Creative West
Creative West is a public charity based in Denver, Colorado, that supports artists, culture-bearers, arts organizations, and arts agencies through regional funding, programming, advocacy, and other services. Its work includes direct support for creative communities as well as efforts to strengthen arts policy and infrastructure.
Creative West at a glance
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.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $951,927
- -4.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 44
- -44.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $21,635
- +72.2% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $17,000
- Total assets
- $23,965,538
- +146.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 89% first-time grantees (39 of 44, 2025)
- Primary geography
- Oregon (29% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Creative West
- Contact
Mailing address: 1536 Wynkoop St 522, Denver, CO 80202-1559
Phone: (303) 629-1166
Website: https://wearecreativewest.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
7 open opportunities from Creative West
Creative West Artist Fund Grant
Creative West
Amount
US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
National Arts Futures Fellowship Grant
Creative West
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Native Arts and Heritage Fund Grant
Creative West
Amount
US $2,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Creative West funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Western Arts Alliance ($220K). Together the top 10 received $424K.
Grant Size Distribution
332 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 309 grants of 332 (93%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Creative West describes its service region as spanning from the Arctic Coast to the Desert Southwest, the Great Plains, and the Pacific Islands. Its Artist Fund is available to individuals living in 16 western states and jurisdictions. The 2024 filing describes TourWest and private grant awards as serving a 13-state region and three Pacific jurisdictions. In 2025, the largest shares of grant dollars went to recipients in Oregon (29%), Nevada (9%), New Mexico (8%), Guam (6%), and Washington (6%).
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 44 itemized grants.
States
Cities
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.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $154K (2019) to $2.0M (2021). In 2025 it made 44 grants totaling $952K.
Grants by year
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 |
Ready to take the next step with Creative West?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Grant counts were 44 in 2025, 79 in 2024, and 88 in 2023.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $23,965,538 | $23,215,745 | $9,396,729 | $951,927 | 44 | $805,101 |
| 2024 | $9,716,714 | $9,606,944 | $11,611,814 | $992,525 | 79 | $468,258 |
| 2023 | $11,844,624 | $7,041,612 | $8,341,682 | $1,008,590 | 88 | $205,822 |
| 2022 | $9,116,686 | $6,773,845 | $7,590,188 | $1,838,314 | 61 | $181,182 |
| 2021 | $11,144,989 | $15,542,440 | $6,379,396 | $2,044,157 | 60 | $4,222 |
| 2020 | $4,763,425 | $4,986,465 | $5,102,314 | $1,039,677 | 57 | $-28,036 |
| 2019 | $2,392,549 | $4,551,280 | $4,227,860 | $154,000 | 13 | $23,988 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
In its 2024 filing, Creative West describes its mission as advancing and preserving the arts and strengthening the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts by providing services to artists and arts organizations in the West and nationwide.
Its support includes grants for arts touring, artists and arts leaders, cultural practices, and arts organizations. The organization also describes convenings, professional development for state arts agency leaders, investments in agency innovation, and advocacy funding for state-level arts advocacy organizations and independent contractors.
Examples of supported organizations illustrate the range of work represented among its grantees. Portland Indigenous Marketplace says it supports Indigenous artists and entrepreneurs through culturally respectful spaces and public education in cultural arts. ALMA says it nurtures artists and builds entrepreneurial skills through a paid mosaic arts apprenticeship. IndigenousWays says it uses music, arts, outreach, and events to uplift communities and foster connection and resilience. These are the organizations’ own descriptions of their missions.
Grantmaking
Creative West reported 44 grants totaling $951,927 in filing year 2025. Awards ranged from $5,486 to $219,956, with a median of $17,000. The listed grants were designated as subawards. The filing’s program description also says that TourWest and private grant awards together fund more than 200 grants annually; that description refers to the organization’s 2024 filing.
The largest listed 2025 grant was $219,956 to an individual recipient Alliance in Portland, Oregon. Other large awards included $38,461 to Community Foundation of Northern Nevada, $30,010 to an individual recipient Council - WIMI Program, $24,348 to New Mexico Arts Foundation, and $22,000 to Breaking Wave Theatre Company in Guam. Other listed recipients included Guam Council on the Arts and Humanities Agency, Portland Indigenous Marketplace, Artes de Mexico en Utah, and ALMA in New Mexico.
The website lists several funding opportunities, including the Creative West Artist Fund for individuals in the region, the Pacific Jurisdictions Artist Fund, and organizational opportunities such as the Living Traditions: Folk Art and Beyond Grant. The Artist Fund describes its support as no-strings-attached funding for artists, cultural practitioners, and collaboratives, with examples including income support, technology, materials, and holistic health. The Living Traditions grant supports cultural practices and creative expressions, with awards of up to $1,000. The an individual recipient Futures Fellowship is a six-month virtual leadership development program and does not provide a financial grant.
TourWest, described in the program information as funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, provides subsidies to organizations presenting touring performers and literary artists in the 13-state WESTAF region and jurisdictions, including Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. Its guidance encourages community and educational outreach and community engagement in applications. The website lists TourWest as currently open.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Bassem Bejjani as board chair, Brandy Reitter as vice chair, and Adrian San Miguel as treasurer and chair of the Finance and Investment Committee. Listed trustees include Amber-Dawn Bear Robe, Andrea Noble, Ann Hudner, David Mack, Eunique Yazzie, Jayne Butler Goodman, and Jess Pea.
The filing also states that executive directors of the 13 Creative West agencies vote to select five of their peers to serve on the board.
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
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $271K, to Christian Gaines (Executive Director). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
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?
In its 2024 filing, Creative West describes its mission as advancing and preserving the arts and strengthening the financial, organizational, and policy infrastructure of the arts by providing services to artists and arts organizations in the West and nationwide. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Creative West?
Creative West has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check wearecreativewest.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
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 October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS April 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS June 3, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS April 11, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS April 4, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS August 15, 2025)
- 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
Live grants for the work Creative West funds
Arts, Culture & Humanities Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Creative West's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Creative West funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/creative-west-morg_f95427a1136d478fb71378240f59686b
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_237255426_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Creative West funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/creative-west-morg_f95427a1136d478fb71378240f59686b},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Creative West's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Creative West down — hundreds of funders to go?