RESOURCES FOR FUNDED ORGanizationS

Tacoma Creates Resource Packet ⇩

Here is a handy resource packet containing a basic overview of the Tacoma Creates contract, as well as various tools for you to use throughout the funding cycle.

How to Manage Your Tacoma Creates Contract ⇩

Congrats on being a Tacoma Creates funding recipient! Below, you will find ways to help keep both Tacoma Creates staff, and your organization, organized and on track during the funding cycle.

We encourage you to read through the following information to ensure a successful contracting relationship between your organization and the City of Tacoma. This section will guide you through the various steps and tasks you will need to do throughout the funding year. If you need any clarity on the following information, please reach out to Tacoma Creates staff.

Getting Started

After your organization is approved for funding, the City of Tacoma requires your organization to sign a contract for services which lays out the funding your organization will receive and the public benefit deliverables that your organization will provide.

What is a Contract for Services?

A contract for services outlines specific deliverables that your organization will provide to people in Tacoma. In the case of Tacoma Creates funding, your deliverables are cultural services – the general public programs and/or youth education programs that your organization will develop, produce, and present. Funding will be broken into multiple payment phases spread out over the term of the contract. Organizations will receive final payment after all services outlined in the contract have been provided. Your organization should be prepared to cover the costs of your programming in the meantime.

What you need:

• City of Tacoma Business License: All Tacoma Creates funded organizations must have a City of Tacoma business license. This includes organizations applying with a fiscal sponsor; the organization producing the work in Tacoma must have a City business license that is separate from the fiscal sponsor. Please read through this Business License information for more details

• Required Insurance: All Tacoma Creates funded organizations are required to provide a Certificate of Insurance, naming the “City of Tacoma” as Additional Insured and showing verification of Commercial General Liability insurance, as well as Additional Insured, Waiver of Subrogation, and Primary and Non-Contributory. Organizations may also be required to carry other types of insurance. The exact insurance requirements will be determined based on the type of programming your organization offers and the audience you will be serving. Please read through the City of Tacoma’s insurance requirements to learn more. Possible insurances include:

  • Abuse & Molestation
  • Commercial Automobile Liability
  • Marine General Liability
  • Employer’s Liability
  • Workers Compensation

• Setting Up in Ariba: The City of Tacoma contracts with organizations electronically through a system called Ariba. If your organization has not contracted with the City of Tacoma recently, you will be required to set up an account in Ariba before the City can issue a contract to you. If your organization is fiscally sponsored, then the Fiscal Sponsor is the entity that must be registered in Ariba. View the instructions here.

Keeping Track of Your Information

Tacoma Creates staff will regularly communicate important information to your organization’s primary contact via email. We encourage organizations to keep all of their Tacoma Creates funding information, including signed contracts, relevant emails, and deadline dates, in one place. This will allow you to easily reference these items over the life of your contract.

Anatomy of Exhibit A - This document walks through sections of your Tacoma Creates contract that are most relevant to your work. This is meant as a companion piece to the actual Exhibit A that is part of your contract, which includes specific deliverables and the amounts that you can include in your invoices throughout the year.

Submittable help ⇩

Tacoma Creates uses the Submittable platform for applications, and subsequent follow-up and reporting. Funded organizations are required to submit periodic reports through Submittable, so it is important that you keep your login information handy. We encourage organizations to create a login password for Submittable that is shareable with others within your staff, in order to ensure access to your account.

When Tacoma Creates staff launches a new report form, that form will be linked to your original Tacoma Creates application in Submittable. The staff person at your organization who is the account holder in Submittable will receive a direct link to the report form via email.

For help navigating Submittable, check out our Submittable Help document.

If you need to update the Submittable account holder’s email, find the instructions on how to do that here.

Quarterly Reporting ⇩

The instructions for the Quarterly Report can be found here, which will support your understanding on how to complete these reports. Additonally we have a recorded version of the 2024 Quarterly Report Workshop that you can access here.

For the Summer Quarter 2024 Report, you are able to submit this report between September 15 – October 15, 2024.

