Arts Commission Grants

The Arts Grant Program provides funding for organizations, individuals, and youth to deliver exemplary art projects and artwork for the citizens of Sammamish. Such projects include arts education, dance, design, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, media arts, musical theater, multidisciplinary works, theater, visual arts, and all other forms of art. Organizations and individuals funded by the Arts Grant must demonstrate high-quality arts programming and deliver a positive impact to the community while supporting projects that celebrate Sammamish’s creative and cultural heritage, invite mutual respect for differing beliefs and values, and enrich humanity. Schools and PTSA's are encouraged to apply. Please be aware that only one grant will be awarded per school so please coordinate appropriately. 

This grant program provides available funding through four categories:

• Neighborhood & Community Focus
  Projects that support art programs, events and services that promote arts, participation and build community.
• City Artist Focus
  Projects that demonstrate high artistic quality, innovation, creativity in programming and artist selection and demonstrated ability by the artist that directly serve the community.
• Educational Focus
  Projects that support art programs, events and services that include direct community educational projects.
• Cultural Focus 
  Projects that support art programs, events and services that include Sammamish’s diverse culture and values, including capacity to support the City’s underserved communities.

Timeline for Key Dates

Note: this grant review process occurs only once a year. Grant proposals received after the deadline will not be considered.

Application Materials

In order to be considered for funding, applicants must submit fully completed grant application and all required application materials.  The arts grant application consists of the following components:

Click here for the Application

General Application Deadline for applications is January 22, 2025

Itemize Budget

Work Samples (optional, but preferred)

Scale Model (if it applies)

Please return all application materials by the deadline to Emily Scott at escott@sammamish.us

Arts Commissions Vision and Guiding Principles

Mission Statement
Integrating art and culture to create a sense of place, civic identity and unique character.

Artistic excellence
We strive for artistic excellence by showcasing high caliber local, regional and national artistic programming that reflects the city’s vision.

Accessibility
We engage deeply and widely with all segments of city, striving to reach all members of the community and create an avenue for artists to bring their creativity to the public.

Collaboration
We are committed to creating alliances and partnerships within and outside Sammamish to promote artistic excellence and accessibility. We work collaboratively with various state, regional and local agencies to enhance the effectiveness of the arts commission.

Community Design
We focus our efforts to nurture and build creative capital locally, including taking necessary risks, to realize the impacts of the arts in fostering a vibrant social economy.

Diversity
We value diversity in artistic expressions and strive to promote arts as a universal language that binds people from different backgrounds and breathes life into our communities.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for an Arts grant, the applicant must:

• Neighborhood & Community Focus:
  Program, event or service must serve Sammamish residents/students and take place within City limits. Perform services within a twelve-month period. Organizations, individuals or youth can apply.

• City Artist Focus:
  Artist’s project, program and service must serve Sammamish residents Perform services within a twelve-month period. Individuals or youth can apply.

• Educational Focus:
  Program, event or service must serve Sammamish residents and take place within City limits. Perform services within a twelve-month period.  Organizations, individuals or youth can apply.

• Cultural Focus:
  Program, event or service must serve Sammamish residents and take place within City limits. Perform services within a twelve-month period.  Organizations, individuals or youth can apply.

Review Process

Eligibility Screening
The City will review for completeness, responsiveness and eligibility of all applications that meet the deadline.  Applications that pass this initial review will then be evaluated by the Grant Review Panel, which will rely on the application and related materials submitted by applicants.

Grant Review Panel
The panel is comprised of Sammamish Arts Commission members with knowledge of the arts community, educational system, and the community-at-large, meet in February to review Arts Grants applications. Decisions for funding are based on comprehensive discussions on the merits of each application. The Grant Review Panel may be comprised of rotating Arts Commissioners membership reviewed annually.

Evaluation Criteria
Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria which are described below:

Artistic & Professional Quality of individual or organization - 25 percent
The applicant’s art and cultural work demonstrates high quality or promise through its artistic history, accomplishments, and examples of previous work.

Quality of Proposed Project, Programming or Special Event - 40 percent
Project, programming or special event goals and processes are clearly defined, demonstrate originality, clarity and depth of concepts.

Cultural Equity Impact - 15 percent
Demonstrated ability of the applicant to support Sammamish’s diverse culture and values, including capacity to support the City’s underserved communities.

Community Impact - 20 percent
The experience the public will receive from this program, artwork or event.

Rating System
When evaluating each criterion, panelist will use the following 10-point scale, which is then translated to the appropriate weight for each criterion:

An application must receive an overall score of at least 70 percent of total possible points in order for the panel to consider it for funding. However, achieving a score of at least 70 percent does not guarantee the application will be recommended for funding. This is because there may not be sufficient funding to recommend a grant for all applicants that score above the minimum threshold.

Selected Grantee Contractual Agreement

If a grant request is approved and granted by the Sammamish Arts Commission, in return for our endorsement and award, we expect/require a mid- progress report and final completion report. 

The mid-progress report needs to be a minimum one-page report summarizing the progress of your project, program and/ or service.  Also, provide how this award for funding is helping to achieve your goals.  Please include photos, videos or any social media links.

Final completion report needs to be a minimum one-page report summarizing the success of your project, program and/ or service.  How the funds were appropriated, and the benefits achieved by the City of Sammamish with this award.  Please include photos, videos or any social media links.

Payments would be dispersed in two payments which are after initial signature of the contract (50%) and review of final assessment report (50%) by the Commission.

Individual/Organization will enter into a contractual agreement with the City.

It is important for the Sammamish community to know their local tax dollars make it possible for them to enjoy the caliber of arts produced in Sammamish. All grantees should recognize Sammamish Arts Commission General Support Grant in the same manner in which it recognizes other contributors in terms of benefits, type size on publications, and frequency of acknowledgment. Failure to comply with this request may affect future grant opportunities. Grant recipients must acknowledge the City’s financial support in all appropriate materials and media. Sammamish Arts Commission logo needs to be on all publications for the event and/or programming.

All grantees must complete an invoice form and submit a W-9 form.

The Public Entity reserves the right to require liability insurance coverage types and amounts based upon review of the grant application and assessment of the risks posed by the activity and/or work proposed.