Mass Cultural Council Staff
Each month Mass Cultural Council shares a round-up of grants, trainings, technical assistance resources, and opportunities for creative and cultural organizations (a companion to our Useful Links page). This list is not meant to be exhaustive but a glimpse of what is on offer in the coming weeks. (We also publish a weekly Artist Opportunities listing.)
Funding
Mass Cultural Council grant opportunities:
- Festivals & Projects – Grants of $2,500 for organizations to fund activities that provide public benefit through the use of the arts, humanities, or sciences. Deadline: May 23, 2024.
- Operating Grants for Organizations – Unrestricted general operating grants for Massachusetts-based, nonprofit cultural organizations with year-round operations offering public programming in the arts, humanities, or sciences. Grant amounts start at $6,000. Deadline: June 13, 2024.
Mass Nonprofit News has a list of more spring grant deadlines (and a list of funding opportunities with rolling deadlines).
Main Street America in partnership with American Express offers the Backing Small Businesses grant program to support economically vulnerable and under-resourced small businesses with community reach and/or cultural significance. Eligible small business owners can apply for $10,000 for projects that grow or improve their businesses by building community, supporting their economic viability, or bolstering meaningful change. Deadline: April 7, 2024 OR once 5,000 applications have been submitted.
Rockland Trust is hosting their 7th annual Small Business, Big Dreams Contest providing small businesses with a chance to win $20,000 to help their business grow. Deadline: April 7, 2024.
Rockland Trust’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Grant program supports non-profits in advancing DEI programs within their organizations. One-time grants up to $15,000. to support internal organizational DEI projects. Deadline: April 19, 2024.
NBCUniversal’s Local Impact Grants (versión en español) will award $227,272 in unrestricted funds to eligible Boston-area nonprofits. Deadline: April 19, 2024.
Cambridge Arts has extended their deadline for applications for the Create Cambridge: Arts Nonprofit Recovery Grant, which offers COVID-19 Recovery Grants to cultural nonprofits in Cambridge ranging from $6,000 – $30,000, to April 26, 2024.
The National Endowment for the Arts’ Challenge America application deadline has been extended to April 30, 2024. Challenge America offers support primarily to small organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. It features an abbreviated application, a robust structure of technical assistance, and grants for a set amount of $10,000.
MetroWest Boston’s Visitor’s Bureau’s 2024 Co-op Advertising Grant Program seeks to support the marketing efforts of other entities in MetroWest whose goals align with our mission of generating revenue in any of the 19 towns that comprise MetroWest Boston. They will consider grant applications for co-op advertising projects devoted to marketing a MetroWest event, attraction, business, service, or cultural or recreational offering. The applicant does not need to be a 501(c)3 charitable organization, but must be a member of the Bureau and based in one of the 19 towns that comprise MetroWest or be devoted to attracting potential visitors to the 19 towns. Deadline: May 1, 2024. Awards are rolling.
The Smithsonian and Mass Humanities have partnered together to bring world-class exhibits to six rural communities in the state. The Museum on Main Street grant of $10,000 is awarded to sites who will host the 2025-2026 tour of “Voices and Votes: Democracy in America” and create community programming for six weeks. Deadline: May 10, 2024.
The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Cultural and Community Resilience program supports community-based efforts to address the impacts of climate change and COVID-19 by safeguarding cultural resources and fostering cultural resilience through identifying, documenting, and/or collecting cultural heritage and community experiences. The program prioritizes projects from disadvantaged communities in the United States or its jurisdictions. Grants up to $150,000. Deadline: May 21, 2024.
The US Environmental Protection Agency is accepting applications on a rolling basis for $2 billion in Inflation Reduction Act funding available to support community-driven projects that build capacity for communities to tackle environmental and climate justice challenges, strengthen their climate resilience, and advance clean energy. Non-profits can apply and may partner with:
- A Federally-Recognized Tribe
- A local government
- An institution of higher education
Deadline: November 21, 2024.
The Metropolitan Area Planning Council is accepting project concepts for their 2024 Technical Assistance (TAP) Program grants. Examples of arts & culture projects funded through TAP program include the Boston Chinatown Cultural Plan, Regional Trails Creative Placemaking Strategy, and the Needham Arts & Culture Action Plan. Deadline: Rolling basis; Spring & Fall awards.
