Grants to Oregon nonprofit arts and humanities organizations, schools, school districts, and government agencies for community arts programming in eligible locations. Funding is intended for activities that promote youth access to the arts, encourage cultural diversity, support community partnerships, and advance cultural tourism. Eligible organizations are headquartered within Washington County and serve Washington County residents.
Applicants can apply for activities or opportunities that address one or more of these five goals:
Public Awareness and Participation - Build community through communication, audience development, and engagement.
Support Cultural Organizations - Increase capacity, encourage professional development, and support adaptability.
Increase Public Art and Performance Opportunities - Foster more impactful art, events, and cultural connections with increased accessibility for all.
Support Diverse Cultural and Heritage Activities - Include cultural learning and cultural equity at the heart of the creative community.
Increasing Access to Arts Education - Serve school-based arts and cultural opportunities and build arts awareness for youth, while encouraging life-long learning.
A strong grant application will explain how the grant addresses CCP priorities of:
Promoting cultural diversity
Developing community and/or cross-cultural partnerships
Providing matching-fund or cost-sharing opportunities
And/or promoting cultural tourism
Examples of CCP Grant Proposals include:
Expenses for events and activities accessible to the public: festivals, performances, workshops, lectures, conferences, exhibits, open studio tours, and other activities that will clearly help enrich cultural participation within the county.
General promotional material that focuses on one or more of the previously mentioned five goals.
Applicants must demonstrate a clear distribution and/or marketing plan in proposals for promotional materials. (Promotional materials include the development of websites.)
Create and implement a cultural learning program.
Performances, demonstrations, or exhibits in schools.
Cross-cultural partnerships and collaborations, including work with the Washington County Visitors Association, or support for cultural tourism events or activities.Â
Applicants with approved 2023 Cultural Coalition grant amendment waivers are eligible to apply for the 2024 grant cycle. Applicants are advised to make their 2024 project different from the funded 2023
project.
Level 1 Eligibility Criteria:
1. Be a nonprofit arts, humanities, or heritage organization or be an educational institution or government agency with an arts, heritage or humanities mission. IRS 501(c)(3) status is not required. Applications from individuals or private businesses will not be accepted.
2. Applications from social service agencies or religious organizations will be accepted only if the application is made in partnership with a nonprofit cultural organization for a joint project. Applicants must attach a letter from the partnering organization confirming their support for the project and outlining their role in the partnership
3. Be applying for an opportunity that specifically enhances Public Awareness and Participation, supports Existing Cultural Organizations, Increases Public Art Opportunities, supports Cultural and Heritage Learning, or increases Youth Access to the Arts (as described above).
4. Provide CCWC with an Employer Identification Number (EIN). You can receive an EIN within minutes online at http://www.irs.gov/.
5. Be headquartered within Washington County and serve Washington County residents. (Branch offices of organizations headquartered elsewhere are not eligible to apply.) Events or activities should take place in Washington County. Grants to organizations located in Washington County, such as schools, which take students or other members of the public to events located in another county, such as the opera, will be eligible for funding, provided there is no other identical alternative available in Washington County.
6. The CCWC considers individual schools within school districts as separate organizations and may apply individually for grants (does not have to be submitted by the district).
7. Applications will be accepted to support capital expenditures such as the acquisition of public art, museum exhibits, or equipment, but may not be used for capital campaigns.
Level 2 Eligibility Criteria:
1. Must meet the Level 1 criteria above.
2. An organization must have IRS 501(c)(3) status or be a governmental agency or a public school. (Upon request, a letter verifying status must be submitted).
Level 3 Eligibility Criteria:
1. Must meet Level 1 and Level 2 criteria above.
2. Applicant must be a Washington County Public School District, or Public School District Foundation 501(c)(3). The goal of Level 3 grants is to broaden the reach of arts and culture activities across a district.
3. The application must address arts or cultural learning at multiple schools within the district.
Grants will not fund purchases of equipment or clothing not critical to the organization’s mission or the project/event.
Pre-Application Information
The application deadline is October 20, 2023, at 11:59 PM.
Award Notifications will be provided by mid-January 2024.
Funds will be issued in early February 2024. Organizations with January 2024 projects may need to be prepared to cover costs until grant funds are distributed.
An organization may apply for and receive only one grant per year. If a School District or School District Foundation applies for a Level 3 grant, an individual school within the same district (but not included in the Level 3 grant) may apply separately for a Level 1 or Level 2 grant.
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