Since time immemorial, people have settled along the saltwater shores of what is today Washington State, supported by the rich maritime resources for food, shelter, inspiration, trade, and transportation. Today, Washington’s shores continue to serve as home to many vibrant maritime cultures. To support those who celebrate, maintain, and share our state’s water-based stories and resources, the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area is pleased to offer the Maritime Washington Grant Program. This program will award funds to the nonprofit organizations, local governments, Tribes, regional educational institutions, and other entities connected to our region’s maritime heritage.
The mission of the Maritime Washington Grant Program is to support work that strengthens, maintains, and shares maritime heritage in Washington. We define “maritime heritage” broadly as the history and connection that people have with the marine environment. It includes tangible and intangible resources and encompasses cultural, historical, and natural resources.
Key Dates
April 3, 2024, 12:00 pm: Office hours with grant program administrators (Register here)
May 1, 2024, 5:00 pm: Application period closes
June 2024: All applicants notified
July 2024: Grant contracts prepared for grant recipients; Grant-supported project work and reimbursable expenses commence
January 2025: Progress reports due for grantees
July 31, 2025: Grant-supported projects completed
Eligible Projects & Expenses
Projects eligible for the Maritime Washington Grant Program are those that strengthen, maintain, and/or share maritime heritage in Washington. Eligible projects should support at least one of Maritime Washington’s goals:
- Build a network of cross-sector partners dedicated to advancing and honoring Washington’s maritime cultures.
- Provide support and resources for communities and Tribes working to enhance and share maritime heritage.
- Share diverse stories and increase visibility of Washington’s maritime heritage, past and present.
- Encourage sustainable experiences of maritime heritage for residents and visitors alike.
- Preserve our region’s unique maritime identity, resources, and lifeways.
Expenses
Maximum Grant Request: $15,000
Total Grantable Dollars Available: $150,000
Payment: These funds are reimbursement grants, meaning that you will pay for work on your project upfront, and Maritime Washington will reimburse you for project-related costs.
Matching Requirement? There is a required 1:1 minimum match of non-federal funding and/or in-kind resources (including volunteer and staff time) for these grant funds. This match must be from after October 1, 2023. If total project costs exceed the minimum 1:1 match, grantees will allow Maritime Washington National Heritage Area to use all non-federal project expenses (cash or in-kind) as project match.
Project Types
The grant application is open to a wide range of projects that strengthen, maintain, and share maritime heritage in Washington. Eligible projects may include but are not limited to:
- Interpretation such as exhibits, signage, paper collateral, podcasts and video series, murals and public art, and webpages
- Events, programming, and educational initiatives such as workshops, tours, and speakers
- Marketing efforts such as creation of brochures and flyers
- Preservation planning such as historic building assessments, historic structure reports, and nominations to the local, State, or National Registers of Historic Places
- Protected staff time for specific projects, community engagement, and relationship-building. Please note, this type of project must still have a specific and measurable purpose related to this grant program’s mission
Activities and expenses that are not eligible for funding in this inaugural grant cycle include:
- Capital projects
- Lobbying
- Operational expenses, with the exception of staff time as noted above
Additional considerations:
- Historic structures: Please note that projects must not negatively impact any historic structures. If your project impacts a historic resource in any way, it will be subject to additional staff/governmental review before work can proceed. Reach out to program staff with any questions.
- Ground disturbance: Projects that result in ground disturbance (e.g., any new digging) may also be subject to additional requirements and staff/governmental review. Reach out to program staff with any questions.
Eligible Applicant Organizations/Entities
The Maritime Washington National Heritage Area includes 3,000 miles of Washington State’s saltwater shoreline from Grays Harbor County to the Canadian border, extending one-quarter mile inland from the mean high tide line. Its boundaries include the coastal lands of 21 federally recognized Tribes, 13 counties, 32 incorporated cities, and 33 port districts. All applicants must be located within one of the 13 counties within the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area: San Juan, Whatcom, Skagit, Island, Snohomish, King, Pierce, Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, Clallam, or Grays Harbor.
Applicants do not need to be located within the quarter-mile boundary of the National Heritage Area, but the project for which they are applying should be directly connected to Washington’s maritime heritage and/or resources located within the bounds of the National Heritage Area.
