KITSAP COUNTY — Twenty-one Kitsap arts and culture organizations will share $237,500 in grants they can use for staffing, programs, facilities or other needs, according to the 2026 Community Accelerator Grant recipient list.
Kids In Concert on Bainbridge Island and Blue Legacy in Port Orchard received the largest local awards, $25,000 each. Arts & Humanities Bainbridge received $22,500, and the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe Cultural Resources Department received $20,000.
The local awards are part of $10 million going to 745 organizations across Washington, ArtsFund and Allen Family Philanthropies announced Nov. 10. The funders also committed $10 million to renew the program in 2027.
The unrestricted grants allow recipients to choose how to spend the money rather than limiting them to a particular production, event or purchase. Statewide, applicants most often prioritized programming, salaries and labor, and rent, mortgage payments or facility upgrades, the funders said.
Kitsap recipients and their awards are:
- Amabile Choir, Bainbridge Island: $2,500.
- Arts & Humanities Bainbridge: $22,500.
- Bainbridge Arts & Crafts: $7,500.
- Bainbridge Chorale: $2,500.
- Bainbridge Island Book Festival: $2,500.
- Bainbridge Island Film Festival: $12,500.
- Blue Legacy, Port Orchard: $25,000.
- Bremerton Community Theatre: $7,500.
- Bremerton WestSound Symphony Association: $2,500.
- Enoch City Arts, Bremerton: $5,000.
- Kids In Concert, Bainbridge Island: $25,000.
- Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, Bremerton: $12,500.
- Malawi Seattle Association, Bremerton: $17,500.
- Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest, Bainbridge Island: $2,500.
- Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe Cultural Resources Department, Kingston: $20,000.
- Port Orchard Historic Theatre Foundation: $2,500.
- Poulsbo Community Orchestra: $12,500.
- Roxy Bremerton: $12,500.
- Suquamish Museum: $17,500.
- Voices of Pacific Island Nations, Kingston: $17,500.
- West Sound Chorus, Bremerton: $7,500.
This year’s program focused on organizations with annual budgets below $1 million. ArtsFund said the statewide average award increased from $10,753 in 2025 to $13,423 in 2026.
“This program continues to reflect the value of flexible funding in catalyzing organizational health, experimentation, and investment in communities,” said Michael Greer, ArtsFund president and CEO.
ArtsFund plans a spring informational webinar for organizations interested in the 2027 round. Information and the complete recipient list are available at artsfund.org/accelerator/.
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