Lawrence Cultural Council
The Lawrence Cultural Council is a volunteer group comprised of Lawrencians, appointed by the Mayor to disperse funds awarded to the city from the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Funds are awarded through a grant process. Grants may be submitted from individuals, schools, artists, and cultural groups. Activities receiving support from the council must take place in the city and serve all facets of the population from children to the elderly.
Lawrence Cultural Council Mission Statement:
Our mission is to support programs in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences that contribute to the enhancement of the quality of life in Lawrence.
Contact
Patricia Mariano, Chairman
lawrenceculturalcouncil@gmail.com
978-620-3950
Address
PO Box 326
Lawrence, MA 01810-0023
Application Information
FY24 Allocation
$135,600
FY24 Local Priorities
Lawrence Cultural Priorities FY 2024
Lawrence Cultural Council (LCC) grants are open to individual artists, art organizations, community organizations, schools, and municipal agencies. All projects funded by the Lawrence Cultural Council must primarily serve and benefit the Lawrence community through exhibits, performances, readings, cultural events and/or field trips. Celebrating the diversity of our “Immigrant City”, we encourage projects which highlight our rich culture, equity, diversity and inclusion. The Lawrence Cultural Council prefers to fund local artists who live in the city.
The Lawrence Cultural Grant process is governed by requirements and regulations established by the Massachusetts Cultural Council; failure to comply with the Lawrence Cultural guidelines may jeopardize a grant application. Additional information about grant programs may be found at www.massculturalcouncil.org.
All grants for FY 2024 must be submitted online. Application deadline for this funding cycle is October 17, 2023. Please add a letter of support verifying that a venue is secured to the supplemental materials.
Field Trip requests are submitted on the same online application. The Lawrence Cultural Council does not fund transportation and/or food or beverage expenses.
A funding limit has been set for $4000 per project for 2024. Please do not submit grant requests for amounts greater than $4000. Applications received requesting over $4000 will not be considered. Similarly, do not request $4000 if in fact the project can be completed for a much smaller amount. Requests should not exceed the need.
Grants are awarded for projects taking place for the period January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
Grants are evaluated based on the following criteria: quality of project, community benefit, budget, and funding.
Quality of the project
Is the project well thought out with evidence of planning? Are the specific dates and venues identified? Do the qualifications of the artist, humanist or interpretive scientist leading the activity suggest that the project will be of high quality? Does the proposal adhere to local priorities?
Community Benefit
Is there evidence that the proposal will benefit the citizens of Lawrence? What is the impact this proposal will have on the city of Lawrence and its citizens? Does the project contribute to the cultural vitality and well-being of the city as a whole? Is there community support for the project?
Budget and Funding Support
Does the budget balance? Does the budget follow LCC guidelines? Is the budget realistic and clear? Are there other sources of funding or is Lawrence Cultural Council the sole source of funding? Is the project budget specific?
Reimbursement –
As part of our new Direct Grant Payment Option, you will receive your funding as a direct grant that will not require you to expend your own funds and request a reimbursement. To accept your grant and receive payment, you must complete and return a Grant Agreement and W-9, which will be enclosed in the award letter within two weeks. In addition, you will be required to fill out a final report on your project once you program is complete.
Recognition requirements –
Acknowledgement is required in all published materials and announcements regarding activities supported by the Lawrence Cultural Council through funds. The sponsored individual or group must acknowledge this support with a written and/or verbal credit statement and by using the MCC logo. This credit is required by the MCC and failure to do so may jeopardize future funding.