Things to Attend
Access VSA at The Kennedy Center is presenting Crafting Anti-Ableist Training: A Conversation, a facilitated discussion about sustaining anti-ableist trainings in your organization. Free for members, $10 for non-members. April 3, 2024 from 3:30-4:30pm.
Philanthropy Massachusetts is hosting a three-module funder cohort series Philanthropy 201, to help staff in philanthropy deepen understanding of themselves and their role within the social sector. The series will be held virtually on April 11, May 1, and May 22, 2024.
MASSCreative’s next Policy & Advocacy Webinar is April 12 at 9:30am. These webinars are for artists, creatives, cultural leaders, and changemakers across the Commonwealth to hear updates on federal, state, and local cultural policy issues.
Health Resources in Action (HRIA) is offering a Youth Worker Certificate Training every Tuesday from April 23- June 11, 2024 from 9:30am-2pm. This eight-session, 32-hour training is based on the nationally recognized Advancing Youth Development curriculum and provides participants with grounding in the Positive Youth Development Approach. Questions? Email HRIA.
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network is hosting a webinar, AI Adoption for Nonprofits that will cover some tools and roadmaps on how nonprofits can begin utilizing AI on April 24, 2024 at 10am.
Join The Fenway Alliance for Meet the Producers: Designing Boston’s Free Art, Culture & Music Festivals on April 25, 2024 from 4-6pm. The event includes a panel discussion moderated by Lisa Simmons from Mass Cultural Council followed by a networking opportunity with some of Boston’s top free arts festivals’ producers.
Other
The National Endowment for the Arts is launching the Arts Indicators Project, a new online research tool to make it even easier for policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and the general public to find key facts and figures—and to explore lessons learned—about the role of artists and the arts in our lives and communities.
Boston Public Health Commission’s RFP for Enhancing Behavioral Health Capacity to Support Boston’s Youth seeks vendors who can provide innovative training and tools for adults currently working with youth. Deadline: April 5, 2024 at 5pm.
Dance/USA invites its members and individuals/organizations who are part of the dance ecosystem to submit a proposal for their 2025 National Conference Call for Proposals in Chicago, IL, June 17-20, 2025. What seeds do you want to plant with your national network of colleagues for long term, transformational change? Deadline: April 19, 2024.
The National Guild for Community Arts Education is accepting applications for the Community Arts Education Leadership and Intercultural Institute: Leadership Transformation. It is a self-reflective, transformative cohort experience through which both seasoned and emerging leaders advance their leadership skills by engaging with top leadership trainers, nationally renowned practitioners, and a diverse cohort of peers. Deadline: April 22, 2024.
The Arts Education Partnership is looking for a youth representative for their Advisory Council. Do you know a young person who is passionate about helping lead the arts education field? Applications are being accepted for all those interested in serving a one-year term from June 1, 2024 – May 31, 2025. Deadline: April 22, 2024.
The Small Business Association is sponsoring T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined, entrepreneurship education and training for executives of small, poised-for-growth companies. This free, intensive series offers opportunities for small business owners to work with professional coaches and mentors, gain skills needed to grow, and develop connections with peers, local leaders, and the financial community. Deadline: April 28, 2024.
Are you a Latinx/e founder or entrepreneur in New England? Apply for the opportunity to pitch your business venture in front of Amplify LatinX’s panel of experts at the ALX Business Summit on May 21, 2024. This unique pitch competition will include five innovative Latine startups who will compete on stage for a share of $35K from Inicio Ventures to help them advance their ventures without sacrificing equity.
Amplify LatinX’s ALX Small Business Program provides personalized business coaching to Latine small business owners across Massachusetts to increase sales, improve operations, implement digital processes, maintain healthy finances, and gain access to capital and new customers.
Through Small Business Digital Ready, Verizon is offering free courses, mentorship, networking, and grant funding to small businesses.
The National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families invite cultural organizations to participate in the Blue Stars Museums program which provides free museum admission to active-duty military personnel and their families, including National Guard and Reserves.
The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies has released research highlighting how arts and creativity generate economic activity during downturns, from the Great Recession to the COVID-19 pandemic.
From the National Endowment for the Arts’ blog: Can the Arts Fortify State Economies in Times of Financial Crisis? Yes, Apparently
Read Previous Months’ Listings
If you have an opportunity or resource for cultural organizations that you’d like to pitch for our monthly round-up, please email us. Efforts to submit the opportunity in a format similar to our standard (see listings above) are deeply appreciated. Because space is limited, the best submissions are 60 words or fewer and include links to web pages with more information.