What is Cultural Access Washington?
Cultural Access Washington (CAW) is a legislative statute, found here: RCW 36.160
This legislation was passed with the strong support from Inspire Washington. The statute can be implemented by a community to create a seven-year stream of fiscal support to eligible organizations. The primary goal of the legislation is to enhance access to organizations within a county or municipality. More information about CAW follows below.
Why was Cultural Access Washington established?
Starting in 2015, the Washington State Legislature passed a series of bills that provide local governments with the authority and fiscal tools to increase access to arts, science, and culture experiences in their communities. These bills formally established Cultural Access Washington into law.
The legislature recognized that many communities face ongoing economic challenges and that cultural organizations can play a vital role in addressing these issues by delivering educational, economic, and other public benefits that strengthen communities and improve outcomes for their members. The efforts of these organizations help reach underserved populations, expand learning opportunities, and foster community connections.
By equipping local governments with essential fiscal tools, the legislature aims to ensure that cultural organizations remain stable, accessible, and capable of continuing their service to the public. The program can be administered directly by the city or county, or they may choose an independent organization to oversee all or part of the program. Once a community establishes CAP, it distributes funds to the community through grant programs. Each CAP-granting program is tailored to meet the unique needs of the community it serves.
How are Cultural Access Programs established?
A Cultural Access Program (CAP) is a funding mechanism that provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the arts, culture, and science sectors. The statute that established Cultural Access Washington (CAW) allows counties the right of first refusal to enact CAW for the county. If a county declines to develop a Cultural Access Program (CAP), a municipality within the county may establish a Cultural Access Program for the city or town. If you are a municipality, make sure the county has declined to implement a CAP. Once there is a complete understanding of whether the county or city will enact a CAP, you are ready to begin the process of establishing a CAP in your community.
How are Cultural Access Programs funded?
The law authorizes counties or cities with a population of 1.5 million or less to impose either sales and use tax or property tax levy to fund Cultural Access Programs in their communities. The tax can be imposed by council or commission authority (councilmanic) or through a public vote, has a 7-year authorization, and generates revenue held in a fund within the treasury of the county or city imposing the tax. The tax, not to exceed 0.01%, has most commonly been imposed as a sales and use tax, resulting in 10¢ per $100 spent in the county or city being collected and set aside to fund Cultural Access Programs.
Who is eligible for funding?
CAP funding supports the stabilization and growth of 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in the arts, culture, and science sectors, including the development of new organizations and programs, as well as support for groups that are fiscally sponsored by 501(c)(3) organizations. CAP funding provides organizations with reliable financial support over seven years to expand their capacity and output, improve access and accessibility, offset the cost of reduced-price programming, make capital improvements to existing facilities, or purchase new facilities, among other resources. CAP funding can also support the creation of new resources, such as artist housing and other assets for cultural workers.
Additionally, the legislation that established Cultural Access Washington mandates that every CAP must include educational opportunities related to arts, culture, and science for K-12 public school students. The public-school component of the program allows for in-school, out-of-school, and after-school opportunities, including transportation funding to get youngsters to museums, galleries, arts organizations, zoos, locations, and other arts, heritage, and science facilities that are part of the Cultural Access Program. In-school opportunities should not replace existing arts, science, and culture programming. Instead, they should provide special presentations by local organizations, workshops, and other offerings that are not typically a part of the school day.
What are the benefits to communities?
Below are some of the many benefits communities may sow through a CAP
- Refreshes your community’s identity, vibrancy, and sense of place
- Stimulates growth and development of arts, culture, and science* nonprofit organizations
*zoology, botany, anthropology, or natural history
- Generates jobs in the creative sector while stabilizing current positions
- Expand the arts, heritage, and science activities in your community
- Activates public and unused or underused spaces
- Increases access and accessibility to community events
- Stimulates programming for vulnerable community members such as older adults and those living with disabilities
- Boosts long-term livability, community health, and social atmosphere with deeper community cohesion through a shared sense of contribution to the vibrancy of the community
- Creates a more profound sense of place for youth
- Increases tourism stimulating revenue for the community and the CAP
- Attracts artists, start-ups, and unique, creative, and innovative businesses
- Pathway to developing affordable housing, live/work, and maker spaces
- Invests in new facilities, redevelopment of historic and other community assets
Jump Start your Cultural Access Washington Program – A Quick Overview
Below is quick overview of steps for establishing your Cultural Access Program
Center
Start thinking about your community as it is now.
- What types of arts, heritage, and science providers exist within the CAP area?
- What types of organizations and cultural services are underrepresented?
- Which public schools are within the CAP area and what are their arts, heritage, and science offerings
- What is the demographic makeup of your community?
- What changes would you like to see to your community’s identity through a Cultural Access Program?
- Who will be part of your Cultural Access Advisory Team?
- Who are the partners involved in planning the Cultural Access Program?
