Program Guidelines
Grant Pool
Approximately five million dollars will be available for new grants
this round.
In future rounds, allocations will be "subject to appropriation" by the Legislature and the Governor. This means that funds must be secured each year through the regular state budget process or capital spending plan.
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Eligibility Requirements
The following entities ("Cultural Organizations") are eligible to apply for grants for Cultural facilities:
- Nonprofit cultural organizations: 501 (c)(3)
organizations that are primarily concerned with the arts, humanities,
or interpretive sciences. The legislation includes but is not
limited to museums, historic sites, zoos, aquariums, theaters,
concert halls, exhibition spaces, classrooms, and auditoriums
("Cultural Facilities"). Eligible facilities must be owned,
leased or used by one or more nonprofit cultural organizations,
and must be accessible to the public.
- Municipalities that own cultural facilities:
provided that the cultural facility is at least 50,000 square
feet in size, and at least 50% devoted to cultural purposes
provided, however, that if such building, structure, or site
is 125 years old or older and is significant in the history,
archaeology, architecture or culture of the nation, the commonwealth
or the community in which it is located, it may be of any size.
- Public or private institutions of higher education
that own cultural facilities: provided that the cultural
facility provides service and open access to the community and
the general public beyond its educational mission and can demonstrate
financial need.
Grant Categories
- Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants:
For planning and feasibility assessment for a proposed eligible
project.
- Systems Replacement Plan Grants: The SRP
is a 20-year capital needs assessment of the building and its
mechanical systems.
- Capital Grants: For the acquisition, design,
construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation or other capital
improvements or deferred maintenance ("Eligible Projects") of
a cultural facility. All of the following would qualify for
consideration under this description:
- Acquisition
- New construction
- Additions to an existing structure
- Renovations or repairs to an existing structure
- Fixed/Integrated equipment purchases.
- Any combination of the above.
The statute of the Cultural Facilities Fund has established five threshold review criteria for all its grants:
- Project must be an "eligible project"
- There must be a demonstrated community need for the project.
- The project must be able to demonstrate that it will benefit tourism in the local area.
- There must be a demonstrated financial need for a grant.
- The project must be able to demonstrate local support.
In addition to the statutory threshold criteria, the Capital
Grants have financial
capacity threshold criteria as well.
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Award Ranges and Cash
Matching Requirements
Awards will require a 1:1 match, that is, in order to receive
the full grant amount awarded, a grantee must spend double the
grant amount on the eligible project.
Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants
Grants up to $50,000 1-1 match
Systems Replacement Plan Grants
Grants $3,000-$8,000 1-1 match
Capital Grants
Grants up to $250,000 1-1 match
Please remember that the total availability in this round is
$5,000,000. Thus, the process is likely to be highly competitive.
As a frame of reference, the largest CFF Capital Grant award for
the past two rounds has been $250,000.
Matching Funds
Matching funds for Capital Grants may include private, federal,
or municipal funds. The following may not be used as matching
funds:
- Organizational operating funds
- Loan proceeds
- Funds already expended on the eligible project prior to application to the Cultural Facilities Fund; and
- Funds received from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Capital grantees will have up to 24 months and Feasibility &
Technical Assistance and System Replacement grantees up to 12
months from the grant approval date to raise matching funds. Matching
funds must be used for eligible project costs.
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Grants Administration
Applicants will be required to execute a Grant Agreement with
MassDevelopment. Before the Grant Agreement can be executed, the
matching funds have to be raised and certified by the Massachusetts
Cultural Council.
A grant award is the maximum amount that will be disbursed. A Grantee will receive the full amount awarded if it can demonstrate through the submission of invoices that all project expenses presented for disbursement are eligible expenses. If project costs decrease or submitted invoices are determined to be ineligible, an award amount may be decreased.
Disbursement of funds under the Award will occur only after:
- Matching funds have been raised and certified by MCC.
- Grantee has filed a Project Notification Form ("PNF") with the Massachusetts Historical Commission ("MHC") and completed MHC's review process.
- The Grant Agreement with MassDevelopment is fully executed
including an Updated Budget showing work items including costs
for which the Grantee expects to use the matching funds and
the costs for which the Grantee expects to use the grant. Both matching and grant funds must be used on the eligible project.
- Invoices for work performed on the project, dated
no earlier than the final application deadline, have
been submitted to MassDevelopment, reviewed for adherence with
the Updated Budget (work items), and approved by MassDevelopment.
Ten percent of the grant amount will be held back pending
submission of a Certificate of Completion indicating the project
as described in the Updated Budget has been completed. The standard
for Certificate of Completion is included in the Grant Agreement.
Grant announcements are expected to be made in the early summer
of 2013.
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Deadlines
Intent to Apply Deadline: February 15, 2013
Final Application Deadline: March 15, 2013
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Eligibility Confirmation
If you have any questions about your eligibility, application
procedures, or the application in general, please contact the
MCC directly. We hope that this initial conversation will help
you decide whether to proceed with the next steps of the application
process. All initial inquiries should be directed to Jay
Paget, Program Director, at 617-727-3668 x263, or Kylie
Sullivan, Program Coordinator, at 617-727-3668 x269.
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Public Information Sessions
It is strongly recommended that you attend one of the public information
sessions where the guidelines will be explained in detail. You
will also have the opportunity to ask questions about the application.
Learn more about the Sessions.
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Application Consultations
If you decide to proceed with the application process, MCC staff will be available to you throughout the application process. We will do our best to help you shape an application that addresses the program review criteria as clearly as possible.
Please contact MCC staff for assistance.
