BACKGROUND

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture’s (MOAC) believes artists have a crucial role in creating a thriving, healthy community for all. Furthermore, MOAC is committed to ensuring that everyone has access to creative expression through lifelong arts programming across all Boston neighborhoods. To support this vision, the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant program was established to fund community-focused arts, cultural, and creative activations in public spaces that foster joy and strengthen community wellbeing across Boston neighborhoods. 

Who can apply?  

This fund is open to individuals, nonprofit organizations, collectives, fiscally sponsored groups, and businesses working with and alongside community partners to implement creative activations of various scales in Boston, with a priority for projects that center communities who have been impacted by long-standing systemic inequities.

What is a creative activation? 

Specific to this grant, a creative activation is an arts, cultural, and/or creative experience in a publicly accessible space that imagines and explores new possible uses for that space. This includes experiences that: 

• Transform the Space: Result in permanent or temporary changes to the physical, social, or atmospheric components of the space.
• Highlight Community: Center the social fabric, traditions, norms, and conversations within the community, showcasing its existing strengths and history.
• Incorporate Multiple Creative Elements: Demonstrate a variety of creative elements, cultural traditions, artistic disciplines, and community engagement processes.
• Engage and Benefit Residents: Are designed, planned, and executed in partnership with residents, local organizations, business owners, and workers, aiming to benefit those within and surrounding the space.

This grant is open to both existing creative activations that are ongoing and new activations that are being launched for the first time. General examples of creative activations include (but are not limited to): performance art, community celebrations, a community-led stage, interactive theater productions, film screenings with conversation, cultural festivals, arts and cultural markets, community dialogues that center the arts, a digital arts festival, and more. For examples of selected grantees in rounds one and two, please see here. 

Please read through the full grant description prior to applying. A strong application will fit the full criteria outlined in this description. 

THE BASICS

Contact: For questions regarding the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant, please email artsgrants@boston.gov with subject line “NDAG, round 4”. If phone is preferred, please leave a message at 617-910-0048, and someone from the grants team will be in touch with you. 

Funding Source: American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), Boston Planning and Development Public Impact Contribution Funds

Total Funds Available: Up to $5 million

Size of grants: 

• Cultural Festival: $5,000, one time grant
• Small-Scale Activation: Less than $20,000, one time grant
• Mid-Scale Activation: Less than $50,000, one time grant
• Large-Scale and/or Multiyear Activation: $50,000 - $100,000, one time grant and multiyear, up to 2 years

Additional Information

• Events and programs of all scales will be considered, including those with a budget under $10,000. Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a budget that is commensurate with their proposed activation. 
• Individuals with proposals over $50,000 are required to submit an application in partnership with a nonprofit organization or business.
• Pending on funds available, approved proposals may receive partial funding of the total requested grant amount. 
• For large, multiyear funding, we encourage applicants to list additional funders that you have either confirmed and/or are considering pursuing.
• There is a limited number of large, multiyear funding opportunities. 

ELIGIBILITY, CRITERIA, AND PRIORITIES  

Applicant Eligibility

Applicants need to meet all of the following criteria to be eligible: 

• Be an individual, non profit organization, collective, fiscally sponsored group, or a business working with and alongside community partners
• Be Boston residents or demonstrate that their project is led by partners and/or artists who are Boston residents 
• Have a direct relationship to the community or area in which the activation or program is taking place. This can include being from that community, having spent a significant amount of time working and building relationships in that place, etc. 