FY24 Local Guidelines
Information not provided
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY23 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 2nd Act Org, Inc. | Substance Use Prevention Play - Lawrence | $2,000 | Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 8 | Irish Heritage Month 2023 | $4,000 | Ancient Order of Hibernians Ladies Division 8 | Irish Christmas Festival | $1,500 | Bellesini Academy | Field Trip to the Tsongas Industrial History Center | $900 | Bellesini Academy | Field Trip to Musuem of Science Boston | $1,170 | Bread & Roses Heritage Committee, Inc. | 39th Annual Bread and Roses Heritage Festival | $4,000 | Chinese Cultural Exchange of the Andovers, Inc. | Chinese New Year Celebration | $500 | Clear Path for Veterans New England, Inc. | Arts from the Heart | $750 | Discovery Museum, Inc. | Open Door Connections | $300 | Essex Art Center, Inc. | Fiesta en la calle | $3,000 | Ethnic Arts Center of Somerville, Inc. | Immigrants of Lawrence "MY FAMILY TRADITION" Children and Family Puppetry Arts Project | $2,300 | Friends of Lawrence Heritage State Park, Inc. | Historical Trolley Tours of Lawrence | $2,000 | Greater Boston Stage Company | Discounted Tickets to Theatre for Lawrence Students and Seniors | $1,500 | Groundwork Lawrence, Inc. | Kite Festival 2023 | $3,000 | Immigrant City Archives, Inc. | Archival preservation of photographs, textiles, and hats | $4,000 | International Book Fair, Inc. | XVII International Book Fair 2023 | $3,500 | Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary | Birdwatching by Bus | $1,000 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Digital Arts | $3,000 | Lawrence Boys and Girls Club, Inc. | Dance Academy | $3,000 | Lawrence CommunityWorks, Inc. | Movement City Youth Network - Annual Showcase | $3,000 | Lawrence Family Public Academy | Music from My Culture | $3,000 | Lawrence High School | Souper Bowl | $1,900 | Lawrence Ladies Lodge 2026 | Celebrating Italian Heritage through Music | $1,000 | Lawrence Public Library | Library Cultural Passes Program | $3,000 | Lawrence Public Schools | Unexpected | $3,000 | Lawrence Theater Festival, Inc. | Lawrence Festival of the Arts 2023 | $3,500 | Lewis, Stephen | Cuban Political Posters - an International Poster Exhibit | $65 | Lopez, Fernanda | Maker Mondays | $1,500 | MUSE, Inc. | MUSE Incorporated - Musical Visits for Seniors | $1,125 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! | $600 | MUSIC Dance.edu | I am Autistic I am Fantastic | $580 | McGary, Diane | Resident Therapeutic Musician | $3,000 | Merrimack Valley Immigrants and Education Center, Inc. | Asian American Heritage Celebration | $3,000 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Music Lessons for Lawrence High School Students | $2,530 | Merrimack Valley Community Music School, Inc. | Music Therapy for Lawrence Elderly | $2,400 | Merrimack Valley Community Service Corps, Inc. | Gold Stars of Lawrence QR Project | $2,450 | Morales, Marilyn | Always Remember - Showcase from the world premiere | $850 | Native Plant Trust, Inc. | Plant Communities of Massachusetts | $600 | Nguyen, Y-Binh | Rainbow Alianza - Pride Month Celebrations | $3,000 | Pa' La Cultura | Salsa in Lawrence | $3,000 | Robert Frost Middle School | Rocky Shore Exploration | $2,065 | Sawada, Miki | Gather Hear Tour | $650 | Seekins, Hannah | Equity Driven Arts for the School Community | $3,000 | Si, Se Puede, Inc. | Protecting the Environment Around Us; Water, Oceans and Birds of Prey | $3,000 | Special Needs Advocacy Network, Inc. | Outcomes | $500 | Stockwell, Bernadette | Lawrence: Do Your ARt! | $350 | The Merrimack Valley Young Men's Christian Association, Inc. | Lawrence Music Clubhouse | $2,500 | The White Fund, Inc. | White Fund Lecture | $1,000 | Three Saints, Inc. | 100th Annual Feast of the Three Saints | $4,000 | Waterman, Jon | Live Music Making History Live | $300 | Xotyeni, Amy | Izizwe Dance Studio Scholarship Fund | $3,000 | Zaino, Nick | 100 Years of Boston Comedy | $350 |
