Boston Cultural Council Organizational Grant 

The Boston Cultural Council (BCC) distributes general operating grants annually to small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations whose work strengthens Boston and its communities. 

 KEY GRANT INFORMATION

Grant Cycle: Fiscal Year 2027

Grant amounts: $10,000, $7,500, and $5,000

Funding Type: General Operating

Source of Funding: Mass Cultural Council and Barr Foundation

Total funding available: $500,000

Eligible Budgets: Under $2 million

Application opens: Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Application deadline: Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Office Hours/Q&A: Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 3:00-4:00PM & Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 10:00-11:00AM. You can access office hours using this link. 

Anticipated Notification: Early March 2027

Anticipated payment: End of April 2027

Program Contact: For questions regarding the BCC Organizational Grant, please email BCC@Boston.gov and use the subject line, “Question about BCC Grant Application” or leave a message at 617-635-4445.

BCC ORGANIZATIONAL GRANT OVERVIEW

The Boston Cultural Council (BCC) distributes general operating grants annually to small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations whose work strengthens Boston and its communities. 

The grant supports nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored groups, including artist collectives, with annual operating budgets under $2 million. General operating funding provides flexible support for an organization’s overall mission, operations, and capacity building. 

The BCC Organizational Grant works alongside other programs within the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) to help ensure that all Boston residents have access to and can participate in arts and culture as a part of daily life, regardless of background, income, or neighborhood. 

Grant Goals

The BCC Organizational Grant aims to build a more just, inclusive, and accessible arts sector. To advance this vision, BCC supports small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations that: 

1. Strengthen Boston’s Cultural Life: Foster meaningful and innovative arts and cultural work that helps make arts and culture part of everyday life.
2. Center Community-rooted Arts Organizations: Are rooted in their communities and expand opportunities for communities to create, sustain, and shape Boston’s cultural life.    
3. Advance Arts and Culture for the Common Good: Harness the power of arts and culture to address social and economic inequities and strengthen Boston’s communities. 

Equity-Centered Strategy 

BCC seeks to address inequities in arts funding across the city. ​A ​2016 study published by The Boston Foundation​ found that while small to mid-sized organizations make up 86% of Boston's arts sector, they receive disproportionately less funding compared to larger institutions. 

To address this imbalance, the BCC Organizational grant is limited to arts organizations in the Boston arts ecosystem with annual budgets under $2 million. BCC directs the majority of grant funds to organizations with the smallest budgets. 

Equity is embedded throughout the grant strategy and process. It shapes how BCC allocates public funding, designs the application and review process, reduces barriers to participation, and expands access to opportunities for communities that have historically been excluded from arts funding and cultural resources.

FY27 Focus Areas  

Within this broader strategy, BCC has identified the following three focus areas in response to current needs within Boston’s cultural ecosystem. These focus areas will help inform funding decisions among qualified applicants.  

1. Expanding Access: Organizations expanding access to arts and cultural opportunities for all Boston neighborhoods, especially communities that have historically experienced barriers to arts resources, experiences, and participation. 
2. Creative Career Pathways: Organizations providing paid learning and employment opportunities that support people entering creative careers, such as apprenticeships, internships, fellowships, mentorships, youth employment, and other paid professional development opportunities. 
3. Organizational Instability: Organizations navigating significant financial, operational, or space-related challenges that affect their ability to continue their work. These challenges may result from systemic underinvestment, displacement, rising costs, loss of funding, or other external circumstances. Applicants will have an opportunity to describe these circumstances and their potential impact on the organization and its community. 

All applications will be considered based on their alignment with the grant’s goals. Applicants do not need to align with a focus area to be considered for funding. Importantly, organizational instability is not a requirement or expectation; organizations will not receive less consideration for being financially or operationally stable. 

About the Boston Cultural Council

The BCC is a 7+ member volunteer council of Boston residents and is facilitated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC). Working in partnership with MOAC, the Council helps shape the strategic direction of the grant program and provides final approval of grant recommendations. Council members are selected based on their lived experience within Boston’s arts, cultural, and creative communities and their demonstrated commitment to cultural equity.

