Washington grants for County governments

This grant provides federal funding to local agencies, tribes, and nonprofits in Washington to rehabilitate and maintain recreational trails for various outdoor activities, ensuring a sustainable backcountry experience.

The City of Vancouver is requesting applications for its Community and Neighborhood Grants. Donor Name: City of Vancouver State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: All Time Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Community and Neighborhood Grants Program supports local efforts to:  Build and strengthen community connections  Encourage partnerships between groups  Empower residents to take meaningful action in their community. Funding Information The grant program offers two levels of funding:  Level One Microgrants Up to $500 to support smaller-scale projects and events such as block parties, picnics, carnivals, cultural and community celebrations, education events, or arts activities. Up to $40,000 is available for Level One Microgrants.  Level Two Grants Up to $10,000 to support larger-scale projects and ongoing programs. These could include after-school, educational or youth sports programs, ongoing arts programs, neighborhood beautification, safety improvements, food assistance programs and any manner of programs aimed at improving equity, accessibility and inclusion in historically underserved parts of Vancouver. Up to $160,000 is available for Level Two Grants.  Uses of funds  Grant funds can be used to pay for:  Materials, supplies or equipment used for an event, project or program  Event rental fees  Insurance policies  Food or nonalcoholic beverages Professional services, such as translation, interpretation, facilitation, design, art, printing, advertising, etc.  Eligibility Criteria  Groups that are working to support community-building within the Vancouver city limits or urban growth area are eligible to apply. Eligible organizations include:  Nonprofits  Community-based organizations  Neighborhood associations  Clubs  Parent-teacher groups such as PTA, PTO and PTSA Groups  Informal groups, partnerships or collaboratives  The following organizations are not eligible to apply:  Government agencies (including county agencies, schools or special districts)  For-profit businesses  Political organizations  Ineligibility  Grant funds cannot be used to pay for:  Purchase of real property  Utility bills  Salaries for staff  Alcohol, marijuana or any illegal substances  Political activities  Fundraising events  Events that cost money to attend. For more information, visit City of Vancouver.

The Healthy Environment or All (HEAL) Capacity grant program focuses on enhancing community-led decision making to advancing environmental justice (EJ) and building climate resilience. Donor Name: Washington State Department of Health State: Washington County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/05/2024 Size of the Grant: $500,000 to $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: This funding equips communities most impacted by environmental hazards, including but not limited to Native Nations, Black communities, rural communities, youth, low income, unhoused, disabled, LGBTQ+, and/or other communities most vulnerable to climate impacts, with necessary resources needed to collaborate with state agencies on environmental health decisions. The Legislature required the state Department of Health (DOH) to set this grant program based on the Environmental Justice Council (EJC) Climate Commitment Act (CCA) funding recommendations and budget priorities. These grants are supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act. The CCA supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-invest dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health. They offer two funding opportunities to support communities in building capacity to engage in HEAL activities. Eligible organizations may apply to one or both of the following: Pass-through funding – They invite community-based organizations to sub-grant funds to other community-based organizations working with overburdened communities and vulnerable populations across Washington State to support equitable community engagement and participation in HEAL activities. Project funding – An organization may apply on its own or in partnership with other organization(s) for funds to build organizational and community capacity to provide guidance and input to: Environmental Justice Council on implementation of the HEAL Act. Department of Health on updates to the environmental health disparities map. State agencies on implementation of the HEAL Act (including environmental justice assessments, budgeting and funding, community, and Tribal engagement). Funding Information Total Amount of Funding: $11.6 million Estimated Funding Range per Award: $250,000 – $1,000,000 Eligibility Criteria This funding is open to eligible organizations in both rural and urban areas. They hope to reach communities across the state through this funding. Tribal organizations and Urban Native led non-profits with 501(c)3 status with service areas in WA state are encouraged to apply for either type of funding. These applications will be scored to account for Tribal sovereignty, data sovereignty, and proprietary traditional knowledge protection. Federally recognized Tribes are eligible to apply for the Tribal Heal Capacity reserved for Tribal governments. Community based organizations with 501(c)3 status are eligible to apply for passthrough funds. Large institutions (i.e. hospitals/community health centers, academic institutions, local health jurisdictions, local government such as city county) are invited to apply in partnership with a 501(c)3 or fiscally sponsored community based organization. It is expected that passthrough fund grantees will spend a reasonable amount of awarded funds on administrative costs associated with establishing and distributing the funds Organizations receiving pass-through funds must also meet the following qualifications: Administrative and fiscal capacity to set up and manage pass-through funding. Capacity to develop and implement a plan for equitably soliciting applications from, selecting, and allocating funding to subgrantee organizations. Demonstrated ability to work equitably with communities and populations across the state, in particular, those most impacted by environmental injustice. Demonstrated ability to collaborate and partner with external organizations with accountability and transparency. For more information, visit Washington State Department of Health.

