All funded projects, programs, and services must be open to the public. Organizations that receive operating support must be producing publicly accessible programming.

Examples of What We Do Fund

• Music, dance, theater performances that are part of a season of events or a stand-alone event
• Exhibitions of visual art
• Poetry and literary readings, literary publications
• Traditional or folk arts performances/festivals
• Fees for professional guest artists
• Royalties
• Rentals of equipment
• Broadcasts of the arts (i.e. via radio or webcasts)
• Films, videos, digital arts, web-based arts projects
• Professional development training, workshops, conferences, etc.
• Residency programs
• Youth arts programs that occur outside of school and are not offered for school credit
• Travel expenses for contracted arts professionals from out of state (artists, technical staff, etc.)

What We Don’t Fund

Certain Types of Activities at Schools, Colleges, and Universities

• Events, activities, projects, or performances that are part of, or involve, academic or course credit
• Tuition assistance for college, university or other formal course of study that generates course credit
• Events that take place on campus that are not easily accessible by the general public and primarily attended by matriculated students

Individuals

• Grants to individuals
• Expenses for an individual to attend contests, conferences, seminars or workshops
• Grants to students
• Student scholarships
• Payments to individual board members of the applicant, unless made in compliance with Internal Revenue Service 501(c)(3) regulations that limit such payments to professional services

Certain Types of Projects or Programs Conducted by Other State Agencies

• State agency programs or projects that receive state appropriations for the same project

Private Purpose and Restricted Events

• Events that are not open to the public
• Activities primarily benefiting the organization membership
• Activities financed by artist entry fees, particularly those involving cash prizes
• Events not commonly recognized as a general public event, are an integral part of a specific religion, or promote a religious observance
• Conferences benefiting a small group of people
• Hospitality expenses such as food, flowers, receptions and similar items
• Fund-raisers or benefit concerts

Certain Types of Capital Expenses

• Renovation, remodeling, restoration, or new construction of buildings
• Purchase of permanent equipment, software, or real property
• Public art installations

Certain Types of General Expenses and Deficits

• Activities or expenses outside the current grant period
• Activities that have occurred prior to the period designated by the contract
• Requests to cover previous losses incurred by the organization

Out-of-State Travel

• Grants cannot be used to fund travel outside Washington

Fiscal Sponsorship – Definition and Applicable Programs 
Fiscal sponsorship is the practice by which a nonprofit organization offers its legal and tax-exempt status to groups engaged in activities relevant to the sponsoring organization’s mission. An arts group or organization that does not have federal nonprofit status (501c3) may apply for a grant from our funding programs through a fiscal sponsor. Small groups and organizations applying in the Snap Grants program may use a fiscal sponsor but it is not required.

For more on Fiscal Sponsorship: https://grantspace.org/resources/knowledge-base/fiscal-sponsorship/

Sponsored Group or Organization – Responsibilities 
The arts group or organization filing an application using a fiscal sponsor must be able to document the following at the time of application:

• The arts group or organization is composed of three or more persons who have worked together for more than one year
• Have a minimum of one-year history of producing arts programming as a group or organization

Fiscal Sponsor – Responsibilities and Agreement 
The organization acting as the fiscal sponsor confirms that the arts group submitting the application can document the following at the time of application:

• The arts group is composed of three or more persons who have worked together for a minimum of one year
• The arts group has a minimum of one-year history of producing arts programming as a group or organization
• The Fiscal Sponsor must have a have a current Washington Nonprofit Annual Report filing on record. More information: https://goo.gl/JukeMI
• The Fiscal Sponsor must attach a list of the Fiscal Sponsor’s board of directors (use the “Support Materials” section to upload)
• The Fiscal Sponsor is not expected to provide financial or administrative support to the group other than the grant administration

By agreeing to serve as the fiscal sponsor for this application, the Fiscal Sponsor agrees that, should the group receive a grant, the fiscal sponsor:

1.  Will assume all financial, accounting, and reporting responsibilities associated with the grant award contract.
2.  Understands that ArtsWA will send the grant contract and all grant payments to the Fiscal Sponsor.
3.  Will not deduct administrative fees or indirect costs directly from any grant funds awarded by ArtsWA.
4.  Does not sponsor or present the arts event.
5.  Does not support the group as an affiliate or sub-committee.

Updated November 2019