Tacoma Creates is a community-supported initiative aimed at expanding access to arts, culture, heritage, and science experiences throughout the City of Tacoma. Established through a voter-approved sales tax in 2018, Tacoma Creates helps ensure that residents, particularly historically underserved youth and communities, have access to diverse cultural experiences. The program is managed by the Arts & Cultural Vitality Division of the City of Tacoma, with funding distributed through competitive contracts for services to eligible nonprofit organizations based in Tacoma.

The Comprehensive Organizational Support funding opportunity for the 2025-26 cycle will provide funding for public programming occurring between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. The primary goals of Tacoma Creates funding are to support public programs in arts, culture, heritage, and science that engage community members, to increase access to such programs by reducing barriers, to promote culturally specific and inclusive programming, to expand youth education programs, and to strengthen the sustainability of cultural organizations in Tacoma.

Eligible applicants are nonprofit organizations whose primary purpose is to advance or preserve arts, culture, heritage, or science. These organizations must be 501(c)(3) nonprofits incorporated in Washington State with both official business and mailing addresses located within Tacoma city limits. Eligible organizations must have a two-year history of providing public cultural programming in Tacoma and must directly deliver programming to the public. Organizations focused primarily on education, social services, or health are ineligible, even if they offer some cultural programming.

Applications for Comprehensive Organizational Support must be submitted online via Submittable by March 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Applicants may request funding up to 15% of their average annual income from the past three years, with a maximum request of $400,000 for the 12-month cycle. Tacoma Creates staff offers application workshops and one-on-one support to assist applicants. Funded organizations must comply with reporting requirements, including quarterly reports, and maintain required insurance coverage.

Applications are evaluated by a review panel of community members using criteria that assess programming merit and value, community engagement, equity and access, youth education programs, and organizational capacity. The final funding recommendations are reviewed and approved by the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board. Funding decisions will be communicated to applicants no later than May 23, 2025. Funded organizations will enter into a contract for services with the City of Tacoma, specifying cultural services to be delivered.

For questions, applicants may contact Tacoma Creates staff, including Program Manager Lisa Jaret (ljaret@cityoftacoma.org, 253-591-5161), Coordinator Clarissa Gines (cgines@cityoftacoma.org, 253-591-5174), and Program Assistant Elm McCrummen (emccrummen@cityoftacoma.org, 253-591-2038). General inquiries can be sent to tacomacreates@cityoftacoma.org. More information is available at tacomacreates.org.