Grants for Churches in Washington (2026 Guide)

For the national picture, including federal rules on what churches can and can't fund, start with our grants for churches guide. This page covers Washington State. For programs beyond churches, see the Washington State grants guide and Washington nonprofit grants.

Foundation Grants to Washington Churches by the Numbers

Washington ranks 29th among states, with 1,474 foundation grants to churches and ministries, according to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records. That's 1.1% of the 139,417 faith-related grants in the national dataset, and they reached 658 different recipients.

Washington has fewer church grants than its population suggests. According to the same filings, Washington's 1,474 church grants put it behind Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Iowa, all smaller states. Oregon, next door, has 1,051 grants and $22.6 million with the same $5,000 median.

More funders here publish a way in. Per the same 990-PF records, 161 of Washington's 571 church funders, 28%, name an application route, a higher share than Connecticut's 18% or California's 18%. That makes a cold inquiry more realistic here than in much of the country.

Repeat givers are few. Only 78 Washington foundations gave to three or more different churches, and the average funder made 2.6 church grants against 4.4 nationally. A congregation's best leads are funders that have already given near it.

Based on that data, you can see how many foundations gave to churches in Washington for free, with two named and one shown in full. The Grantsights church funder list costs $39 and covers Washington and every other state. It names each foundation that reported church or ministry grants on its own IRS filings, with what it gave, to whom, for what, and a link to those filings. There's no subscription: one purchase, refundable for 30 days.

Where Washington Church Grants Go

Six ZIP areas, all west of the Cascades, hold 1,197 of Washington's 1,474 church grants, 81%, according to Grantsights analysis of the same filings. Recipients are grouped by the first three digits of their ZIP code, and each row is named for its best-known town.

Eastern Washington doesn't show up. According to our analysis, no ZIP area east of the Cascades, including Spokane, Yakima, and the Tri-Cities, reaches the data's minimum of 75 church grants from 40 foundations needed for its own row. A Spokane congregation should lean harder on denominational, food, and security routes than on local foundations.

Tacoma's funders are the most open. Thirty of Tacoma's 59 church funders, 51%, name an application route, the highest share of any Washington area and almost double the state rate. Tacoma's median, $5,600, is also above Seattle's.

North Puget Sound punches above its count. The 982 area has 219 grants but an $8.1 million total, as much as Seattle's from 314 grants. Vancouver's $6,117 median is the highest in the state, which fits a Clark County church asking for a little more than $5,000.

By stated purpose, missions led with 118 grants, then community work (103), youth (74), schools (40), housing (32), and building or repair (29). Housing's share, about 2.2% of Washington church grants, is the highest of any state with 1,000 or more church grants in the data, a fit for congregations running shelter or transitional housing programs. Most purpose lines are blank, so every bucket undercounts.

Working the $39 List in Washington

The list covers all 571 Washington foundations above. Three ways to use it here:

1. Start in Tacoma or Seattle if you're nearby. Tacoma's funders are the most open in the state. Seattle and the Eastside hold the most funders.
2. East of the Cascades, look statewide. With no Spokane or Yakima area in the data, a congregation there should filter the list to funders that name an application route and give outside their home ZIP.
3. Use the housing and youth purposes. Funders whose filings name youth or housing work are a better match for a church running those programs than a general request.

Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches shows how to read a 990-PF and includes an inquiry letter a Washington congregation can adapt.

What the Washington Constitution Says About Public Money and Churches

Washington's constitution goes further than most in keeping public money away from religion. Grantsights read Article I, Section 11 in the Washington State Constitution on the Legislature's site (opens in a new tab) on November 2, 2026. It says "No public money or property shall be appropriated for or applied to any religious worship, exercise or instruction, or the support of any religious establishment." The only exception written into the section is for chaplains at state custodial, correctional, and mental institutions and at certain county and public hospital district facilities. Article IX, Section 4 separately keeps public schools free from sectarian control or influence.

