Historic South Downtown is soliciting proposals from organizations that serve Pioneer Square and/or Chinatown International District in Seattle, Washington. Please read through the information below before starting your application.

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DUE DATE

5 PM (Pacific Time) February 10, 2025. The web portal will close and no exceptions will be allowed.

All application material must be submitted via the application portal provided below. There will be an opportunity for applicants who chose to make part of their applications as live presentations. This opportunity is not required. Further details are found in the application information.

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WHO MAY APPLY

Organizations that have not previously received funding from Historic South Downtown, and that serve the neighborhoods of Pioneer Square and/or Chinatown International District in Seattle, Washington. No funding will be provided for work outside of these neighborhoods.

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Applicants do not need to be 501(c)(3) nonprofits. However, if you are selected for funding, you must have a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization. Applicants should be considering what organizations may be able to serve as a fiscal sponsor for them so that this step doesn't cause additional delay. We have compiled some information on fiscal sponsorships and local organizations that might be helpful.

 

In addition, applicants must be able to:

• expend all of the funding provided by June 30, 2025

• supply financial records of expenditures at the conclusion of the grant

 

TYPES OF PROJECTS TO BE FUNDED

Through this New Grantee Funding Round, Historic South Downtown intends to provide unrestricted funding to support organizations serving the communities of South Downtown, Seattle. Funding may be requested for a specific activity, or to support the operations of an organization serving our neighborhoods.

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WHAT WE DON'T FUND

• Affordable housing development or renovation of specific URM structures, however, we will consider applications to fund associated costs that contribute to the vitality and integration with the neighborhood (e.g., feasibility and predevelopment for ground floor retail, affordable commercial space, community space/facilities, system improvement and integration, etc.)

• Projects that do not benefit the Pioneer Square and Chinatown International District

• Projects that solely benefit one individual or have extremely limited community impact

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TOTAL FUNDING AVAILABLE

HSD will release $100,000 in grant funding to successful grantees, with the maximum grant not to exceed $25,000. In addition, we seek to distribute funds equally between our communities, and may give priority to organizations to help balance the agency's internal funding goals. Funding available in this RFP is provided by the taxpayers of Washington State, through the Department of Commerce.

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TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Applicants with questions or in need of support may contact Kathleen Barry Johnson (kathleen@historicsouthdowntown.org) or Ellen Ta (ellen@historicsouthdowntown.org).

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APPLICATION INFORMATION

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EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS

Historic South Downtown uses volunteers in a Community Review Panel to evaluate applications and decide on funding amounts.

 

CONTRACTING AND FUNDING DISBURSEMENT

Successful applicants will engage in a contracting process with HSD, which will include details about the disbursement schedule, performance benchmarks, and reporting requirements. Depending upon the project and size of budget, grant payments may be made in one lump sum, based on a reimbursement schedule, or defined performance benchmarks. All project funding must be distributed and deliverables completed by June 30, 2025.

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ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION

Historic South Downtown is a state-created agency responsible for preserving, restoring, and promoting the health, safety, and cultural identity of Seattle’s Pioneer Square and Chinatown-International District neighborhoods.  

 

Historic South Downtown was created by the Washington State Legislature as the first community preservation and development authority in the state. Historic South Downtown exists to respond to impacts from ongoing construction of major public facilities, public works, and capital projects in both neighborhoods. It is governed by a board of thirteen volunteer, elected directors that represent community stakeholders from Chinatown-International District, Pioneer Square, and local legislature.

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APPEAL PROCESS

• HSD shall notify all applicants of the results of the RFP process, including notification on RFP review and appeal processes

• If any applicant feels HSD has failed to follow its defined process, they may send an appeal form to the Board President, c/o Historic South Downtown, 409B Maynard Ave. S., Seattle, WA 98104. The Board President shall consult with the Executive Committee and the Executive Director and respond to the appeal letter within 30 days

• Funding awards are not subject to appeal

• Applicants may also seek review of unsuccessful applications by the Executive Director, who will respond to their request within 5 business days