Committee to review $1.3 million in Inspire Olympia grant recommendations 

The Olympia Community Livability and Public Safety (CLPS) Committee will review a recommendation from the Cultural Access Advisory Board (CAAB) to award approximately $1.3 million in grants to local nonprofit organizations, whose missions focused on public programming in the arts, sciences and culture.   

At its upcoming meeting on Wednesday, May 28, the committee is set to potentially approve the CAAB's recommendation before forwarding it to the city council for consideration.  

For the 2025-26 Inspire Olympia program cycle, 70 cultural organizations applied for Impact Funding, an increase of 30 from last year. However, out of these 30 applicants, nine failed to meet eligibility requirements or submitted incomplete applications, while one withdrew.  

Two review panels, consisting of CAAB members and community representatives, evaluated and scored the remaining 60 eligible proposals.  

Inspire Olympia, funded by a one-tenth of 1 percent local sales tax approved by voters in 2022, aims to enhance public access to arts, science and cultural experiences. The tax is authorized for seven years, through 2029, and generates an estimated $3.1 million annually for cultural programming. 

The recommended grants are based on a competitive review of 60 eligible applicants, evaluated on programming merit and value, community impact and engagement, commitment to equity and access, youth engagement and organization capacity. Proposed award amounts correspond to evaluation scores: 

• Proposals scoring 70% or higher will receive 100% of their request. 

• Proposals scoring 60–69% will receive 75%. 

• Scores between 50–59% will be funded at 50%. 

• Applications scoring below 50% are not recommended for funding. 

In addition, the CAAB recommends an allotment of 12%, or $375,000, of the total annual Cultural Access Fund revenue to support Cultural Access in Olympia public schools.

The funding will cover field trip expenses, including transportation reimbursement to Olympia School District, and fund a staff position to support Inspire Olympia programs serving educators and students.