4Culture: Open 4Culture Grants

4Culture: Open 4Culture Grants

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: 4Culture
Amount: Up to US $2,500
Last Updated: February 04, 2026

Summary

The 4Culture: Open 4Culture Grants provide funding up to $2,500 for projects in Arts, Heritage, and Preservation within King County. This initiative aims to support underserved communities and encourage public benefit through compelling events. Eligible applicants include individuals, groups, and small businesses new to 4Culture. The grant prioritizes equity and the advancement of cultural access. Applications are accepted for projects occurring between January 1 and December 31, 2026, with deadlines two months prior to the event.

Overview

NOTE: Open 4Culture is on a break from February 1st to March 31st. We are not accepting applications or approving eligibility during this break. Open 4Culture If you are totally new to 4Culture, you’ve come to the right place! Open 4Culture is all about expanding our reach and supporting projects being done by and for underserved communities in King County. What Open 4Culture Funds The grant awards up to $2,500 for Arts projects in Seattle’s Communities of Opportunity or King County, and Heritage or Preservation projects anywhere in the county. Criteria We fund our grants through a thorough selection process. Reviewers with expertise in your discipline will evaluate your project based on the following criteria: Public benefit: does your project include one or more compelling, feasible public event in King county? Will King County residents or visitors be able to enjoy, experience, or benefit from the project? Qualifications or catalyst: through your work samples and experience, do you have the ability to successfully complete this project? If this is your first project of this kind, do you show the potential to learn, grow, and expand your practice, or do you have mentors or collaborators who can support you? Feasibility:  is your project budget realistic and have you requested an appropriate amount of funding? Advancing equity (optional): 4Culture’s mission focuses on racial equity and envisions a county where culture is essential and accessible to all. Your project specifically benefits communities of color and/or historically marginalized communities. The project serves or collaborates with members of these communities This is not an eligibility requirement, but it is one of factors the reviewers will consider. Public Benefit: Why It Matters Visitors who stay in hotels and motels in King County pay sales tax. A small part of that tax generates the funds for our grants—our mission is to reinvest those funds into King County communities. Most importantly, in your application you will be asked to state specifically how fellow residents will benefit from the work you do. Equity Investments To combat inequities in our grantmaking, 4Culture engages in the practice of making Equity Investments. This practice involves looking at several indicators of structural inequity and applying that knowledge to our peer review panel process. These indicators include but are not limited to: geographic location of applicants, operating budget, communities engaged with and audiences served, and project focus. By prioritizing these factors in our grantmaking decisions and panel review process, we anticipate funds will be distributed to communities that have historically been excluded from cultural funding. Each of our grant programs utilizes an Equity Investment system tailored to the specific needs of its applicants; please read the After You Submit section of this page for details on how Equity Investments will function for this grant. This organization-wide change—and what we learn about its impact—is an important step towards more equitable funding at 4Culture and throughout the King County cultural sector.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. YouYou are eligible if you are an individual, group, organization, or small business that creates projects in Arts, Heritage, and/or Preservation. You are also new to 4Culture and have not yet received our grants or funding.Arts: You must be based in Seattle’s Communities of Opportunity (COOs), or in King County outside of Seattle. Seattle applicants who are not in a COO are not eligible (see below).Heritage or Preservation: You must reside in King County.The primary applicant must be 18 years or older or have adult representation.Your ProjectThis grant offers support for projects in our three core disciplines: Arts, Heritage, and Preservation. Projects can take place in-person, online, or hybrid.Arts: Your project creates art of any discipline that offers some community access to the art or the artmaking process, such as readings, screenings, exhibitions, performances, workshops, discussions, festivals, activities, and more.Heritage: Heritage is defined as “the exchange of knowledge and experiences shaped by the past.” Your project focuses on heritage and historical themes in King County through identification, documentation, exhibition, or interpretation. Heritage can include people, memories, places, communities, and events.Preservation: Your project must contribute to the preservation of King County’s historic buildings, sites, neighborhoods, or landscapes through documentation, identification, research, analysis, educational programming, or advocacy.Project Examples:Some recent examples of awarded projects include:Street festival: a free festival celebrating the history of farming in Carnation Street. Funds were used for a street closure permit, insurance, and sound equipment rentals.Dance performance: a low-cost evening-length Latinx dance performance at the American Legion in Kent. Funds paid for dancer fees.Textile exhibition: a free exhibition of traditional African garments, textiles, and prints with free programs with youth. Funds paid for textiles, fabrication, and the venue rental.Agricultural history: a research and mapping project about a farm that once stood on Vashon Island. Funds paid for a historian to work with students.Historical site planning: the planning phase of a garden project in a Japanese American historical location in the Chinatown International District

Ineligibility

This grant does not fund:  Food and beverage.Murals and permanent public art.Religious worship, exercise, or instruction.K-12 schools or school districts.Tuition and cost-of-living expenses for students in any degree program.Fundraising expenses.General operating support.Capital construction.