Hope Corps Grant

The Hope Corps Grant, initiated by the Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, aims to revitalize Seattle’s creative workforce post-COVID-19 by funding projects that engage local artists and cultural producers. With grants ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, the program supports unique, community-driven projects that activate downtown neighborhoods, promote public engagement, and uplift diverse narratives. This initiative seeks to create job opportunities and enhance the cultural vibrancy of Seattle’s downtown, fostering inclusivity and resilience.

The Seattle Office of Arts & Culture (ARTS) invites individual artists, cultural producers, arts administrators, and creative workers, small community groups, and arts and cultural organizations of all sizes to apply to participate in Hope Corps by proposing project concepts that:
Funding will go towards projects that employ creative workers through activations that uplift stories and audiences from historically unserved and/or underserved communities representing Seattle’s diversity in downtown neighborhoods:

• BelltownChinatown-International DistrictCentral DowntownDenny TrianglePioneer SquareStadium District

Grant Purpose
The creative sector is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many artists and creative workers continue to experience inconsistent employment. ARTS introduced Hope Corps in 2021, and thanks to renewed funding each year, the program has put well over 200 artists to work through more than 60 projects. A few examples of funded projects include free arts and cultural workshops, community stories told through many artistic mediums, and murals painted by local artists throughout the city.
The program’s funding aligns Hope Corps objectives with Mayor Bruce Harrell’s Downtown Activation Plan. The plan’s purpose is to stabilize and transform Downtown into a place where residents, workers, and visitors want to spend time.
Downtown Activation Plan Goals:
Through Hope Corps, ARTS will support local artists and creative professionals to bring their ideas to life, while celebrating Downtown Seattle as a welcoming destination full of arts and cultural offerings for all to enjoy.
In addition to gaining work opportunities, Hope Corps awardees will benefit from being part of a Community of Practice, with regular convenings offering workshops, networking, and ways to share their work.
Focus Areas
Projects should address one or more of the following focus areas:
Seattle is THRIVING - Creating a New Narrative for Downtown Seattle: Why do you love Seattle? What helps you feel safe in your community? What is the history of this place? What has Seattle survived? How is Seattle changing? What do you want to see in Seattle’s future?Placemaking, Place-keeping and Belonging: Who belongs in Seattle’s Downtown? Who belongs on Indigenous land? Who has been excluded from opportunity in Seattle’s Downtown neighborhoods? How do Seattleites relate to nature? How do Seattle’s residents steward the ecology around us?
Project Concept Examples
Feel free to be experimental and propose something that Hope Corps could help you launch or reimagine an existing project to address Downtown activation goals and Hope Corps focus areas. This is designed as a one-time funding opportunity.
Free performances and arts activations that engage the publicFree art workshops, lessons, or presentations at community gathering placesLiterary showcase eventsCraft markets with artist vendorsBlock partiesCultural festivalsParadesWalking and biking art toursImmersive experiencesA temporary installation that is on display for at least 3 month
Note: funding is not limited to these examples as long as the proposed project meets the eligibility criteria.
Funding
Grants range from $5,000 - $50,000 to support creative worker wages and project expenses.
You may use the award funds for artist fees, marketing and promotional fees, project management and personnel costs, supplies, equipment rentals or other production-related costs, required insurance, and no more than 10% for food-related costs.
Please use the following framework as a guide for requesting funding amounts. These numbers are not requirements but should be used to help determine the scale of your project and your funding request.
$5,000-10,000 / Small activations – approximately 4-8 hours of public programming, supporting 1-2 creative workers$15,000-30,000 / Medium activations – approximately 12-24 hours of public programming, supporting 3-6 creative workers$35,000-50,000 / Large activations – approximately 28-40 hours of public programming, supporting 7-10 creative workers

Eligibility

You are eligible to apply for Hope Corps funding if you and your proposed activation project meet the following criteria:You are an individual artist, organization, or community-based group located in, or presenting work regularly in, Seattle.Organizations and individual artists representing communities most impacted by systemic oppression including low-income, people with disabilities, immigrant and refugee communities, and communities of color are encouraged to apply.Your activation project must occur between dates listed in guidelines.Your activation project and its associated public benefit must take place in Downtown Seattle within the identified Downtown Activation Plan boundary:BelltownChinatown-International DistrictCentral DowntownDenny TrianglePioneer SquareStadium DistrictYour activation project must address one or more of the three focus areas of this program. Your activation project must be promoted and made accessible to the general public – Seattle residents, workers, and visitors – to attend. This includes a free attendance option and accessibility for people who primarily speak languages other than English and people with disabilities. Your activation project must pay each creative worker a living wage, whether through wages, stipends, or contract payments. We define a living wage as $32 per hour or more (this may vary for youth and students).Your activation project may have a virtual component, but it must be primarily an in- person experience.If your activation project is a temporary art installation, it must be displayed for at least 3 months.

Ineligibility

The following are not eligible for funding:Permanent installations and mural projectsCapital improvement projectsReligious servicesFundraisers or private events