Power of Culture Blog
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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.)
Mass Cultural Council’s Gaming Mitigation Fund provides grants to Massachusetts nonprofit and municipal performing arts centers to spend on touring shows or touring artist fees. Deadline: Feb. 1, 2024.
Mass Nonprofit News has a list of grant deadlines for early 2024 (and a list of funding opportunities with rolling deadlines).
TD Charitable Foundation offers regional grants to nonprofit organizations that align with one of the drivers of their TD Ready Commitment. This includes the Connected Communities pillar which funds programs that increase access to opportunities for individuals to feel more connected in their communities through Shared Experiences, Arts and Culture, or Local Needs. Applications are accepted bi-monthly. Next deadline: Feb. 16, 2024.
Healey-Driscoll Administration has launched the Massachusetts Inclusive and Accessible Outdoor Recreation Events Grant Program awarding $100,000 to organizations that promote inclusive and accessible outdoor recreational activities to low-income residents, communities of color, and people living with disabilities. Deadline: Feb. 23, 2024.
New England Foundation for the Arts‘ New England States Touring Grant funds nonprofit organizations to present touring artists in venues across New England. Upcoming deadline: Mar. 1, 2024
National Endowment for the Arts’ Challenge America offers support primarily to small organizations for projects that extend the reach of the arts to underserved groups/communities. Opens: Apr. 25, 2024. Deadline: May 14, 2024.
Mass Humanities‘ applications for 2024 Reading Frederick Douglass Together events are open. Funds are available for public events where communities engage in discussions on Douglass’ impactful address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”, a denunciation of slavery and critical examination of the Constitution. Monthly deadlines from Jan. – June 2024.
New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project (NDP) Travel Fund provides monetary assistance with rolling deadlines for U.S.-based curators, presenters, residency directors, or related staff (such as program or production staff) to:
Nonprofit Finance Fund has launched BEACoN: Building Equitable Assets for Communities and Nonprofits, a program supporting community-centered nonprofits in their efforts to acquire the assets that contribute to community prosperity through financing and consulting.
Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) is meeting the capital needs of Black entrepreneurs with funding through the Massachusetts Small Business Growth Fund. LISC is recruiting South Coast-based candidates seeking growth capital and hopes that this fund will pave the way for additional investments in underrepresented businesses. Request further information by submitting an inquiry on their website.
The Kennedy Center’s Access/VSA International Network‘s January Afternoon Tea: Annual Audio Description Discussion will discuss best practices in descriptive language, technology, marketing, and more. Held virtually on Jan. 4, 2024 at 2:30pm.
Nonprofit Learning Lab’s free webinar series continues with Setting a Strategic Foundation for Your Website on Jan. 9, 2024 at 12pm. This webinar will explore what kind of research to conduct before drafting a site architecture, how to create a website content plan for multiple audiences, and how to test your sitemap before designing a single page.
Learn more about OF/BY/FOR ALL’s Change Network program and whether it is a good fit for your organization by joining their video call info session on Jan. 12, 2024 at 1pm.
National Guild for Community Arts Education is hosting Community Arts Activated: Advocacy Basics on Jan. 18, 2024 at 1pm. This is the first of three virtual meetings leading up to their Advocacy Day during the 2024 Conference for Community Arts Education that will equip you with a comprehensive skill set, from broad insights to the nitty-gritty details, transforming you into a confident and effective champion for community arts education.
Register for Americans for the Arts’ free Advocacy 101 Webinar on Jan. 23, 2024 at 3pm. Learn from national, state, and local advocacy experts about effective tips and strategies in educating your elected officials on why they should enact pro arts policies.
Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) is hosting a Nonprofit Fund Informational Session on Jan, 25, 2024 at 9am. Learn how partnering with ECCF to establish a Nonprofit Fund can help your organization plan for and invest in a sustainable future.
Sign up to be a virtual attendee to Healing, Bridging, Thriving: A Summit on Arts and Culture in our Communities co-hosted by the White House and the National Endowment for the Arts. Jan. 30, 2024.
Nonprofits and Creative Businesses: Take Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ January Business Confidence Survey and help ensure that the first Massachusetts Business Confidence Index of 2024 reflects the opinions of the largest possible group of employers.
Theatre Development Fund’s National Autism Friendly Performance Training Program provides step-by-step support for your organization in the planning of its first autism-friendly or sensory friendly performance. There is no cost for this service, and to apply organizations should submit a letter of inquiry.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy has released Before and After 2020: How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Nonprofit Experiences with Funders
Art.Coop has released Solidarity Not Charity: Arts & Culture Grantmaking in the Solidarity Economy, a report for Grantmakers in the Arts.
Massachusetts Center for the Book has launched a Mass Literary Events Calendar, featuring author readings, book signings, panel discussions, festivals, and lectures. Libraries, bookstores, museums, and cultural organizations are encouraged to contribute relevant listings.
Mass Cultural Council’s Festivals Toolkit is a guide for improving audience development and engagement. A product of the Festivals Audience Lab, a project between Mass Cultural Council and ArtsBoston, this toolkit is intended to help organizations build diverse audience in the arts and culture sector through disruptive innovations in marketing practices, using collaborative and data-informed experimentation.
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.
