The Westborough Cultural Council makes grants to support the cultural enrichment and creative opportunities that provide diversity and availability to all residents of their town.
Donor Name: Mass Cultural Council
State: Massachusetts
Town: Westborough
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 10/17/2022
Size of the Grant: $8,900
Details:
Cultural life helps to define community’s character and purpose and the Westborough Cultural Council’s efforts bring meaningful programs and events to Westborough that further promote Westborough as a thriving hub of activity in the Commonwealth.
As a community festival and as a means to raise local funds to support the arts and culture in Westborough, the Westborough Cultural Council created ARTS IN COMMON (AIC) a free town-wide arts event. AIC is an opportunity for the entire community to join together in celebration of art, music, dance, food and fun. The twelfth anniversary of ARTS IN COMMON will be held on October 1, 2022 on Bay State Common in Westborough.
2023 Local Priorities
- They intend to encourage area performers and artisans of all ethnicities, religions, sexes and ages.
- They will request public feedback to ensure the Cultural Council is effectively supporting the cultural needs of the community.
- They will continue to request an appropriation from Annual Town Meeting, not only for its spending power but as a further measure of community support. They have found that town funding gives you validity when seeking other local support and sponsorships.
- They will accept grant applications for events scheduled at a distinct location on a specific date in Westborough or, in the case of field trips, originating and terminating in Westborough. Events must be advertised as open to the public and handicapped accessible.
- It will be their objective to have sufficient funds to grant some support to every approved grant. They also try to apply town funds to approved grants from Westborough-based organizations.
- They will continue to encourage grant applications from new sources, but they will not turn down applications from groups who have had previous grants. However, they will limit the number of consecutive years the Council funds a grant to ensure the grantee does not become dependent on Cultural Council funding to support their organization or event.
- They will establish and maintain cordial relationships and advocacy with town governance, legislators and the MCC. They will be invited to Council events, such as their grant reception and ARTS IN COMMON.
- They will continue to market ARTS IN COMMON both as a popular community festival, as well as a source of locally raised funds to support grants and cultural events in Westborough.
- They will strive to maintain a membership of about a dozen volunteers and to include one or more high school students both as links to that community and as civic responsibility trainees.
- They will attend and monitor performances by grantees to determine their quality and fitness for future consideration.
- They will develop and publicize a calendar of cultural events for the community.
Funding Information
Grant amount: $8,900
Eligibility Criteria
- Types of grants. A Local Cultural Council may approve grants for a broad range of projects and programs, such as operating support, ticket subsidies, field trips, artist residencies, public art, fellowships, community events/programs, site specific projects, and other activities, based on local priorities. Each Local Cultural Council determines its own local eligibility requirements based on a community engagement process.
- Program eligibility. Applicants may apply for grants for programs that take place during an 18-month window of eligibility from July 1, preceding the application deadline in October, through December 31 of the following year. This means that applicants may apply for projects that have already happened or which happen prior to grant announcements, with the knowledge that funding is not guaranteed. Local Cultural Councils are authorized to establish a smaller window of eligibility; if they do so, they must publish the eligible dates in their council guidelines.
- Applicant eligibility. Applicants must reside or be located in Massachusetts. Local Cultural Councils may accept applications from anyone included in the following list:
- Individuals
- Incorporated private nonprofit organizations
- Unincorporated associations that can establish a nonprofit objective
- Public schools, libraries, other municipal agencies, and the Local Cultural Council itself
- Religious organizations.
2023 Local Guidelines
- Only grant applications meeting the following minimum requirements will be considered.
- Specific venue and date of event must be scheduled prior to submitting application.
- Event must be held in Westborough.
- Event must be open to the public and be so advertised.
- Event must be sponsored by a non-profit organization or be a non-profit event.
- Event must be handicap accessible.
- All field trips must be for the benefit of Westborough residents.
- Applications not meeting all the above criteria will be rejected.
- All applications meeting all of the above criteria will be considered and evaluated as in past years.
For more information, visit MCC.