BCC ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Is My Organization Eligible?  

An organization or fiscally sponsored group may apply if all four statements are true: 

• Your organization’s annual operating budget is under $2 million, based on the most recently completed fiscal year.
• Arts, culture, or creative expression is central to your mission and programming.
• Your organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit  or works with an eligible fiscal sponsor.
• Your organization is based in Boston or provides at least 50 percent of your public programming within the city of Boston.

Organizations may submit one application per funding cycle. Organizations that are not based in Boston must demonstrate meaningful relationships with Boston communities and provide examples of how their work benefits Boston and its residents.

Who is Not Eligible?

BCC does not provide grants to: 

• Individuals 
• K-12 schools or K-12 school foundations
• Main Streets organizations
• Colleges or universities, or organizations/programs affiliated with colleges or universities
• “Friends of” organizations whose primary purpose is to support a government entity
• Religious or faith-based organizations and programs, due to the general operating nature of this grant. Religious organizations can serve as fiscal sponsors as long as they are not receiving any of the funds provided.

What can’t grant funds support?

Grant funding may not be used for:

• Salaries or stipends for employees of the Boston school system, library, parks department, or any other municipal agency
• Capital expenditures for schools, libraries, and other municipal agencies
• Any activity, service, or operations that discriminate on the basis of race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, or age
• The purchase of alcohol

As a reminder, this is not a program-specific grant. The BCC Organizational Grant is a general operating grant intended to support the overall operations of an organization, rather than a particular project or program.

Individual artists may be eligible for other funding opportunities through the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. To learn about additional opportunities within MOAC, please visit our website, follow us on social media, and  sign up for our newsletter. 

GRANT AMOUNTS

Organizations apply based on their annual operating expenses from their most recently completed fiscal year, as outlined below. 

• Tier 1: up to $10,000Organizations with budgets less than $500,000 qualify for Tier 1.*
• Tier 2: $7,500Organizations with budgets between $500,000 and $999,999 qualify for Tier 2. 
• Tier 3: $5,000Organizations with budgets between $1,000,000 and $2,000,000 qualify for Tier 3. 

Organizations selected for funding receive the full grant amount associated with their budget category. The Boston Cultural Council is committed to directing the greatest share of available funding toward organizations with the smallest operating budgets. 

*For organizations with annual operating expenses below $10,000, the grant amount will equal the organization's annual operating expenses from its most recently completed fiscal year. For example, an organization with $7,500 in annual operating expenses will receive $7,500. 

HOW TO APPLY

Application Checklist 

Applicants will need the following prepared: 

• Account registration with Submittable.com
• The organization's mission statement 
• Information about the organization’s arts and cultural work as it connects to Boston communities
• Most recent financial information, such as the most recently completed fiscal-year actuals. If helpful, you can upload your completed  budget using the BCC budget template
• A completed W-9, 501(c)(3) designation letter, or required documents from your fiscal sponsor
• Up to three support materials such as brochures, flyers, images, testimonials, or other collateral that demonstrate your programming and mission (optional)

Application Forms and Submission

BCC uses Submittable for all grant applications. The FY27 BCC Organizational Grant can be found below. You can also use the link to the paper application below to view the questions in advance of starting an application. 

If you are a first-time applicant, you will need to create an account with Submittable. Grant updates and final reports will be made through this account, so we recommend using a general organizational email address and password that multiple people can access. 

While we strongly prefer to have all proposals submitted online, we also accept handwritten hard copies using our paper application. Hard copies can be picked up in MOAC’s office: 26 Court Street, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02108.

Application Deadline + Technical Issues

The application deadline is Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. 