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Returning CFF Grantees
Organizations that have previously been awarded Cultural Facilities
Fund grants will have the opportunity to apply to the Fund in
the upcoming round so long as the prior grant has been fully disbursed
or declined in whole or in part by March 15, 2013. This means
that all documents required to complete the Cultural Facilities
Fund Grant Agreement, and all invoices requesting disbursement,
must be submitted to MassDevelopment by February 15, 2013. Previously
funded applicants will also be asked to demonstrate the distinction
between the previously funded project and the new proposed project.
All organizations awarded Cultural Facilities Fund grants where
the grant has not been fully disbursed or declined in whole or
in part by March 15, 2013, will not be eligible for funding.
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Application Review
Completed applications will be compiled and forwarded to a grant
review panel that will consider the pool as a whole. The review
panel will include a mix of individuals who are knowledgeable
about cultural facilities development, capital fundraising, financial
management, historic preservation, facilities maintenance, construction
and strategic planning.
To ensure equity in the distribution of Cultural Facilities Fund grants statewide, the panel may adjust award assignments at times on the basis of geographic distribution or other considerations, in order to fulfill the Fund's commitment to reach under-served communities. Organizational size may also be taken into consideration.
Massachusetts Cultural Data Project
All nonprofit cultural organizations applying for a Capital Grant
must enter three years of financial, programmatic and operational
data into the Massachusetts Cultural Data Project's standardized
online form. This information will be assessed by the grant review
panel - in conjunction with the planning and financial sections
of the application - to determine if an organization has the financial
capacity to undertake and sustain the capital project at this
time. Municipalities, colleges, and universities are not required
to complete this step. Cultural Investment Portfolio grantees
currently in compliance with CIP Cultural Data Project requirements
do not need to do anything additional.
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Grant Recommendations
and Notifications
Based upon the recommendations from the review panel, grant recommendations
will be submitted by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to the
Cultural Facilities Fund Advisory Committee. Recommendations of
the Advisory Committee for grant awards will then be presented
to the Board of MassDevelopment. MassDevelopment will have final
authority on all grant decisions. Grant notifications will occur
shortly after awards have been approved and will be contingent
on confirmation of fund availability from the Commonwealth. MCC
staff will also be available to provide follow-up information
and panel comments after the grant notifications have been sent.
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Legal and Other Requirements
Access Policy
MassDevelopment and the MCC encourage applicants from all segments of the state's communities in order to encourage diversity in the cultural life of the Commonwealth. In accordance with state law, Massachusetts cultural organizations may not discriminate in their programs or staff and board membership on the basis of race, gender, religion, creed, color, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or age.
Organizations funded under this program must make reasonable accommodations to ensure that people with disabilities have equal physical, programmatic, and communications access as defined by federal law.
The Cultural Facilities Fund retains the discretion to waive provisions of these guidelines if the project to be granted a waiver continues to meet the statutory eligibility criteria and the requested waiver is consistent with the public purposes of the Cultural Facilities Fund.
Contractor Policy
Applicants to the Cultural Facilities Fund must comply with MassDevelopment's
Contractor Policy which obligates applicants to adhere to the
debarred vendor policy required by the Commonwealth of its agencies.
In both the application and grant agreement, an applicant must
certify that for project costs which are to be financed by the
Cultural Facilities Fund, it will not (i) knowingly solicit or
consider bids, contract or negotiate with any vendor listed as
debarred on the debarment lists maintained by the Commonwealth's
Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance, the Department
of Transportation, the Department of Industrial Accidents, the
Office of the Attorney General, or the Federal government or (ii)
approve a sub-contract with any such vendor. An applicant must
also covenant to put the same requirement in any contract with
vendors hiring sub-contractors.
The
Commonwealth's Executive Office of Administration and Finance has
a webpage with a link to the above named lists.
Reporting Requirements and Grant Cancellations
All funded organizations are required to participate in a yearly
economic impact survey and report issued by the Massachusetts
Cultural Council annually and due at the end of November. MassDevelopment
reserves the right to withhold, reduce, or cancel grants if an
organization:
- Misses deadlines for raising matching funds, entering into
grant agreement, completing economic impact survey, or submitting
grant reports;
- Does not notify MassDevelopment and the MCC of significant
changes in programs, services, anticipated sale of the building
(or other disposition), or significant changes in personnel;
- Fails to comply with the terms of the Grant Agreement;
- Is unable to raise or expend the required cash match;
- Demonstrates inadequate financial management and oversight;
- Does not properly credit MassDevelopment and the MCC.
Conflict of Interest
To ensure that all review panels are free from conflicts of interest and the appearance of such conflicts, review panelists are required to disclose any past, current, or prospective affiliation they or their immediate family members may have with an actual or potential applicant. "Affiliation" applies to employment, board memberships, independent contractual relationships, advisory or policy relationships, substantial contributor relationships, and other financial relationships. In addition, panelists are required to disclose any past or current adversarial relationships with actual or potential applicants of a professional or personal nature.
Acknowledgment of Funding
Grant recipients are required to credit MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council in all print, audio, video, and internet materials, and all publicity materials (such as press releases, brochures, posters, advertisements, and web sites). Detailed information will be provided in the contract package mailed to grantees.
Documenting Your Programs
MassDevelopment and the MCC may feature the work of some funded
organizations in their publications and Web sites. Photographs
are welcome. Please send images to the MCC, ATTN: Communications
Coordinator or e-mail to ann.petruccelli@state.ma.us
(Digital submissions are preferred-300 dpi resolution and approximately
4" x 6" print size.) For each image you submit, please include
the name of your organization and a description (including identification
of individuals prominent in the picture). Include photographer
credits, if appropriate, and the dates the images were taken.
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