Funding available for Midsized Organizations in Washington

The FY26–FY27 General Operating Support for Midsized Organizations grant is administered by ArtsWA, also known as the Washington State Arts Commission. This funding opportunity supports arts, heritage, and culture organizations based in Washington State through small, two-year general operating support grants. ArtsWA, as a state agency, aims to enhance public access to the arts across all regions of Washington, particularly in historically underserved or economically distressed areas. This grant offers funding to eligible organizations to support general operating expenses over a two-year period. Applicants may request up to $6,000 in total funding, disbursed as $3,000 per year. Actual award amounts may vary depending on available funds. This funding is designed to help small to midsized organizations sustain programming and services that provide public arts and cultural experiences in Washington communities. Funds may be used to cover expenses incurred between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Eligible applicants must be arts, heritage, or culture organizations with at least three years of publicly accessible programming history and an annual operating budget between $100,000 and $350,000. Applicants must be located in Washington State and must fall into one of the following categories: a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, a fiscally sponsored entity that meets ArtsWA’s sponsorship criteria, a Local Arts Agency designated by a local government, or a Tribal Government. Ineligible entities include individuals, for-profit organizations, religious organizations (except when applying for project-specific support), universities, colleges, academic departments, K-12 schools, and government agencies not designated as Local Arts Agencies. ArtsWA prioritizes funding for organizations located in Washington counties designated as economically distressed, including Clallam, Cowlitz, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Kittitas, Klickitat, Lewis, Mason, Okanogan, Pacific, Pend Oreille, Skamania, Stevens, Wahkiakum, and Yakima. Additionally, organizations serving constituencies made up of at least 25 percent underserved populations—defined by limited access due to geography, economic hardship, historical exclusion, or identity-based marginalization—will also be prioritized during the application review process. The application window is open from March 3 to April 7, 2025, with a deadline of 5:00 PM on the final day. Informational webinars will be held on March 10 and March 25, 2025, and virtual office hours begin on March 12, 2025. Applicants will be notified of results by the last week of May 2025. Final reports will be due annually: July 31, 2026, for FY26, and July 31, 2027, for FY27. Applicants are encouraged to review updated guidelines carefully, especially since previous geographic priorities have been removed for this funding cycle. The grant aims to ensure equitable access and to help sustain the operations of midsized arts and culture organizations across Washington State.