If you are submitting a hand-written hard copy, it must be received via mail no later than October 15 at 5:00 p.m., or hand-delivered to MOAC’s office by 5:00 p.m. on October 15. MOAC’s office can be found at: 

Attn: Samantha Rose Hale

Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture

26 COURT STREET 

FLOOR 2

BOSTON, MA 02108

Late applications will not be accepted, and MOAC staff cannot assist with incomplete applications after 5:00 p.m. We recommend submitting before the deadline so there is time to resolve any technical problems. 

Sending notice of a technical issue does not extend the application deadline. If you experience a technical problem close to the deadline, email BCC@boston.gov before the deadline and include:

• A copy of the completed application
• A screenshot or description of the technical problem
• The name of the organization
• Applicant contact information

APPLICATION SUPPORT AND ACCESSIBILITY 

We have a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) that you can access here and on our website. We will be updating it weekly to include the questions applicants are sending in and their answers, in case that information is helpful to other applicants. 

If your question is not resolved through the FAQ, or you would like to meet with a staff member, the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture will host office hours for applicants to discuss the BCC Organizational Grant and its application. The office hours schedule is as follows:

• Wednesday, September 16, 2026 from 3:00-4:00PM 
• Tuesday, October 6, 2026 from 10:00-11:00AM

You can access office hours using this link.

Arts Action Consortium

MOAC is collaborating with the Arts Action Consortium  to support applicants of the Boston Cultural Council grant. AAC will offer one-on-one, 20-minute, personalized consultations to review written applications for content, context, and clarity to help ensure that applicants clearly communicate the details and impact of their proposed projects in their applications.

AAC’s support may include:

• Brainstorming and refining concepts and goals
• Providing guidance on budgets and budget narratives
• Reviewing drafted application narratives for content, context, clarity, and alignment
• Offering feedback on how effectively the application communicates its community impact, artistic vision, and intended outcomes
• Identifying opportunities to strengthen or clarify information before submission

Please note, AAC does not write grant applications on behalf of applicants. Applicants are responsible for developing and submitting their own materials. AAC’s role is to provide guidance, feedback, and strategic support throughout the application process.

Please click here to sign up for a personalized consultation session.

Accessibility and Accommodations

Interpretation and translation services and disability accommodations are available to you at no cost in English | Español | Kreyòl ayisyen | 繁體中文 | Tiếng Việt | 简体中文 | Kriolu | العربية | Русский | Português | Français | Af Soomaali here. You can view our Notice of Accommodation (available in multiple languages) for more information.

If you need accommodations, assistance with your application, or if you have any further questions, please contact the grants team at BCC@Boston.gov with the subject line “Question about BCC Grant Application” or leave a message at 617-635-4445. A member from our grants team will follow up with you within 4-5 business days. Due to a high volume of applicants, we strongly suggest you attend an office hour if you have questions. 

REVIEW PROCESS

Applications are first reviewed for eligibility and completeness. Eligible applications are then scored using the evaluation rubric linked here and discussed by the Grant Advisory Team, which makes funding recommendations to the BCC board for final approval. All applicants will be notified of funding decisions in early spring 2027.

The BCC is committed to implementing transparent, equitable and inclusive grantmaking practices. The BCC Organizational Grant will be reviewed by a Grant Advisory Team made up of community members, MOAC staff, and other city department members. The aim of the Grant Advisory Team is to position community members as key decision makers on systems and structures that ultimately have the power to shape their lives and the well-being of their communities. 

Conflict of Interest

The Boston Cultural Council observes the Mass Cultural Council’s Conflict of Interest Policy regarding review panels. To ensure that all review panels are free from conflicts of interest, panelists are required to disclose any current or prospective affiliations they or their immediate family members have with an actual or potential applicant. “Affiliation” applies to employment, board memberships, independent contractual relationships, advisory or policy relationships, substantial contributor relationships, or other financial relationships. In addition, panelists are required to disclose any past or current adversarial relationships with actual or potential applicants. Panelists will not be permitted to participate in discussions or votes relating to applicants with whom they have an affiliation or relationship.

