Rural Municipalities Toolkit

A Creative Community & Economic Development Resource Guide

Developed by Mass Cultural Council with support from the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development – Rural Affairs

Purpose of This Toolkit

Massachusetts is comprised of 351 cities and towns, all of which boast their own distinctive local character and identity, from the 181 places classified as ‘Rural and Small Towns’, to our Gateway Cities and diverse urban centers. Each of these communities are uniquely different, experiencing their own challenges, and pursuing the priorities and opportunities that most apply to their greatest needs.

As we continue to learn more from our partners and our local peers throughout each region of the Commonwealth, please consider this guide as a collection of accessible supportive resources that will continue to grow and evolve along with the needs of our Massachusetts communities.

A National Overview

“The arts are a sound rural development strategy. The arts help to address some of the unique challenges faced by rural communities, including geographic isolation, infrastructure limitations, and population flight. The arts can boost rural employment and help to diversify rural economies by creating sustainable small businesses, improving quality of life for residents, and attracting visitors and investment.” – National Assembly of State Arts Agencies

As a state arts agency, representing the state ranked 3rd in the nation for Arts Vibrancy, we partner with artists, communities, educators, and organizations to unleash the power of culture across Massachusetts, which largely includes small and rural municipalities.

The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) reported that in FY21 rural communities across America received a total of $59,591,805 in state arts agency funding. The extent of state arts agencies’ reach into rural areas is even broader among those states with regranting or decentralization programs. (Like our Local Cultural Council Program.)

State Arts Agencies (SAAs) serve rural communities by:

• Grant funding: investing nearly $60 million in rural America through more than 8,100 direct grants to 2,595 rural communities, not including funding through decentralization programs.
• Accessibility and equity: Almost 25% of all state arts agency grants go to rural communities.
• Addressing unique infrastructure: helping rural communities create their own cultural hubs through arts programming in community facilities such as schools, community centers, and other public venues.
• Preserving cultural heritage: offering a variety of resources aimed at promoting and preserving cultural heritage in rural communities through initiatives such as heritage trails, tourism, and support for the traditional arts.
• Public partnerships: SAAs partner with government agencies at all levels to administer programs in rural areas, i.e. health and human service agencies to promote arts and wellness and facilitating rural economic development with agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Rural Promise/Opportunity Zones.

Download NASAA’s 2024 State Arts Agency Grant Making Fact Sheet for Rural Communities

Table of Contents

Special thanks to Mallory Sullivan, Rural Programs Manager with the Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development for her collaborative contributions to this guide.

Know of a resource that ought to appear in this toolkit? Please email Carolyn Cole.