Strategic Philanthropy Portfolio

Empowering teachers to integrate the arts into core curriculum and creative STEM instruction for K‑12 students across the Puget Sound.

Empowering independent artists and emerging organizations with fiscal sponsorship, insurance, and operational infrastructure.

Artist Trust supports individual artists directly through grants and professional development. They are the "HR department" for the region's gig-economy artists, providing the safety net and career training necessary to sustain a life in the arts.

Pratt is the democratization of the industrial arts. The $25,000 grant supports this Central District campus where anyone—regardless of background—can access furnaces for glassblowing, welding torches, and printmaking presses.

Urban Artworks operates at the intersection of public safety, youth employment, and urban beautification. Their mission is to engage youth and communities in the creation of public art that "inspires connections and honors their voices". Unlike organizations that simply commission murals, Urban Artworks employs a Restorative Justice framework.

Connecting Seattle audiences to global contemporary dance through the Seattle International Dance Festival and touring collaborations.

Building a vibrant, inclusive local economy through Seattle Restored activations, Restaurant Week, and resilient regional food systems.

A Tony Award-winning regional theatre producing bold work and community engagement programs that reflect the Pacific Northwest.

Complementing the systemic work of Arts Impact is a $25,000 investment in Arts Corps, a powerhouse in out-of-school arts education. Arts Corps addresses the "race and income-based opportunity gap" in South Seattle and South King County. The organization’s mission is to revolutionize arts education by igniting the creative power of young people through culturally engaging learning experiences.

The Frye Art Museum is unique in Seattle for being always free. The $25,000 grant supports this mandate of accessibility. The Frye serves as a "living room" for the First Hill neighborhood, offering a space of quiet contemplation and high-caliber exhibitions ranging from the Munich Secession to contemporary local artists.

Producing theatre that struggles with American inequities while training diverse backstage talent through Seattle Central College.

Using puppetry, festivals, and the Coping 101 podcast to explore mental health, empathy, and community resilience.

Providing pay-what-you-can photography education, equipment, and transit to help teens build agency and creative voice.

Running Electric Sky and other interdisciplinary labs where artists, technologists, and civic leaders prototype participatory experiences.

Coyote Central represents the "industrial" wing of youth arts education. Receiving $25,000, this organization is renowned for putting professional-grade tools—welding torches, impact drivers, and culinary knives—into the hands of adolescents. The "CityWorks" program, which commissions youth to create public art, aligns perfectly with CAF’s interest in the built environment.

Bridging generations through creative workshops, dementia-friendly programming, and intergenerational theatre.

Inspiring and showcasing Deaf culture through film festivals, youth drama experiences, and literary programs.

A week-long celebration of arts and culture in Seattle, bringing together makers and organizations for events like 'Walk Don't Run' to highlight the city's vibrant creative ecosystem.

Art Noir is a critical new anchor in the Central District. Its mission is to celebrate and sustain Black art and culture through a gallery, retail shop, and recording studio. Unlike non-profit galleries that rely solely on grants, Art Noir incorporates a retail model to generate revenue for artists.

Forest For The Trees represents a radical intervention in the property development cycle. As a non-profit public art organization, its mission is to "protect and expand" the reach of artists within an "ever-changing environment". This mission is a direct response to the gentrification pressures that often displace the very artists who make a neighborhood desirable.

Wa Na Wari represents one of the most innovative models of place-based arts philanthropy in the nation. Located in the Central District, a historically Black neighborhood facing intense gentrification, Wa Na Wari ("Our Home" in Kalabari) creates space for Black ownership and belonging.

Advocating for Pioneer Square through public realm projects, economic development, and cultural marketing that keep Seattle's first neighborhood vibrant.

Operating one of the world's largest film festivals plus year-round cinemas and education programs that champion film discovery.

Presenting the Tasveer Film Festival and storytelling labs that amplify South Asian voices and drive social justice conversations.

