Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF), now known as Creative West, is a public charity based in Denver, Colorado. Founded in 1972, it supports artists, arts organizations, and public-sector arts agencies through funding, technology, advocacy, policy work, and professional development.
Key facts about Creative West
In short: Creative West gave $952K across 44 grants in 2025 (avg $22K), top state Oregon. 89% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 23-7255426
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $951,927
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- Average grant
- $21,635
- Median grant
- $17,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 89% first-time grantees (39 of 44, 2025)
- Total assets
- $23,965,538
- Primary geography
- Oregon (29% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- How to apply
- TourWest information describes a competitive grant program for presenters or presenting organizations, with community engagement and participation as key components of a successful application. Full details ↓
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology). Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$24.0M
+146.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$952K
-4.1% YoY
Grant Count
44
-44.3% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$22K
+72.2% YoY
Is Creative West open to new grantees?
89%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 39 of 44 grantees (89%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $17K; repeat grants $61K. How we count
Medians: $17K first-time, $20K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Mission & Focus Areas
WESTAF’s stated mission is to strengthen the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts by providing services to artists and arts organizations in the West and nationwide. Its programs include grants for arts touring and organizations, convenings and professional development for state arts agencies, advocacy support, and technology services for the arts.
Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Pinedale Fine Arts Council describes its work as presenting performing, literary, and visual arts and offering arts education in Sublette County. Jazz in Arizona says it presents live jazz, provides educational programs, and builds a jazz community. Bunnell Street Arts Center describes its work as exhibitions, artist residencies, performances, arts education, and community engagement in Alaska.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, WESTAF reported 79 grants totaling $992,525. Awards ranged from $5,150 to $288,858, with a median of $8,000. The largest listed grant was $288,858 to Western Arts Alliance for subawards, followed by $47,000 to Arts Northwest for subawards. Other listed awards included $30,000 to National Pacific American Leadership Institute and $15,000 each to Arts Commission of Greater Toledo and Yvonne Etaghene, all for subawards.
Open Grants
9 open opportunities from Creative West
Alumni Professional Development Fund Grant
Creative West
Amount
Up to US $500
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Creative West Artist Fund Grant
Creative West
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Living Traditions: Folk Art and Beyond Grant
Creative West
Amount
Up to US $1,000
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Ready to take the next step with Creative West?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Creative West describes its regional service area as 13 states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawai‘i, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Its programs also include Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. In 2024, the largest shares of reported grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon (33%), Washington (12%), California (11%), Arizona (9%), and Utah (8%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 44 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
332 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| WESTERN ARTS ALLIANCE Portland, OR | SUBAWARDS | $219,956 |
| COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF NORTHERN NEVADA Reno, NV | SUBAWARDS | $38,461 |
| WYOMING ARTS COUNCIL - WIMI PROGRAM Cheyenne, WY | SUBAWARDS | $30,010 |
| NEW MEXICO ARTS FOUNDATION Santa Fe, NM | SUBAWARDS | $24,348 |
| BREAKING WAVE THEATRE COMPANY INC Barrigada, GU | SUBAWARDS | $22,000 |
| GUAM COUNCIL ON THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES AGENCY Hagatna, GU | SUBAWARDS | $20,000 |
| NINA KEMPPEL Anchorage, AK | SUBAWARDS | $18,000 |
| MARYDANCESTUDIO Spokane, WA | SUBAWARDS | $17,327 |
| PORTLAND INDIGENOUS MARKETPLACE Portland, OR | SUBAWARDS | $17,120 |
| ARTES DE MEXICO EN UTAH Salt Lake City, UT | SUBAWARDS | $17,120 |
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Amounts are reported by filing year. Grant totals and counts refer to grants reported by the organization.
| Filing year | Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants | Grant count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $9,716,714 | $9,606,944 | $11,611,814 | $992,525 | 79 |
| 2023 | $11,844,624 | $7,041,612 | $8,341,682 | $1,008,590 | 88 |
| 2022 | $9,116,686 | $6,773,845 | $7,590,188 | $1,838,314 | 61 |
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,965,538 | $9,716,714 | $11,844,624 |
| Revenue | $23,215,745 | $9,606,944 | $7,041,612 |
| Expenses | $9,396,729 | $11,611,814 | $8,341,682 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $805,101 | $468,258 | $205,822 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 21, 2020)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS August 13, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Teniqua Broughton as chair, Bassem Bejjani as vice-chair, Tamara Alvarado as past chair, Andrian San Miguel as treasurer, Karmen Rossi as secretary, and Brandy Reitter as development committee chair. Amber-Dawn Bear Robe is listed as equity and inclusion committee chair. Cyndy Andrus, Lisa Becker, and Susan Garbett are listed as board members.
