FUNDing opportunities

Applications for Impact Funding and Comprehensive Organizational Support are now open and available at tacomaarts.submittable.com/submit. This funding will cover programming happening July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027.

Applications for Comprehensive Organizational Support are now closed.

Impact Funding applications are due Monday, March 23, 2026, at 11:59pm.

Tacoma Creates funds eligible arts, culture, heritage, and science non-profit organizations to support their public programming work, with a focus on equity, access, and public benefit. 

Funding is distributed with the following five primary funding goals in mind:

1. Support public programs in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science that engage community members in Tacoma

2. Increase access to these programs, and reduce barriers to participation, especially for historically underserved populations, and within neighborhoods across Tacoma

3. Support programming by and for culturally or ethnically specific communities, and/or other underrepresented groups

4. Expand access to youth education programs in arts, culture, heritage, and science

5. Support the sustainability of cultural sector organizations in Tacoma

Tacoma Creates offers two funding opportunities: Impact Funding and Comprehensive Organizational Support. These funding opportunities support a wide variety of public programs that advance arts, culture, heritage, and science. This includes but is not limited to presentations, workshops, exhibitions, events, festivals, youth education programs, and educational programs for all ages. All programming supported by Tacoma Creates must take place within the city of Tacoma, and organizations must be based in Tacoma in order to apply for funding.

The City of Tacoma / Tacoma Creates, Tacoma Public Schools, Parks Tacoma, and other community partners are collaborating to grow the number of class offerings for Beyond the Bell and Club B during the 2026-27 school year. For organizations that meet the eligibility criteria for Tacoma Creates, we encourage you to submit an Impact Funding application. For organizations not eligible for Tacoma Creates funding and for individual community members interested in teaching classes, we encourage you to apply through Parks Tacoma and to reach out to beyondthebell@tacomaparks.com for more information.

For complete organizational eligibility requirements, please see: Impact Funding eligibility and Comprehensive Organizational Support eligibility.

Organizations may submit only one application. Funding is determined through a competitive application process. The number of contracts awarded, and the funding amount for each contract, is based on: a) availability of funds, b) review of each application by a review panel, based on the evaluation criteria detailed in these guidelines, and c) approval of the review panel’s funding recommendations by the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board. Organizations that have received previous Tacoma Creates funding may apply every year, however, funding from year to year is not guaranteed.

If you are an individual artist looking for funding, or a non-arts organization that produces occasional arts programming, please visit the Arts & Cultural Vitality Division page on the City of Tacoma’s website, where you will be able to find more information about other funding opportunities.

If you are looking for information on public art opportunities, please visit the Public Art page on the City of Tacoma’s website.

If you are looking for funding for heritage projects and/or historic preservation, please visit Historic Preservation page on the City of Tacoma’s website.

If you are looking for funding for environmental and/or sustainability projects, please visit the Environmental Services page on the City of Tacoma’s website.