Establish
The statute that established Cultural Access Washington (CAW) allows counties the right of first refusal to enact CAW for the county. If a county declines to develop a Cultural Access Program (CAP), a municipality within the county may establish a Cultural Access Program for the city or town. If you are a municipality, make sure the county has declined to implement a CAP. Once there is a complete understanding of whether the county or city will enact a CAP, you are ready to begin the process of establishing a CAP in your community.
Convene
To successfully implement a Cultural Access Program (CAP), it is essential to assemble a strong planning team, regardless of whether it is initiated by a city, town, or county. Choose team members who possess specific skills, expertise, or knowledge of the community, as these individuals can provide valuable contributions based on the goals of the program. Decision-making should not rest solely with one person, office, or organization; it is crucial to involve diverse voices in the process. Since it is the community that will fund and participate in this program, actively seeking input and listening to residents is vital to avoid potential issues.
Teams can be formed and brought into the planning process. It is essential to provide prospective team members with clarity on their contribution, timeline, and expectations. Developing a draft calendar of planning events helps teams understand potential activation dates and plan accordingly. Ensure that you provide clarity on the process, purpose, and policy for input.
Below are some examples of possible teams.
Core Team
- This is the team leading the effort. The Core Team does prerequisite research and outreach, builds a blueprint for the program and presents to elected officials. For the Core Team to be effective in delivering the proposal to the council, it must have input from community members.
School Program Team
- This team interacts with the school districts. Typically composed of school administrators, teachers, teaching artists, curriculum experts, out-of-school program experts.
Arts, Culture, and Science Team
- This team is composed of organization leads, community and unincorporated groups in the arts, culture, and science fields. This team should be incorporated into planning meetings as early as possible as they are the primary service providers for the program.
Community Team
- This team is composed of community members, especially those representing diverse and underserved communities. It will help you develop your outreach plan. Listen deeply to this team to understand how you will create optimal access.
Local Government, Business Leaders, Economic Developers
- This team can help guide and advance economic and development outcomes. This team will benefit from a successful program. Listen carefully to identify ways to collaborate for optimal community outcomes.
Advisory Team or Council
- Instead of creating multiple teams, a community may choose to create an advisory team that is composed of members who can address the needs outlined in the descriptions of teams above. With one advisory team, select team members carefully to represent all sectors of your community. Not doing so might throw your program into chaos later. The advisory team must be fully representative of the community to avoid mistrust, lack of participation, and possible legal challenges to the program.
Refine
Refining a Cultural Access program takes time and patience. For this section, we refer to the Cultural Access Washington Workbook. We are expecting the workbook to be available by October 2025. The workbook will provide in-depth information on the components of establishing a program, including collaboration and working with teams, local government, schools, and the community. As your program develops, some key sticking points might be establishing the geographic boundaries of the program, establishing the perimeters of the school program, establishing eligibility for funding, establishing funding amounts, establishing a review process for applications, establishing a public benefit definition for your community, establishing guidelines for participation, establishing corrective action and proper oversight, establishing rules and outcomes for noncompliance by funded organizations, policies, application format and administration, customer support administration, these are all things that require consensus and may take time. ArtsWA, through our workbook, will provide in-depth advice and exercises for the facilitation of these topics.
Launch
To prepare for the launch, you will review your outreach plan. Review information provided by your various teams to ensure all communication bases are covered. Once again, review your mission, vision, and values statements (more of this in the workbook) to ensure that from the time these guiding principles were established, to the now-ready-for-release product, that these guiding principles still ring true. Ready, set, launch the communications that promote the granting program and start accepting applications!
What is ArtsWA’s Role with Cultural Access Washington?
As the state’s arts commission our role as written into statute is the conservation and development of the state’s artistic resources and institutions. As such, ArtsWA is included in the statute (law) as passed by the legislature when it created the Cultural Access Washington program. In the statute, we are listed as an option for managing or helping manage your Cultural Access Program (RCW 36.160.070). ArtsWA can provide guidance to communities before, during, and after the establishment of a Cultural Access Program. We can also run the entire granting program for you (RCW 36.160.070).
We can work with you on
- Composing effective City or County resolutions to benefit effective grant programming
- Building a communication and outreach strategy to engage all community members
- Structuring programming for schools, including transportation to cultural events and facilities
- Aligning strong public benefit outcomes with community needs
- Overseeing the grant process including funds allocation and disbursement with applicant support
- Consulting on funding structure (grant program) as it is developed and adjustments as it evolves
- Coordinate and facilitate work sessions
We are a resource to your community buildout of Cultural Access; please reach out with any questions you may have.
Miguel Guillen, Program Manager, Grants to Organizations
Lisa Siewert, Program Specialist, Grants to Organizations
There is much more that is covered in the CAW Workbook. WATCH FOR ITS RELEASE NOVEMBER 2025.
Cultural Access Works across our State
Tacoma – Tacoma Creates
King County – 4culture
San Juan County – (councilmanic; in development)
Vancouver – (councilmanic; program in development)
Olympia – Inspire Olympia!
Gig Harbor (Ballot – Nov 4, 2025)