New Creative Experiences Grants to Support Wide Variety of Cultural Activities

Program Officers Timothea Pham, Amy Chu, and Kalyn King

Creative Experiences

Mass Cultural Council believes that cultural experiences celebrate creative expression, provide a vital space for connection, and are an essential resource for the health and well-being of the Commonwealth.

We are thrilled to launch Creative Experiences, a new grant program for organizations that supports activities in the arts, humanities, and sciences that invite public participation, spark engagement, and contribute to the vitality of our communities.

These one-year grants of $2,500 or $5,000 will fund a variety of cultural programs taking place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026.

Funded activities may include festivals, performances, artist residencies, educational programs, conservation initiatives, and other creative projects designed to make cultural experiences more accessible.

Eligible projects must be open and accessible to the public. They may also serve portions of the general public that require specific accommodations, such as K-12 students in schools, older adults in care settings, incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and/or individuals in recovery programs.

Creative Experiences merges the former Festivals & Projects and Creative Projects for Schools grant programs into a single, streamlined opportunity.

Organizations can apply for a grant amount of $2,500 or $5,000. Projects must have a minimum total budget equal to or exceeding the grant amount requested ($2,500 or $5,000). There are no restrictions on overhead or indirect costs.

The number of grants awarded will depend on Mass Cultural Council’s FY26 state budget appropriation and FY26 spending plan, which is expected to be approved by the governing Council in August 2025.

Wondering if your organization is eligible to apply? Here’s a quick rundown of eligible applicants:

• Nonprofit Organizations: Registered and in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth or listed with the Attorney General’s Nonprofit Organizations/Public Charities Division.
• For-Profit Entities: Registered and in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, listed in the Business Entity database, and meeting specific entity types as outlined in the program guidelines.
• Government Entities: Federally recognized tribal, state, or municipal entities within Massachusetts.
• Pre-K–12 Schools: Educational institutions serving grades Pre-K through 12 in Massachusetts.
• Unincorporated Organizations: Groups with a Massachusetts address, conducting over 50% of their activities within the state, and operating with an eligible fiscal agent.

Please note:

• This grant program is for organizations. Individuals, Single Member Limited Liability Companies, and Sole Proprietorships are not eligible for this program.
• Each organization can only submit one FY26 Creative Experiences application.

The application deadline is April 30, 2025. Program guidelines are now available.

Register for the information session on March 13, 2025. Live captions & ASL interpretation will be provided. A recorded information session in Spanish will be available in late March.

Virtual office hours with program staff are also available.

Questions? Contact program staff.

Learn More to Apply

Creative Experiences