Applications open for Doors Open Facilities Grant Program (Washington) - fundsforNGOs

The Doors Open Facilities grants help organizations acquire, build, or renovate the brick-and-mortar buildings and spaces that make cultural experiences possible.

Donor Name: 4Culture

State: Washington

County: King County (WA)

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 09/04/2024

Size of the Grant: More than $1 million

Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned

Details:

The Doors Open Facilities grants provide funding for building, remodeling, and buying specialized space that houses and facilitates cultural work in King County. Organizations with a primary purpose related to arts, heritage, historic preservation, and science are eligible to apply.

Funding Information

There are four funding tracks for this program, each using a progressive percentage cap to determine the maximum amount you can request through this grant (similar to how US income taxes are calculated).

Total Project Budget Size: $250,000 and under
- Maximum Amount You Can Request Through This Application:
  - 100% of your Project Budget.
Total Project Budget Size: $250,001 – $1,000,000
- Maximum Amount You Can Request Through This Application:
  - $250,000 + 50% of Your Project Budget Over $250,000.
Total Project Budget Size: $1,000,001 – $10,000,000
- Maximum Amount You Can Request Through This Application:
  - $625,000 + 15% of Your Project Budget Over $1,000,000.
Total Project Budget Size: $10,000,001 or more
- Maximum Amount You Can Request Through This Application:
  - $1,975,000 + 5% of Your Project Budget Over $10,000,000 up to a $2,500,000 maximum request.

Eligible Expenses

Imagine you can pick your facility project up and turn it upside down like a dollhouse—what stays in is an eligible expense for this grant. This basically means everything that is built in, bolted down, plumbed into walls, and/or wired into the building. This includes:

Land acquisition costs
Property acquisition costs
Demolition and site prep costs
Appraisals
Environmental site assessments
Inspection costs
Closing costs
Building zoning and permitting fees
Project manager fee (up to 15% of the total project cost; only 1099 contractors; no FTE staff costs)
Architectural costs
Engineering costs
Building and construction costs
Construction-phase rentals
Landscaping costs
LEED or SEED certification costs
Project-associated legal costs
IT infrastructure (only if it is built into the walls)
Built-in security systems
Safety and fire suppression system costs
HVAC systems
ADA accessibility upgrades
Permanently affixed signage
Roof replacement
Fiscal sponsorship costs (only the costs associated with this grant)
Capital debt service payments, including interest (only in select cases; must provide loan documentation for 4Culture approval; only payments made after the award date are eligible).

Eligibility Criteria

Doors Open Facilities grants are available to King County-based nonprofit arts, cultural, heritage, historic preservation, and scientific organizations with at least a two-year operating history, nonprofit status, and demonstrated long-term control of the physical site.

There are three types of eligibility criteria your organization and project must meet to be able to apply for this grant:

Discipline Requirement
- The primary purpose of the organization must be the advancement and preservation of one or more of the following disciplines:
  - Arts: includes organizations focused on creative place-making, cultural festivals, dance, design, film, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, multidisciplinary arts, music, theater, and visual arts.
  - Historic Preservation: includes organizations focused on advocacy or assistance to preserve, promote, and sustain historic places, education about the historic built environment, or stewarding historic properties that serve as a venue for cultural activities.
  - Heritage: includes organizations focused on the preservation and transmission of local history; ethnic history; indigenous and traditional culture; folklore and culturally specific traditions; and historic and archaeological resources.
  - Science and Technology: includes organizations focused on natural and social sciences, characterized by a formalized framework that entails the reproducible testing and revision of falsifiable ideas based on observable facts, as well as formal and applied sciences, such as mathematics and engineering. Applicants that are zoos or aquariums must also be accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
Structural Requirements
- Your organization and project must meet all of these requirements.
  - Is incorporated in the state of Washington as a Nonprofit Corporation.
  - Is based in and conducts a majority (51% or more) of your mission-based, public-facing activities in the County.
  - Is a federally recognized nonprofit organization, or an organization that is fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization that also meets all of the eligibility criteria.
  - Is not:
    - A K-12 school or school district.
    - A university, college, or institution of higher education.
    - An agency of the state or any of its political subdivisions.
    - A municipal corporation.
    - An organization that raises money for redistribution to multiple cultural organizations.
    - A radio or television broadcasting network or station, cable communications system, Internet-based communications venture or service, newspaper, or magazine.
  - Demonstrates an ongoing commitment to advancing racial equity, with anti-racism efforts planned for 2025. Examples may include training, programming, internal systems and processes, or an alternative appropriate for the cultural context of your organization. Your organization is eligible even if you are just beginning these efforts, as long as you make a commitment for 2025.
  - Has a board of directors, a proven two-year record of providing arts or cultural services (you will be asked to provide two previous years of financial statements with the application), and the ability to sustain operations after the completion of this facility project.
  - Can, if funded, provide a W-9 form, sign a contract that limits 4Culture’s liability, and provide proof of liability insurance that names 4Culture as additional insured.
  - Has site control of the project location by the application deadline (September 4, 2024). This can mean property ownership, a long-term lease (10 years minimum or 5 years with an option to renew), or a partnership agreement. Documentation will be required in the application.
Equity Inclusion and Geographic Inclusion Public Benefit Requirements
- Your project must have at least one Equity Inclusion Public Benefit and/or at least one Geographic Inclusion Public Benefit.
  - Examples of Equity Inclusion Public Benefits
    - Providing free or low-cost attendance to cultural organizations and cultural facilities for county residents who have economic, geographic, and/or other barriers to access.
    - Providing free access to curriculum-related arts, science, and heritage programs for public school students with an emphasis on underserved students.
    - Increasing the diversity of staff and governing boards of cultural organizations.
    - Increasing opportunities for access to cultural facilities, programs, and services for diverse and underserved communities.
    - Providing programming that appeals to diverse populations within the county.
    - Planning and implementing cultural programs or collaborating with other cultural organizations to extend the reach and impact of cultural programs to diverse and underserved populations and communities.
  - Examples of Geographic Inclusion Public Benefits
    - Planning and implementing cultural programs and activities outside of Seattle.
    - Partnering with other cultural organizations on cultural programs and activities outside Seattle, through direct investment or in-kind support, on priority projects and initiatives.
    - Providing cultural programming to communities outside the city in your organization is primarily located, either directly or in partnership with other entities.