Power of Culture Blog
$7.2M Invested in Cultural Organizations Statewide
394 unrestricted grants have been awarded through our Cultural Investment Portfolio and Operating Grants for Organizations programs
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.)
Upcoming Mass Cultural Council grant opportunities:
The Shubert Foundation is presenting a webinar on their dance and theater grant application processes on Oct. 4, 2023 at 2-3pm. Register now.
The National Park Foundation’s 2023 ParkVentures Grant Program is looking to engage community-based organizations and national park sites to establish and strengthen relationships between these groups. Deadline: Oct. 5, 2023.
Applications for Live Music Society’s Toolbox grants are now open. Project grants of up to $10,000 are available for small music venues to enhance or improve the live music experience for those who perform at, work in, or visit the venue. Deadline: Oct. 10, 2023.
New England Foundation for the Arts is hosting a webinar about changes the New England States Touring (NEST) Grant in advance of their Idea Swap. The deadline for the NEST grant will be in March 2024. Oct. 12, 2023, 2-3pm.
The Office of Grants and Research invites nonprofit 501(c) (3) organizations that are at high risk of a hate crime or terror attack to apply for one-time grant funding to enhance building safety and security for its members/visitors and staff through the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Deadline: Oct. 13, 2023 at 4pm.
Cambridge Arts is now accepting application for Organizational Investment grants ($9,000), operating support grants for organizations and programs with public cultural programming that benefits Cambridge residents, and Art for Social Justice Grants ($7,500), to support projects that present the themes and ongoing work of social justice to the Cambridge public through the arts. Apply online by Oct. 17, 2023.
The Boston Foundation’s Latino Equity Fund is the first and only philanthropic fund in Massachusetts dedicated to activating, convening, and supporting the Latino community in Greater Boston and across MA. FY24 applications are being accepted through Oct. 22, 2023.
New Bedford Creative facilitates three grant programs to help advance New Bedford as one of the most culturally unique and creative cities in America:
The City of Boston is accepting applications for S.P.A.C.E. Grants to help bring people back to commercial districts to revitalize our local economy. Grants up to $200,000 are available to small businesses disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 that are looking to fill vacant commercial space in the City. Deadline: Nov. 10, 2023 at 5pm.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for six grant programs. Each program has a Nov. 15, 2023 deadline:
The National Leaders of Color Fellowship program aims to establish multicultural leadership in the creative and cultural sector. The fellowship is curated by WESTAF and sponsored by United States Regional Arts Organizations. Deadline: Oct. 16, 2023.
Sphinx’s Sphinx LEAD is a two-year leadership program designed to evolve the industry landscape by empowering the next generation of executive leaders. Black and Latinx arts leaders are selected annually to participate in a curriculum including mentorship, networking, and leadership retreats at top institutions nationwide. Deadline: Oct. 23, 2023.
The Network of Arts Administrators of Color (NAACBoston) is accepting applications to its Mentorship & Sponsorship Program 4.0. From January-June 2024, six early-career and six mid-career arts administrators of color will participate in monthly professional development workshops and one-on-one sessions with their mentor or sponsor. Deadline: Oct. 30, 2023.
NAS has rigorously trained the first ever cohort of coaches that are arts and culture leaders themselves, and have the lived experience needed to support clients working to redefine the structures, practices, and policies of the status quo. Learn more about their Leadership Coaching Program.
Register for Mass Cultural Council’s “Health & Wellness through Creativity” convening in Springfield on Oct. 23, exploring how our sector can be an essential partner in promoting better health and wellness outcomes. After the speaking program, all are welcome to visit break-out rooms on various topics. 10am-12:30pm.
The Governor’s Advisory Council on Black Empowerment is hosting statewide listening sessions. They need input from the cultural sector to deliver new programs and systems to make Massachusetts more equitable. Register now:
The Youth Arts Impact Network (YAIN-EdVestors and Mass Cultural Council) is hosting a Creative Youth Development and Arts Education Convening at the ICA Seaport Studio on Oct. 4 from 4-6pm. Register now.
Mass Black Expo 2023 is a three-day immersive experience that brings together 100s of Black-owned businesses, entrepreneurs, and professionals with purchasing opportunities, capacity-building resources, and skill and career advancement options. Oct.6-7 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center. Oct. 8, 2023 at various locations.