Base Camp Studios addresses the crisis of affordability. Receiving $20,000, BCS provides affordable studios and gallery space in downtown Seattle. By securing real estate for artists to work, BCS ensures that the "production" of art remains visible in the city core.

Future Arts is building the infrastructure for digital public art. They focus on underserved artists working with emerging technologies (AR/VR) and are planning "Future Arts Way" for the 2026 World Cup.

Martyr Sauce, founded by Tariqa Waters, is the antithesis of the traditional museum. A "conceptual brick and mortar art installation" in Pioneer Square, it received a substantial $20,000 grant. This funding supports an avant-garde, Black-owned, women-run space that blends pop art, satire, and media production.

On the Boards (OtB) is the region’s premier center for contemporary performance. The $20,000 grant supports its role as an incubator for risk-taking art. OtB introduces Seattle audiences to international avant-garde works and commissions new local performance.

The Vera Project is an all-ages volunteer-fueled music and arts venue.

The Wing Luke Museum is the nation’s only museum dedicated to the pan-Asian Pacific American experience. Its community-based exhibition model—where shows are co-created with community members—is a gold standard for equitable storytelling.

Dedicated to being a leader in providing exceptional education and training in the field of Creative and Expressive Arts Therapy.

To celebrate and cultivate consent and sexuality through the arts and education for all.

Based in Edmonds, the Cascadia Art Museum focuses exclusively on the art history of the Pacific Northwest (1860-1970). The $7,500 grant supports the preservation of regional identity. Cascadia’s work is scholarly and restorative, rediscovering forgotten Northwest masters and ensuring the region understands its own visual lineage.

Bringing global authors to Seattle stages while delivering Writers in the Schools residencies and the Youth Poet Laureate program.

Volunteer-powered city cleanups paired with direct outreach, housing referrals, and environmental restoration.

Inspiring audiences with cantatas, lectures, and period-instrument performances celebrating Bach and Baroque masters.

Commissioning daring new contemporary dance works that examine the human condition and foster dialogue with audiences.

Similar to Taswira but with a broader local focus, Black Arts Love is committed to "uplifting Black artists" and "driving economic empowerment". Their flagship gallery and store on Capitol Hill serves as a visible "Center for Excellence". By providing a brick-and-mortar retail outlet, they lower the barrier to entry for Black artists to sell their work.

Mineral School is an artist residency program located in a historic 1947 schoolhouse in Mineral, WA. It provides studio space, meals, and lodging to writers and artists, fostering creative growth near Mt. Rainier.

Located in the woods of Stanwood, Pilchuck is the international epicenter of the studio glass movement. The $10,000 grant supports this site of intense artistic residency and experimentation.

The Seattle Griot Project (SGP) serves as a repository for the oral traditions of the Pacific Northwest’s Black community. SGP is the foundational entity behind the new Washington State Black Legacy Institute (WSBLI), a physical center in the Admiral District dedicated to Black heritage.

Seattle ReCreative combines arts education with environmental stewardship. The $10,000 grant supports their "creative reuse" mission, where materials are diverted from landfills and sold as low-cost art supplies.

The Good Foot uses the kinetic language of Hip Hop and breakdancing for a distinct social purpose: youth violence prevention. The $10,000 grant supports arts education that mentors youth in the values of "Faith, Hope, Truth, and Love".

VCA serves as the primary cultural engine for Vashon Island. It is a comprehensive "home for the arts," encompassing performance, education, and exhibition. They manage the Katherine L White Hall (performance) and the Blue Heron Education Center.

Transforming a 3km downtown corridor into a marathon of music, performance, and pop-up arts to kick off Art + Culture Week Seattle.

Producing independently organized TED events and adventures that surface bold ideas and deepen community connection.

Educating, inspiring, and showcasing the work of African diaspora artists through exhibitions and civic teach-ins.

Bringing opera to intimate venues with programming that spotlights immigration stories and emerging Northwest vocalists.