Northborough Cultural Council
Northborough Cultural Council’s Vision Statement:
The Northborough Cultural Council supports diversified programs in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences for the cultural benefit and enrichment of its citizens.
We accomplish these goals by:
* Establishing funding priorities that aim to bring community-oriented arts, music, humanities and science projects to Northborough
* Forging partnerships that create and expand opportunities for the arts
* Cultivating new resources needed to promote the arts in Northborough
* Using the arts as a means for understanding among cultures
* Advocating for increased awareness and access to the arts
Contact
Terry Underwood
northboroughculture@gmail.com
508-393-5040
https://www.town.northborough.ma.us/cultural-council
Address
Town Hall
63 Main Street
Northborough, MA 01532-1994
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Application Information
FY26 Allocation
TBD
FY26 Local Priorities
Northborough 2024 Local Council Granting Priorities
Supporting the 2024-2025 Grant Cycle
NCC Funding Priorities:
1. Arts, Humanities, and Sciences programs that have a maximum impact, serving the largest number of Northborough residents.
2. Preference is given to Northborough-based organizations and residents, for collaboration or programming for public benefit within the Town of Northborough.
3. Programs that are financial collaboratives between various organizations where NCC grants are not the sole source of funding.
4. Community-wide exhibit, performance, demonstration, and reading, with an important component of public benefit is advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and non-discrimination, to be widely advertised and promoted.
5. Foster partnerships to create and expand opportunities for the arts.
6. Additional consideration will be given to emerging Northborough artists engaging in small-scale events or new to the granting process
Additional Notes:
Incomplete grant applications may be denied funding.
FY26 Local Guidelines
Northborough Cultural Council’s Guidelines 2024-2025
Supporting the 2024-2025 Granting Cycle
Local Cultural Councils use the first three rules listed below in reviewing all funding decisions. All three rules are equally important. Additionally, councils have the option of developing local review criteria and may decide how to weigh their importance:
Arts, Humanities, and Sciences
Public Benefit
Non-Discrimination
Local Priorities
Arts, Humanities, and Sciences
LCC funds may only be used to support programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences in Massachusetts. This definition includes the study, pursuit, performance, exhibition, and appreciation of cultural activities in the broadest sense.
How does the Mass Cultural Council define the arts, humanities, and sciences?
Arts refer to the creation of work in the crafts and performing, visual, media, folk, design, literary, and inter-disciplinary arts. In addition, they also include the presentation and preservation of, and education about works in these disciplines.
Humanities are types of learning that deal with human values and aspirations, human thought and culture, language, and creativity. Examples include, but are not limited to, history, social studies, philosophy, criticism, and literature.
Sciences are limited to its cultural, interpretive, and educational expression and refers to types of learning that deal with nature, science, and technology in ways that explain how they relate to people’s lives. Some organizations that conduct this type of activity include aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, natural history museums, planetariums, and science centers.
Public Benefit
LCC funds must support activities that contribute to the cultural vitality of the community rather than benefiting any private individual or group. However, this does not mean that a large crowd of people needs to participate to satisfy the public benefit requirement. Whenever possible, activities funded by LCCs should be available to the public or community by exhibit, performance, demonstration, reading, or other means. An important component of public benefit is advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
Non-Discrimination
In accordance with state law, LCCs may not discriminate against applicants based on race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, or age, nor may they fund projects that discriminate based on these attributes.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that persons with disabilities have access to public programs or services on an equal basis with the rest of the general public.
Northborough Cultural Council prioritizes grant applicants to assure direct benefit to the Northborough community. The activity must take place in Northborough, be advertised and open to the public, and must be accessible to everyone.
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Reimbursement Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Assabet Valley Mastersingers, Inc. | If We Come Together | $500 | Bates III, Davis R. | Generations of Fun: An Inter-Generational Summer Reading Performance | $250 | Benton, Zachary | In Concert: Melodious Zach | $200 | Charles River Sinfonietta, Inc. | Chamber Music for Northborough Applefest in 2025 | $400 | Hayden, Lisa | Art of the Wetlands | $400 | Hurlbut, Steven M. | Jumpin' Juba Library Concert | $200 | Kirouac, Daniel | Creeque Alley: A Tribute to American Folk Music and 60's Folk Rock | $400 | MUSIC Dance.edu | Hip Hop Chair Dance for Seniors! | $150 | MUSIC Dance.edu | I am Autistic I am Fantastic - The Musical | $200 | Marguerite E. Peaslee Elementary School PTO, Inc. | SkyDome Mobile Planetarium | $350 | Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild, Inc. | The Massachusetts High School Drama Festival | $550 | Meetinghouse Arts Center Northborough | Meetinghouse Arts Center Concert Series | $250 | Newman, Howard | Knock on Wood, acoustic folk-rock duo | $192 | Northborough Area Community Chorus Inc | "All That & Jazz" - NACC Spring Concert | $500 | Northborough Community Affairs Committee | 2025 Summer Concert Series | $600 | Northborough Senior Center | St. Patrick's Day Guitar Soloist | $100 | Northborough Senior Center | A HISTORY OF FRAUD THROUGH THE AGES | $100 | Northborough Senior Center | The Lizzie Borden Trial | $100 | Northborough Town Common Committee | Family Music at the Applefest Farmer's Market | $300 | Robert E. Melican Middle School | Chariot of the Sun | $500 | Rockin' the Boroughs | This Magic Moment | $300 | Silvia, Elizabeth | The Banannies! | $200 | Women of Note, Inc. | Women of Note 2024-2025 Concert Series | $450 | Worcester Writers' Collective | Worcester Writers' Collective Writing Events | $100 | York, Matt | Johnny Cash - Songs & Stories w/ Matt York | $200 |
