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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.)
Environmental Justice for New England’s Climate and Environmental Justice Grants invests in the growth of a sustainable, community-driven environmental justice movement to counter historical disinvestment in communities—aiming to address environmental hazards, climate resiliency, and energy justice, and build livable and healthy communities. Deadline: Feb. 14, 2025.
Essex Heritage’s 2025 Partnership Grant program offers $2,000 reimbursement-based grants upon completion of a project and require a $4,000 minimum total project cost. Nonprofit organizations located in Essex County and municipal entities affiliated with one of the county’s 34 communities are eligible to apply. Applications should take less than an hour to complete. Deadline: Feb. 21, 2025.
The Smith Family Foundation offers Small Capital Grants ranging from $25,000 to $100,000 grants for one-time capital expenses for nonprofits. Deadline: Mar. 5, 2025 at 5pm.
The City of Cambridge’s Community Development Department is offering Small Business E-Commerce Grants to reimburse eligible retail, food, home-based and creative for-profit businesses for the purchase of e-commerce equipment and online upgrades. Complete the Eligibility Form by Mar. 15, 2025.
New England Foundation for the Arts’ Walking Together: Investing in Folklife in Communities of Color Program will award nonmatching grants to traditional artists, practitioners, keepers of traditional knowledge, and community organizations and collectives. Self-Nomination Deadline: Mar. 19, 2025.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers Community One Stop for Growth, which is a single application portal and collaborative review process of grant programs that make targeted investments based on a Development Continuum. Webinars will be happening throughout the month of February that give an overview of the program, guidance on the application, and individual program information. The deadline to submit an Expression of Interest is Mar. 26, 2025.
The National Park Service’s Historic Preservation Fund: Semiquincentennial Grants support the preservation of a broad variety of cultural resources in commemoration of the country’s Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) in 2026. Grants are available for pre-preservation and preservation projects in amounts ranging from $15,000 to $750,000. Deadline: Mar. 28, 2025.
The US Department of Transportation’s Rural and Tribal Assistance Pilot Program, will award a total of $27 million for planning and design phase activities for developing transportation projects in rural or tribal communities. Opens: Mar. 4, 2025. Closes: Apr. 3, 2025.
National Endowment for the Arts’ Challenge America supports projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. This program may be a good entry point for organizations that are new to applying for federal funding. Grants are awarded in all artistic disciplines for a wide variety of arts projects. Grants are $10,000 and feature a robust structure of technical assistance. Deadline: Apr. 24, 2025 for projects taking place beginning in 2026.
Mass Nonprofit Net is offering the Securing Your Nonprofit: How to Effectively Implement Cybersecurity Solutions webinar on Feb 5, 2025 at 12pm.
Essex County Community Foundation’s Creative County Initiative hosts Monthly Meet Ups where they engage with creative individuals and organizations from all over Essex County. Next meetup: Feb 12, 2025 at 6pm on Zoom.
Join Mass Cultural Council, elected officials, cultural sector partners, and Cultural District leaders in Lowell on Feb. 13, 2025 at 1pm to celebrate our latest Cultural District Investment Grants made to the 58 state-designated Cultural Districts across the Commonwealth. Register.
Register for Forecast Public Art’s Creative Placemaking Reconnect on Feb. 19, 2025. Artists, culture bearers, local leaders, and those interested in community-based creative placemaking activities are invited to attend.
Join Mass Cultural Council’s next Spotlight Series webinar featuring an overview of MassReconnect and MassEducate, programs that make community college free to students age 25 and older. Feb. 24, 2025 at 3pm.
New England Museum Association will be hosting a meet up for organization’s attending Museum Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C. Connect with museum professionals, supporters, and advocates from across the country. Feb. 24, 2025.
Philanthropy MA presents The State of Diversity in the Nonprofit Sector, a Program with Candid. In this conversation, you will learn how Candid collects standardized demographic data from nonprofits and how funders are leveraging this data to address disparities and inequities across the sector. Mar. 5, 2025 from 11am-12:15pm on Zoom.
Americans for the Arts is compiling resources on Executive Orders and Impacts: Comprehensive FAQs.
The National Council of Nonprofits is keeping track of Executive Orders Affecting Charitable Nonprofits through a chart that outlines some of the EOs that may affect nonprofits directly or indirectly.
National Independent Venue Association seeks participation from both for-profit and nonprofit entities within the independent live entertainment community in their State of Live Survey. All venues, performing arts centers, festivals, presenters, and promoters are encouraged to participate. The collected data will inform a national report and 50 state-by-state reports, scheduled for release in June 2025. Open through Feb. 18, 2025.
The Kennedy Center Office of Accessibility and VSA seeks contractors to provide Access/VSA Creative Career Internship Program career development opportunities in creative industries, arts management, arts education, design, production, or technical theatre for individuals with disabilities, ages 18-30. Deadline: Feb. 28, 2025.
Share your voice! Nonprofit Finance Fund’s State of the Nonprofit Sector Survey collects data about US nonprofits’ health and challenges and formulates them into an accessible, evidence-based illustration of how the nonprofit sector is faring. It’s a powerful platform for nonprofits large and small, across sub-sectors and geographies. Data is used to advocate for the investments needed to secure nonprofits’ long-term resilience, ultimately supporting the communities we all care for and serve. Submissions accepted through Mar. 7, 2025.
Americans for the Arts’ Impact Explorer is a tool that shows how a sector is impacted by the arts with a downloadable fact sheet. Dive in and build your own data and advocacy kits.
Mass Save’s Business Rebates & Incentives offers programs and services to help organizations become more energy-efficient and save money.
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.
