Creative Projects for Schools

Application Process

Creative Projects for Schools supports creative learning experiences in the arts, sciences, and humanities where K-12 students can uncover hidden talents, discover and express their own ideas, build confidence, explore the natural world, and connect to their history and community.

The program provides one-year grants of $5,000 to fund school-based projects for students taking place between September 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.

Además, usted también puede solicitar la traducción de los materiales de la aplicación y que estos se le sean enviados digitalmente. Este proceso tardará de 5 a 10 días hábiles.

Mass Cultural Council is happy to offer alternative formats, auxiliary aids, translation, interpretation, and other services necessary so that any individual can participate in Mass Cultural Council’s programs and services. Contact staff for help. To facilitate your request in a timely manner, please contact us at least three weeks before any Mass Cultural Council event or grant deadline.

Mass Cultural Council aims to build a diverse and equitable creative and cultural sector in the Commonwealth. To that end, historically underfunded organizations are encouraged to apply, including but not limited to Native American, Indigenous, or Urban Indian organizations, BIPOC organizations, d/Deaf & Disability organizations, and organizations serving vulnerable populations.

How to Apply

Review the program guidelines below, the Frequently Asked Questions, and a sample application (PDF).
Watch a recorded info session (including ASL interpretion). Attend drop-in on virtual office hours to ask staff questions. One-on-one support is also available.
Learn more about requesting an accommodation for accessibility or requesting translation services.
Create a user profile or login to your account in the grants management system. (See details under ‘Grants Management System’ below.)
Complete the online application which opens on September 5, 2024 and submit it by 11:59pm (ET) on October 10, 2024.

Questions? Email program staff or call 617-858-2735.

Program Guidelines

Who Can Apply

The following types of organizations are eligible:

Non-Profit School or Organization registered to do business in the Commonwealth, in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at time of application (not dissolved or revoked) and listed in the Corporate Division’s Business Entity database, OR is a Massachusetts organization registered with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division.
For-Profit School or Organization organized or registered to do business in the Commonwealth, in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at time of application (not dissolved or revoked) and listed in the Corporate Division’s Business Entity database, AND is one of the following: A Profit Corporation, Multiple-Member Limited Liability Company (including C Corporation, S Corporation, and Partnership LLCs), Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership. Single Member Limited Liability Companies and Sole Proprietorships are not eligible for this program.
Public School or other Government Entity such as a federally recognized Tribal, State, or Municipal government entity in Massachusetts.
Unincorporated Organization with a Massachusetts address, conducting 50% or more of its programming in Massachusetts, operating with an eligible fiscal agent. (Refer to Frequently Asked Questions for more guidance.)

Please note:

Each applicant can only submit one Creative Projects for Schools application.
- Schools must submit the application to work with organizations that partner with multiple schools.
Only one project can be hosted per school. If there are multiple applications submitted for projects with/at a school, the application from the school will receive priority and/or the highest scoring application will be kept, and the others deemed ineligible.
Organizations receiving funding from the following Mass Cultural Council Programs are not eligible to apply:

Organizations who applied to Operating Grants for Organizations can apply, but if your organization is awarded that grant, your application for this program will be declined. These organizations are still eligible to partner with the school as the primary applicant.

If you have any questions about whether your organization is eligible for this grant, contact us before starting the application.

Program Eligibility

You are eligible to apply if you have a project or activity that:

Primarily serves students and is operated by or in partnership with a Massachusetts public, charter, or private school serving grades K-12. You will be asked to provide name of school in application.
Incorporates the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences.
Takes place between September 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025.
Has a minimum project budget of $5,000 in cash expenses (including all indirect costs and overhead).
Is accessible to students with disabilities.
Does not include activities that are ‘inherently religious’ such as religious worship, instruction, and proselytization.
Does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

If you have any questions about whether your organization’s work is eligible for this grant, contact us before starting the application or refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for more guidance.

Review Process

Mass Cultural Council staff review all applications to confirm eligibility and funding priority details. If staff cannot verify an organization exists based on the application materials, the organization will be deemed ineligible. Mass Cultural Council will make every effort to ensure accuracy but cannot be held accountable for missing or incorrect information in the relevant sources.

If eligible applications exceed available funding, the funding prioritization and equitable distribution details below will be used to determine which applications will be funded.

Funding Prioritization

Funding prioritization is different from eligibility. If you meet the eligibility requirements, you are still encouraged to apply, even if you do not meet all, some, or any of the funding priorities.

Mass Cultural Council envisions a diverse creative and cultural sector that is valued as essential in the Commonwealth. To that end, priorities have been established to support programmatic practices that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion through our services to the sector. Prioritization will include the following:

Projects with schools in cities and towns that are below the state’s median household income and below statewide educational attainment. This includes but is not limited to places designated as Gateway Cities. A full list of these under-resourced communities is available.
Projects that hire and compensate Massachusetts artists, humanists and/or scientists.
Applicants that have not received funding from Mass Cultural Council in the last three fiscal years (FY24, FY23, FY22: July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2024), or that are applying to Mass Cultural Council for the first time.
BIPOC Centered Organizations or BIPOC Majority Schools. Please note that this prioritization will only be given to the primary applicant, which will be either the organization or the school:

- Organization applicants that self-identify as led by and serving people of the global majority — Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Latinx, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and all other ethnicities of color. Learn more about the agency’s racial equity plan. Applicants wishing to make this BIPOC Centered Organization identification will need to fill out a form in the Agency’s grants management system.

- School Applicants that are recognized by Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) with a 2024-2025 DESE School ID with student populations that are 50% or more Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color (BIPOC) as reported by Data Source (2023-2024). [See the 2023-24 Enrollment By Race Report (School)].

