Rochester Cultural Council
The Rochester Cultural Council is a group of volunteers appointed by the Rochester Select Board for three year terms. Our mission is to promote excellence, access, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences in order to enhance the quality of life in Rochester. The Rochester Cultural Council strives to achieve these goals by diligently evaluating grant requests and allocating the funds provided by the Mass Cultural Council to projects best serving Rochester residents.
Contact
Kate Duggan - Chairperson
rochesterculturalcouncil@gmail.com
508-763-3871
https://www.townofrochestermass.com/cultural-council
Address
1 Constitution Way
Rochester, MA 02770-2036
Connect on Social
Facebook
Application Information
FY26 Allocation
TBD
FY26 Local Priorities
The first item below is a Mass Cultural Council requirement; we are emphasizing it here because it is important to us.
– All events must be accessible to individuals with disabilities.
Additionally, the Rochester Cultural Council will prioritize funding for projects that address the following:
– Projects or events that will directly benefit Rochester residents by being held in the town. Other events must be hosted in surrounding towns which are easily accessible to Rochester residents.
– Projects that are free to participants or available at a reduced rate.
– We strive to support proposals appealing to a large range of ages.
FY26 Local Guidelines
The Rochester Cultural Council has created a document titled ‘Grantwriting Tips.’ These slides will present the RCC application questions and provide details and advice on how to answer them fully, giving you the best chance of conveying your project idea and getting funded. You can access this file at the following link: https://bit.ly/RCCTips
Additional guidelines are:
– To the best of your ability, provide the proposed date, time and location of the event.
– Projects should have a clear, justified budget request.
– If working with another entity (library, school, etc.) it is strongly recommended to provide a statement of support showing the cooperating organization has accepted the program and is partnering with you.
– If your proposed project has a track record of success in this or another venue (well advertised, well attended, well liked), tell us about it! Include letters of recommendation from past events, photos supporting the event or demonstrated planning with your RCC application.
– Include a good back up plan(s). If the event is susceptible to changes (i.e. sickness, weather), what will you do to still reach your audience?
How Grant Recipients Are Paid
Direct Grants
FY25 Funding List
| Name | Project Title | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Acushnet Public Library | Summer Concert Series | $250 | Education Committee of the Mattapoisett Land Trust | MLT Education Committee Educational Programs FY 2025 | $500 | Evans, Midori | South Coast (MA and RI) Writing Events Calendar | $150 | Friends of Old Rochester Drama, Inc. | Ready, Built the Set, Go! | $500 | Marion Art Center, Inc. | Crocodile River Music at the MAC | $200 | Mattapoisett Historical Society | Mattapoisett Museum Wampanoag Exhibit | $450 | New Bedford Festival Theatre, Inc. | New Bedford Festival Theatre Summer Academy 2025 | $100 | Old Colony Cougars PTO, Inc | Music and Traditional Art at the Old Colony PTO Fall Family Festival | $400 | Onset Bay Association, Inc. | Onset Chalk-Full-O-Fun Festival | $150 | Rochester Council on Aging | Rochester COA Outdoor Summer Concert Music Series | $900 | Rochester Historical Society, Inc. | The Tools & Industries That Made Rochester | $200 | Rochester Memorial School Parent-Teacher Organization, Inc. | Taiko Thunder Japanese Drumming | $500 | Sippican Choral Society, Inc. | An Anniversary Concert: 60's Songs for 60 Years | $250 | SouthCoast Children's Theatre, Inc. | SCCT Presents "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical" | $250 | The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, Inc. | Terrapin Turtle Headstart Program in Rochester Schools | $375 | The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance, Inc. | Salt, the Humpback Whale, goes to School | $325 | York, Matt | Willie Nelson - Songs & Stories w/ Matt York | $300 |
