Science and Technology Sustained Support

Sustained Support assists with the day-to-day needs of science and technology organizations.

The next two-year cycle, 2026-2027, will return in fall 2025. These funds promote access to science and technology experiences for the general public.

Steps to Apply

1 What Sustained Support Funds

Science and Technology Sustained Support provides general operating funds to non-profit groups across King County. These awards provide unrestricted operating funds to organizations delivering science and technology-focused programs and services for the benefit of the public.

You can use this grant for:

A variety of expenses: operating costs related to science and technology programs and activities accessible to King County residents and visitors; staff salaries; utilities; supplies; fees; and services.

Science and technology grants do not support the following activities:

The conduct of primary research not directly providing experiences to the general public.
Medical and public health practice, including but not limited to medical treatment, medical or nutritional advice, or medical instruction.
Promoting pseudoscience, that is any system of beliefs or concepts that exhibits characteristics including but not limited to the inability in principle to be falsified by observable facts, lacking a research framework that tests and revises ideas based on observable facts, and/or has been demonstrated to be false by observable facts.

If you are interested in funding for:

Equipment, consider applying for Cultural Equipment.
Capital construction, consider applying for Doors Open Facilities.

Criteria

We fund all of our grants through a competitive process, carefully evaluating each application.

For this grant, we’ll look to see how well your organization shows the following:

Resilience: your organization has clearly stated plans to remain in operation through 2025; Demonstrated organizational adaptability to changes in your community and in the field; and demonstrated responsiveness to your community’s needs.
Public benefit: your organization offers substantial public benefits, including, but not limited to reduced cost or free admission, events, programs, or services offered to members of the public to increase access to science and technology experiences.
Advancing equity: your organization has a focus on serving communities historically and currently underrepresented in scientific fields and denied the benefits of scientific research, especially communities affected by structural racism. This is not required for funding.
Science and Technoplogy priorities: your Organization makes a tangible contribution to the field. Priorities may include, but are not limited to, a focus on serving communities historically and currently underrepresented in scientific fields and denied the benefits of scientific research, e.g., women and LGBTQ+ communities; addressing gaps in the public’s understanding of science and technology; informing the public regarding timely questions involving science and technology related issues; and professional development.

Geographic and Equity Investments

4Culture recognizes that where an organization is based or provides its services, as well as the communities it serves, can affect access to funding and other resources. To take a step towards balancing these disparities, 4Culture will award additional funding to organizations that are based in parts of King County that are less served by other funding sources, and to organizations that specifically serve marginalized communities, including but not limited to women; people affected by structural racism; LGBTQ+ communities. Organizations with an annual budget over $5 million do not qualify for this additional funding.

Equity Investment Score
Organizations that the adjudicating panel of peer reviewers agree are excelling in advancing equity in King County will receive an additional Equity Investment.

Outside of the City of Seattle
Non-profits with a primary location outside of Seattle City limits will receive additional geographic equity funds. Eligibility will be determined based on the mailing address in your account profile. This address should be consistent with what your organization uses for IRS reporting purposes.

Communities of Opportunity
Organizations that are located in a Community of Opportunity are eligible for additional Equity Investment funds. The Communities of Opportunity (COO) index includes a set of health and socioeconomic indicators to gauge community health and well-being. 4Culture aligns our Equity investments with the COO index to identify the areas of King County in greatest need of support.

View this Communities of Opportunity map to determine whether your organization or primary venue is located in a COO. COO areas eligible for an Equity investment are outlined in purple:

Please reach out to Fundisha Tibebe at fundisha.tibebe@4culture.org if you have any questions.

Onsite Reviews

Organizations that are funded by a Sustained Support grant will be evaluated by on-site reviewers, who attend a scheduled event or open hours and provide written comments for use by future grant review panels. After receiving their award letter, organizations that receive Science & Technology Sustained Support awards for 2025 will receive instructions on how to set up their on-site reviews.

Public Benefit: Why It Matters

4Culture is a public agency supporting the cultural sector through revenue from Lodging Tax, 1% for Art, and Doors Open funding sources. Core to our work and defined in our Charter is a requirement that everything we fund serves the public interest, enriching communities throughout King County.

The term Providing Public Benefit means using public funds primarily to provide members of the public residing in and visiting King County access to opportunities to experience cultural resources. Public Benefit encompasses access and positive impacts for King County residents and visitors engaging with arts, culture, historic spaces, and public art across our program areas.

As you work through your application, tell us exactly how your fellow King County residents will be able to enjoy and learn from your work. Here are some ways you can provide public benefit:

Providing the public with access to your creative work, project, or program for free or at a reduced rate.
Providing educational programs and experiences at cultural organizations, schools, or other venues accessible to the public.
Exploring ways to expand and broaden your creative work and activities for the education and entertainment of the public.
Participating in collaborative relationships with other cultural organizations, individuals, and groups to extend the reach and impact of a project or program for the benefit of the public.
Organizational or individual capacity-building projects or activities that provide meaningful public benefits not otherwise achievable.
For cultural organizations: providing, through technological and other means, services or programs in locations other than an organization’s own facilities.

2 Are You Eligible?

Science and Technology Sustained Support is available for King County-based non-profit organizations. We award these funds based on an organization’s overall mission and activities—this grant is not project-based.

