Thank you for your interest  in the Building for the Arts (BFA) Program!

Applicants must be a tribe or nonprofit registered with the State of Washington.  Historical museums are ineligible.

Before starting your grant application, we recommend that you:

• Read the BFA Program Guidelines
• Attend  or view a BFA workshop
• Read the entire application form to find out what information you will need

You must type or copy and paste your application responses into ZoomGrants.  We cannot accept paper or email applications. Tip when pasting your answers to the application you will need to remove formatting.  

Step 1:  Summary

Enter details about your organization and the amount of funds you are requesting.

Step 2:  Eligibility test

The eligibility test determines whether you can apply for a BFA grant.  Before you can move on to the next steps, you must submit it and our staff must approve it.  Our review can take up to 24 hours, so plan ahead.

As part of the eligibility test, you must upload proof of site control.  This can be either:

• A property title or deed
• A signed purchase and sale or lease agreement of at least 15 years.

Step 3:  Application questions

If we approve your eligibility test, you can then fill out the rest of the application.  Here you will provide details about your project, including its needs and goals.

To ensure our reviewers can easity find the information they need, follow theswe tips for writing effective responses:

• Keep your answers simple, clear and concise
• Focus on the basics
• Answer questions accurately and honestly
• Focus your answers on what the question is asking
• Support your arguments with facts and data
• Make sure all your numbers are correct and labled
• If a question does not apply, enter "not applicable" and explain why

Step 4:  Budget

Provide the following details about your project's finances:

• Funding you have received
• How much of your project budget is eligible for a BFA grant
• Other grants you have applied for

Step 5:  Tables

Provide the following details about your organization and project:

• Operating costs
• Employees and volunteers
• Timing and current progress of each project phase

Step 6:  Documents

Upload all required documents.  For a list of documents you will need, see Document checklist section.

After you apply

We will email you from notices@zoomgrants.com with updates on your application.  Make sure any emails from this address do not go to your spam folder.

• Once you apply, you cannot significantly change your project's plans.  For example, you cannot switch from building a new facility to buying an existing one.  If your project is at an early stage and plans might change, consider waiting until the next application period in two years.