Equitable Distribution: Mass Cultural Council reserves the right to ensure equitable distribution of funding across the Massachusetts cultural sector – considering a variety of factors. This may include, but is not limited to, equitable distribution across county, city/town, discipline, project budget, and/or applicant type.

Please note, this program receives a high volume of applications, and not all eligible applicants are guaranteed funding.

In the event we cannot fund all eligible applications: After prioritization and equitable distribution considerations have been applied, if several applications are tied for the final available award(s), a lottery style randomization will be used to determine how the tie will be broken.

Application Components

Project Description

- Project description
- Project type
- Dates
- Accessibility plan
- Where the project will take place (location)
- The name of the school taking part in the project

Budget

An itemized budget showing any project expenses, including but not limited to, pay for teaching artists/scientists/humanists, professional development, planning time, materials, equipment, transportation, and overhead.

Timeline

Application Opens: September 5, 2024
Information Sessions: September 10 and September 12, 2024
Application Deadline October 10, 2024 (11:59pm ET)
Applicant Notification: Late November/Early December 2024
Contract Sent: December 2024
Final Report Due: July 17, 2025

Grant Payment

Grants will be paid to the applicant or the applicant’s listed fiscal agent. Grants cannot be transferred or redirected to a third party such as a cultural partner or co-applicant. If an applicant/fiscal agent is unwilling or unable to accept the grant funds, the grant will be cancelled, and the funds forfeited.

To receive the funds awarded through this program, grantees must complete the following documentation as three DocuSign documents.

Electronic Funds Transfer Form and W9 (single DocuSign form)
Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing Form
State Contract and attachments

If the information provided on the above forms is different than the information you provided in the application, and the change affects your organization’s eligibility to the program, your grant may be cancelled if it is not satisfactorily resolved. All the necessary documents will be emailed to grantees to complete. Grantees who do not have a bank account that the funds can be transferred to can notify the Contracts Officer at the time of award notification to request a mailed check. Grantees using a fiscal agent will not be paid directly, the fiscal agent will complete the contract and receive the payment on the grantees’ behalf.

Electronic deposits will be made to the grantee’s account (or a check will be mailed) 20-45 days after the grantee returns their contract. Mass Cultural Council will make every effort to expedite payments as quickly as possible.

Grant Requirements

Final Report
Grantees will be expected to complete a simple final report describing the use of their grant funds by July 19, 2025, for legislative reporting and advocacy purposes.
Acknowledgement of Funding
Grant recipients are required to credit Mass Cultural Council for funding. Attachment D of your contract package or the online Credit and Publicity Kit has more details.
Modifications and Cancellations
Grantees must notify Mass Cultural Council if the project will be scaled back, significantly altered, or will not take place. If it is anticipated that the grant funds will not be spent in full on the project, grantees return all unexpended funds to Mass Cultural Council, no later than May 2, 2025.

Legal and Other Requirements

Accessibility and Non-Discrimination Policies

Mass Cultural Council is committed to ensure that all personnel and service programs, policies, and practices will be formulated and conducted in a manner which will ensure equal access for all people and prevent discrimination not only as a matter of law, but also as a policy designed to encourage the participation of all segments of the Commonwealth’s population in Mass Cultural Council programs and services.

Mass Cultural Council is happy to offer applicants/grantees alternative formats, auxiliary aids, and services necessary so that any individual can participate in Mass Cultural Council’s programs and services. Contact our staff for help.

Mass Cultural Council is dedicated to creating a workplace, programs, and services that welcome, respect, and value people of all races, color, age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religions, creeds, ancestry, national origin, disability, and veteran status. Mass Cultural Council will not fund any organization or program that discriminates based on these attributes. We strive to reflect diversity in all activities, programs, and services removing any barriers to accessibility. Mass Cultural Council and its grantees are expected to comply with:

Mass Cultural Council’s grantees sign a contract (see contract requirements) certifying that they will comply with ADA and Section 504. Mass Cultural Council aims to help grantees understand their obligations and recognize the opportunities that increasing access can support both the public and the grantee. Additional information about Mass Cultural Council’s Accessibility Requirements and Compliance Tools for Grantees are located located in our Access Policy.

Reconsideration Policy

An applicant may request reconsideration of a Mass Cultural Council decision on their application if the applicant can demonstrate that Mass Cultural Council failed to follow published application and review procedures. Dissatisfaction with the results of a review does not constitute grounds for reconsideration.

The first step in the reconsideration process is to consult with the appropriate program staff to discuss the review process that concluded in Mass Cultural Council’s decision. If the applicant wishes to pursue a reconsideration, a request must be sent to Mass Cultural Council’s Executive Director, in writing, within 30 days of Mass Cultural Council’s notification to the applicant of its decision.

Grants Management System

All applicants should submit their applications through the online system. To create a profile in the system you must have an email address, which will be your username.

If you have not applied to Mass Cultural Council before and/or do not already have a user profile, complete a registration in the grants management system:

Go to the online system and click ‘Register’.
On the next page select ‘Organization’ to register your organization, school, town, or other group.
Your organization may already have a record in the system. Use the Organization name field to find and select your organization, then provide your contact information.
If your organization’s name is not listed, click the link at the top of the page to register your organization manually. There you will also provide your own contact information as well.
After completing the registration, you should receive an email to activate your account. The account must be activated within 24 hours. After clicking the activation link, you will be prompted to create a new 8-digit password.

If you have previously applied for a Mass Cultural Council grant using your email address, you may have a profile in the system already. Here’s how you can check to see if you already have a user profile:

Go to the online system and click ‘Forgot Password’.
Once you submit your email address, you will receive an email with a temporary password and a link to the site.
Copy the password to use on the login page, you will then be prompted to create a new password.
If you do not receive an email, you do not have an account and you should create one (see above), or you can contact the grants help desk for assistance.