To be eligible for Science and Technology Sustained Support, your organization must:

Be incorporated in the state of Washington.
Be recognized by the IRS as a 501c3 OR have a fiscal sponsor that is also meets this same set of eligibility criteria.
Have a mission that includes an explicit focus on science or technology. Science is inclusive of 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.
Have your primary location in King County and conduct a majority of your activities in King County.

3 Helping You Succeed

Workshops

Workshops can make a major difference in how competitive your application is—each year, we find that the strongest applications come from people who have attended a workshop. Workshops provide an opportunity for you to meet staff, learn about the process, meet other applicants, and ask questions.

Workshops will be held both in-person and virtually. We will announce workshop dates soon.

If you are unable to attend a workshop, you may view a recorded version instead. This recording will be posted after the first workshop takes place.

Please subscribe to the 4Culture newsletter to be notified of Workshop dates are confirmed and workshop recordings are posted.

Contact

Fundisha Tibebe
fundisha.tibebe@4culture.org
206-477-2298

Liz Reyes
liz.reyes@4culture.org
206-263-7870

Translation and Assistance

The guidelines, a detailed explanation of how to apply, and the application are in English. If this is a barrier that stops you from understanding the grant or applying due to limited English writing ability, visual impairment, or you would like to request assistance to create an application, please contact hello@4culture.org or call (206) 296-7580 or TTY 711, and we will make sure you get the support you need.

Las pautas, la explicación detallada de cómo enviar la solicitud y la solicitud están en inglés. Si esto le impide comprender la información relacionada con la beca o enviar una solicitud debido a una limitación en la capacidad para escribir en inglés, si tiene una discapacidad visual o si desea recibir asistencia para crear una solicitud, escriba a hello@4culture.org o llame al (206) 296-7580 o TTY 711, y nos aseguraremos de que obtenga la ayuda que necesita.

详细说明如何申请的指南以及申请本身均使用英文。如果由于英语写作能力有限、视力障碍而妨碍您对本资助的了解或申请，或者您希望请求协助来完成申请，请发送电子邮件至 hello@4culture.org 或致电 (206) 296-7580 或 TTY (听障专线) 711 联系，我们会确保您获得所需的支持

Руководство, подробная инструкция и форма заявки на английском языке. Если вам сложно разобраться в процедуре получения грантов или подачи заявок из-за ограниченных навыков письменного английского языка либо нарушений зрения, а также если вы бы хотели обратиться за помощью при составлении заявки, отправьте письмо на адрес электронной почты hello@4culture.org или позвоните по номеру (206) 296-7580 или 711 (телетайп), и мы позаботимся о том, чтобы вы получили необходимую помощь.

Hướng dẫn, giải thích chi tiết về cách nộp đơn va tài liệu áp dụng tất cả đều bằng Tiếng Anh. Nếu đây là rào cản khiến quý vị không hiểu được khoản trợ cấp hoặc cách nộp đơn do khả năng viết tiếng Anh hạn chế, do quý vị bị suy giảm thị lực hoặc muốn yêu cầu hỗ trợ để tạo đơn đăng ký, làm ơn liên hệ hello@4culture.org hoặc gọi (206) 296-7580 hay TTY 711 và chúng tôi sẽ hỗ trợ những gì quý vị cần.

Tilmaamaha, sharaxaadda faahfaahsan ee ku saabsan sida loo codsado, iyo waraaqda codsiga waxa ay dhammaan ku qoran yihiin Af-Ingiriisi. Haddii ay arrintani tahay caqabad kaa hor istaageysa fahamka deeqda ama codsashada oo ay sabab u tahay awoodda qorista Af-Ingiriisiga oo xadidan, araggaaga oo liita, ama aad jeclaan lahayd inaad codsato in lagaa caawiyo in aad codsi sameyso, fadlan la xiriir hello@4culture.org ama wac (206) 296-7580 ama TTY 711, waxaana xaqiijin doonnaa inaad hesho taageerada aad u baahan tahay.

4 After You Submit

Timeline

Applications for Science and Technology Sustained Support are due September 4, 2024, by 5:00 pm PDT. Most 4Culture funding decisions take approximately four months from application deadline to when we announce awards. We will notify you about the status of your application on or before December 31, 2024. Contracting will begin in January 2025.

Selection Process

After the application deadline, 4Culture Program Managers first review all applications to ensure eligibility. We then facilitate panels of peer reviewers to evaluate all eligible applications. The peer reviewers change from cycle to cycle. 4Culture staff do not score applications or try to influence the outcome.

Award amounts will have three components:

A base award determined by the recipient organization’s budget size.
Additional awards for organizations that meet Geographic and Equity Investment criteria (see Geographic and Equity Investments section under “What Sustained Support Funds,” above).
Additional Merit funding for organizations that score well in the panel process.

The panel’s award recommendations are then sent to an Advisory Committee for review, and then onto 4Culture’s Board for final approval. The entire process, from application deadline to final award notification, takes approximately four months.

Contracts and Payment

If your organization is selected for funding, your 4Culture grant manager will work with you to create a contract outlining a Scope of Services and Public Benefit for each consecutive year. Organizations that receive Sustained Support funding are typically paid upon completion of one or more of the Public Benefit activities described in their grant contract.

Requirements and Appeals

Learn about what will be required if you are awarded a grant, and about the process for appeal of a 4Culture decision.

5 Apply

Once you’ve started your application, you can save after each step and sign out—your application will be saved as a draft that you can continue to work on up to the deadline. Once you hit “Submit,” your application is final. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions during the process.