PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Kara Raftery (Zupke) | Communications & HR Manager
City of Leavenworth
509.548.5275 ext. 136 | media@col.dev.3sherpas.com
LEAVENWORTH, WA – November 20, 2025 – During the regularly scheduled City Council meeting on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, councilmembers unanimously approved $175,000 in grant awards through the Leavenworth Fund for 2026.
The grant awards, as recommended by the Economic Development Committee, will be distributed to the highest-ranking, qualified applications from nonprofit organizations for projects dedicated to directly benefiting city residents or enhancing tourism in the Leavenworth community.
The approved funding awards are distributed from two grant categories:
- Lodging Tax Fund: $125,000. This funding is allocated to nonprofit organizations for activities and projects that directly encourage and support tourism within the Leavenworth Lodging Tax Fund Boundary.
- Leavenworth General Fund: $50,000. This funding is dedicated to nonprofit organizations for projects within city limits that provide a direct benefit to the residents of the Leavenworth community.
The response to this year’s grant program was exceptionally strong, with total funding requests significantly exceeding the available resources. The City received 26 applications for the Lodging Tax Grant Program, totaling $204,078, and twenty-five applications for the General Fund Grant Program, totaling $105,869. Of the fifty-one applications received, thirty-eight were deemed eligible and recommended for funding.
The City of Leavenworth extends its sincere appreciation to all the organizations that applied, acknowledging the significant value and positive impact nonprofits have in strengthening the Leavenworth community. The complete list of successful applicants whose projects were selected for funding in this cycle is included on the City’s website at https://col.dev.3sherpas.com/community/leavenworth-fund/.
The Economic Development Committee will continue to oversee the grant program, which aims to provide reimbursement grants to foster community vitality and economic development.
For questions or more information, please contact Kara Raftery (Zupke) at media@col.dev.3sherpas.com.
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