Project Requirements

• All projects and related programming are located in the City of Boston and are free and open to the public 
• Have a concrete location(s) in which the activation(s) will take place, even if the  place(s) is not yet confirmed. Project ideas that list entire neighborhoods will not be considered. 
• Demonstrate strong alignment with MOAC’s definition of creative activation as an arts, cultural, and/or creative experience in a publicly accessible space that imagines and explores new possible uses for that space. This includes experiences that: 
  • Transform the Space: Result in permanent or temporary changes to the physical, social, or atmospheric components of the space.
  • Highlight Community: Center the social fabric, traditions, norms, and conversations within the community, showcasing its existing strengths and history.
  • Incorporate Multiple Creative Elements: Demonstrate a variety of creative elements, cultural traditions, artistic disciplines, and community engagement processes.
  • Engage and Benefit Residents: Are designed, planned, and executed in partnership with residents, local organizations, business owners, and workers, aiming to benefit those within and surrounding the space.
• All events and programs funded by the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant are required to be accessible for persons with disabilities under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including additional accommodations to be made available upon request of any person who requires alternately formatted materials, auxiliary aids, or other accommodations.
• An evaluation plan to document and communicate the impact of the program to the public.

Permitting: All activations must obtain all required permits for the activation, separate from this grant program. For more information on permitting requirements and process, you can go here. 

Considerations and Priorities

Projects that include some or all of the these elements will be prioritized:

Location: 

• Priority will be given to activations that occur or include the following neighborhoods: Mattapan, Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park, East Boston, and Chinatown.

Public participation / co-creation: 

• Going beyond the public as an audience and strategically building opportunities for the public to contribute to the vision, creation, and enjoyment of the activation. 

Youth participation and training:

• Integrating outcomes for young people (ages 14 to 24) into the activation, facilitating opportunities for young people to inform and lead work, including opportunities to learn specific skills or gain career exposure.  

Partnerships and Collaborations:

• Authentic partnerships and collaboration that bring communities that are segregated due to race, income, or geographic boundaries, into conversation and cross-neighborhood collaboration with each other.  
• Applications from for-profit organizations that are partnered with non-profits, artists, or community groups will have priority over applications from for-profit organizations that do not have local non-profit partners.

What this does not fund:

• Fundraising events, advertising, or any activity that is primarily for the commercial benefit of one entity 
• Religious programs of any kind
• Ticketed events that have an entry fee (ticketed free events are eligible)
• Other foundations or grant-giving organizations
• Events that have taken place prior to the application deadline 

Evaluation and Reporting Requirements 

Once the activation(s) proposed is complete, grantee partners will be asked to complete a brief final report form, as well as a survey about the grant process. This will allow MOAC to improve our grantmaking processes in the future to better support community work. Some applicants will be required to meet with the Grants + Programs team periodically and to review the final report. 

APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE 

The application is available on Submittable here. Funds will support activations starting after November 1, 2024. All American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds must be in contract by the end of the calendar year 2024 and be fully spent by grantee partners by the end of calendar year 2026. Funds will be disbursed in 1-2 installments for one time grants and over 3 or more installments for multiyear grants. 

A condensed application process is as follows:

• Submit application via Submittable
• Initial review of application by the Grant Review Committee 
• Virtual Q&A / Conversation between applicant and grants team (only some applicants will be asked to join a conversation)
• Final Proposal and approval

Application Support

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture will host three virtual office hours for applicants to discuss the NDAG and its application. Office hours will be held on the following dates and times (dates include links to the office hour):

• Friday, August 30, at 12-1 p.m.
• Thursday, September 5, at 9-10 a.m.
• Wednesday, September 18 at 4-5 p.m.

Due Dates

Grant applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. The following quarterly due dates for applications in fiscal year 2024 are as follows: 

• Round 1: July 3, 2023 by 11:59 pm
• Round 2: October 31, 2023 by 11:59 pm
• Round 3: February 16, 2024 by 11:59 pm
• Round 4: September 23, 2024 by 11:59 pm 

Applications submitted after 11:59pm will not be accepted. A member of MOAC will inform all applicants on the status of their application within 10-12 weeks of the due date. If approved, payment can take up 30 days to process. 

Grant Review Committee

MOAC is committed to implementing transparent, equitable and inclusive grantmaking practices, including the way we determine and distribute funding. The Grant Review Committee (GRC) is a diverse cohort across age, race, cultural backgrounds, professional and lived experiences, artists and community members, ability, gender identity, and more. It is comprised of MOAC staff members and community members, positioning community members as decision makers on systems and structures that ultimately have the power to shape their lives and the well-being of their communities. 

