The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) is seeking applications for the Opportunity Fund.
Donor Name: Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC)
State: Massachusetts
City: Boston
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/16/2025
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
This grant is designed to help artists take advantage of immediate opportunities to showcase their work through a quick, easy-to-complete application (about 20 minutes). Many artists and cultural workers may already have an upcoming project they are planning that could be eligible. Funds may support all or part of a confirmed project that is publicly accessible, offers a clear community benefit, and is entirely free to participants and audience members. Applicants are encouraged to share how their work promotes inclusion, representation, and shared cultural experience.
Recipients will be selected through a weighted lottery process, which ensures timely processing of applications while prioritizing equity in the distribution of funds. Weighted priority given to
- Performing artists
- Individuals from low-income backgrounds or experiencing financial insecurity
- Creative workers living in Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, and Roxbury
- Creative workers proposing projects in the neighborhoods where they reside
Funding Priorities
- Creative workers with an individual annual income under 80% of the median household income in Boston ($92,650)
- Creative workers with an individual annual income under 30% of the median household income in Boston ($34,750)
- Performing artists
- Applicants who did not receive the Opportunity Fund in last year’s application cycle.
- Residents in neighborhoods who live in the following neighborhoods: Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, and Roxbury
- Creative workers proposing projects in the neighborhoods where they reside
- Creative community-centered experiences planned in the neighborhoods listed above
Funding Information
Grants of $3,000 to individuals who are presenting creative, community-centered experiences in Boston’s neighborhoods.
Eligibility Criteria
Individual applicants should meet all of the following criteria to be eligible.
- You are 18+ years of age
- You are an active working individual artists, creative/cultural workers, teaching artists, and cultural practitioners of all artistic backgrounds and disciplines
- You are currently a resident of the city of Boston, and have lived in the city of Boston for at least one full year at the time of this application
- You are not currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student or graduate student
- Due to limited funding and the goal to partner with a diverse range of arts stakeholders, the following are ineligible for this grant:
- Previous Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grantees who received over $20,000 in total.
For more information, visit MOAC.