Creative West is led by Christian Gaines, Executive Director on filings since 2019; 7 of 30 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Christian Gaines
Executive Director
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$202K (2021) → $271K (2025)
Bassem Bejjani
Board Chair
Trustee → Vice Chair, 2023
Vice Chair → Board Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adrian San Miguel
Treasurer, Finance & Investment Committee Chair
Trustee → Treasurer, 2023
Treasurer → Treasurer, Finance & Investment Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2021
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Makanani Sal
Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, 2025
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Tony Manfredi
Board Governance Committee Chair | Saa-Ed
Ssa → Board Governance Committee Chair | Saa-Ed, 2025
On filings since 2023
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amy Hollrah
Director of Finance & Administration
Finance Director → Director of Finance & Administrator, 2020
Director of Finance & Administrator → Director of Finance & Administration, 2023
On filings since 2019
37.5 hrs/week
$77K (2019) → $143K (2025)
Christina Villa
Director of Business
On filings since 2023
37.5 hrs/week
$100K (2023) → $130K (2025)
Paul Ngyuen
Director of Technology
On filings since 2024
37.5 hrs/week
$135K (2024) → $153K (2025)
Anika Tene
Director of Grants, Awards & Programs
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$119K (2025)
Leah Horn
Director of Marketing
New on the 2025 filing
37.5 hrs/week
$122K (2025)
Ann Hudner
Trustee At-Large
Trustee → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karmen Rossi
Trustee At-Large
Board Secretary → Secretary, 2024
Secretary → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2019
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Amber-Dawn Bear Robe
Trustee At-Large
Eic Chair → Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair, 2024
Equity & Inclusion Committee Chair → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lisa Becker
Trustee At-Large
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Susan Garbett
Trustee At-Large
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2020
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jayne Butler Goodman
Trustee At-Large
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jess Pea
Trustee At-Large
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Trustee At-Large, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Laflamme-Childs
Saa-Ed Trustee
Saa → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Saa-Ed Trustee, 2025
On filings since 2023
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Andrea Noble
Saa-Ed Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Mack
Trustee At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Eunique Yazzie
Trustee At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
John Zirkle
Trustee At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Josh Blanchard
Saa-Ed Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Karen Ewald
Saa-Ed Trustee
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Laura Berbusse Chynoweth
Trustee At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
David Holland
Deputy Director
On filings since 2023
37.5 hrs/week
$105K (2023) → $144K (2025)
Brandy Reitter
Vice Chair
Development Committee Chai → Development Comte Chair, 2024
Development Comte Chair → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Teniqua Broughton
Ex-Officio
Vice Chair → Chair, 2023
Chair → Ex-Officio, 2025
On filings since 2019
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Megan Miller
Secretary
Trustee → Board Member, 2024
Board Member → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Julie Baker
Trustees At-Large
New on the 2025 filing
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (24)
- Former: Cyndy Andrus (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Kelly Stowell (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Nikiko Masumoto (2019–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Tamara Alvarado (2019–2024) — Past Chair
- Former: Brian Rogers (2023–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Anthony Manfredi (2024) — Board Member
- Former: Karen Hanan (2019–2023) — Saa
- Former: Paul Nguyen (2020–2023) — Director of Technology
- Former: Cyndi Adrus (2023) — Trustee
- Former: Jonathan Johnson (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Michael Lange (2019–2022) — Board Treasurer
- Former: Roy Agloinga (2019–2022) — Eic Chair
- Former: Victoria Panella Bourns (2019–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Candace Kita (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Tatiana Gant (2021–2022) — Trustee
- Former: Adam Sestokas (2019–2021) — Director of Technology & I
- Former: Joaquin Herranz Jr. (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Michael Faison (2019–2020) — Trustee
- Former: Anthony Radich - Dot (2020) — Executive Director Emeritus
- Former: Christian Gaines - Doh (2020) — Executive Director
- Former: Anthony Radich (2019) — Executive Director
- Former: Dana Bennett (2019) — Trustee
- Former: Erin Graham (2019) — Chair
- Former: Wendy Bredehoft (2019) — Trustee
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
Contact
Mailing address: 1536 Wynkoop St 522, Denver, CO 80202-1559
Phone: (303) 629-1166
Website: https://westaf.org
Frequently asked questions about Creative West
How much does Creative West give each year?
Creative West gave $952K across 44 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $993K across 79 grants.
What is Creative West's typical grant size?
Creative West's median grant in 2025 was $17,000, and its average grant was $21,635, across 44 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Creative West that year got $17K on average.
Where does Creative West give grants?
Creative West's top state is Oregon, with 29% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Nevada (9%) and New Mexico (8%). The most frequent recipient cities were Portland, OR (4 grants), Reno, NV (2 grants), Santa Fe, NM (2 grants) and Anchorage, AK (2 grants).
Does Creative West give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 44 grants with a stated purpose on Creative West's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Subawards" (44 grants).
Who are Creative West's largest grantees?
Creative West's largest 2025 grantees include Western Arts Alliance ($219,956), Community Foundation of Northern Nevada ($38,461) and Wyoming Arts Council - Wimi Program ($30,010), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 30% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Creative West?
Creative West reported $24.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $23.2M.
What does Creative West fund?
WESTAF’s stated mission is to strengthen the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts by providing services to artists and arts organizations in the West and nationwide. Its programs include grants for arts touring and organizations, convenings and professional development for state arts agencies, advocacy support, and technology services for the arts. Examples of 2024 grantees illustrate the range of organizations supported. Pinedale Fine Arts Council describes its work…
How do I apply for a grant from Creative West?
TourWest information describes a competitive grant program for presenters or presenting organizations, with community engagement and participation as key components of a successful application. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Creative West's EIN?
Creative West's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 23-7255426. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Here's the math on researching Creative West by hand.
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Creative West down — hundreds of funders to go?