Accessibility and Accommodations 

If you need accommodations or assistance with your application, please contact the grants team at artsgrants@boston.gov with subject line “NDAG, round 4,” or leave a message at 617-910-0048, and someone from the grants team will be in touch with you. 

Review Application Questions

Applications will be accepted through Submittable. If you would like to review application questions, you can see a pdf version of them below. Please be sure to read through the grant description in its entirety before applying, including criteria and project priorities, to assess if your activation proposal is a good fit for this grant program.  

APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• Application Questions for Individual Artist(s)
• Application Questions for Nonprofits & Businesses

Interested in creating public art in Boston?


Why am I completing this form?
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 everyone for free. In order to install art on public property, you will need approval from the Boston Art Commission and the department that owns the site.
Complete this form to start the approval process! Once you submit your application, the public art team will be in touch but you can reach out to us with questions at anytime! Please email us at BAC@boston.gov.

Please check out our website to see calls to artists and other opportunities! This form is not an application for funding but there are a couple of different options for finding funding through the city. You can also apply for the Opportunity Fund.

Boston Cultural Council Grant and Application Guidelines

Fall 2024, Fiscal Year 2025

Important:

PLEASE NOTE: the BCC Organizational Grant application can be found at the bottom of these guidelines, after scrolling past the BABEL Language Access Notice. Please read the full guidelines in advance of starting your application. You must scroll down the entire page to find the application. The application will be viewable in Submittable if you are logged in.
 

About the Boston Cultural Council and the Grant

The Boston Cultural Council (BCC) distributes general operating grants annually through the BCC Organizational Grant. These funds are sourced from the City of Boston’s Operating Budget, and the Mass Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency, to support small and mid-sized nonprofit and fiscally-sponsored organizations, as well as unincorporated entities and artist collectives. The goal is to foster innovative and original arts, cultural, and creative programming that: 1.) advances a vibrant, creative and just Boston and 2.) improves the quality of life in our city. The BCC grant program aims to work in tandem with other grant programs to ensure that all Boston residents can access and participate in arts programming and creative expression. 

The BCC is a 5+ member council composed of Boston residents and is facilitated by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC). Council members work in partnership with MOAC on the strategic direction of the grant program, and they also provide final approval of selected grantees. Council members are selected on the basis of their lived experience within Boston’s arts, cultural, and creative communities and their demonstrated commitment to cultural equity.
 

Our Commitment To Equity

To truly thrive, Boston must be an equitable city. The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) and the Boston Cultural Council acknowledge the systemic harm perpetuated by Boston’s arts sector. People of color in Boston have faced significant barriers to creative resources, space, and economic opportunity. We commit to an intersectional racial justice lens that uplifts those most harmed by systemic oppression and racism. We hold ourselves accountable to implement policies and programs that eliminate structural racism, embrace collective healing, and center BIPOC/ALAANA and LGBTQIA+ community members, as well as those who face discrimination due to their age, gender, disability, social status, neighborhood, citizenship status, and more. The BCC, in partnership with MOAC, envisions a vibrant and creative Boston, where everyone can access and participate in the arts.

BCC Grant Strategy and Priorities

Ensuring that BCC grants contribute toward its goals requires a deliberate focus on funding organizations that embody and advance cultural equity within Boston's arts ecosystem. BCC also seeks to address inequities in arts funding across the city. ​A ​2016 study published by The Boston Foundation​ highlights that while small to mid-sized organizations comprise 86% of Boston's arts sector, they receive disproportionately less funding compared to larger institutions. 

To counter this imbalance, the BCC prioritizes support for small to mid-sized arts organizations in the Boston arts ecosystem by focusing on organizations with annual budgets under $2 million, committing the majority of grant funds to those with the smallest budgets. Priority is given to organizations where arts and cultural programming are central to their mission. Only organizations who can demonstrate over 50% of their programming is located in the city of Boston are eligible for this grant. In summary, BCC is committed to fund small to mid-sized organizations that exemplify and promote cultural equity in the Boston arts ecosystem.

