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’s complete list of FY25 grant opportunities for the creative and cultural sector are now available at a glance.
- Cultural Facilities Fund – Deadline: Dec. 19, 2024
Grants to support the acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation, renovation, expansion, or construction of nonprofit cultural facilities. - Gaming Mitigation Fund – Opens: Nov. 12 / Deadline: Jan. 9, 2025
Grants to Massachusetts nonprofit and municipal performing arts centers to spend on touring shows or touring artist fees.
The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation supports organizations and programs for which a relatively small amount of funding might make a large difference. The Foundation welcomes requests for support from community-based, nonprofit organizations. Deadline: Nov. 10, 2024.
US Department of Energy’s Building Upgrades Inspiring Local Transformation (BUILT Nonprofits) is a $2 million opportunity enabling 501(c)(3) non-profits that owns and operate their own buildings to purchase and install energy efficient equipment to reduce their energy use, reduce carbon emissions, and generate energy cost savings. Funding awards may go up to $100,000, with a 20% cost-share requirement. Deadline: 12am on Nov. 12, 2024.
The M&T Charitable Foundation’s Amplify Fund provides support to nonprofit initiatives in legacy People’s United Bank communities benefitting low- and moderate- income communities and underrepresented populations. This new request for proposals (RFP) seeks nonprofit organizations focused on advancing financial inclusion and spurring economic growth and prosperity, with a particular focus on racial and social justice. Deadline: Nov. 14, 2024 at 5pm.
The Community Change Grants Program, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency to empower historically disadvantaged communities across the country to access federal funding to address the challenges of climate change, increase resiliency, and transform lives, is accepting applications through Nov. 21, 2024.
The Mass Department of Energy Resources’ Municipal Decarbonization Planning Assistance is available for municipalities seeking Climate Leader Communities certification. There will be multiple opportunities. The next application deadline is Nov. 29, 2024.
The MetroWest Boston Visitors Bureau 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. Their FY25 MiniGrant Program will consider applications for co-op advertising projects devoted to marketing a MetroWest event, attraction, business, service, or cultural or recreational offering. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2024.
New England Foundation for the Arts’ New England States Touring (NEST) funds performances, readings, and screenings of work by regional, national, and international artists presented by New England-based nonprofit organizations. Next deadline: Dec. 2, 2024.
Brookline Community Foundation’s Youth Development Grant Aims to ensure equal access to opportunities for all youth in Brookline, and support and enhance the well-being of youth and their families. Funding supports programs that fill programmatic gaps, develop youth leadership, arts and culture, environmental education, and more. Deadline: Dec. 6, 2024
MAPC is accepting project concepts for the 2025 Technical Assistance Program (TAP) grants. This is an opportunity for you to work with MAPC on local programs and planning initiatives. Projects that advance MetroCommon2050 and Housing Choice initiatives and serve multiple communities will be prioritized for funding. Apply by Dec. 13, 2024 for your project to be considered when the greatest amount of funding is available.
T-Mobile Hometown Grants are available for communities with populations of 50,000 or less. The flexible funding program provides grants of up to $50,000 to help build stronger, more prosperous small towns and rural communities. Deadline: Dec. 31, 2024.
Things to Attend
Register for a Mass Cultural Council Spotlight Series webinar:
- Nov. 22, 2024: Hear from Mass Growth Capital Corporation, a state agency that supports small businesses and promotes economic development.
- Dec. 6, 2024: Learn about Open Door Arts’ new organizational Arts and Culture Accessibility Self-Assessment tool.
Join the Chronicle of Philanthropy for How to Wow Grant Makers With Your Next Proposal on Nov. 7, 2024 at 2pm. Learn how to write proposals that rise to the top. You’ll learn directly from their expert guests as they explain the hallmarks of winning proposals and highlight some common traps to avoid.
New England Foundation for the Arts’ (NEFA) 22nd Annual Idea Swap is Nov. 12, 2024 in Worcester, MA. New England-based nonprofit cultural organizations and touring artists are invited to network and share ideas for touring projects, including those that may qualify for NEFA’s New England States Touring grants.
