The Launch Program supports new and emerging cultural and science organizations in King County.
Donor Name: 4Culture
State: Washington
County: King County (WA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 07/27/2025
Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
Oganizations that are selected through the Launch program will receive three years of general operating support and will also have access to additional capacity-building support services.
Tracks
Applicants can choose from two tracks for this program, each tailored to a specific type of start-up organization:
New Organizations
This track is for groups that:
- Began public programming within the last three years or plans to begin programming in 2026.
- Are currently operating or intend to operate as a nonprofit.
- Have never received a Sustained Support or Launch grant from 4Culture.
Emerging Organizations
This track is for groups that:
- Do not yet have 501(c)(3) status or have had 501(c)(3) status for less than three years.
- Are hiring their first 1.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) staff member working 20 or more hours per week.
- Have never received a Launch grant from 4Culture.
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.
- 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.
- Historic Preservation- includes organizations focused on advocacy or assistance to preserve, promote, and sustain historic places, education about historic built environment, or stewarding historic properties that serve as a venue for cultural activities.
- Science and Technology- includes organizations focused on preserving or advancing 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.
Funding Information
For New Organizations
- $180,000 over three years ($60,000 per year; only for organizations based outside the City of Seattle)
- $90,000 over three years ($30,000 per year)
- $45,000 over three years ($15,000 per year)
For Emerging Organizations
- $180,000 over three years ($70,000 in 2026, $70,000 in 2027, and $40,000 in 2028; only for organizations not currently receiving or planning to apply for a 4Culture Sustained Support grant during the grant period)
- $135,000 over three years ($52,500 in 2026, $52,500 in 2027, and $30,000 in 2028; if eligible, organizations can also receive Sustained Support funds while receiving this level of Launch grant)
Eligibility Criteria
The foundation Fund all grants through a competitive process, carefully evaluating each application. For this grant, panelists will focus on five criteria:
- Quality and Innovation– your organization has clearly stated plans to provide King County with one or more of the following: 1) programming or services that current organizations don’t offer; 2) innovation within your organization or field; and/or 3) new services to currently underserved geographic or cultural communities.
- Goals and Feasibility- your organization has clearly stated goals and a thorough plan to achieve these goals. Your organization has plans to develop a feasible and sustainable structure of operations. It is clear how organizational decisions will be made and how you will track progress toward your organization’s goals.
- Public Benefit- your organization offers or plans to offer public benefit to visitors and residents of King County through your programs, activities, and services—for example: free or reduced-cost admission, events, programs, or services that increase access to culture or science in King County.
- Advancing Equity- your organization’s focus on marginalized communities, especially communities that are disproportionately impacted by structural racism. This is not an eligibility requirement to apply for Launch funding, but it is one of the factors the peer reviewer will consider.
- Economic Impact- your organization’s work will stimulate the local economy through spending on wages, goods, and services; volunteer hours and in-kind donations; promoting tourism and visitor-related spending at local businesses; contributions to community well-being and quality of life, which have indirect economic benefits; and other economic factors that improve the vitality of King County.
For more information, visit 4Culture.
