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:
- 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.
- 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.
Applications are open for the Small, Rural School Achievement Program from the U.S. Department of Education. The program funds grants on a formula basis to eligible local educational agencies to address the unique needs of rural school districts. Grants can support arts education in schools. Deadline: May 10, 2024.
Mass Humanities’ grant opportunities:
- Reading Frederick Douglass Together grants offer up to $2,000 for public readings and discussions in Massachusetts of the orator’s famous address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Deadline: May 10, 2024.
Mass General Brigham has announced $3M for Community Health Impact Funds that are now available to support innovative, upstream approaches to community-based mental and behavioral health. Those who serve Boston, Chelsea, Revere, and Winthrop are eligible. The funding should focus on initiatives that address the root causes of why people and youth have trouble getting mental health or wellness help and/or initiatives that help prevent the need for these services. Letters of Intent accepted through May 17, 2024.
The City of Boston’s Wake Up the Night Grant Pilot Program aims to revitalize Boston’s nightlife economy and foster safe, inclusive social spaces by investing in events in a range of categories. Deadline: May 28, 2024.
Apply for The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism’s FY25 Destination Development Capital Grant Program. Eligible projects will enhance tourism destinations, resources, and visitation vitality, to impact the industry in all regions of the Commonwealth. Learn more about “priority consideration” for rural communities, Cultural Districts, and/or related commemoration projects. Deadline: May 31, 2024.
Gladys Brooks Foundation will consider grant proposals with emphasis on innovative projects in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics. The period for submitting a Grant Proposal Letter is through May 31, 2024.
MassDevelopment grant opportunities:
- The Collaborative Workspace Program supports the development of collaborative workspaces. Grants ranging from $15,000 – $100,000 can be used for pre-development costs, to purchase materials and to pay for third-party labor for workspace improvements. Deadline: June 5, 2024
- The Underutilized Properties program supports projects that will improve, rehabilitate or redevelop blighted, abandoned, vacant or underutilized properties for public purposes. Deadline: June 5, 2024
The Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD) offers Municipal Americans with Disabilities Act Grants to support capital improvements specifically dedicated to improving access for persons with disabilities. MOD wants to work with communities to realize their ADA Title ll obligations and engage in an interactive process so that municipalities can better understand and achieve increased access and opportunities for persons with disabilities. Deadline: June 14, 2024.
The Massachusetts Capital Growth Association is administering the Biz-M-Power grant program, offering small businesses in Massachusetts financial assistance with their acquisition, expansion, improvement or lease of a facility, purchase or capital lease of equipment, or with meeting other capital needs for the business. Deadline: June 30 or when funds run out.
Things to Attend
Join advocates from your state and Americans for the Arts and Arts Action Fund for National Arts Advocacy Zoom-In Week on May 13-17, 2024. This event will allow arts advocates to participate in virtual meetings with congressional offices representing your state to advocate for increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts, National Endowment for the Humanities, and arts education. Register for free by May 7, 2024.
Hey, fundraisers, prospect researchers, and nonprofit professionals – come meet Impala, a software platform dedicated to democratizing social impact data by providing free access to the profiles of every funder and nonprofit in the US: grants given and received, impact, people, financials and much more. Join a training session to see everything Impala has to offer to enhance your organization’s fundraising:
Register for the Environmental Protection Agency’s free Region 1: Environmental Justice Virtual Resource Fair and learn about requirements and eligibility for funding opportunities and partake in breakout rooms for “state-specific” network building and connecting with technical assistance, such as the Community Change Grants Program & Healthy Communities Grants Program. May 8, 2024 from 1-4pm.
Join OF/BY/FOR ALL for an information session about their Learning Hive, a new 8-week learning opportunity for professionals of all levels to cultivate, refine, and practice leadership skills through a values-based lens. This new offering provides an intense learning experience to build competency in several leadership areas. May 8, 2024 a 1pm.
Join Commit to Connect and engAGED for their National Summit to Increase Social Connections May 14-15, 2024. This event is virtual, free, and open to the public. Advanced registration required.
