In May 2020, Creative West opened its Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Relief Fund for Organizations. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, this competitive grant program was established to provide general operating support to arts and cultural organizations in the West that have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Awards were made to 501(c)(3) nonprofits, units of state and local government, nonprofit institutions of higher education, and federally recognized Indian tribal governments across the West, with a minimum of one grant awarded to each state in the region. Applications were assessed on inclusivity, demonstrated need, artistic and cultural merit, and public and community benefit.

In June 2020, WESTAF announced its partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation on a new relief grant to support arts organizations in the 13-state western region. The $10 million Regional Arts Resilience Fund is a first-of-its-kind relief and recovery grant that was awarded to each of the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. The fund was designed to help mitigate the financial threat to the sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting small- and mid-sized arts organizations of all artistic disciplines in rural and urban areas that are regarded by their peers as having statewide, regional, or national impact. In fall 2020, WESTAF began administering the regranting of over $1.7 million in Regional Arts Resilience Fund support.

With the help of 20 arts and culture leaders from across the 13-state region who served as advisors/panelists, WESTAF adjudicated the 81 applications from organizations that were invited to apply between August 19 and September 8, 2020. From the 464 initial nominations received in August, WESTAF funded 39 organizations with grants in the range of $30,000 to $74,000. Applications were assessed on commitment to equity; exceptional artistic impact; visionary leadership; and engagement and impact locally, regionally, and nationally.

In November 2021, Creative West awarded grant funding to 44 arts and culture organizations across our region, with at least two grants awarded per state at an average level of $35,000 each. Aligning with the priorities of the National Endowment for the Arts (Arts Endowment), the WESTAF ARP program focused on applications that indicated a deep commitment to cultural equity, social justice and disrupting systemic racism through service to a host of constituencies, including rural and remote communities, Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and organizations that support the independence and lifelong inclusion of people with disabilities, among others.