Seattle-based ArtsFund and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation have announced grants totaling $10 million to 671 organizations in support of arts and culture across Washington State.

The Community Accelerator grant program—funded by the foundation and administered by ArtsFund—was launched in October 2022 in response to continuing declines in arts and culture support following the COVID-19 pandemic and to boost arts organizations’ ability to invest in their missions and essential roles serving communities across the state. The program prioritizes funding to organizations that represent and support people with disabilities and BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color), LGBTQ+, and rural communities. More than half of the grants awarded went to organizations with at least 25 percent BIPOC representation on both their board and staff.

According to ArtsFund, unrestricted grants were awarded to every eligible organization that applied, with grants ranging from $2,500 to $25,000 awarded to groups across 35 of the state’s 39 counties, 291 groups (43 percent) receiving $20,000 or more, and 70 percent reporting annual budgets of less than $500,000. The fund anticipates that, for every dollar awarded through the program, organizations will be able to raise an additional $2.

“We are so proud to highlight the breadth and depth of Washington’s rich cultural landscape,” said ArtsFund president Michael Greer. “Our hope is [to inspire] others to continue to invest in this sector and see how possible it is to make an investment that is meaningful, equitable, and expeditious.”

For a complete list of recipients, see the ArtsFund website.

(Photo credit: ArtsFund)