For the Fall Quarter 2024 Report, you are able to submit your completed form between December 15, 2024 – January 15, 2025

For the Winter Quarter 2025 Report, you are able to submit this report between March 15 – April 15, 2025.

Final Report ⇩

The instructions for the 2023-24 Final Report can be found here. You are able to submit your completed form between June 15 – July 25, 2025.

Receiving Your Funding ⇩

Payments will be made in several installments over the course of the contract period, as outlined in your contract. In general, there is often one payment at the start of the contract period, and then additional payments are made periodically after deliverables, reports, and invoices, as defined in the contract, have been submitted. For some contracts, there may be reports due and payments made every quarter (every three months); for other contracts there may be just one reporting and payment phase after the completion of the funded project.

Invoicing ⇩

In order to receive payment for the work your organization completes, you will need to submit invoices to Tacoma Creates. Most organizations will be asked to attach an invoice to their periodic report forms.

Need assistance in creating a basic invoice? Click here for an invoice example. If your organization is fully transactional in Ariba (most funded organizations are not), you will submit your invoices directly through Ariba.

Funding Acknowledgement ⇩

Funded organizations must acknowledge Tacoma Creates in all appropriate public announcements, programs, advertising, and other forms of notice relating to the funded programming. Organizations must recognize Tacoma Creates funding at all funded public programming, as appropriate for the event type such as website or social media post, printed program, curtain speech, or event signage. You can find the Tacoma Creates logo and logo guide further down in our Communications Resources on this page.

Tacoma Creates Communication Toolkit ⇩

Communications Toolkit - This document provides guidance around the contractual expectations for promoting your work and acknowledging Tacoma Creates funding, as well as opportunities and support for this work.

Tacoma Creates logo and logo guide ⇩

Tacoma Creates-funded organizations must acknowledge Tacoma Creates in all appropriate promotional materials, public announcements, programs, advertising, and other forms of notice related to the funded programming. Please include the logo on your website as appropriate, with a link to tacomacreates.org.

The Tacoma Creates logos and logo guide are available for download from Dropbox. Please use one of the two versions shown above whenever possible. You will also find one-color versions of the logo in the Dropbox file. Please do not use any other versions of the logo.

Tacoma Creates Events Calendar ⇩

Please review the events calendar guidelines before submitting an event. Tacoma Creates staff reviews all submitted events. If accepted, it will appear on the events calendar within 2-3 business days.

Social Media ⇩

We encourage your organization to share your Tacoma Creates programming on social media. Tag @TacomaCreates on Facebook or Instagram, and use the hashtag #tacomacreates.

Follow the Tacoma Creates social media accounts, and like and share posts where we mention Tacoma Creates funded organizations. Don’t forget to keep us up to date on the funded programming that your organization is doing. There are opportunities for you to be highlighted on the Tacoma Creates website, and newsletter.

For tips on formatting and other social media help, check out our How To Social Media Kit.

Tacoma Creates Banner - Check-Out Information ⇩

Tacoma Creates has five, retractable 36 x 72 inch banners available for funded organizations to check out and display at any upcoming event or program! We encourage you to display these banners at any Tacoma Creates-supported event – it’s a great way to show that your work is supported by Tacoma Creates, and to help your attendees understand the importance of the public funding that supports your organization’s work!

If you are interested in using one of the banners at an upcoming event – please follow the steps below:

• Submit a banner request form at least 1 week prior to your event. You may request a banner for a single-day event, or multi-week program.
• After staff receives your request form, you will receive an email within 1-2 business days regarding the availability of banners.
• If your request is approved, staff will send a confirmation email with details about picking up and returning the banners at the Tacoma Municipal Building (747 Market St). This email will also include contact information for any changes or cancellation requests.

For any questions regarding the Tacoma Creates Banner, please contact Elm McCrummen at emccrummen@cityoftacoma.org.

