A Record $5 Million Announced to Support Creative Youth Development Programs Across Washington State

Ten Washington-based organizations receive funding from Allen Family Philanthropies to grow creative youth development programs statewide

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Allen Family Philanthropies today announced $5 million in new funding to strengthen and expand access to Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs across Washington State. Ten organizations, representing 11 counties across the state and a range of creative disciplines, have received funding to grow their respective CYD programs. This signifies the state’s largest, single-investment into community-led, out-of-school-time CYD for youth (ages 13-26).

When youth are activated around their interests and passions, they gain the confidence and tools needed to engage with each other and the world. This philosophy is core to CYD, a structured approach that intentionally integrates hands-on artistic and creative practice into youth development programs to help young people develop and apply the skills, perspective, and agency to navigate their lives, support wellbeing, and engage in their communities.

Participants and alumni of CYD programs show significantly higher rates of civic participation, self-expression, and youth leadership – making CYD an approach with lasting individual and greater-community benefits.

“The benefits of fully engaging youth as creators - supporting their perspective taking, agency, and connection - extend well beyond the classroom,” said Anh Nguyen, director of arts, youth, and community for Allen Family Philanthropies. “CYD programs are helping youth take an active role in their communities and in service of something bigger than themselves. The 10 Washington-based organizations the foundation is supporting truly embody that. We are honored to partner with these organizations over the next three years.”

Programs are led by Hilltop Artists, Mi Chiantla, Schack Art Center, Spark Central, The Bridge Music Project, The Little Theatre of Walla Walla (LTWW), The Mockingbird Society, United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington (UTOPIA Washington), Whatcom Family YMCA, and Young Women Empowered (Y-WE).

The funded programs were awarded following an RFP process, which was the foundation’s first RFP in arts & culture. The RFP was developed to reach a greater spectrum of organizations with existing programs in Washington state, including in counties that have a higher potential to increase arts vibrancy (defined as counties that fall below 50% on the SMU DataArts Cultural Vibrancy Index). Proposals were reviewed by an external panel of CYD experts, whose experience includes working directly with young people as teaching artists, running organizations that serve artists, youth, and communities, and leading research in the field.

“While organizations in this cohort vary in geography and art form, they share a depth of connection to their respective communities,” said Denise Montgomery, a global leader in CYD who recently guest edited a special, CYD-focused edition of Extensions Magazine “Every grantee is rooted in their local ecosystem through collaborations. This approach creates a ripple effect, where youth and their families and caregivers interact with a web of support where young people thrive.”

Funding for the CYD grants totals $5 million over three years. Grantees, and their respective project focus areas, include:

• Hilltop Artists: Long-term engagement through tuition-free, sequential glass arts instruction—including weekly programs, summer intensives, mentorship, and holistic support—to help Pierce County youth from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds develop creative skills, leadership, and a sense of belonging while building pathways to education and careers.
• Mi Chiantla: An annual photography program, including youth-led research and storytelling to enable the civic engagement of dynamic cultural communities and serve rural and Hispanic youth across Grays Harbor and Pacific County.
• Spark Central: Literary and interdisciplinary arts programs, incorporating new platforms and publications, teaching artist development, and alumni leadership to expand arts access and engagement of historically underrepresented communities and serve youth annually across Spokane County.
• Schack Art Center: Sequential visual arts programs, including expanded internship pathways and alumni mentorship opportunities to reduce recidivism and serve system-impacted youth annually across Snohomish County.
• The Bridge Music Project: Youth-led music programs incorporating arts entrepreneurship modules, performance showcases, and industry-standard equipment to strengthen community connections and serve youth at state-run juvenile rehabilitation facilities within Grays Harbor and Lewis County.
• The Little Theatre of Walla Walla (LTWW): Youth-led ensemble theatre programs, incorporating youth productions, musical theatre, and professional development for teaching artists to enhance youth artistry and leadership and serve rural youth annually across Walla Walla and Columbia County.
• The Mockingbird Society: Support for The Mockingbird Times initiative, which will expand youth-led literary and visual arts programs, incorporating publications and podcasts, teaching artist mentorship, and new community partnerships to strengthen young peoples' wellbeing and elevate the voices of youth and young adults with lived experience of foster care and/or homelessness across Washington State.
• United Territories of Pacific Islanders Alliance Washington (UTOPIA Washington): Cultural and interdisciplinary arts programs rooted in Pacific Islander heritage that incorporate cultural mentorship, performance, and experiential learning to strengthen civic engagement for Queer and Trans Pacific Islander (QTPI), BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ youth annually across King, Pierce, and Thurston County.
• Whatcom Family YMCA: The Youth Institute: a summer program expanding into a year-round model that combines arts, film, digital media, mentorship, outdoor experiences, leadership development, and workforce pathways to serve more youth throughout Whatcom County.
• Young Women Empowered (Y-WE): Visual and literary arts programs that incorporate community showcases, mentorship, and cultural partnerships to enable youth leadership and wellbeing and serve diverse young women and teens annually across King County.

Over the next three years, these organizations will be funded by the foundation to also participate in a learning cohort, working alongside one another to strengthen their programs, share what they’re learning within a strong network of support, and continue deepening CYD as a practice in Washington state.

See here for program descriptions and quotes from represented organizations.

About Allen Family Philanthropies

Founded in 1988 by Jody Allen and the late Paul G. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft, Allen Family Philanthropies (formerly known as the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation) invests in communities across the Pacific Northwest and beyond to strengthen arts and culture, empower the next generation of changemakers, and support a global network of partners working to advance biodiversity and human well-being. In addition to its core program areas of arts & culture, youth, and environment, the foundation contributes to a wide range of sponsorships and community grants across Washington state. Learn more at www.allenphilanthropies.org.