Mass Cultural Council Staff
Each month Mass Cultural Council shares a round-up of grants, trainings, technical assistance resources, and opportunities for 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
The Frank W. and Carl S. Adams Memorial Fund supports educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations. Applicants may apply for either program or general operating support. Deadline: January 15, 2026.
The Mabel A. Horne Fund also aims to support human services, educational programs and health care programming for underserved populations. Requests for both general operating support and program support are encouraged. Modest, program-related capital costs may also be included as part of either type of request. Deadline: January 15, 2026.
The Women Working Wonders Fund is now accepting applications for grants up to $3,000 for nonprofits that support and empower women and girls in Greater Lowell. Grant recipients will be announced in February. The online application is a brief, one-page form, and no post-grant reporting is required. Deadline: January 15, 2026.
Cambridge Community Foundation’s Community Fund Grants support community-based nonprofits addressing local needs in Cambridge. Investment areas include arts and culture, youth development, community engagement, economic security, education, environment, food, health and well-being, and housing. Deadline: January 15, 2026.
Women’s Fund of Essex County provides grants to nonprofit organizations offering gender-specific programs and services for at-risk women and girls in Essex County. For the 2026 grant cycle, all awards will be three-year grants totaling $30,000 in support of programs focused on long-term solutions. Deadline: January 21, 2026.
The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation’s Small Capital Grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 to support one-time capital expenses that enhance Greater Boston nonprofits capacity to serve clients and advance their mission. Deadline: January 28, 2026.
Villa Albertine’s Calls for Applications 2026 are now open for grants in the fields of Music, Theater, Dance, and Visual Arts & Curatorial Studies for cultural institutions planning to work on a French-related program. Deadline: January 30, 2026.
MutualOne Bank’s Charitable Foundation grants up to $10,000 quarterly to nonprofit organization’s located in or serving Framingham, Natick, and the surrounding areas. Next deadline: February 1, 2026.
The Amelia Peabody Foundation offers grants to nonprofits in Massachusetts for program or operating support, with limited support for capital projects. Deadline: February 3, 2026.
Apply for National Endowment for the Arts’ Grants for Arts Projects by February 12, 2026 or July 9, 2026 for projects taking place beginning in 2027.
The Crane Family Fund’s Berkshire Environmental Endowment is accepting applications from nonprofit organizations, public agencies, schools, or civic community entities for projects focused on water quality and related land issues. Grants currently focus on grassroots organizations with preference for water-related educational projects that will engage Berkshire County youth. Deadline: February 15, 2026.
Freedom Way’s Hidden Treasures Festival of Nature, Culture & History raises awareness of and appreciation for the 45-town Heritage Area’s natural, cultural, and historical resources – including yours. Mini grants of up to $350 in qualified reimbursable expenses area available to eligible non-profit organizations and public entities within the Freedom’s Way catchment area. Partnership Grants are also available.
Community Preservation Act (CPA) funding is available in 201 communities across Massachusetts. Visit their Databank to see all communities with CPA funding available and to learn more about deadlines and eligibility.
Things to Attend
The Center for Excellence in Nonprofits is offering a Building Representative Boards cohort, a no cost eight-week-long leadership fellowship, and learning program for individuals historically excluded from nonprofit board rooms to explore board service. All sessions are virtual and will take place from 4-6pm PST. The cohort kicks-off February 3, 2026. Deadline: January 9, 2026.
The American Alliance of Museum is accepting registrations for Museums Advocacy Day 2026 on February 23-24, 2026. Museums Advocacy Day provides opportunities for networking with other museum professionals, developing advocacy skills, and building relationships with Congressional offices. Deadline: January 16, 2025.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy is offering Craft an Engaging Donor Communications Plan for 2026, a fundraising webinar for nonprofit on January 22, 2026 at 2pm. Cost: $89.
Register for upcoming Mass Cultural Council Spotlight Series webinars:
- January 22, 2026 at 11am – a presentation by Commonwealth Corporation (CommCorp), a quasi-public agency responsible for administering and delivering a wide range of publicly and and privately funded programs. They ensure that Massachusetts businesses have access to a pipeline of highly skilled workers and that youth and adults in Massachusetts have pathways to good jobs in the knowledge economy.
- January 29, 2026 at 11am – a presentation by CommCorp on their Youth & Justice portfolio which sits at the intersection of workforce development and mission-driven impact. Their mission is to expand high-quality employment pathways for young people and adults whose talents are often overlooked, particularly those with disabilities, court involvement, incarceration histories, or other structural barriers to accessing economic opportunity.
Asian Community Fund at The Boston Foundation is hosting their annual AAPI Arts & Culture Summit 2026 on January 30, 2026, with 150+ AAPI artists, creatives, arts workers, and supporters in one of the largest annual statewide convenings of the sector. The event is free, but registration is required.
Boston Ujima Project and Boston Center for Community Ownership are hosting a Clean Energy Industry Mixer to gain insight on cooperative economics. They’re bringing together general contractors, construction and trades professionals, electricians, HVAC technicians, and environmental justice advocates to build community, make connections, and explore cooperative approaches within the clean energy and climate justice space. January 30, 2026 at 6pm.
Save the date: MASSCreative’s next Creative Sector Advocacy Week is coming to your region the week of March 2-6, 2026, with Creative Sector Day at the State House scheduled for March 3, 2026.
Other
Boston Arts Internship Worksite RFP: Apply to host high school students for a 7-week summer youth arts administration internship program. Applicant organizations must be accessible by the MBTA within the city of Boston or outside within a reasonable distance to make interns’ commute reasonable. Deadline: January 16, 2025.
TSNE Property Services is partnering with Breaktime to bring two rental opportunities to the larger Massachusetts nonprofit community, RFPs now available. Both rentals are full floor leases available in early 2026 at 63 Franklin Street in Boston.
Partners for Youth with Disabilities (PYD) provides training, services, and resources on disability inclusion. They provide live, on-demand training (contact Kristin Humphrey) and online learning. The Learn platform – PYD’s online training hub, offers engaging, accessible courses that equip educators, nonprofits, and employers with practical tools to support disability inclusion and mental health while also creating more inclusive schools, workplaces, and communities. For more information contact Nick Manley.
The Pop-Up Projects for Safe Routes to School guidebook offers ideas for low-cost, temporary interventions to promote traffic calming around school campuses, including projects like creative crosswalks.
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.