AFTER FUNDING DECISIONS

Reconsideration

An applicant may request reconsideration of a decision on its application if the applicant can demonstrate that the BCC failed to follow published application and review procedures. Reconsideration requests must be made in writing (email or hard copy) and sent to the Mass Cultural Council at the address below or to lcc@art.state.ma.us within fifteen (15) days of the notification date on the decision letter (postmark date on envelope or timestamp on email). Grant amounts cannot be reconsidered.

Mass Cultural Council 

Attn: Community Department 

10 St. James Avenue, 3rd Floor 

Boston, MA 02116-3803

Grant Payment

BCC grants will be made in full and up front in spring of 2027. All grantees will need to establish a Supplier ID before payment is processed. You can go here to learn how to create a Supplier ID (also sometimes referred to as a “Vendor ID”). Please email vendor.questions@boston.gov or call 617-961-1058 for additional assistance.

Grant Reporting

Grant reporting is required for all grant amounts. A final report form will be shared when grant funds are disbursed. 

Interested in exhibiting art on City of Boston property? The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture and the Boston Art Commission believe that public art is any artwork installed in publicly accessible spaces where they can be experienced by all for free. 

In order install artwork on City property, proposals must be reviewed and approved by both the Boston Art Commission and the City department that manages the site. Use the following form to begin the approval process. Once you submit your proposal, a member of the Public Art team will follow up with next steps. 

 If you have questions, contact us at BAC@boston.gov.

To explore current calls to artists and other opportunities, visit our website here. Please note that this form is not an application for funding but there are a couple of different options for finding funding through the City. 

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

BACKGROUND

The City of Boston recognizes the critical importance of Downtown Boston to the entire City. It has long been the heart of the city’s history and identity—a place where revolution and innovation shaped the nation. In the 21st century, Downtown can once again lead as a beacon of creativity and innovation by bringing a resurgence of the creative economy to  the neighborhood . This effort can foster a thriving cultural and economic hub in Downtown that celebrates Boston’s creative talent, entrepreneurial spirit, and technological advancement. By reimagining underutilized spaces, fostering arts-tech innovation, and providing accessible venues for artists, we will cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, and forward-looking Downtown. Downtown can act as a testing ground for other Boston neighborhoods to follow this model in the future. 

The long-term  vision for Creative Enterprise in Downtown Boston will attract diverse creators, residents, and businesses, fostering a community that both preserves Boston’s heritage and pushes the boundaries of what the city can become. Through collaborative partnerships, public programming, and incentives, new creative enterprises in Downtown Boston can redefine urban creativity, drawing in locals and visitors alike while reinforcing Boston’s role as a leader in the global creative economy.

Downtown Boston, with its central location, walkability, and proximity to cultural and innovation hubs, is ideally suited for a hub of creative enterprises. By uniting landowners, creatives, and city planners under a shared vision, we hope this can catalyze a long-term transformation, making Downtown a dynamic space for the cultural economy, commerce, and community and culture to reaffirm Boston’s identity as a city of creativity and progress.

Downtown Boston has long been a space of convergence—a meeting point of history, commerce, and culture. Now, it’s time to reimagine its potential as the heart of Boston’s creative future. Making Space for Culture is an invitation for visionary ideas to shape Downtown into a vibrant home for Creative Enterprise where arts, culture, and innovation thrive together.

We are seeking bold, transformative concepts from operators, cultural organizations, creative enterprises, and landowners to unlock Downtown Boston’s potential. Whether you’re an artist collective, an arts-tech innovator, or a property owner looking to breathe new life into your space, this is your opportunity to collaborate in revitalizing one of Boston’s most dynamic neighborhoods.

OBJECTIVES

• Economic Revitalization: Increased foot traffic, business opportunities, and new job creation in the creative industries.
• Community Gathering Spaces: Enhanced public spaces and community pride through active, accessible cultural programming.
• Innovation Ecosystem: Attraction of talent and investment from tech and creative sectors, solidifying Downtown as a cultural and economic leader.

View the RFI for Space for Creative Enterprise in Downtown