Title
Inspire Olympia Funding Recommendations for 2026 -2028
Recommended Action
Move to approve and advance for City Council consideration a recommendation to fund one- and two-year contracts for cultural services effective July 1, 2026, and an allocation for Cultural Access Programs in Olympia Public Schools for SY 2026-27, from the Cultural Access Fund.
Report Issue:
Whether to approve funding recommendations.
Staff Contact:
Marygrace Goddu, Inspire Olympia Program Manager, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.480.0923
Presenter(s):
Ms. Goddu
Amelia Layton, Inspire Olympia Program Specialist, Community Planning & Economic Development, 360.570.3808
Background and Analysis:
City code establishes the Cultural Access Advisory Board (CAAB) and includes among the duties of the Board:
- To review grant applications for programming that meets criteria for providing public benefit as provided in RCW 36.160.110;
- To recommend funding levels for grant applicants to City Council; and
- To recommend a percentage of funds to be available annually to be reserved for a public school cultural access program established and managed by the City to increase opportunities for cultural activities and programming for public school students.
Cultural Access Fund Revenue
In 2025 the CAAB adopted and City Council approved a four-year spending plan for the Cultural Access Fund to fully utilize available funds, increase community impact, and offer steady funding levels over time, supporting our mission to serve as a reliable source of public funding. The plan had two important components:
- Increase granting opportunity for both Comprehensive and Impact funding pathways.
- Spend down the Cultural Access Fund gradually so that by 2029 the fund carries forward ten to twenty percent our annual contract commitments, or about $500k.
Current Application Review Process
Ninety-four eligible organizations submitted proposals for funding in the coming cycle, with 17 organizations seeking Comprehensive Grant contracts and 77 seeking Impact Grant contracts. The total requested amount exceeds $4.4 million. A maximum of $3.3 million is available for funding grant contracts in the coming 12-month cycle.
Three review panels were formed to consider the applications. Impact applications were sorted by size and divided among two panels, and Comprehensive applications were reviewed by a third panel. Each panel of 5 to 7 reviewers included at least one CAAB member and members of the public.
Reviewers evaluated the public benefit of each proposal in light of Inspire Olympia’s published funding goals, and scored each one based on:
- Programming merit and value
- Community engagement and impact
- Commitment to equity and access
- Youth programming, if offered
- Capacity and feasibility for Impact applicants, or Management and operations for Comprehensive applicants.
Each proposal received a final average score, and proposals were ranked from high to low. For the group of applications that they reviewed, each panel discussed qualitative groupings among the ranked scores and identified the top scoring proposals they felt are deserving of full funding. They then identified ranges of scores for partial funding.
These funding recommendations and the scores for each organization have been forwarded for consideration by the full CAAB, with the names of the organizations now redacted, to eliminate bias.
CAAB Discussion and Recommendation Process:
The purpose of this discussion is to develop funding recommendations for City Council consideration for 2026-2028 contracts and a funding allocation for Cultural Access in Public Schools (CAPS) in 2026-27.
Staff will brief the Board on the projected Cultural Access Fund balance and Inspire Olympia program budget. This will include a CAPS program budget and staff recommendation for a 2026-2027 funding allocation.
The Board will not revisit the individual application scores rendered by the Review Panel process. Members may discuss ranges of scores and options for adjusting the panel-recommended funding levels to explore how best to award contracts within available funds.
Climate Analysis:
The discussion and recommendation have no direct climate impact.
Equity Analysis:
Achieving greater equity through enhanced cultural access is a fundamental goal of Inspire Olympia and is built into every aspect of program implementation, including the Inspire Olympia program funding goals, applicant eligibility criteria, the program funding framework that offers two funding pathways for equitable competitive access, and the evaluation and scoring process that are the basis for grant funding recommendations.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
N/A
Options:
The Board may:
- Approve funding recommendations offered by the Review Panels.
- Approve amended funding recommendations.
- Do not approve the recommendations.
Financial Impact:
Inspire Olympia is funded by one-tenth of one percent of City of Olympia sales tax, deposited into the Cultural Access Fund. Annual cultural access tax revenue for 2026 is projected at $3,380,152.
Total program expenditures are planned to exceed annual Cultural Access Tax income through 2029, as revenues accrued prior to full grant program launch are gradually distributed through grants to organizations.
Attachments
2026 Review Panels and Eligible Applicants