Guidelines for Potential Grantees 


Grantee Criteria 

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

  • In the past five years, grantees have received approximately $2,000 to $6,000 for programs related to the Garden Tour’s mission. Larger and smaller grants have also been awarded. 

  • We do not fund any salaries or administrative costs for any organizations. 

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

  • Organizations who have received 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 by end-of-day July 15, 2025. 

  2. Round One: All applications will be reviewed by the WSGT Grants Committee. Those selected for further consideration will be notified by August 1, 2025. Those not selected to continue the process will also be notified by August 1. 

  3. Round Two: The selected applicants will be scheduled to present their grant proposals during one of our monthly meetings, September 2025 through January 2026. 

    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, September through January. Meeting dates and times to be determined. Meetings are usually attended by 30-40 people. The Grants Chair 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. Written materials that can be used as references later in the Committee’s deliberations are most helpful and appreciated. Presentations are in member homes and equipment for powerpoint is not available.

  4. Round Three: Final Selection takes place in February 2026. All grant applicants will receive final determination notification by March 1, 2026.

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 to the Grants Committee Chair by March 15, 2026. 

  2. Description and Photo for Tour Ticket Book: Provide a 110-word description of your organization and your grant proposal, along with a photo (300 dpi) to the Grants Committee Chair by March 13, 2026. 

  3. Promote the Tour: The greater our success, the more money we will be able to give our grantees in the future. Help us by hanging a poster at your office or headquarters; asking local retailers to hang posters in their storefronts; selling tickets to your members; publicizing the tour on your website 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 so that your representatives can 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. 

  6. Submit Reports: Grantees will be required to submit interim reports as the project progresses and a final report 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 for completion on a regular basis. 

Questions? 

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