Washington Grants

When oil spills impact our natural, cultural and historic, and publicly owned resources, we work with other federal, state, and local agencies and tribes to restore those resources to pre-spill conditions. The Coastal Protection Fund (CPF) was created as a way to fund restoration and enhancement projects and studies with money collected through oil spill penalties and natural resource damage assessments. Since 1993, over 125 restoration projects have been funded by the Coastal Protection Fund Spills Program sub-accounts. Amount of funding available: Variable. Funding awards depend on revenue from damage assessment claims and oil spill penalties. Maximum available funding is usually between $100,000 and $400,000. Grant award limit: To maximize available funding, the typical grant award ranges from $10,000 to $50,000. Amount of matching funds required: There are no recipient match or cost-share requirements, since Spills CPF grants provide 100 percent of project Total Eligible Cost. Spills CPF grants also can help meet match requirements for other state grants.

This program provides financial support to eligible organizations in King County, Washington, to present live performing arts events featuring approved artists, promoting accessible cultural experiences for the community.

Our Water Quality Combined Funding Program is an integrated funding program for projects that improve and protect water quality throughout the state. The program combines grants and loans from state and federal funding sources. We also provide technical assistance to program applicants to help them navigate this process. We have one combined funding cycle, one application, one competitive rating process, and one list of funding offers. Applicants submit just one application for all of the funding sources under the Water Quality Combined Funding Program. Amount of funding available: Varies based on the state budget — ranges from $100 million to $200 million annually. Grant award limit: Varies depending on funding source and project type. See the current funding year guidelines below for more information. Amount of matching funds required: Depends on the funding source you receive, can be up to 25 percent match required.

The Construction Loan Program focuses on the activities that repair, replace, or create a facility. A construction loan project may comprise any combination of pre-construction and construction elements. The Public Works Board awarded funding for its most recent construction cycle at its September 8, 2023 meeting. View the full list of awardees and applicants in Box. The Board anticipates opening its next construction funding cycle in Spring 2024. The Public Works Board (Board) is authorized by state statute (RCW 43.155). Its purpose is to loan and grant money to counties, cities, and special purpose districts to repair, replace, or create infrastructure.

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. TIB typically issues a call for projects each June for the next year's funding program. The TIB application process follows these steps: Decide which TIB Funding programs your agency is eligible for. Download the appropriate funding application and complete a separate application for each project you want to be considered for funding. Funding applications are made available in June. Submit/postmark your application by the application due date - typically near the end of August. TIB engineering staff will begin reviewing and scoring all applications in September. TIB uses a priority array process for each funding program to identify projects that best meet the intent of the program. Criteria are developed by the Board in cooperation with local agencies. TIB staff present a list of recommended projects to the board at the November meeting. If your project is selected, you will be contacted by TIB engineering staff about what steps to take next.

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.

The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) makes funds available to drinking water systems to pay for infrastructure improvements. This program is funded through federal and state money and subject to state laws and additional federal regulations. The program provides: Low-interest construction loans to publicly (municipal) and privately owned drinking water systems. These loans cover capital improvements that increase public health and compliance with drinking water regulations. Construction loan repayments can range from 20 to 30 years. In some cases, partial loan forgiveness is offered. Planning and engineering loans to cover preconstruction work and activities such as water system plans, engineering designs, and cultural reviews. Consolidation Feasibility Study grants allow larger Group A community water systems such as cities, town, counties, public utility districts, and water districts to determine feasibility and capital improvements needed to consolidate smaller or struggling water systems into their service area.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund provides funding to preserve and develop outdoor recreation resources, including parks, trails, and wildlife lands. There are two separate LWCF programs: State Program: Congress created the fund in 1965 with the passage of the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act, which authorizes the Secretary of the Interior to provide financial assistance to states for the acquisition and development of public outdoor recreation areas. All communities may compete for funding in this program. Legacy Program: In 2014, Congress established the Land and Water Conservation Fund Outdoor Recreation Legacy Partnership program, which provides grants to help urban communities with 30,000 or more people buy or develop land to create or reinvigorate public parks and other outdoor recreation spaces. Priority is given to projects in economically disadvantaged areas that lack outdoor recreation opportunities.

