Eligibility

• Applicants must be a Washington State Federally-recognized Tribe. 
• Each Tribe may submit one application, but the application may support several different projects.  
• For recipients of the Fiscal Year 2025 (July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025) Tribal Arts Grant: In order to receive the funds for your Fiscal Year 2026 funds, the final report for your current grant (2025) has to be completed.
• Funds may support Tribal cultural activities: this will be determined by your Tribe including but not limited to language, foodways, gathering spaces, classes or mentorships, regalia making, carving, weaving, Tribal museums, support for culture teachers, and more.  
• If you have a question about whether your project is appropriate for the funding, please reach out to us. 

What We Can and Cannot Fund

As a state agency, there are restrictions on what ArtsWA can support.  

Examples of what we can fund: 

• Artist, teaching artist, and contractor fees 
• Tribal museum support including, exhibitions, collections, enhancements, planning and consultations 
• Rent (equipment or space)  
• Travel expenses for in-state artists or consultants  
• Materials, supplies, software, and technology 
• Administrative expenses, including printing costs, postage, and other administrative fees
• Fees for increasing access to programming such as closed captioning, translation services, interpreters, or consultant support on these efforts
• Support of Native/Indigenous artists for start-up funds (business license, website development, technology)
• Expenses for Tribal cultural classes 

What we cannot fund: 

• Expenses outside the current grant period 
• Activities that have occurred prior to the period designated by the agreement 
• Requests to cover previous losses incurred by the Tribe 

If you have questions about whether your project is appropriate for this funding, please reach out to us. 

Important Dates

• Application open February 4, 2025 – March 31, 2025 at 5:00 p.m.
• Receive notification by May 16, 2025
• Agreements distributed no later than May 16, 2025
• Timeframe to spend funds July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 
• Final reports due August 31, 2026

Application Overview

1. Eligibility form: 
   • Confirm that you are authorized to apply on behalf of the Tribe.
2. Tribe contact information: 
   • Provide the contact information for whomever has authority to sign agreements on behalf of the Tribe.
   • Provide the contact information for whomever will be managing this grant and the proposed project.
   • Provide the Statewide Vendor Number we should use when paying the Tribe.
   • Provide the Tribe’s physical and mailing address.
3. Narrative questions:
   • Project Name(s)
   • What do you hope to accomplish with this funding?
   • How will this funding support culture and art in your community?
   • How many Tribal community members will be impacted with this funding?
   • How many non-Tribal community members will be impacted with this funding?
4. Project(s) Budget:
   • Use a budget form to describe how you would spend the allotted funding.
   • Indicate whether and how you could use additional funds if they become available.
   • Estimate how much funding you could use for the 2027 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027). 

What to expect after you apply

1. Submission confirmation: You will immediately receive an automated message from Submittable confirming your application was submitted successfully. Make sure you have notifications@email.submittable.com listed as a safe sender for your inbox.
2. Staff will contact you: Tribal Cultural Affairs staff will contact you directly over email or phone about your proposed project(s). All applications are reviewed for completeness and eligibility, we will let you know if there is anything missing in your application. Double check to make sure your contact information is correct so that we can reach you!
3. Agreement issued: Eligible applicants will be officially notified of award and issued their agreement by May 16, 2025. Your authorizing official can sign the agreement digitally or with ink.
4. Payment: Tribes must select to receive their funds in advance of project expenses or as reimbursement. If you choose Advance Payment, you can receive your funds as soon as you sign your invoice (included in your agreement). If you choose Reimbursement, you will simply sign your invoice (included in your agreement) and let us know when you are ready to receive your funds or submit the signed invoice when you are ready to be reimbursed. It usually takes a few weeks for funds to arrive after they are requested.
5. Final Report: Final reports are short and usually take about 15 minutes to complete. They will be available in Submittable after your payment is sent. This report is vital for the continued success of the Tribal Cultural Affairs program and our ability to continue providing support for Washington’s Tribal communities. This information will be used for upcoming appeals to the state legislature for additional funding for future grants and programming. Photo documentation is also extremely valuable when explaining the importance of this funding and the projects that it supports – we ask that you share photos of your projects! (There is an easy photo upload link in the report.)