The City of Boston presents CPA Historic Preservation Workshop on May 15, 2024 from 12-1:30 pm. Join the Community Preservation Act staff for a virtual workshop to learn more about historical buildings and resources in the City.
Boston Young Black Professionals and Dear Small Brands invite you to “Link n Learn,” a dynamic networking event and panel discussion aimed at fostering connections among Black professionals in Boston. May 16, 2024 from 6:30-9:30pm.
Register for MASSCreative’s inaugural Creative Advocacy Institute, a statewide convening for the Massachusetts creative sector to increase advocacy learning, cultural policy leadership, and coalition building towards a more inclusive and equitable sector for all. May 17, 2024 from 9:30am – 5pm in Lowell, MA.
Big Duck is hosting a webinar on Planning an Inclusive and Welcoming Project on May 21, 2024 at 2pm.
Nonprofit Learning Lab Free Nonprofit Webinars offers “How to Cultivate and Manage Donors Remotely” on May 29, 2024 at 11am. In this workshop, you will get an insider’s perspective on how to turn a spreadsheet of prospects into real philanthropic revenue.
Register for Philanthropy Massachusetts’ Increasing Psychological Safety in Funder and Nonprofit Relationships. This Zoom workshop is appropriate for funder and nonprofit professionals at all organizational levels. Participants will gain insights into the importance of psychological safety within organizations and teams, as well as across organizations and between funders and grantees. May 30, 2024 from 10am-12pm.
The networks of the National Council of Nonprofits are hosting a nationwide and free webinar, OMB Uniform Guidance: What the Updates Mean for Nonprofits, on May 30, 2024 from 3:30-4:30pm to make sure charitable nonprofits know about the significant improvements to the Uniform Guidance, and what the changes mean for their missions. Uniform Guidance is the set of common rules governing most federal grant making to charitable nonprofits, state, local, and Tribal governments, and others; the rewrite that was announced will be effective on Oct. 1, 2024.
Are you a provider who works with teens in Boston age 14-18 in after school activities/programs? Register for a Rise Up for Youth Mental Health from Boston Public Health Commission a summit exploring the question, “How can we bridge gaps and ignite essential changes for youth mental health, particularly in the journey from school to after school to home?” June 3, 2024 from 1-5pm.
Register for The Kennedy Center Access/VSA International Network’s 2024 Leadership Exchange in Arts and Disability (LEAD) conference in Seattle, WA for one-of-a-kind professional development. No other conference focuses on accessibility in cultural venues like LEAD. There’s something for every arts and cultural administrator, and networking opportunities to meet with colleagues from around the world. Leave with practical information and connections for ongoing learning, support, camaraderie, and motivation — all necessary fuel for anyone working to change the status quo.
- Capacity Building Workshops: July 29 – 30, 2024
- ED @ LEAD: July 30, 2024
- Conference: July 31 – Aug. 2, 2024
Other
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is developing a marketing campaign to promote the commemoration and celebration of the American Revolution in Massachusetts over the next three years. Help them to create an engaging MA250 marketing campaign by completing their survey by May 10, 2024.
Nonprofits are invited to table – for free – at the 2024 Cambridge Arts River Festival on June 15, 2024, from 11am-6pm. Cambridge Arts will again host Community Tables, a designated area within the festival site for local arts and culture organizations, community-based nonprofit groups, and City of Cambridge departments to share information on their services, programs, and events and, hold small demonstrations. Apply by May 17, 2024.
The Big E has One-Day Vendor Opportunities to exhibit at the Massachusetts State Exposition Building on Massachusetts Day, Sept. 19, 2024. Be a part of a family-friendly, fun environment with games, giveaways and entertainment that showcases the very best of Massachusetts culture, agriculture, and tourism. They are looking for tourist attractions, agricultural commodity groups, nonprofit and other organizations to set up a booth to engage attendees with games, giveaways, and entertainment. The sale of merchandise, food items, and goods is not permitted. Email for more information. Apply by June 21, 2024.
Mass Cultural Council has a Useful Links page highlighting institutions, organizations, and groups that offer resources and supports for people looking to better their cultural organization.
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.