Join Project: Pop-Up and MA Downtown Initiative/EOED for Launching Successful Pop-Ups in Your Downtown, a webinar featuring insights from both brand founders and municipal leaders who have participated in grant-funded programs. Nov. 12, 2024 at 12pm.
SMU DataArts is hosting How Local Arts Agencies Managed COVID Relief Funding on Nov 12, 2024 at 2pm. Learn how these creative communities harnessed federal recovery funds to transform their local arts and culture landscapes. They’ll explore the broader impact on cultural institutions and share insights into future opportunities for sustained support in the arts. Understand how advocacy, process, and equity intersected during this groundbreaking moment for the arts sector.
Register for Philanthropy Massachusetts’ Understanding and Competing for Federal Grants on Nov. 13, 2024 from 10am-12pm. Erase the complexity and confusion often associated with federal grants. Rather than relying on corporate or foundation giving, it may be time to seek out potential federal grants. Learn to carefully review notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) announcements/requests for proposals (RFP) to understand what the government wants to fund.
TSNE is hosting What is strategic planning? What is it not? Why is it important? on Nov. 14, 2024 from 9:30am-12:30pm. Strategic planning is a systematic approach that engages the leadership and critical partners to develop a plan for the future that outlines specific strategies, tactics, and measurable outcomes. Through this training, participants will understand key concepts of strategic planning, facilitation, and community engagement for nonprofit organizations.
SCAC & Able South Carolina host an ongoing Disability & Arts webinars series the first Wednesday of every month. Their series addresses various accessibility topics for people with disabilities with each session designed, and delivered by, people with disabilities, including:
- Nov. 6, 2024 – Digital Accessibility and Your Organization
- Feb. 5, 2025 – Engaging and Including Youth with Disabilities
- Mar. 5, 2025 – Discipline-Specific Ways to Provide Accessibility
- Apr. 2, 2025 – Assistive Technology Introduction
- May 7, 2025 – “But, we don’t own our building….”
- June 4, 2025 – Budgeting for Accessibility
The Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement’s Professional Development Series is a collection of workshops offered at no-cost and designed specifically for youth-serving professionals. Trainings are free and open to all adults employed or affiliated with a Boston-based youth-serving organization.
Other
The Institute for Nonprofit Practice is accepting applications for it’s RISE Program which brings together the next generation of highly-motivated, mission-driven, early career social sector and community leaders (with approximately five or fewer years of work experience), who are passionate about social change and advancing equity. Applications for the January – June 2025 cohort are being accepted through Nov. 8, 2024.
Massachusetts Poetry Festival is accepting applications for their 2025 poetry festival (May 31 – June 1, 2025). Poets, educators, literary organizations and creatives are invited to submit their ideas for festival programming—from interactive workshops and panel discussions to poetry slams, performances, poetry in conversation with music, art, dance, and other creative formats. Deadline: Nov. 17, 2025.
The DeVos Institute of Arts Management invites applications for its Global Executive Fellowship – a three-year, fully subsidized program for leaders of arts, culture, heritage, and humanities non-profits worldwide. Interested applicants are asked to submit a brief Letter of Intent online by Nov. 25, 2024.
U.S. Department of State / Meridian International Center is seeking outstanding U.S. cultural performers and expert speakers to perform and speak at the USA Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. The selected participants will embody the best of American dance, music, theater, literature, art, food, sport, and other cultural expressions, showcasing the full diversity of the United States. The Short-Term Cultural Performers/Expert Speakers programs is designed to engage Expo visitors through performances, workshops, lectures, panel discussions, master classes, and media engagements. Deadline: Nov. 30, 2024
Check out the New Research Report: 50 States of Arts Participation released by the National Endowment for the Arts which examines state-level data and dives into adult patterns of arts and cultural participation in the US.
The Mass Office of Travel & Tourism has shared their MA250 Field Guide for communities, organizations, and people wishing to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in Massachusetts. It describes the themes, lists resources, and highlights the timeline for key events.
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.