

Workshops provide an opportunity for you to meet staff, learn about the process, ask questions, and get application feedback. All workshops will be held online. Registration is required via the links provided.

This grant is currently closed. Workshops will be posted 6-8 weeks before the next deadline date.

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 hello@4culture.org or call (206) 296-7580 or TTY 711, and we will make sure you get the support you need.
 
Las pautas, la explicación detallada de cómo enviar la solicitud y la solicitud están en inglés. Si esto le impide comprender la información relacionada con la beca o enviar una solicitud debido a una limitación en la capacidad para escribir en inglés, si tiene una discapacidad visual o si desea recibir asistencia para crear una solicitud, escriba a hello@4culture.org o llame al (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711, y nos aseguraremos de que obtenga la ayuda que necesita.
 
详细说明如何申请的指南以及申请本身均使用英文。如果由于英语写作能力有限、视力障碍而妨碍您对本资助的了解或申请，或者您希望请求协助来完成申请，请发送电子邮件至 hello@4culture.org 或致电 (206) 296-7580 或 TTY (听障专线) 711 联系，我们会确保您获得所需的支持
 
Руководство, подробная инструкция и форма заявки на английском языке. Если вам сложно разобраться в процедуре получения грантов или подачи заявок из-за ограниченных навыков письменного английского языка либо нарушений зрения, а также если вы бы хотели обратиться за помощью при составлении заявки, отправьте письмо на адрес электронной почты hello@4culture.org или позвоните по номеру (206) 296-7580 или 711 (телетайп), и мы позаботимся о том, чтобы вы получили необходимую помощь.
 
Hướng dẫn, giải thích chi tiết về cách nộp đơn va tài liệu áp dụng tất cả đều bằng Tiếng Anh. Nếu đây là rào cản khiến quý vị không hiểu được khoản trợ cấp hoặc cách nộp đơn do khả năng viết tiếng Anh hạn chế, do quý vị bị suy giảm thị lực hoặc muốn yêu cầu hỗ trợ để tạo đơn đăng ký, làm ơn liên hệ hello@4culture.org hoặc gọi (206) 296-7580 hay TTY 711 và chúng tôi sẽ hỗ trợ những gì quý vị cần.
 
Tilmaamaha, sharaxaadda faahfaahsan ee ku saabsan sida loo codsado, iyo waraaqda codsiga waxa ay dhammaan ku qoran yihiin Af-Ingiriisi. Haddii ay arrintani tahay caqabad kaa hor istaageysa fahamka deeqda ama codsashada oo ay sabab u tahay awoodda qorista Af-Ingiriisiga oo xadidan, araggaaga oo liita, ama aad jeclaan lahayd inaad codsato in lagaa caawiyo in aad codsi sameyso, fadlan la xiriir hello@4culture.org ama wac (206) 296-7580 ama TTY 711, waxaana xaqiijin doonnaa inaad hesho taageerada aad u baahan tahay.

Verifying application pre-qualification and award allocations should take approximately two to three weeks after the application deadline. Awards must be approved by the 4Culture Board of Directors, which may take up to two months after the deadline.

Contracts and Payment

If we select your application for funding, a program manager will work with you to create a contract outlining your payment and public benefits (the free or reduced cost access) to be provided.

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.

You will apply through our online grant portal. We suggest you make certain you have an active account and that your organization profile is up to date. You’ll log in and be able to select the Public Free Access application.

Once you’ve started your application, it can be saved as a draft that you can continue to work on up until the deadline. Once you click “Submit,” your application is no longer editable. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions during the process.

What’s in the Application

The Public Free Access application is intended to place minimal burdens on applicants, having only two narrative questions to answer.

1. Describe the cultural experiences to which the funds would be used to provide free or reduced cost access.
2. Explain how your organization would prioritize providing free or reduced cost access to cultural experiences for members of underserved communities.

You will also need to provide at least your latest fiscal year Total Revenue in your organization’s profile.

Demographic Information

Your profile in our application portal must provide demographic information for the current year for your board and staff. We use this information to help us understand how well we are doing in our efforts to reach all communities in King County.