Community Investment Fund

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee of arts professionals and community representatives that includes the board of La Sala NW and its Executive Director. Each year, the committee considers racial equity, geographic diversity, and aims to highlight a range of disciplines and practices.

Projects that La Sala funds must meet one or more of these criteria:

1. Projects that expand definitions of Latine/x art and artists in the Pacific Northwest.

2. Projects that create Latine/x community building (and/or intergenerational community building) through the arts.

3. Projects that support the continuation of Latine/x artistic traditions and folklore.

4. Projects that will create platforms for Latine/x artists to grow at critical moments in their careers.

Applications will be juried with the following criteria in mind:

• Applicants can articulate how their project advances La Sala's mission and at least one of La Sala’s four funding criteria.

• Applicants have a clear understanding of what they need to execute their project successfully, or a demonstrated history of artwork/projects.

• Applicants can describe how funds from La Sala will be used to support paying a living wage to Latine/x artists in Washington for their artistic work.

By accepting funds from La Sala, recipients agree to uphold all of the following requirements:

• La Sala distributes funds only to individual artists. If you are a festival, venue, or nonprofit, you’ll need to coordinate with the artist(s) to provide payment information and ensure they understand that receiving these funds may create tax obligations.

  • Payments are processed by Shunpike, La Sala’s fiscal sponsor, and must meet IRS reporting requirements. Payments are only disbursed as a paper check directly to the artist(s). To issue a check, Shunpike requires an invoice, a W‑9, and a physical mailing address for the artist.

• Recipients agree to acknowledge La Sala as the sponsor of the funded event and to display our logo and link to our website in all printed and online publicity materials, including social media, posters, email communications, and other promotional channels.

  • This acknowledgment must appear in all materials released before the event takes place to ensure visibility to attendees and the community, not added retroactively.

  • Recipients will receive a media package from La Sala including our logo and other useful materials for promotion.

• Some of La Sala’s funding for the Community Investment Fund comes from other funders who rely on La Sala to help distribute funding to where it is most needed at the grassroots level. As part of La Sala’s acknowledgements in your materials, we may also require acknowledgement of La Sala’s funders (logos and information will be provided).

• Recipients must submit an event report within 4 weeks of the event. The report must include the number of attendees, the number of participating artists, proof of funding acknowledgment in digital and print publicity, and three to five digital photos or videos of the event or artwork. This information helps La Sala report back to our donors and funders.

  • Reported attendance must be documented using a verifiable method, not an estimate, and should be specified in your event report. Acceptable methods include ticket sales data, a clicker count conducted by organizers, or a written ledger based on an in‑person headcount.

• Failure to follow any of these requirements will automatically disqualify recipients from receiving future funding or sponsorship from La Sala.

• La Sala reserves the right to revise, update, or change these requirements at any time to ensure our funding processes remain accurate and aligned with organizational needs.