The Maritime Washington Grant Program supports work that strengthens, maintains, and shares maritime heritage in Washington.
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. Read on to learn about previous recipients of Maritime Washington grants and their work.
2024 Grantees
Bellingham SeaFeast: $14,900 for 2024 SeaFeast Festival
Bellingham SeaFeast will receive $14,900 to support Tribal collaboration efforts, provide space and time at the festival for Tribes to share their stories through arts and performances, and implement an improved zero-waste management system.
Coastal Interpretive Center: $5,800 for Making Our Community Maritime
The Coastal Interpretive Center in Ocean Shores will receive $5,800 to support outreach efforts, including expanding community awareness about their educational programming and curricula.
Community Boating Center: $10,000 for Representing Indigenous Voices
The Community Boating Center in Bellingham will receive $10,000 for integration of Indigenous voices in their space and programming through the implementation of new exhibits, art, curriculum, lectures, and professional development for staff.
Fishboat Media: $15,000 for Upstream Battle: The Salish Sea’s Last Reefnetters
Fishboat Media of Port Townsend will receive $15,000 to support a five-part documentary series about the Salish Sea’s last reefnetters. Funding from Maritime Washington will support the inclusion of additional creative partners from the Tribal community in which this story takes place.
Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum/Pacific Shellfish Institute: $10,000 for Garden of the Salish Sea Experience
The Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum/Pacific Shellfish Institute of Olympia will receive $10,000 to host environmental education field trips aimed at English language learners and students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs). These programs will be implemented in partnership with Drayton Harbor Oyster Company, Dragonfly Kayaking, and the Max Higbee Center.
Historic Everett: $1,600 for For the Love of the Equator: The Story of a Schooner Turned Tugboat
Historic Everett will receive $1,600 to create an illustrated children’s book about the Equator, a historic vessel. The book shares the story of a young man’s time with his grandfather on the Everett waterfront, centered on the adventures of the Equator.
Island County Historical Museum: $14,500 for How the Sea Shaped the Lives of the People of Island County
The Island County Historical Museum in Coupeville will receive $14,500 to create a new exhibit with expanded interpretation of maritime history on Whidbey Island, exploring how trade by ship and the fishing industry were essential to the formation of Island County.
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe: $15,000 for Sequim Bay Interpretive Kiosk and Storywalk Project
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe will receive $15,000 to design and produce interpretive signs for the storywalk pathway at the Jamestown Tribal campus in Blyn.
Jefferson County Historical Society: $5,400 for 2024 Maritime Exhibitions
The Jefferson County Historical Society in Port Townsend will receive $5,400 to host two temporary exhibitions: “Take Me to the Water,” which uncovers the stories of Black Pacific seafarers, and “Stem to Stern,” which captures the essence of Port Townsend’s maritime trades.
Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding: $6,000 for the Port Townsend Boatbuilders Video Tour
The Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock will receive $6,000 for a video series dedicated to safeguarding and illuminating the narratives of women and gender-diverse individuals in Washington’s traditional boatbuilding sector.
Northwest Straits Foundation: $5,800 for Passport to Marine Adventure
The Northwest Straits Foundation of Bellingham will receive $5,800 to update and promote their Passport to Marine Adventure app, which features an interactive map guiding users to maritime heritage-rich sites. As users visit these sites, they can earn points redeemable at local businesses, enhancing regional connections and supporting local commerce.
San Juan County Marine Resource Committee: $13,200 for Cattle Point Interpretive Area Upgrades
The San Juan County Marine Resource Committee will receive $13,200 to create interpretive signage and local art for the Cattle Point Interpretive Area. These new installations will share stories of maritime heritage and provide public education about the marine resources pivotal to the San Juan Islands.
Tacoma Historical Society: $1,800 for Maritime Story Maps
The Tacoma Historical Society will receive $1,800 to research and digitize items from their maritime collection and create two virtual story maps for the public.
Center for Wooden Boats: $7,000 for Boatwright in Residence Apprenticeship
The Center for Wooden Boats in Seattle will receive $7,000 to support their Boatwright in Residence Apprentice Program. The apprentice funded by this grant will work alongside the Center for Wooden Boat’s staff and volunteers in operating and facilitating public use of historic wooden vessels while engaging the public from their landmarked floating museum in South Lake Union Park.
Washington Water Trails Association: $15,000 for Linking Cascadia Marine Trail Sites for Maritime Heritage Education
The Washington Water Trails Association will receive $15,000 to support stakeholder outreach and establish a pilot Maritime Heritage Trail, connecting existing Cascadia Marine Trail sites and public locations through history and heritage. The trail will feature text, graphics, and videos explaining natural history, geology, marine ecosystems, and cultural interactions.
Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation: $9,000 for Schooner Suva Nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
The Whidbey Island Maritime Heritage Foundation will receive $9,000 to prepare a National Register nomination for the Schooner Suva in advance of the vessel’s 2025 centennial.










2023 Grantees
Burke Museum: $14,500 for Bringing the s.dəxʷìł Hunting Canoe to the Public
A $14,500 grant from Maritime Washington will support a new public exhibit at the Burke Museum in Seattle for the 200-year-old s.dəxwìł (“hunting canoe” in Lushootseed) to provide the best possible access to Tribal members, carvers, and the general public.
Harbor History Museum: $10,000 for the Shenandoah Interpretive Project
A $10,000 grant from Maritime Washington will support the design, production, and installation of interpretation for the 1925 fishing boat Shenandoah at the Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor.
Grays Harbor Historical Seaport: $9,089 for Seaport Landing Exhibit Center
A $9,089 grant from Maritime Washington will support the development of an inclusive, multidisciplinary exhibit center at Seaport Landing in Aberdeen, where the Grays Harbor Historical Seaport will showcase local maritime history including tales from the Lady Washington.
KMRE/Kulshan Community Media: $5,250 for Love Your Waterfront
A $5,250.60 grant from Maritime Washington will support the “Love Your Waterfront” broadcast/podcast, a collaboration between KMRE Community Radio, Bellingham SeaFeast, Whatcom Working Waterfront Collation, and Bellingham Tourism to record and produce sound stories and news from the greater maritime community in Whatcom County.
Orca Network: $8,323 for Toki’s Legacy Interactive Display
A $8,323 grant from Maritime Washington will support the Orca Network’s multimedia exhibit at the Langley Whale Center focused on the intersection of the life of Tokitae the orca (Lummi name Sk’aliCh’elh-tenaut), Coast Salish culture, the endangered status of Southern Resident orcas, and environmental stewardship.
Westport South Beach Historical Society: $15,000 for Westport Interpretive Signage
A $15,000 grant from Maritime Washington will support the Westport South Beach Historical Society’s installation of signage with maritime stories and engagement opportunities throughout Westport.
City of Anacortes Museum: Technical Assistance for Q’elech’ilhch Park Interpretation Planning Project
Maritime Washington will fund an interpretive planner to work with the City of Anacortes’ Anacortes Museum and Samish Indian Nation to plan for signage at Q’elech’ilhch Park. The park is near an ancient Samish village location and was, more recently, an old fishing dock and salmon cannery site.
Southwest Seattle Historical Society: Technical Assistance for Duwamish Peninsula Interpretive Plan
Maritime Washington will fund an interpretive planner for the Southwest Seattle Historical Society to create an interpretive plan that inspires visitors to learn about Duwamish Peninsula history through the lens of maritime heritage at their museum.