What that means for a church. A Washington agency asked to fund a church building has to explain why the money doesn't support a "religious establishment." Grantsights found no state heritage grant for church buildings in Washington, unlike Maryland or Connecticut. The Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation's grant programs, run under contract by the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, cover barns, cemeteries, county courthouses, and theaters.

Where the line sits. The Legislature has written religious institutions into the Commerce security grant below, which pays for physical protection rather than worship. Grantsights didn't find a Washington Supreme Court decision on that program and didn't find a pending case on grants to churches on November 2, 2026.

The federal floor. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) that a state can't exclude a church from a generally available public grant solely because it's a church. That decision limits how far Section 11 can be applied to a neutral program. Federal pass-through money, including NSGP, TEFAP, and EFSP, still bars spending on worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing. Our government grants for churches guide explains how those rules apply to a Washington congregation's budget.

Washington Security Grants for Churches

Washington's state security grant has always drawn far more requests than it can fund. According to the Department of Commerce's Religious and Nonprofit Security Grant page (opens in a new tab), the program's first year, 2023, distributed nearly $500,000 among 20 organizations, up to $25,000 each, from 116 applications requesting more than $2.4 million. In 2025, Commerce granted $200,000 to nine organizations from 62 applications requesting $936,480.

Grantsights compared the state and federal programs on November 2, 2026:

The odds on the state grant are long. It's competitive. In 2025, Commerce funded nine of 62 applicants, about one in seven, and the requests were more than four times the money. A Washington congregation should apply, but it shouldn't build a security plan around this program alone.

The federal route has a Washington-only step. The Military Department requires a notice of intent before the application, and the FY26 notice closed six days after the funding notice was published on June 24, 2026. The common mistake is missing that pre-application. Houses of worship can use CISA's Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment for the vulnerability assessment, which must be dated within the last three years. According to FEMA, the NSGP (opens in a new tab) has $300 million nationally for FY2026, $150 million each for the urban-area and state tracks. Our church security grants guide covers the investment justification.

Historic Preservation: Private Money Only

Washington's state preservation grants don't cover church buildings, so a congregation's preservation options are small private grants and national funds. The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation, a statewide nonprofit, runs the Valerie Sivinski Fund (opens in a new tab), which gives grants of up to $3,000 to organizations and community groups working on historic preservation. Its 2026 awards included $3,000 to Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Applications for 2027 grants ran September 16 to October 22, 2026, and applicants are expected to hear by the end of December 2026.

National routes. Immanuel Lutheran Church in Seattle was among the 30 awardees, out of 466 applicants, in the National Fund for Sacred Places' October 2026 round (opens in a new tab), which offers capital grants up to $500,000. The National Trust's Preserving Black Churches (opens in a new tab) program gives $50,000 to $200,000 to historic Black houses of worship, active or not. For other national building funders, see our grants for historic churches guide.

Tax credits. The National Park Service says the 20% federal rehabilitation credit is available only to properties rehabilitated for income-producing purposes (opens in a new tab). A sanctuary used only for worship doesn't qualify. A church that leases part of its building to a paying tenant should talk to a tax adviser before counting on it.

Food: TEFAP at 400%, 19 Lead Agencies, and EFSP

Washington sets TEFAP eligibility at 400% of the federal poverty guidelines, based on net income after taxes. The Washington State Department of Agriculture's TEFAP client notification (opens in a new tab) lists annual limits from $62,600 for one person to $216,600 for eight, plus $22,000 per additional member, effective from October 2025 until new guidelines are issued. Clients self-declare, and no proof of income, address, or identification is required.

That limit is far above Maryland's 185% and Connecticut's 300%, which means a Washington church pantry can serve working families who'd be turned away elsewhere.

How a church pantry joins. WSDA's TEFAP FAQ (opens in a new tab) says it contracts with 19 Lead Agencies, which supply more than 500 food banks, pantries, shelters, and meal providers. Each Lead Agency covers one or more counties and decides which local providers take part, so a church pantry applies to its county's Lead Agency, not to the state.