Eligible organizations include:
- Tribal governments
- Nonprofit organizations
- Educational institutions
- City, port, county, or state governments and agencies
- Chambers of Commerce
- Main Street organizations
- National Park units within the National Heritage Area (please note that matching funds must come from non-federal sources)
- Community groups with fiscal sponsorship
- For-profit organizations explicitly connected to maritime heritage or history
Ineligible applicants include:
- For-profit organizations not explicitly connect to maritime heritage or history
- Individuals
- Religious organizations
Note: If your organization/institution is not a Tribal entity nor Native-led and your proposed project includes interpretation of Native peoples or stories, you will be required to describe in the application your existing partnerships with Tribal entities or your plan to authentically cultivate relationships with Tribal entities as part of your proposed project. We encourage grantees to be realistic about the time needed to develop meaningful relationships with Tribal partners.
Scoring Criteria
Applications will be read by a Review Committee comprised of members of Maritime Washington’s Advisory Board, Tribal Working Group, and other stakeholders. The Review Committee will score ALL applications on the following criteria:
- Relevance: Does the proposed project strengthen, maintain, and/or share maritime heritage in Washington State? Does it significantly contribute to the field of maritime heritage in Washington?
- Partnerships and Community Support: Does the proposed project leverage new and former partnerships, particularly those that encourage cross-sector collaboration? Does it have significant resident and/or community support, including volunteer engagement?
- Feasibility: To what extent is the proposed project and organization ready to proceed based on the details provided regarding the budget, design, timeline, personnel, and previous experience of this organization? What other funding sources and in-kind donations/resources have been identified and leveraged for the 1:1 match requirement of this grant program?
- Public Benefit: How easily accessible or visible is the proposed project to the public? Will it impact a larger number of residents/visitors OR have a deep impact on a smaller but underserved population?
- Diverse Stories: To what extent does the proposed project center the voices and experiences of historically underrepresented communities? Are individuals involved in the design and execution of the proposed project members of the identity, community, or culture the proposed project aims to center? Does the proposed project tell an otherwise unknown or under-told maritime story?
- Strategy: Does the proposed project carry out an element of an established strategic plan? Is it part of a long-term organizational goal rather than a one-off activity? What is the proposed plan for maintaining (or even growing) the impact of the project into the future?
- Innovation: Does the proposed project employ innovative approaches to strengthening, maintaining, and/or sharing maritime heritage? Does it utilize new ideas/strategies that could serve as a model for other maritime organizations?
- Urgency: Is this funding timely for the proposed project? Is the proposed project addressing a current organizational or community need?
Terms and Conditions
All recipients of the Maritime Washington Grant Program will be required to:
- Acknowledge the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area on the project site (or in an agreed-upon format if the project is not site-specific) and all public-facing materials related to the project.
- Report periodically to Maritime Washington on the implementation of the projects and local impact. (Report format and further instructions will be provided upon award selection.) This reporting will include:
- Halfway through the project period (six months after grant contract is signed), recipients will complete a progress report in which they will describe project progress and work status, including photographs of work underway.
- After the conclusion of the project, recipients will complete a final report in which they will describe local dollars leveraged, staff and volunteer time, new partnerships created, and final impact of project on local community. Recipients will also be asked to provide an accounting of project costs, including proofs of payment for all expenses.
- Sixty (60) days after project completion, recipients will provide a reflection report in the form of an interview, article, photo essay, or presentation to demonstrate lessons learned for the benefit of the Maritime Washington partner network. (Format and timeline will be discussed upon award selection.)
Non-performance:
- Recipients will have until July 31, 2025, to complete their grant-supported projects.
- Funds will be paid as reimbursement only after recipients submit receipts, invoices, and other proof of dollars spent on project-related expenses.
The mission of the Maritime Washington National Heritage Area is to support a network that strengthens the maritime community and connects people with the stories, experiences, resources, and cultures of our state’s saltwater shores and waterways. The Maritime Washington Grant Program is one of the ways in which we are working to achieve this mission. To learn more about the other ways in which we are working to achieve this mission, please explore our website: www.maritimewa.org/who-we-are.