Mass Cultural Council Staff
Each month Mass Cultural Council shares a round-up of grants, trainings, technical assistance resources, and opportunities for 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 Cultural District Designation application is now open to prospective communities. Register for the virtual information session on July 14, 2026. Application materials are available in translation upon request and are due by Feb. 8, 2027.
The State Office of Grants and Research is accepting applications for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. The aim is to promote public safety and security in Massachusetts communities through the support of funding and research programs focused on crime prevention and intervention, traffic safety, law enforcement, and homeland security initiatives. This grant program provides federal funding for targeted and physical security enhancements to nonprofit organizations that are at high-risk of security breaches. Deadline: July 10, 2026.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation is accepting Request for Proposals (RFP) for their One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3) Impacts Defense Fund. This Mitigating Coverage Loss grant program will provide up to nine grants in the amount of up to $60,000 a year for two years to support outreach, education, and enrollment in: Hampden, Hampshire, Berkshire, Worcester and Bristol counties, and the Cape and Islands. The grant program aims to support community-based organizations in providing vital outreach, education, and enrollment assistance to help eligible individuals maintain their health coverage. All users must register in their portal before applying. Registration approval takes up to 48 hours. Deadline: July 13, 2026 at 12pm.
Southeast New England Program (SNEP) Network invites municipalities, tribes, and nonprofit organizations in Southeastern Massachusetts to apply to their Technical Assistance for Stormwater, Ecological Restoration, and Resilience Projects for no-cost technical support to begin or advance a community’s stormwater management, ecological restoration, climate resilience, or sustainable funding projects and initiatives. Deadline: July 15, 2026.
Coolidge Corner Theatre Foundation and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation are now accepting applications for their Science on Screen grants. This grant is open to US-based nonprofit art houses and museums with film programs. Film festivals with a year-round footprint are also eligible to apply. Deadline: Aug. 1, 2026.
Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund awards grants to Massachusetts nonprofit organizations for capital projects in social welfare, visual arts, and land conservation. Priority is given to well-planned projects with lasting community impact. Deadline: Aug. 1, 2026.
New England Foundation for the Art’s New England States Touring (NEST) grant supports nonprofit organizations to present touring regional, national, and international artists in venues across New England. Through a competitive selection process, the amount of funding awarded is based on the extent to which the project meets the funding criteria. Partial funding is available and there are options for other funding sources. Next deadline: Aug. 3, 2026.
Mass Office of Travel & Tourism’s (MOTT) FY27 Destination Development Capital Grants support improved facilities and destinations with the goals of increasing visitation, enticing repeat visitation, and increasing the direct and indirect economic impacts of the tourism industry in all regions of the Commonwealth. Eligible projects will enhance tourism resources and infrastructure and will aid in destination resiliency. MOTT will strive to take geographic equity into consideration, and projects with a presence in a designated Cultural District or relate to nature-based/agricultural/rural tourism. Register for an info session on July 8, 2026. Deadline: Aug. 11, 2026.
Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place Program Area funds place keepers, artists, institutions, and storytellers who shine a spotlight on historically overlooked sites, and the communities and stories that surround them. Deadline: Rolling.
USDA’s Community Facilities Direct Loan & Grant Program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial, or business undertaking (e.g. health care facilities, town halls, courthouses, airport hangars, child care centers, community centers, fire departments, museums, libraries, community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks). Deadline: Rolling.
Kelly Family Foundation awards grants to Greater Boston nonprofits that support youth through education, mentoring, human services, and the arts. Funding prioritizes organizations delivering direct services with demonstrated impact and strong accountability. Deadline: Rolling.
Join Mass Cultural Council and the ArtStaysHere Coalition for a new Creative Space Development Network Accelerator (DNA) online discussion for those who are developing, operating, and advocating for a healthier creative space ecosystem across the state. July 31, 2026 at 12pm.
This summer, join HowlRound for a series of facilitated discussions and skill sessions on some of the topics theatremakers are most eager to talk about. Each two-hour virtual session gathers a group of theatremakers from around the world to build knowledge, share perspectives and strategies, and connect with peers across the field:
Mass Dept. of Youth Services is hosting a training by the Parent/Professional Advocacy League, Juvenile Justice Basics: Juvenile Justice 101 on July 14, 2026. Learn essential information about the juvenile justice process, interactions with police, racial disparities, and the impact on youth and families before or soon after a child is in court.
New England Museum Association is hosting a virtual presentation of Museums Moving Forward (MMF) to engage with the latest findings from their 2025 report Workplace Equity and Organizational Culture in US Art Museums, with a special focus on the Northeast region. MMF will also solicit feedback to inform future surveys and reports, so that they can best serve the needs of the field. July 17, 2026 from 12-1pm.
Lawyers for Civil Rights’ is hosting their annual BizGrow Conference on July 23, 2026 Join for a day of free small business legal consultations, workshops on legal and business topics, and networking. Sign up now to get scheduled for a one-on-one meeting with a specialized small business attorney at the Conference. 120 Tremont Street, Boston MA. 10am-4pm.
Registration is open for Access International/VSA’s Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disability 2026 Conference Aug. 12-14, 2026 in Philadelphia, PA.
Your town may have opioid relief funds available—and Social Prescription offers a solution. Mass Cultural Council encourages cultural organizations to urge their municipalities to incorporate Social Prescription programs into their plans for the use of Opioid Recovery and Remediation Funds, and we can help support your case. Social Prescriptions have proven effective in both preventing and treating opioid and substance use disorders. Arts and culture initiatives are increasingly recognized as impactful, cost-effective approaches to addressing addiction and supporting recovery.
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.