The Washington state Department of Commerce and Washington state Arts Commission recently announced that the latest round of Working Washington Grants have resulted in the allocation of $75 million to thousands of Washington small businesses and nonprofits, including recipients in Thurston County.
About $45 million of the grant was set aside for arts, heritage and science sectors. This helped fill a gap where previously many organizations were not eligible. The rest was dedicated to businesses in general that were hit hard by the pandemic.
“From stage actors to software developers, creative professionals draw visitors and drive innovation across the state,” said Karen Hanan, executive director of ArtsWA. “Washington’s creative sector is still reeling from the impact of COVID-19. We’re honored to work with Commerce to make this funding happen. It is our sincere hope that these businesses feel renewed confidence in doing what they do best: Enriching our communities and exciting our collective imagination.”
Washington has issued several rounds of Working Washington Grants since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With stay-at-home orders, the early rounds of funding targeted more broad ranges of businesses and then narrowed down to entertaining venues, businesses near the U.S.-Canadian border and, in this final round, more art-based businesses and organizations.
Business owners applied online through a Washington state Department of Commerce portal over a short application time frame.
“As 2022 comes to a close, it’s inspiring to see this round of Working Washington grants provide much-needed relief statewide,” said Department of Commerce Director Lisa Brown. “While the worst of the pandemic is behind us, many small businesses and nonprofits were disproportionately impacted and are still struggling to recover. Our hope is that this round of Working Washington and Convention Center grants will help stabilize our cultural community, building a vibrant Washington State in 2023 and beyond.”
Washington state’s economy remains one of the nation’s strongest even after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Evergreen State added 13,100 jobs last month, which is double the job growth in October. For the past year, the state has averaged about 11,000 new jobs each month.
Unemployment rose slightly from 3.8 percent in October to 4 percent in November but is still among historic numbers. The national rate is 3.7 percent. Currently, Washington’s economy is ranked No. 4 in the nation, according to U.S. News, with a GDP of $613 billion.
