Needham Council for Arts and Culture
The Needham Council for Arts and Culture provides financial support to artists, musicians, teachers, performers, and other individuals and groups who can enhance the cultural life of our community. Support is provided through grants that are awarded each year in January, with preference given to Needham-based individuals and groups. The Needham Council for Arts and Culture welcomes both traditional and innovative proposals that will enrich our already vibrant local arts community.
Needham Council for Arts and Culture is a direct reimbursement program. We will be making grant money available in full to grantees once their projects are completed and the paperwork is submitted. If you are awarded a grant, you will be required to submit a final report to the Local Cultural Council upon completion of your program.
Contact
[email protected]
781-455-7500
https://www.needhamma.gov/1111/Needham-Council-for-Arts-Culture
Address
Town Hall
1471 Highland Avenue
Needham, MA 02492-2669
Connect on Social
Facebook
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
$9,400
FY26 Local Priorities
The Needham Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) welcomes applications from individuals or groups residing in Massachusetts who can enhance the cultural life of the local community of Needham. We aim to fund a variety of programming to reach a broad range of individuals in the community. The Town of Needham has included a line item in its operating budget to fund the NCAC in the amount of $18,300. For 2025-2026 the NCAC has been awarded a $9,400 MCC allocation for a total of up to $27,700 for grantmaking.
The NCAC will continue to provide reimbursement-based grants. Recipients need to spend the money to then be reimbursed from the LCC grant funds. This means that grants may only be awarded to project or program-based applications. Potential applicants are welcome to reach out with questions about their programs and projects via email: [email protected]. The NCAC will be available to answer questions at the Town Harvest Fair on October 5, 2025, from 11-3 pm. You may also RSVP to attend a grant open house for answers to specific questions on September 30, 2025, at 7:00 p.m.
The Needham Council for Arts and Culture strives to support as many grants as possible at the highest funding level available. Priority is given to high-quality, achievable, and flexible applications that must align with the following criteria (not in any order):
—Needham-based individuals and cultural/arts organizations
—Submissions that are accessible and beneficial to the community of Needham
—Submissions that address the needs of under-served or in-need groups
—Applicants that elevate the diverse voices and experiences of historically marginalized populations
—Programs that demonstrate community and organizational support and/or utilize partnerships and/or venues to increase public benefit
—We encourage applicants to have a plan in place for a venue
FY26 Local Guidelines
Information not provided
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Reimbursement Grants
FY26 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Arlekin Players Theatre | Beethoven | $600 | Boston Annex Players, Inc. | Boston Annex Players presents: The Soldier's Tale | $900 | Boston Modern Quilt Guild | Boston Modern Quilt Guild’s biennial quilt show “Quilts for Today” | $600 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $400 | Fischer, Gail | Light Painting Photography, hands on course with instruction. | $500 | Hamelin, Richard L. | Patriots and Potters | $750 | Indian Community of Needham, Inc | Needham Holi Festival | $750 | Keating, Tom | Elephants, Secrets and Submarines, Stories and Essays with Tom Keating | $450 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! | $280 | Nanda, Charly | Let’s Paint- "Amazing" Art at High Rock | $1,130 | Needham Art Association | Needham Art Outside | $850 | Needham Diversity Initiative, Inc. | Celebration of the 2026 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day | $1,500 | Needham Open Studios Inc | Needham Open Studios 2026 | $1,000 | Needham Student Theatre Inc | 2026 Summer Production | $700 | Pham, Windy | Voices of Heritage: AAPI Art & Education Workshop | $500 | Plugged In Band Program, Inc. | Intergenerational Inclusive Open Mic | $750 | Quinobequin Quilters, Inc. | Quinobequin Quilters 2026 Quilt Show | $300 | Speter, Tova | Breathing Butterflies - community art project | $960 | Stepanek, Julie | Ukulele at the Senior Center | $1,080 | Storytime Crafts, Inc. | The Literacy and Love Project | $900 | Swanson, Kris | Songs & Stories Music Concert | $225 | The Delvena Theatre Company, Inc. | Nun of This and Nun of That! | $500 | The King's Own 4th Regiment of Foot | King's Own Comes to Needham | $900 | The Needham Concert Society, Inc. | Promoting Classical Music in Needham | $600 | Venkat, Bala | Wellness with Bala's BollyX Dance | $400 | Waterman, Jon | Live Music Making History Live - The Railroad in Song | $300 | Zhang, Dennis | CFN Chinese New Year Celebration | $650 | Zhang, Dennis | AAPI Kid Craft Festival | $700 |