We offer post-cleanup grants to local governments who independently clean up contamination under the Voluntary Cleanup Program. The purpose of Independent Remedial Action Grants (IRAGs) is to encourage and expedite cleanups and decrease the associated costs of cleanup for ratepayers and taxpayers. IRAGs are grants offered to local governments that independently clean up contamination under the Washington State Department of Ecology’s (Ecology) Voluntary Cleanup Program. These grants encourage and expedite cleanups, and decrease the associated costs of cleanup for ratepayers and taxpayers. Local governments are welcome to apply for this funding if they have 1) completed an independent cleanup through the Voluntary Cleanup Program, and 2) have received a determination of No Further Action from Ecology. IRAGs are just one of several “remedial action” grants and loans provided to local governments by Ecology. The grants and loans are used to investigate and clean up contaminated sites under Washington state’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA).

LIHEAP provides energy assistance to households in Washington through a network of community action agencies and local partners. These local organizations will help determine your eligibility and how much assistance you might receive. If you qualify, your local LIHEAP agency will send a payment directly to your energy utility on behalf of your household. LIHEAP primarily assists households by making an energy assistance grant directly to the energy provider on behalf of the eligible household. LIHEAP may also help repair or replace an unsafe, dysfunctional, and inoperative heating or cooling system in some situations. Households eligible for LIHEAP may also qualify to have their homes made more energy efficient through the Weatherization Program. The amount of money awarded to your household will depend on multiple factors. For example, each household’s size, income and annual heat cost will affect the amount of their LIHEAP grant. You’ll have to schedule a LIHEAP appointment with the provider in your community to find out how much you could receive.

This program provides funding to individuals and groups in Seattle for innovative arts and culture projects that engage underserved communities and promote public access to the arts.

Water/Sewer Assistance Program for Low-income Households in Washington State, also known as LIHWAP, aims to help low-income households meet their immediate water needs. The program provides one-time assistance per program year to eligible households with incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. LIHWAP is funded by a federal block grant program and assists households in maintaining affordable and dependable utility services to avoid shutoff. The program offers grants of up to $2500, depending on income, household size, type of housing, and heat bill, to pay arrearage/past-due balances directly to the water provider on behalf of eligible households.

Forestland preservation grants provide funding to lease or buy voluntary land preservation agreements (also called conservation easements) for forests to ensure they remain available for timber production in the future. Grant recipients also may use some of the funding to restore habitats in forests. The program is part of the larger Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, which was created in 1990 to conserve land for outdoor recreation and wildlife, to keep pace with a growing population. In 2016, the Legislature expanded the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program to include preservation of forestland with the goal of supporting working forests that also provide habitat for wildlife, environmental benefits, and public access.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Chelan and Douglas counties to support programs that enhance opportunities and access to beneficial experiences for youth aged 18 and under.

City of Seattle: Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute Facility Grant (Washington) - The LHPAI Facility Grant supports public projects, opportunities, or events that celebrate and preserve African American and Diaspora performing arts and cultural legacies. It provides up to 40 hours of staffed building use for public arts or cultural events at LHPAI, with no monetary investment. Projects must focus on audience expansion, LHPAI goals, and community impact, serving underserved artists and communities while building community through arts and culture.

Medina Foundation Grant Program in Washington funds organizations that support positive pathways for youth, stabilization for families and individuals, and economic opportunities. The foundation prioritizes programs that help youth achieve positive outcomes, ensure basic needs are met, stabilize individuals and families, and provide economic opportunities such as job training, entrepreneurship, and financial education.

This grant provides funding to non-profit organizations that deliver essential human services to residents of Kent, focusing on community well-being, healthy aging, and stable housing.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Kirkland neighborhoods for community improvement projects and activities that enhance local quality of life.

This program provides federal funds to non-profits and local organizations to improve housing, economic opportunities, and living conditions for low- and moderate-income residents in Federal Way.

This funding opportunity provides up to $1,000 to Seattle schools, PTAs, and community groups to encourage safe walking and biking to school through various programs and events.