EFSP. Washington's Emergency Food and Shelter Program allocation for Phase 43 (FY2025) totals $2,925,286, according to the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab).

King County alone holds a third of Washington's EFSP money. The State Set-Aside, for counties that don't qualify on their own, holds $36,999, about 1.3% of the total, and the smallest county award is Asotin's $4,768. A rural church pantry in a county left off the list has almost nothing to compete for. Our church food pantry grants guide covers what a Lead Agency or EFSP board will ask a Washington church pantry to document.

Denominational and Community Funds in Washington

Washington's verified church-eligible funds are small and mostly national. Grantsights checked each Washington funder's guidelines on its own site on November 2, 2026.

Grantsights couldn't open the current grant pages for Washington's Presbyterian presbyteries, Episcopal dioceses, ELCA synods, or the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church on November 2, 2026, and didn't verify the religious-organization rules of Washington community foundations. Ask your judicatory directly about congregational development and building funds, and read each foundation's exclusions before writing a request.

What Washington Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Most Washington church grant lists stop at national foundations. Five things they miss:

1. The constitution closes the state building route. Article I, Section 11 bars public money for "the support of any religious establishment," and Washington's state heritage grants don't cover churches.
2. Security is the exception. The Legislature wrote religious institutions into the Commerce security grant, though it funded nine of 62 applicants in 2025.
3. The federal NSGP has a pre-application. Miss the notice of intent and you can't apply.
4. TEFAP reaches 400% of poverty. A church pantry can serve households well into the middle class.
5. East of the Cascades, local foundation money is thin. No eastern Washington ZIP area has enough church grants to form its own row.

A 90-Day Plan for a Washington Church

1. Before the new year: paperwork and a self-assessment. Collect the church's IRS status letter or group exemption, articles of incorporation, a current board list, and last year's financial statement. Then run CISA's Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment, which the Military Department accepts as the vulnerability assessment.
2. January: security quotes. Get two contractor quotes for doors, cameras, or lighting so you can file the federal notice of intent quickly once FY27 outreach starts in February 2027, and watch Commerce's page for its next round.
3. Weeks 4 to 8: foundations. Use the funder list to find foundations near you that name an application route. In eastern Washington, filter for funders that give outside their own ZIP area.
4. Weeks 9 to 12: food and preservation. If you run a pantry, call your county's TEFAP Lead Agency about joining. If your building is historic, plan a Sivinski Fund request for the fall 2027 window and read the National Fund for Sacred Places' criteria.

Unsure where to start? The free eligibility checker matches an organization to open programs, and the church grant path index groups options by project. For small congregations, our grants for small churches guide and how to apply for church grants cover the paperwork.

Limits of This Data

Take each Washington foundation count as a floor. The counts cover only filers in the Grantsights dataset, 990-PF filings arrive a year or more after grants are paid, and name matching misses churches recorded under other names. ZIP areas follow the recipient's mailing address, which can be a diocesan or synod office. Grantsights couldn't confirm the Commerce security grant's 2026 award total, maximum, or next deadline, the federal NSGP maximum per site for Washington applicants, the Sivinski Fund's 2027 window, the city of Immanuel Presbyterian Church's award, current judicatory grants in Washington, or the rules of Washington community foundations.

Sources Checked

All Washington sources were checked on November 2, 2026:

• Washington State Constitution, Article I, Section 11, and Article IX, Section 4, on the Legislature's site (opens in a new tab); Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• Department of Commerce Religious and Nonprofit Security Grant (opens in a new tab); Military Department NSGP application page (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• Washington Trust for Historic Preservation grants (opens in a new tab) and Valerie Sivinski Fund (opens in a new tab); National Park Service tax credit eligibility (opens in a new tab); National Fund for Sacred Places 2026 awards (opens in a new tab); National Trust grants (opens in a new tab)
• Washington State Department of Agriculture TEFAP client notification (opens in a new tab) and TEFAP FAQ (opens in a new tab); EFSP National Board Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records to Washington churches and ministries, tax years 2021 to 2025, pulled October 29, 2026