Sara Glidden, Program Manager
Our cultural life thrives because of the work of numerous arts, humanities, and sciences organizations across the Commonwealth. Mass Cultural Council is honored to announce 399 grants in FY26 totaling $7.2 million to cultural organizations throughout Massachusetts. These organizational support grants – ranging from $5,000 to $55,000 – were awarded across two Agency programs: Cultural Investment Portfolio and Operating Grants for Organizations.
These grants will work to strengthen a cultural sector that generates an economic impact of $29.7 billion, employs some 130,000 people, and constitutes 4 percent of the state economy.
179 organizational support grants are being awarded though the Cultural Investment Portfolio, a program which is being phased out over the next four years.
The remaining 220 organizational support grants come from Operating Grants for Organizations, our primary funding program to support cultural organizations which debuted in FY25. (A total of 368 eligible applications were received this cycle.) Of these grant recipients:
Operating Grants for Organizations incorporates aspects of past Mass Cultural Council organizational support programs and was designed following an evaluation of our funding for cultural organizations. It was developed in response to the Agency’s Racial Equity Plan, and is strongly linked to the values expressed in our strategic plan.
Operating Grants for Organizations were decided through a review process that included funding priorities, and scores from reviewers from the Massachusetts creative and cultural sector.
Reviewers prioritized applications based on the program’s values:
Mass Cultural Council anticipates the next round of Operating Grants for Organizations will open in February 2027, with an application deadline in April 2027.
Our unrestricted organizational support grants help cultural organizations innovate, take on new challenges, and expand access to previously underserved audiences. We invest in ambition and imagination, with returns that improve our quality of life, create economic opportunities, and engage more people in cultural participation.
