Heritage Professional Development Stipend

Overview

The Heritage Professional Development Stipend program provides stipends ranging from $100 to $2,000 for heritage practitioners in King County to participate in professional development or career maintenance opportunities. These funds support participation in conferences, workshops, technical assistance programs, training opportunities, demonstrations, and healing opportunities for heritage practitioners engaged with social justice work.

Key Dates

Applications accepted on an ongoing basis through October 30. Applicants must submit through the grant portal at least two months before the start of the professional development opportunity; requests with less than two months of lead time will not be accepted.

Eligibility

Open to heritage practitioners in King County who contribute to public experiences with heritage or have a clear intention to do so.

What Funds Cover

• Fees and necessary travel to participate in professional development or learning opportunities related to career maintenance and growth in the heritage field
• Materials and consumable supplies for presenters (poster board, handouts)

What Funds Do Not Cover

• Reimbursement for expenses incurred before award notification
• Meals and incidentals during travel
• Professional consultants and heritage specialists for organization-wide professional development
• Production of interpretive or creative projects (exhibits, public programs, performances)
• Purchase of equipment, membership dues, educational materials, or books
• Construction or fabrication projects
• General operating support, staff salary, legal or finance services
• Supplementing salary or wages lost due to travel
• Services or events where fundraising is the primary purpose

Application Criteria

Reviewers will evaluate applications based on: (1) Heritage contribution—your role in the heritage field and current/future contributions; (2) Significance—how the opportunity contributes to your career growth and alignment with institution goals; (3) Field need—how the opportunity addresses an established need in the heritage field; (4) Funding—additional consideration given to applicants without employer financial support for this opportunity.

Public Benefit

Applicants must explain how the opportunity addresses a field-wide need and how they will use the information and skills learned so that King County residents benefit from their professional growth. Examples include giving presentations on heritage, sharing learnings with other heritage practitioners, learning new preservation approaches, or gaining skills to address heritage field challenges.

Contact

Contact Shaun Mejia at (206) 477-9952 to begin the application process.