A $25,000 grant from Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen’s family foundation helped keep a historic Washington art gallery open in 2025; it has now received a third grant as 745 arts groups share $10 million
A $25,000 grant from the family foundation of Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen helped keep the Old Hotel Art Gallery in Othello, Washington, open during a difficult stretch in 2025, according to ArtsFund’s 2026 Community Accelerator Grantee announcement. The gallery has now received a third $25,000 grant, part of a broader $10 million distribution to 745 arts and culture organisations across Washington state, as reported by GeekWire and ArtsFund.The funding is not tied to a specific project, which gives smaller organisations the flexibility to pay staff, cover rent, improve buildings, or sustain programming. For the Old Hotel Art Gallery, that flexibility proved decisive, allowing it to bridge a financial gap and continue serving its community. Read more about it here, as per the reports:
A gallery with a history
The Old Hotel Art Gallery is located in Othello, a city in Adams County in central Washington. It operates from a historic building that has become an important cultural space for the surrounding community, offering exhibitions and arts programming in an area that can be easily overlooked by larger arts funders.The gallery received $25,000 grants in each of 2024, 2025, and 2026 through the Community Accelerator Grant program. That consistency has allowed the organisation to plan beyond a single year rather than constantly scrambling to cover basic operating costs.Gallery director Samantha Copas said, as per ArtsFund, that the 2025 award “truly kept our doors open.” The funding helped the gallery support a living wage for staff, bridge a gap until its annual fundraiser, and make improvements and renovations to the historic building.
What the money made possible
The grant did more than prevent a closure. It enabled the Old Hotel Art Gallery to invest in its building, which opened the door to a new revenue stream through rental income. That kind of practical investment can change an organisation’s financial outlook over time.For many small arts groups, the difference between surviving and closing often comes down to a few months of cash flow. A grant that covers payroll, rent, or facility repairs can buy time for an organisation to stabilise and continue its work.The Old Hotel Art Gallery’s experience shows how unrestricted funding can have a multiplier effect. Money used to improve a building can create rental income, which can then support staff, programming, and future operations.
A statewide funding effort
The 2026 Community Accelerator Grant awarded $10 million to 745 arts and culture organisations across Washington. Grants ranged from $2,500 to $25,000, reaching organisations in 37 of the state’s 39 counties, as per the reports.The program is administered by ArtsFund and funded by Allen Family Philanthropies, formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. It was created to provide flexible, unrestricted funding to cultural nonprofits whose primary mission is to produce or support arts and cultural activities. The 2026 round focused on organisations with annual budgets under $1 million. That change narrowed the applicant pool but increased the average award size by about 25 percent, from $10,753 in 2025 to $13,423 in 2026.
Why small organisations matter
The decision to focus on smaller organisations reflects a broader concern about the health of Washington’s creative sector. According to ArtsFund, organisations with annual budgets under $1 million lost an average of one staff position between 2023 and 2024, while larger organisations added an average of five.That imbalance matters because small groups often serve communities that larger institutions cannot reach as easily. They may be the only arts organisation in a rural county, the only venue for local artists, or the only place where residents can access cultural programming close to home.More than 22 percent of the 2026 grantees are located in rural counties, and the program includes 12 of Washington’s 29 federally recognised tribes. The reach of the funding is therefore not just about dollars, it is about making sure cultural life is supported across the entire state.
How the money is used
Although the grants are unrestricted, applicants are asked to prioritise how they will use the funds. In 2026, the leading uses cited by grantees were programming, salaries and labour, and rent, mortgage, and facility upgrades.That order makes sense for organisations trying to stay afloat. Programming keeps audiences engaged, salaries keep staff in place, and facility costs determine whether an organisation can physically operate at all.The program also keeps reporting requirements low, with no formal reporting required from grantees. That approach reduces administrative burden and allows organisations to spend more time on their work rather than on paperwork.
A commitment to continue
ArtsFund and Allen Family Philanthropies have also announced a renewal of the Community Accelerator Grant for 2027, unlocking another $10 million for Washington’s arts and culture sector. That brings the program’s total funding to $50 million over five years.The renewal follows a report analysing data from the first three years of the program. It found that 84 percent of organisations that received funding across all three years increased investment in staff, expanded programming, and diversified revenue.Those findings suggest that the grants are doing more than providing short-term relief. They are helping organisations build capacity and resilience, which is especially important in a sector where funding can be unpredictable.
What it means for communities
For places like Othello, the value of a grant like this goes beyond the gallery itself. It supports jobs, brings people together, gives local artists a platform, and helps preserve a historic building that might otherwise deteriorate.The Old Hotel Art Gallery’s story is a reminder that cultural institutions do not need to be large to be essential. Sometimes, a $25,000 grant is enough to keep the lights on, pay staff, repair a roof, and make sure a community continues to have a place where art and creativity can thrive.As the program enters its fifth year, the challenge will be sustaining that support over time. But the commitment to another $10 million in 2027 suggests that both ArtsFund and Allen Family Philanthropies see the value in continuing to invest in the organisations that keep Washington’s cultural life alive.
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