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.)
New England Foundation for the Arts’ New England States Touring grants support New England-based nonprofits presenting performances, readings, and screenings of work by local or national artists. Deadline: August 1, 2024.
Pathways to Friendship (The Arc of MA), in partnership with the Department of Developmental Services is offering Community Bridging Grants of up to $7,000 to community organizations throughout Massachusetts, to demonstrate creative, intentional activities to advance relationships between people with and without developmental/intellectual disabilities. Deadline: August 2, 2024 at 5pm.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Inflation Reduction Act Community Change Grants Program is now open. An estimated $2 billion dollars in funds to support activities is available, which aim to improve disadvantaged communities through environmental and climate justice projects. Deadline: November 21, 2024.
The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization’s live Notice of Funding Opportunity Tracker identifies and tracks federal funding opportunities from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)/Investment, Infrastructure, and Jobs Act (IIJA) that are most relevant to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). Updated weekly.
Know a business in need of capital investment in Massachusetts’ South Coast? Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Massachusetts’ Small Business Growth Fund invests in businesses owned by historically marginalized entrepreneurs, providing critical patient capital in the form of small equity-like investments. Investments will range from $25k-$250k per business, targeting businesses with cost barriers to growth plans in order to ensure the investments have a real impact on outcomes. Contact Tina Petigny for more details.
Do you want to accelerate and scale your nonprofit’s impact? Apply to join Social Innovation Forum’s 2025 Social Innovator Accelerator. Over the course of two years, you’ll receive in-depth consulting, executive coaching, presentation advising, access to unrestricted grants, and more. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until August 8, 2024 at 5pm, and early submissions are highly encouraged. Register for an information session On July 11, 2024 or July 30, 2024.
Grantmakers in the Arts is hosting Invisible Weavers: Charting the Evolving Identity of Intermediary Organizations, a webinar to explore intermediaries’ evolution from their historical roots to their potential future roles. They will dive into their primary functions, examining these organizations’ proximity to communities and their deep connections therein, and investigate their critical role in bridging the gap in funding and nurturing the roots of change. July 16, 2024 at 2pm.
Register for SMU DataArts’ free panel discussion on national financial trends in arts & culture for an exclusive first look at a their soon-to-be released summary trends shaping the sector. July 25, 2024 at 1pm (ET).
Join Art Resource Collaborative for Kids’ the Integrated Creative Mindset: Educator Summer Retreat, a free two-day summer retreat to reflect on the school year and rejuvenate with mindful practices, community dialogue, and fellow teachers. Spend time contemplating individual teaching practices, re-imagining ways to empower students, and exploring their creative integration framework. July 23 & 24, 2024 from 9am-3pm and August 6 & 7, 2024 from 9am-3pm.
Philanthropy MA is hosting Amplifying Voices, a virtual conversation on July 24, 2024 among funders to amplify voices of those working in partnership with under-resourced, marginalized and dis-invested communities.
Nonprofit Learning Lab’s free nonprofit webinar series continues with AI Essentials for Nonprofits: Understanding Bias on July 24, 2024 at 12pm. This foundational session is designed for nonprofit professionals to demystify AI, with a particular focus on understanding biases in AI and a framework for assessing your organization’s readiness to embrace AI technologies.
Art Equity is offering Everyday Justice: Antiracism as Everyday Practice, a two-day training designed to provide a framework and baseline analysis for antiracism strategies and action. As a member of an ever-changing community, what is your role? What is your responsibility for social change? Where do you have agency? August 2 and 5, 2024 from 1-5pm.
Mass Cultural Council is hiring a Manager of Strategic Partnerships & Advancement who has an appreciation for the arts, coupled with demonstrated work experience in building impactful relationships and advancing key initiatives. Salary: $110K- $120K. Apply by July 26, 2024.
Cultural workers: Complete the Berkshires/Columbia County Pay Equity Coalition’s survey by July 16, 2024. This anonymous data will be reported out at their summit on September. 25, 2024. Survey for staff. Survey for employers.
Watch the Reimagining Urban Planning: Arts and Cultural Strategies webinar presented by the Othering & Belonging Institute.
Reaching new artists, musicians and creatives can be challenging. Utilize Mass Cultural Council’s Guide to Writing a Call to Artists to expand your outreach efforts.
Disaster Response: The First 48 Hours offers a great introduction for anyone new to the field of disaster planning, this webinar includes guidance and tips from members of the arts and humanities sector in Kentucky.
Mass Cultural Council has a Useful Links page highlighting institutions, organizations, and groups that offer resources and supports for people looking to better their cultural organization.
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.