The Washington State Department of COMMERCE, hereafter called “COMMERCE,” is initiating this Request for Applications (RFA) to fund clean energy projects in Washington through a combination of funding sources. Donor Name: Washington State Department of Commerce State: Washington County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/14/2024 Size of the Grant: More than $1 million Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Commerce is now accepting applications to support the planning, design, and construction of clean energy projects through a general round which is open to all eligible project types and applicants. Approximately $34 million will be available in the general round to support the following project areas: Electric grid modernization and innovation Innovative large-scale and dual-use solar Solar energy retrofits for public buildings Clean energy project siting and permitting Building, industry, aviation and maritime Decarbonization Clean energy projects that leverage private and federal funding. Project Categories  Large scale solar innovation Planning or a construction project. Planning project must lead to a capital asset. Solar array(s) must have alternating current (AC) nameplate capacity of more than 100 kW at a single site or more than 1 MW across multiple sites Cannot displace critical habitat or productive farmland Dual-use solar Planning or a construction project Must involve commercial, dual-use solar power demonstration Hard to decarbonize and economic development Planning or a construction project. Planning project must lead to a capital asset. Project must achieve one or more of the following goals: Reduce emissions in hard-to-decarbonize sector Bring private investment and federal funding to the state Grid integration and innovation Planning or a construction project Must develop and demonstrate distributed energy resources and non-wire alternatives Must be for electrical grid integration and innovation projects Must do at least one of the following: Support implementation of demand response Improve integration of renewable energy and energy storage Advance community resilience Support implementation of sustainable microgrids Accelerate beneficial load integration and demand management for at least one of the following: Building electrification Equipment electrification Electric vehicle charging Clean energy siting and permitting Planning projects only Must support siting and permitting of clean energy projects through at least one of the following methods: Support pre-development work at sites for clean energy projects Support land use studies Conduct or engage in planning efforts such as planned actions and programmatic environmental impact statements (EIS) Improve permit timeliness and certainty with staff, expertise or databases Solar installations on existing public buildings Construction projects only Must purchase and install solar PV only at an existing public building (must have a certificate of occupancy prior to application). Funding Information The minimum award amount is $50,000, and the maximum award amount for a single award is $3,000,000. Eligibility Criteria  Unless the Applicant is a federally recognized tribe, applicants must be licensed to do business in the State of Washington or submit a statement of commitment that it will become licensed in Washington within thirty (30) calendar days of being selected as an Apparently Successful Contractor. Applicants must be in good standing with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and requirements, including with the Department of Commerce. Applicants must be one of the following entities (please note, not all entities are eligible for all project categories. Associate development organization Federally recognized tribal government For-profit entity Investor-owned, co-operative, or public retail electric utility K-12 school district Local government Non-profit organization Private educational institution or public higher education institution Other academic or research institution State agency Tribes’ contracted service providers. For more information, visit WSDC.

The commission is accepting applications to fund projects that will eliminate or mitigate public safety hazards at railroad crossings and along railroad rights-of-way in Washington. The commission administers the Grade Crossing Protective Fund (GCPF) to provide grants to railroad companies, local governments, and other entities that propose to make safety improvements at a railroad crossing or along a railroad right-of-way. Funding is also available for safety improvements at passive (no lights and gates) public railroad crossings and for implementing other safety projects. The commission will consider and select projects for funding based on: The relative severity of the hazard being addressed. The safety benefits resulting from a project. The costs of implementing a project. Geographic diversity. Public equity. Available funds. Railroad companies regulated by the commission must be in compliance with all state laws and rules in order to be considered for grant funding.

HSGP is comprised of three interconnected grant programs: State Homeland Security Program (SHSP), Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) and Operation Stonegarden (OPSG). These risk-based grants assist state, local, tribal and territorial efforts in preventing, protecting against, mitigating, responding to and recovering from acts of terrorism and other threats. HSGP provides grantees with the resources required for implementation of the National Preparedness System and working toward the National Preparedness Goal of a secure and resilient nation. Together, these three grant programs fund a range of preparedness activities, including planning, organization, equipment purchase, training, exercises and management and administration across all core capabilities and mission areas.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for wildlife habitat restoration and conservation projects in Oregon and Washington, targeting state and local governments, tribal entities, non-profits, and educational institutions.

