Grafton Cultural Council
The mission of the Grafton Cultural Council is to promote and maintain the vitality of local cultural resources and to ensure these resources are shared within the Grafton community. The GCC is composed of volunteer Grafton residents who share a passion for improving our community by distributing Massachusetts Cultural Council grant money to exciting local cultural events. We welcome new members to join the GCC.
The GCC is committed to supporting events through access, education and diversity in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences in order to improve the quality of life for all Grafton residents and to contribute to the cultural vitality of our community. We support a broad variety of art forms, including programs that may feature workshops, lectures, performances, exhibitions, festivals, science education, music and the arts as well as grants for field trip programs and school cultural activities
Contact
Mary Mitchell
graftonculturalcouncil@gmail.com
000-000-0000
Address
Grafton Municipal Center
30 Providence Road
Grafton, MA 01519-1511
Application Information
FY24 Allocation
$11,300
FY24 Local Priorities
Individual applicants are required to be Grafton residents for at least one year; organizations must be organized and operating in the state for at least one year.
Date and Venue must be arranged prior to grant submissions.
Please contact graftonculturalcouncil@gmail.com before applying for help arranging venues or for advice on finding a sponsor in the community if you are an individual applicant who is not a Grafton resident.
FY24 Local Guidelines
Applicants can include arts, humanities or interpretive science organizations; individuals including artists, musicians, science educators, historians or other humanists; community members; or community organizations, including, but not limited to, schools, social service organizations, civic groups, neighborhood centers, youth, senior and family associations.
Incorporated organizations must be non-profit; unincorporated associations must have a non-profit purpose.
Completed applications must be submitted online by 11:59pm on October 17, 2023.
Notification of approval – by February 2024
Reimbursement requests due – one year from approval notification
All applications must be submitted online. The application can be completed and printed through https://massculturalcouncil.smartsimple.com/iface/index.jsp. The library has access to the internet. When filling out the application, use the space provided to answer questions. Include supporting materials including resumes of key personnel, organizational brochures, letters of confirmation from the proposed sponsor/host of the project specifying the event date and a letter of support from the venue/facility to be used, artist samples (slides, writings, video, etc.). Answer questions clearly, simply and as completely as space allows. Describe the project and any collaborators and address the review criteria.
The Grafton Cultural Council gathers input from the community and develops funding priorities based on this feedback. The Council will give priority to:
• proposals from Grafton artists or organizations for projects within Grafton
• collaborative projects between cultural groups and community organizations
• new applicants or new projects
• projects serving youth and families
• art forms or humanities that are underrepresented within our community.
Applications are evaluated in terms of several criteria:
• artistic and creative merit
• project design
• dedication and track record of individuals and organizations involved
• accessibility of facilities being used
• community involvement and benefit
Only one application per individual, organization, or school will be considered. Grafton applicants are given preference over those from out of Town. The Council will carefully scrutinize repeat requests; such proposals should show other sources of support to show the project is not dependent solely on Council funding.
Payments are made on a reimbursement basis only. Reimbursements may take 8 – 10 weeks. The reimbursement form may be downloaded from www.mass-culture.org. Projects and payment requests must be completed within one year of the final award notification. Due to the limited funds available and the high demand for support, the council usually awards lesser amount than has been requested and asks that applicants find matching funds or scale back their project. Awards typically range from $250 to $600. A few larger awards are given from time to time. In cases where the project is partially funded, the council may request an explanation of how the project will be modified. Requests for extensions beyond the grant period will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must be submitted in writing no later than one year from the date of the approval letter. The council will review and vote on the request and notify applicants in writing of its decision.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In all published materials and announcements regarding the activities supported by LCC funds, the sponsoring group or individual must acknowledge this support with a written and/or verbal credit statement or by using the MCC logo. The credit statement is “This program is supported in part by a grant from the Grafton Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.” The logo is available online at ref=”https://www.massculturalcouncil.org/contracts/lccred_recip.html”. This credit is required by the MCC and failure to comply may jeopardize funding.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Reimbursement Grants
FY23 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Tree Arts, Inc. | Grafton Community Chorus | $800 | Assabet Valley Mastersingers, Inc. | Assabet Valley Mastersingers Concert Season & Free Tickets for Grafton Seniors | $250 | Blackstone Valley Art Association, Inc. | Free Community Art Celebration of Grafton 2023 | $150 | Blackstone Valley Community Chorus, Inc. | BVCC Concerts - Spring 2023 & Fall 2023 | $150 | Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School | BVT Paint Night- Kindness Matters | $500 | Clear Path for Veterans New England, Inc. | Reiki and Polarity – Energy-Based Healing Arts | $200 | Davidson, Ann | The Acadian Deportations and Exile to Massachusetts Towns | $250 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $300 | George Marston Whitin Memorial Community Association, Inc. | WCC Summer Youth Theater | $200 | Grafton Historical Society, Inc. | "Pretty Powerful": The History of Our Clothes | $200 | Grafton Public Library | A Program of science and music | $1,400 | Grafton Public Schools | Diversity and Inclusion Speaker Series | $1,500 | Grafton Recreation Department | Summer Concert Series | $1,500 | Jordan, Robert | Free Music Concert | $500 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! | $500 | Millbury Street Elementary School | Archeology Outreach | $1,500 | Small Stones Festival of the Arts | Small Stones Festival of the Arts | $1,500 | Smith, Patrick | Afternoon of Brass #2 | $300 | The Claflin Hill Music Performance Foundation, Inc. | Claflin Hill Chamber Music Series at Apple Tree Arts | $848 | York, Matt | Johnny Cash - Songs & Stories | $400 |
