press release

Over 700 King County Cultural Organizations to Receive $165M

4Culture Announces First Round of Doors Open Funding

Summary

4Culture is proud to announce that the first round of Doors Open funding will provide more than $165 million to 700+ King County cultural organizations over the next three years. This funding—made up of $150 million in Doors Open funds and $15 million of Lodging Tax funds—will provide the transformational support the cultural sector needs to recover from the impacts of the pandemic and chronic underfunding.

Related Links

Sustained Support recipients: Arts, Heritage, Preservation, Science and Technology
Doors Open Facilities recipients

Full Release

These grants are the first infusion of capital into the cultural sector following the passage of Doors Open, a 0.1 percent sales tax that began accruing in April of this year. Dedicated support for arts, heritage, preservation, and science and technology organizations, Doors Open is expected to generate roughly $700 million over seven years—a major public investment in the ongoing cultural vitality of our region. It will deepen and extend the ways King County residents and visitors access and engage in arts, sciences, and a full range of cultural activities and spaces.

These grants were made possible through the vision and dedication of the King County Executive, King County Council, and leaders throughout our community who worked tirelessly to pass the Doors Open legislation in December 2023.

Sustained Support operating grants
Sustained Support grants fund the day-to-day operational costs that allow cultural organizations to serve and enrich the lives of King County visitors and residents. A total of $37,209,227 in Sustained Support awards will be contracted to 709 organizations beginning in early 2025. To provide a stable and predictable revenue source, these organizations will continue to receive funding over a 3-year period.

The passage of Doors Open provides an unprecedented opportunity to increase 4Culture’s flagship general operating support program with a combined revenue stream from Doors Open and lodging taxes, allowing cultural organizations of all types, from non-profits to municipalities, to receive much needed funding.

The recipient pool grew significantly; 201 organizations receiving grants are new to the program, didn’t apply in the last application cycle, or haven’t been funded in decades. All recipients will receive awards that are at least three times larger than the ones they received previously.

Examples of organizations receiving funding include the A Contemporary Theatre (Seattle), American Asian Performing Arts Theatre (Bellevue), Black and Tan Hall (Seattle), Deaf Spotlight (Seattle), Duvall Historical Society (Duvall), Duwamish Tribal Center (Seattle), Emerald Theatre (Black Diamond), Federal Way Symphony Orchestra (Federal Way), Highline Heritage Museum (Burien), Kubota Garden (Seattle), Oxbow Farm & Conservation Center (Carnation), Raven Chronicles (Shoreline), Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority (Seattle), STEM Paths Innovation Network (Renton), Village Theatre (Issaquah), Wakulima USA (Kent), and the Woodland Park Zoo (Seattle).

Doors Open Facilities grants
Doors Open Facilities is a one-time grant program that supports efforts for building, remodeling, and buying properties related to cultural activity. A total of $32,880,000 will fund facility projects of 83 organizations throughout King County for renovation, new construction, preservation, and property acquisition. Of these, 22 organizations are receiving capital funding from 4Culture for the first time.

Facilities recipients represent all kinds of building projects happening throughout King County; examples include 5^th Avenue Theatre (Seattle), African Community Housing & Development (SeaTac), Black Diamond Historical Society (Black Diamond), Kirkland Arts Center (Kirkland), the Northwest Railway Museum (Snoqualmie),  Pacific Bonsai Museum (Federal Way), Pacific Northwest Ballet (Seattle), Path with Art (Seattle), Refugee Artisan Initiative (Seattle), and yəhaw̓ (Seattle).

Building for Equity
Grants to help cover the costs organizations face to provide the public with free access to science and cultural experiences. Guided by a vision of a King County in which every person has what they need to explore and create culture, 4Culture employs equitable funding practices to build a cultural and science sector that reflects the communities it serves.

For both the Sustained Support and the Doors Facilities programs, organizations receive additional funding if they are located outside of Seattle; 25% of the funding will go to 261 organizations outside of Seattle, meeting a benchmark of the Doors Open legislation.

Organizations also receive additional funding if they are in a historically underserved community or show how they serve marginalized communities, especially communities disproportionately impacted by structural racism and historic underinvestment. 23% of Sustained Support and 60% of Doors Open Facilities funding will be directed to underserved communities, far exceeding the 10% requirement set by Doors Open legislation. Analyzing the data submitted, 4Culture observed that a large swath of the cultural sector provides these services and takes their racial equity work very seriously.

Welcoming Science and Technology
Thanks to Doors Open legislation, organizations providing education and programming to advance science and technology can now receive funding from 4Culture. For the first time in the agency’s history, 22 science organizations will receive 4Culture grants.

Science and technology organizations receiving Sustained Support or Facilities grants include the Black Farmers Collective (Seattle), Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (Issaquah), Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation (Shoreline), Pacific Science Center (Seattle), Oxbow Farm and Conservation Center (Carnation), the Backpack Academy (Renton), and Nuevo Foundation (Kirkland).

Extending our Gratitude
On Nov. 26, the King County Council unanimously passed the Doors Open Implementation Plan, a blueprint for how Doors Open programs will run over the next seven years. 4Culture would like to thank Councilmember Claudia Balducci for stewarding the plan through the legislative process and being the prime sponsor, and Councilmember Girmay Zahilay for his co-sponsorship and guidance on the plan.

Doors Open is possible because of the steadfast support and visionary leadership of King County Executive Dow Constantine and the King County Council and staff, the tireless advocacy of Inspire Washington and its executive director, Manny Cawaling, and nearly 20 years of hard work by people throughout the cultural sector.

Quotes

“Our Cultural Sector is so vibrant, diverse, and expansive. It provides us with ways to uplift and support each other. It has the ability to reflect back to us our humanity, so we can find joy, face difficult truths, or have a few precious moments of reflection – the possibilities are endless. For me, the success of Doors Open will mean that everyone in King County has increased access to meaningful experiences through a plethora of cultural activities and spaces.” – Brian J. Carter, Executive Director, 4Culture

“This process has demonstrated the staggering scale and scope of King County’s cultural sector – encompassing farms and gardens, STEM programs, railway museums and the many nationally recognized performing arts organizations that bring tourists to our region by the thousands. This richness will be strengthened and fortified by stable, reliable and significant funding across the region year-over-year. I look forward to engaging in all the programming these funds will support.” – Calandra Childers, Project Director 2024 Doors Open Program, 4Culture

“Arts and culture aren’t a ‘nice-to-have,’ they are an essential part of healthy individuals and healthy communities. Here in King County, we are blessed to have a vibrant science, heritage, and arts sector, full of talented and passionate individuals, innovative and enthusiastic nonprofits, and world-class cultural institutions. This levy is the key that will open the doors to renewed vibrancy in our centers and communities, welcome audiences of all ages, incomes, and backgrounds, and bring joy, connection, and self-discovery to the lives of King County residents. Thank you to Executive Constantine, 4Culture, Inspire WA, and many, many sector leaders and advocates who have been unwavering in their support and brought us to this transformative moment.” – King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci

“With the first round of Doors Open funding, we’re excited to support over 700 arts, science, and heritage organizations and the many community programs they provide throughout the county. This initiative expands opportunities for everyone to engage with the diverse cultural experiences that make our region special, regardless of where they live or their means. I look forward to the creativity and lasting impact it will inspire.” King County Executive Dow Constantine

“We know the power of arts and culture in bringing people together and, in a time when many people and neighborhoods are struggling, the arts provide hope and beauty that can facilitate community and civic healing. I’m proud to support Doors Open, and I’m excited to see the possibilities that this funding will bring throughout our county.” – King County Councilmember Girmay Zahilay