Guidelines for Potential Grantees 

Grantee Criteria 

  • The West Seattle Garden Tour supports nonprofit organizations with projects that help advance the Garden Tour’s mission, “to promote horticulture, education and artistic endeavors within West Seattle and neighboring communities.” The proposed projects must address one or more of these three mission components. 

  • A grant request from $2,000 to $6,000 is recommended.  Some higher and lower grant amounts have been awarded.  Funded projects should begin after receipt of funds in March.

  • Grant applications must be very specific on how grant funds will be spent.  No administrative salaries or administrative costs are funded under the grant award.  

  • All grantees must be registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or have fiscal partners with that status. 

  • Organizations receiving funding from the last cycle must wait a year before reapplying.

Grant Application and Selection Process 

  1. Complete and submit the grant application on the West Seattle Garden Tour website westseattlegardentour.org by midnight on July 15. 

  2. Round One: All applications will be reviewed by the WSGT Grants Committee. All applicants will be notified by August 1 as to whether they will or will not be continuing with the grant process.  

  3. Round Two: The selected applicants will be scheduled to present their grant proposals during one of our monthly meetings in September, October, November or January. 

    • Presentation Guidelines: 

      • To be considered for a grant, a representative of the organization must make a short presentation (no longer than 10 minutes) about the organization and its proposed project to General Committee members during one of our monthly meetings. Meeting dates and times to be determined. Meetings are usually attended by 30-40 people. The Grants Director will coordinate with your representative to schedule the presentation.

      • The Committee strongly recommends that presentations highlight the  connection or relationship between the project’s goals and intended outcomes and the mission of the West Seattle Garden Tour. 

      • The Committee also recommends that presentations include handouts, including pictures, diagrams or other illustrations, if appropriate.  There will be no technology available for power point or other types of presentations.

  4. Round Three: Final Selection takes place in February. All grant applicants will receive final determination notification by March 1 with funds distributed in March.

Grant Recipient Tasks 

  1. Sign and Return the Contract: The Grants Committee Chair will send an acceptance letter and contract to your project representative by March 1. The contract must be signed by the project’s designated representative and fiscal partner, if applicable. The signed contract must be returned by email to the Grants Committee Director by March 10. 

  2. Description and Photo for Tour Ticket Book: Provide a 75-word description of your organization and your grant proposal, along with a high-resolution (300 dpi) photo to the Grants Committee Director no later than March 10. 

  3. Promote the Tour:  You will be sent a ticket book, poster and bookmarks to promote the West Seattle Garden Tour. Help us by publicizing the event on your website, social media accounts, or in your publications. 

  4. Host a Table on Day of Tour: We ask each grantee to set up a table with display materials at one of the gardens on the day of the tour 9 to 5.  This provides the opportunity to promote your organization and project to the garden tour guests. 

  5. Attend The Summer Finale Celebration: which is usually held at the end of July.  Each grantee will make a 5-minute summary of their grant project. 

  6. Submit Reports: Grantees will be sent quarterly report forms to track the progress of the grant.  Once the project is complete a final report form will be submitted to include a statement of what was accomplished with the funds, the date the work was completed, and an accounting of how the funds were spent. These forms will be emailed to you quarterly or at project completion.

Questions? 

For more information contact the West Seattle Garden Tour Grants Committee Director Karen Fields at tinygardens@gmail.com