BCC Grant Categories and Eligibility

Grant Categories

Organizations may apply for grants up to a set limit, based on their organizational budget (total expenses from the most recently completed fiscal year). If an organization is selected as a recipient, they will receive the total amount they are eligible for in their budget category. The categories are:

Tier 1:  $5,000: Organizations with budgets between $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 qualify for Tier 1. 

Tier 2:  $7,500 Organizations with budgets between $500,000 to $1,000,000 qualify for Tier 2. 

Tier 3:  $10,000 Organizations with budgets less than $500,000 qualify for Tier 3. 

Eligibility: Who is Eligible to Apply?

• 501(c)(3) organizations with budgets under $2 million whose mission and programming demonstrates a clear commitment to foster and sustain the arts and/or cultural creative expression in any arts discipline
• Boston-based organizations or organizations not based in the City of Boston but whose primary programming takes place in Boston and demonstrates strong community partnership.  Reviewers will be looking for specific examples of public benefit to the people of Boston, and confirmation that the organization provides 50% or more of their programming in the city of Boston.
• Unincorporated groups can apply with a fiscal sponsor as long as they meet the rest of the eligibility criteria. This includes: artist collectives, volunteer groups, publications, and any other group jointly working toward common creative goals 
• Organizations can submit only one proposal per funding cycle
• Organizations with L3C designations are eligible to apply

Grant Fund Restrictions

Grant funding may not be used for the following items:

• To pay salaries or stipends for employees of the Boston school system, library, parks department, or municipality
• On capital expenditures for schools, libraries, and other municipal agencies
• On programming that discriminates or discourages participation on the basis of race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, sexual orientation, or age
• To purchase alcohol
   

Additionally, the BCC does not award grants to: 

• Individuals (Individual artists seeking funding from the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture may be eligible for the Opportunity Fund and the Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grant. Please see MOAC’s website for grant opportunities.) 
• K-12 schools or K-12 school foundations 
• Main Streets organizations
• Colleges or universities
• “Friends of…” organizations whose primary purpose is to support government entities
• Religious organizations or programs of any kind. Religious organizations can serve as fiscal sponsors as long as they are not receiving any of the funds provided.
   

How to Apply

Application Checklist 

• Account registration with Submittable.com
• Most recent financial information like a board approved budget or a budget completed using the BCC budget template
• Financial documents such as Forms 990 or 1023 that contain your organization’s EIN, year of formation, and NTEE code (if applicable)
• Materials for the online application including your organization’s mission statement 
• Up to three support materials such as brochures, flyers, images, testimonials, or other collateral that demonstrates your programming and mission

Application Forms and Submission

BCC uses Submittable for all grant applications. The FY25 BCC Organizational Grant application can be found here. If you would like to review the application questions in advance of starting an application, you can go here. 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 an email address that is generic for your organization - something that multiple people have access to. While we strongly prefer to have all proposals submitted online, we also accept hand-written hard copies using our paper application. Hard copies can be picked up in the MOAC’s office: 1 City Hall Square, Boston, MA 02108 (Eighth floor, Room 802).

Application Opening and Deadline

We have an 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 all 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:

• Monday, September 9th from 5-6PM EST
• Wednesday, September 25th from 12-1PM EST
• Thursday, October 10th from 9AM-10AM EST
   

You can access office hours using this link.
 

If you have any further questions, please email BCC@Boston.gov with the subject line “Question about BCC Grant Application.” Answers to these questions will be added to the FAQ. If you need accommodations or assistance with your application, please contact BCC@Boston.gov. If you would prefer to call, please call 617-635-2787.

Review Process

Once received, grant applications are initially reviewed for eligibility and completeness. If eligible and complete, applications are assigned for review, scored via an scoring rubric, discussed and selected by the Grant Advisory Team, and approved by the BCC board. All applicants will be notified of BCC funding decisions in the spring and grants will be disbursed in the spring and summer of 2025. 

