Washington Building Communities Fund

Woneata Stallworth
564.233.1100
woneata.stallworth@commerce.wa.gov

360.725.3075
capprograms@commerce.wa.gov

The Washington Building Communities Fund provides grants to tribes and non-profit, community-based organizations in Washington to pay for up to 25% of eligible capital costs to acquire, construct, or rehabilitate non-residential community and social service projects.

Proposed projects must:

• Be a nonresidential facility
• Consist of acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of a facility used to deliver services (social service and multipurpose community centers) including those serving black, indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) and rural communities
• Be located in a “distressed community” or serve a substantial number of low-income or disadvantaged persons

Eligibility criteria:

• Be a tribe or registered in the state of Washington as a nonprofit organization
• Have a legally constituted board of directors
• Agree to enter the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification process or receive an exemption from Commerce
• Agree to pay state prevailing wages as of the date the budget becomes effective
• Have control of the project site via ownership or executed long-term lease (15 years) at the time of application
• Have made progress in an active capital fundraising campaign dedicated to the project

Projects that are complete or do not need state funds to be complete are ineligible.

There is no minimum or maximum grant award amount. Grants will pay for up to 25% of eligible capital costs. Under exceptional circumstances the department may reduce the amount of required non-state matching funds.

Links to additional guidance, application instructions, and the online application portal are available on the program website.