SAMPLE LANGUAGE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TACOMA CREATES FUNDING ⇩

Tacoma Creates-funded organizations must acknowledge Tacoma Creates in all appropriate promotional materials, public announcements, programs, advertising, and other forms of notice related to the funded programming. This shows your audiences that your work is supported by Tacoma Creates, and helps your attendees understand the importance of the public funding that supports your organization! Feel free to adapt the text from our Sample Language to Use For Acknowledging Tacoma Creates document.

Peachjar - Tacoma Public Schools Digital Communications ⇩

Peachjar is a digital flyer management system that sends digital communications about classes and other youth-oriented opportunities to all Tacoma Public Schools (TPS) families.

We know that some Tacoma Creates-funded organizations have a Peachjar account, and many don’t. Here’s the good news: we’ve collaborated with the Communications department at TPS, and now ALL Tacoma Creates organizations can share flyers via Peachjar! To do this, you just need to send your organization’s flyers directly to TPS (and you don’t need your own Peachjar account to do so).

In addition to the digital distribution to families via email, Peachjar flyers are also posted on school websites – if you’d like to see examples of other Peachjar flyers, you can go to your favorite local TPS school and look under the Programs & Activities header. Here’s an example from Lister Elementary: https://lister.tacomaschools.org/programs-activities/peachjar. You can learn more about Peachjar and related TPS policies here: School Flier Distribution - Tacoma Public Schools (tacomaschools.org).

If you would like to share a flyer with TPS families, here are the steps and a few important notes:

• Create an 8.5x11 flyer and save as a PDF.
• You must include the district’s disclaimer on your flyer:
  • The district does not sponsor this event/activity/offer and the district assumes no responsibility for it. In consideration for the privilege to distribute these materials, the Tacoma School District No. 10 shall be held harmless from any cause of action filed in any court or administrative tribunal arising out of the distribution of these materials, including all costs, attorney’s fees and judgments or awards.
• Remember to include the Tacoma Creates logo your marketing materials for programs & events supported by Tacoma Creates. You can find the Logo files (and our Logo Guide) on our Resources for Funded Organizations page.
• Hyperlinks do not work on flyers once they are distributed, so it is best to include a short link or a QR code on the flyer if you want families to visit a website for more information or registration.
• Email your 8.5x11 formatted PDF flyer to info@tacoma.k12.wa.us
• If you have a specific audience in mind, like certain grades or certain schools, please include that information in your email – flyers can be sent to every school in the district or to specific schools / specific grade levels.

Cityline on TV Tacoma ⇩

Tacoma Creates organizations have the opportunity to be featured on CityLine, a weekly one-hour talk show on TV Tacoma, to promote your organization and any upcoming events or programs. More information, including how to schedule segments and CityLine contact information, can be found in this document.

Land Acknowledgement ⇩

Please consider offering a land acknowledgement on your printed materials and/or in your pre-event remarks. The language available to you here was provided by the Puyallup Tribe, and should be used as written. The land acknowledgement is written in both Lushootseed and English.

To learn more, you can watch the Puyallup Tribe’s land acknowledgement video.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Information & Tools ⇩

In partnership with Colemon & Associates, Tacoma Creates will be offering JEDI Capacity Building Opportunities for 2024-25 funded organizations to participate in. These opportunities include two in-person workshops, ongoing Cohort sessions, and 1:1 technical assistance. More information on these JEDI opportunities can be found in this PDF.

Colemon & Associates introduced three self-assessment tools for Tacoma Creates-funded organizations: the Colemon & Associates DEI Baseline Assessment Tool, Continuum on Becoming an Anti-Racist Multicultural Organization, and Racial Justice Organizational Assessment.

City of Tacoma - Equity Index ⇩

The Equity Index is a tool that highlights disparities within the city of Tacoma. The Index is presented as a guide for you to help inform decisions about equity and access as it relates to your programming.

City of Tacoma - Address Check ⇩

The Address Check tool is used determine if a worksite or location is within the City of Tacoma, enter an address in the search box or use the 'My Location' button on mobile devices, or click a property on the map.