Expenditures of the Multi-Use Roadway Safety Account may be used only for: (a) counties to perform safety engineering analysis of mixed vehicle use on any road within a county; (b) local governments to provide funding to install signs providing notice to the motoring public that (i) wheeled all-terrain vehicles (WATV) are present or (ii) wheeled all-terrain vehicles may be crossing; (c) the state patrol or local law enforcement for purposes of defraying the costs of enforcement of this act; (d) law enforcement to investigate accidents involving wheeled all-terrain vehicles. Funds may be used on any road owned by local, state and federal government agencies provided that the agency has authorized use of the road for wheeled all-terrain vehicles. Refer to the WATV sign fact sheet (PDF 315KB) for information on the types of signs that are eligible for funding under this program.

The Rural Arterial Program (RAP) is a biennial road and bridge reconstruction funding program in which counties compete for Rural Arterial Trust Account (RATA) funds within their respective regions Taken from fuel tax revenues, the RATA account generates approximately $40 million per biennium. Less than 3% is used for administration of the program (WAC 136-100). In 1983 the Washington State legislature created the RAP to help finance (via the Rural Arterial Trust Account - RATA) the reconstruction of rural arterial roads which faced severe deterioration in the wake of railroad abandonments. The nearly 13,000 mile rural arterial road system owned by the counties, provides the initial transportation link of Washington State's harvested resources to the marketplace. RAP was so successful in addressing local haul road needs that the initial funding of 0.33 cents of the Motor Vehicle Fuel Tax (MVFT) was increased to 0.58 cents by the 1990 legislature. In addition to serving county wide commercial transport needs, RAP funds are often used to improve rural roads which are primarily local use or recreational. This has been encouraged by Federal and State Growth Management requirements. Those statutes stress multi-modal transportation facilities and cooperation among the local groups that acquire road funding. Refer to the Washington Administrative Code Title 136 (WAC 136-100 through 136-210) for answers to questions that CRAB receives regarding RAP.

This federal grant program provides funding to develop and renovate boating facilities targeting guest recreational boats 26 feet and larger. Grants also may be used for boater education. Typical Projects Renovating guest docks Installing utilities to moorage docks Building moorage docks and floats. Funding generally is awarded every 2 years. Funding comes through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service from federal gas taxes deposited in the federal Aquatic Resources Trust Fund.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for events and activities that attract tourists to Friday Harbor, with a focus on off-season initiatives, and is open to both nonprofit and for-profit organizations, public agencies, and individuals.

This program supports businesses and organizations in Washington State that are working on innovative projects to reduce waste and promote a circular economy through recycling, reuse, and sustainable practices.

The farmland preservation grant program provides funding to buy development rights on farmlands to ensure they remain available for farming in the future. Grant recipients also may use some of the funding to restore natural functions to improve the land's viability for farming. The program is part of the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which was created in 1990 to buy land for outdoor recreation and wildlife conservation, to keep pace with a growing population. In 2005, the state Legislature expanded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to include preservation of significant farmland.

Public Health – Seattle & King County is offering a grant of $100,000 to $500,000 for projects that support diverse youth mental health providers, particularly those connected to LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities, with the aim of increasing access to mental health resources, improving retention, and supporting diverse providers in King County, Washington.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to community groups and organizations in Ellensburg for improving parks, trails, and recreational facilities to enhance public enjoyment and participation.

The Legislature created the Transportation Improvement Board to foster state investment in quality local transportation projects. The TIB distributes grant funding, which comes from the revenue generated by three cents of the statewide gas tax, to cities and counties for funding transportation projects. TIB's grant programs are catagorized by the type of customer agency each program is intended to serve. The Arterial Preservation Program (APP) provides funding for overlay of federally classified arterial streets (principal, minor) in cities with a population greater than 5,000 and assessed valuation less than $3 billion. Although the program offers critical preservation assistance, it is not enough to substitute for a city's street maintenance program. Therefore, the program is limited to overlay to defray high-cost preservation projects, allowing cities to concentrate limited resources on lower cost preventative maintenance.

US DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) provides funding to Washington state for tribal, state, and local governments to sustain and enhance hazardous materials-related emergency preparedness. The funding is specifically targeted to increase effectiveness in safely and efficiently handling hazardous materials accidents and incidents and to encourage a comprehensive approach to emergency training and planning by incorporating the unique challenges of responses to transportation situations. The HMEP grant program was established in 1990 by the Hazardous Materials Transportation Uniform Safety Act. In 1993, PHMSA began issuing grants to assist States, Territories, and Native American Tribes to "develop, improve, and carry out emergency plans" within the National Response System and the Emergency Planning and Community Right-To-Know Act of 1986. The HMEP grant program is designed to allow grantees the flexibility to implement training and planning programs that address differing needs for each location based on demographics, emergency response capabilities, commodity flow studies, and hazard analysis. Relevant trainings are found in the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 472: Standard for Competence of Responders to Hazardous Materials/Weapons of Mass Destruction Incidents publication and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations found in 29 CFR § 1910.120. Governors in each State, or their counterparts within Territories or Tribes, designate an agency to receive the HMEP grant funds. Agencies submit grant applications to PHMSA annually requesting funds for proposed activities. PHMSA reviews and evaluates applications to make certain the proposed activities support the program mission to ensure the safe transportation of hazmat. If approved, PHMSA offers the agency a Notice of Grant Award (NGA) for acceptance and signature. Once executed, the agency may distribute grant funds in accordance with the planned activities identified in the grant application within the State, Territory, or Tribe to Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs) and first responder organizations.

This scholarship provides financial assistance to LGBTQ+ students from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, or Washington who demonstrate leadership and face systemic barriers to education, prioritizing those in marginalized communities.

The City of Gig Harbor is seeking applications for its 2025 Lodging Tax Grants for Tourism-related Operations or Marketing. Donor Name: City of Gig Harbor State: Washington County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: What is the Lodging Tax Fund? Funding for this program comes from the City of Gig Harbor lodging tax fund which receives a percentage of hotel/motel taxes from lodging establishments inside the city limits. The city collects a tax on charges for overnight lodging. These funds are distributed by the Department of Revenue back to the City of Gig Harbor for the funding of tourism-related capital facilities, non-event operations, and event marketing and operations. Uses of Lodging Tax Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Chapter 67.28 ‘Public Stadium, Convention, Arts and Tourism Facilities’ provides detailed information about the use, award and reporting of tourism funds. Tourism: Economic activity resulting from tourists, which may include sales of overnight lodging, meals, tours, gifts, or souvenirs Tourism promotion: Activities, operations, and expenditures designed to increase tourism, including but not limited to advertising, publicizing, or otherwise distributing information for the purpose of attracting and welcoming tourists; developing strategies to expand tourism; operating tourism promotion agencies; and funding the marketing of or the operation of special events and festivals designed to attract tourists. Tourism-related facility: Real or tangible personal property with a usable life of three or more years, or constructed with volunteer labor, and used to support tourism, performing arts, or to accommodate tourist activities. Who may Apply? Lodging Tax funding is open to non-profit organizations and municipalities with the demonstrated ability to achieve tourism related goals as outlined below: Increase hotel/lodging occupancy in the City of Gig Harbor by creating overnight stays. Increase the number of visitors to the city from more than 50 miles away. All applications must include estimates of how funding the activity will result in increases to people staying overnight, travelling 50 miles away or more, or coming from another state or country. To ensure this data is collected, the city is required to have applicants provide additional information in the lodging tax application.  The City of Gig Harbor Lodging Tax Advisory Committee considerations In developing its recommendations, the committee may consider: The estimated amount of lodging tax funds available for the coming year as provided by the city’s finance department. Thoroughness and completeness of the proposal. Percent of the proposal request to the event/facility promotions budget and overall revenues. Percent of increase over prior year City of Gig Harbor lodging tax funded proposals, if any. Projected economic impact within the City of Gig Harbor, in particular projected overnight stays in Gig Harbor lodging establishments. The applicant’s financial stability. The applicant’s history of tourism promotion success. Committee member general knowledge of the community and tourism-related activities. For more information, visit City of Gig Harbor.

The Nonhighway and Off-road Vehicle Activities program provides funding to develop and manage recreation opportunities for such activities as cross-country skiing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain bicycling, hunting, fishing, sightseeing, motorcycling, and riding all-terrain and four-wheel drive vehicles. A portion of the funding also is available for education and enforcement programs that encourage environmentally responsible use of the outdoors and for helping to minimize conflict between visitors through positive management techniques. Except for off-road vehicle facilities, activities supported by this program must be accessed via a non-highway road, which is a public road that was not built or maintained with gasoline tax funding. Non-highway roads are found most often in state and national forests and national parks.