Philanthropy MA is hosting a Meet-the-Donors: Capacity Building panel via Zoom on Oct. 10 from 10am-12pm. Registration closes Oct. 6 at 2 pm. The panel will discuss what might be covered under a capacity building grant and some tactics on how your organization can make an effective case for funding.
Nonprofit Net of Greater Boston is offering a webinar on common missteps in transitions and how to avoid them: What to Do (and Not Do) When Your Executive Director Leaves. Oct. 11, 2023 at 1pm.
Mass Culture, a Canadian arts service organization, is presenting Unlocking the Power of Data in the Arts, three complimentary learning sessions guided by experts from across Canada, including Advancing Equity in Data on Oct. 11, 2023 and Building Data Trusts on Oct. 26, 2023.
Join Americans for the Arts’ live virtual release of Arts & Economic Prosperity 6 (AEP6), their new economic impact study of the nation’s nonprofit arts and culture organizations and its audiences. This is a free access Zoom event. Oct. 12 from 2-3:30pm. Register now.
The Artist Communities Alliance is hosting their 2023 Emerging Programs Institute, an annual training program supporting people and organizations in the early stages of creating a residency program. This four-day intensive runs Oct. 18, 19, 25, and 26 from 1-5pm.
Join the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (or virtually via Zoom) for New York Public Library‘s first Accessible Technology Conference, a free and inclusive conference focused on the impact, affordances, and evolution of accessible technologies used by blind, low-vision, and print-disabled people. Oct. 21-22, 2023.
The Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, in partnership with Latinos for Education and EdTrust Massachusetts are hosting Equity in Education, a panel with a diverse array of leaders of color sharing their insights and recommendations on how we can give our students a jumpstart on their future, close persistent equity gaps, and create a cooperative culture of success across our Commonwealth. Oct. 24 from 9-10:30am. Networking at 8:15am. Register now.
Creative Arts Network and Fall River Waterfront Cultural District are hosting a cultural tourism conference on Oct. 25, 2023. Speakers will include Kate Fox, Executive Director, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism; and Carolyn Cole, Cultural Districts Program Officer, Mass Cultural Council. DCR Fall River Heritage State Park. 9am-2:30pm. RSVP now.
Save the date for Access/VSA International Network’s free Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities Panel Discussion on Oct. 25, 2023 from 2:30-3:30pm. Hear from some of the top professionals in the fields of visual arts, performing arts, and arts administration about their career paths and offers of advice. Register now.
Lawyers for Civil Rights’ BizGrow Arts and Culture Series is a free, 4-week course to provide aspiring and current small business owners and entrepreneurs in the arts and cultural economy with the legal foundation to successfully run their business. Wednesdays in October from 6-8pm. Register now.
Check out the American Alliance of Museums‘ list of upcoming events for October (both virtual and in-person). Many are hosted by museums across the country and offer peer-learning opportunities.
InterPLAY: Engaging Youth Audiences in Theatres, Classrooms and Communities is a symposium bringing together educators, artists, and professionals who are passionate about creating interactive theatre experiences for youth. Nov. 2-5, 2023 in Bentonville, AR. Registration deadline: Oct. 27, 2023.
Mass Cultural Council has released a field guide that offers a roadmap for communities to develop programs that integrate arts, culture, and nature resources into local health and social care systems. Arts on Prescription: A Field Guide for US Communities, developed in partnership with Dr. Tasha Golden and the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine, is now available.
Governor Maura T. Healey signed Executive Order #617 establishing the Governor’s Youth Advisory Council to advise the Governor and the entire administration on critical issues impacting Massachusetts, such as civic engagement, education, the environment, housing, and youth violence. Applications to join the Youth Advisory Council are available for Massachusetts residents aged 16-21. Deadline: Oct. 14, 2023.
Learn more about Poetry Out Loud, a national recitation competition that schools and cultural organizations can host for area high school students, by attending an information session on Oct. 18 at 4pm.
Central Mass Regional Planning Commission is conducting an Arts & Culture Asset Inventory. The end product will be a map of arts and culture assets in that region which can be accessed and used by towns and the public.
Ágora Cultural Architects’ BoriCorridor is virtual platform that aims to create a network of cultural organizations, spaces, and presenters that promote Puerto Rican culture in the Continental US. Register your organization.
How People with Disabilities Use the Web is a W3C resource that introduces how people with disabilities, including people with age-related impairments, use the Web. It describes tools and approaches that people with different kinds of disabilities use to browse the Web and the barriers they encounter due to poor design.
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.
