Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
Creative West (formerly WESTAF) is a Denver-based nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that delivers federal funding, advocacy, and five cloud-based technology platforms (CaFÉ, GO Smart, ZAPP, Public Art Archive, Opportunities Portal) to artists, arts organizations, and 13 western state arts agencies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
- Legal name
- Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
- Website
- https://westaf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Creative West (formerly WESTAF) is a Denver-based nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that delivers federal funding, advocacy, and five cloud-based technology platforms (CaFÉ, GO Smart, ZAPP, Public Art Archive, Opportunities Portal) to artists, arts organizations, and 13 western state arts agencies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Arts Administration Services
- NAICS
- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building) (BPAGAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAJ), Arts Education & Community Arts Programs (BPAGAHAC)
Keywords
Where Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Government Grants and Federal Funding: As a U.S. Regional Arts Organization, Creative West receives federal funding through the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to support regional arts programs, grants, and initiatives.
- Technology Platform Services: CaFÉ and GO Smart platforms offer affordable submission and grants management services to arts organizations, generating revenue through platform fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Affordable platform pricing for arts organizations |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creative West (Western States Arts Federation / WESTAF) is a nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that distributes grants and federal arts funding, advocates for arts policy, and operates a suite of cloud-based arts administration software platforms — CaFÉ (Call for Entry), GO Smart, Public Art Archive, ZAPP, and the Opportunities Portal — that together handle art opportunity submissions, jurying, booth payments, grants management, and public art documentation for arts organizations, state arts agencies, and individual artists across the western U.S. and nationwide.
Product overview
Creative West operates as a platform-plus-modules architecture offering five distinct technology products for the arts sector: CaFÉ (Call for Entry) for art opportunity applications, GO Smart for grants management, Public Art Archive for public art collections, ZAPP for art fair/festival administration, and Opportunities Portal as a unified gateway. These products serve artists, arts organizations, and state arts agencies by providing equitable access to funding, opportunities, and public art resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CaFÉ (Call for Entry) An online application submission system that allows arts organizations to collect and manage submissions affordably, and gives artists a single way to apply to art opportunities including grants, residencies, exhibitions, and juried shows.
- GO Smart Affordable grants management software that provides pre- and post-application forms, panel reviewing tools, and data reporting for grantmaking organizations such as state arts agencies, foundations, and other funders.
- Public Art Archive (PAA) A free, searchable, continually growing online database of completed public artworks throughout the U.S. and abroad, with resources and tools built for managing public art collections by institutions and the public.
- ZAPP A digital platform providing art fair and festival administrators tools to digitally collect and jury applications, manage booth payments, and communicate with applicants. Artists can apply to hundreds of shows nationwide through a central website.
- Opportunities Portal A unified platform that expands access to opportunities across the creative sector, consolidating arts-related opportunities in one accessible location for artists and arts organizations.
- Consulting Services & Research Consulting and research services supporting arts organizations, state arts agencies, and advocates — including Creative Vitality™ data products — to inform policy, planning, and program design.
Companies that use Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mid-America Arts Alliance: U.S. Regional Arts Organization serving the central states (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas). Identical institutional role and funding structure to Creative West, with adjacent geographic footprint.
- Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation: U.S. Regional Arts Organization for the Mid-Atlantic states, delivering grants, touring support, and artist services. Operates the same regional mandate as Creative West and is frequently co-funded through NEA joint programs.
- New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA): U.S. Regional Arts Organization for New England, providing grants and capacity-building to artists and organizations. Operates under the same federal designation framework and ecosystem functions as Creative West (formerly WESTAF), making it one of the closest direct peers.
- Arts Midwest: One of the six U.S. Regional Arts Organizations, serving the Midwest with grants, convenings, and programs such as Shakespeare in American Communities. Directly parallel to Creative West in structure, mission, and federal designation — the most comparable peer for benchmarking scale and impact.
- South Arts: U.S. Regional Arts Organization covering the southern states, delivering federal and state arts programming, grants, and convenings. Operates on an identical nonprofit/government-funded model to Creative West and is a near-twin jurisdictional peer.
Emerging players
- Submittable: For-profit SaaS application and review platform used heavily by arts organizations, foundations, and grantmakers. Direct functional competitor to CaFÉ and ZAPP for digital submissions, but operates commercially across many sectors beyond the arts.
- Foundant Technologies: For-profit provider of grants management software (SmartSimple, Foundant GLM) widely adopted by community foundations and grantmakers. Direct functional competitor to GO Smart, particularly for grants lifecycle, panel review, and reporting workflows.
Others
- Candid: Nonprofit data provider (formerly Foundation Center + GuideStar) serving the philanthropic sector with grantmaker information, nonprofit transparency tools (Seal of Transparency, Charity Navigator ratings), and research. Directly partners with Creative West on its four-star rating and serves the same grantmaker ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Americans for the Arts: National nonprofit focused on advancing the arts at the local, state, and federal level through advocacy, research, and events. Overlaps with Creative West on advocacy and field-building but operates nationally with a much broader portfolio than regional programming.
Regional players
- National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA): National membership organization for the 56 U.S. state and jurisdictional arts agencies. Sits one layer above Creative West and its regional peers, providing national coordination and policy advocacy for the network of agencies Creative West directly serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) social profiles
Digital presenceWestern States Arts Federation (WESTAF) financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)
What does Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) do?
Creative West (Western States Arts Federation / WESTAF) is a nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that distributes grants and federal arts funding, advocates for arts policy, and operates a suite of cloud-based arts administration software platforms — CaFÉ (Call for Entry), GO Smart, Public Art Archive, ZAPP, and the Opportunities Portal — that together handle art opportunity submissions, jurying, booth payments, grants management, and public art documentation for arts organizations, state arts agencies, and individual artists across the western U.S. and nationwide.
Is Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) a public or private company?
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) founded?
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) was founded in -1.
Where is Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) based?
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Grants and Federal Funding is the primary driver. The others are technology Platform Services.
Who are Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)'s main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mid-America Arts Alliance, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), Arts Midwest and South Arts. Emerging players are Submittable and Foundant Technologies. Candid is listed as an others. Americans for the Arts is listed as a broad incumbent. National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is listed as a regional player.
Does Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) have an API?
No public API is recorded for Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF).
What industry is Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF) in?
Western States Arts Federation (WESTAF)'s product category is Arts Administration Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAL, Arts & Culture Service/Support Organizations (Networks, Advocacy, Capacity Building), with a secondary code of BPAGAKAJ, Arts, Culture & Humanities Grantmaking Foundations. Its NAICS code is 71.