The BCC is committed to implementing transparent, equitable and inclusive grantmaking practices. The BCC Organizational Grant review process will engage MOAC’s Grant Advisory Team, a cohort of diverse stakeholders inclusive of community members and MOAC staff. 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.
 

Evaluation Criteria

Once basic eligibility is met, proposals will be evaluated based on a set criteria. Please see the scoring rubric (linked above) as part of our full guidelines to learn more.

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 disapproval letter (postmark date on envelope or timestamp on email). No reconsideration may be requested by grantees regarding their grant size.

Mass Cultural Council 

Attn: Community Department 

10 St. James Avenue, 3rd Floor 

Boston, MA 02116-3803

Grant Payment

During the 2024-2025 grant cycle, all Boston Cultural Council grants will be made in full and up front. Grant reporting is required for all grant amounts. All grantees must establish a Supplier ID before payment is processed. You can go here to learn how to create a Supplier/Vendor ID. Please email vendor.questions@boston.gov or call 617-961-1058 for additional assistance.

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 interests, 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.

BABEL NOTICE
English: IMPORTANT! This document or application contains important information about your rights, responsibilities and/or benefits. It is crucial that you understand the information in this document and/or application, and we will provide the information in your preferred language at no cost to you. If you need them, please contact us at arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov  or 617-635-4445.

Spanish-Español: !IMPORTANTE! Este documento o solicitud contiene información importante sobre sus derechos, responsabilidades y/o beneficios. Es fundamental que usted entienda la información contenida en este documento y/o solicitud, y le proporcionaremos la información en su idioma preferido sin costo alguno para usted.  Si lo necesita, póngase en contacto con nosotros en el correo electrónico arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov  o llamando al 617-635-4445.

Haitian Creole -Kreyòl ayisyen: AVI ENPÒTAN! Dokiman oubyen aplikasyon sa a genyen enfòmasyon ki enpòtan konsènan dwa ou, responsablite ou, ak/oswa benefis ou yo. Li enpòtan ke ou konprann enfòmasyon ki nan dokiman ak/oubyen aplikasyon sa a, e n ap bay enfòmasyon an nan lang ou pi pito an gratis pou ou.  Si w bezwen yo, tanpri kontakte nou nan arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov oswa 617-635-4445.

Traditional Chinese - 繁體中文: 非常重要！這份文件或申請表格, 包括關於您的權利、責任和／或福利的重要信息。請您務必完全了解這份文件, 或申請表格的全部信息，以及我們會以您選擇的語言，免費向您提供信息。如果您有需要，請聯繫我們 arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov  電話# 617-635-4445。

Vietnamese - Tiếng Việt: QUAN TRỌNG! Tài liệu hoặc đơn yêu cầu này chứa thông tin quan trọng về các quyền, trách nhiệm và/hoặc lợi ích của bạn. Việc bạn hiểu rõ thông tin trong tài liệu và/hoặc đơn yêu cầu này rất quan trọng, và chúng tôi sẽ cung cấp thông tin bằng ngôn ngữ bạn muốn miễn phí. Nếu bạn cần những dịch vụ này, vui lòng liên lạc với chúng tôi theo địa chỉ arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov  hoặc 617-635-4445.

Simplified Chinese - 简体中文: 非常重要！这份文件或申请表格, 包括关于您的权利、责任和／或福利的重要信息。请您务必完全了解这份文件, 或申请表格的全部信息，以及我们会以您选择的语言，免费向您提供信息。如果您有需要，请联系我们 arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov   电话# 617-635-4445。

Cabo Verdean Creole - kriolu: INPURTANTI! Es dukumentu ó aplikason ten informason inpurtanti sobri bu direitus, rasponsabilidadis  i/ó benefísius. Ê krusial ki bu intendi informason na es dukumentu i/ó aplikason ó nu ta da informason na língua di bu preferênsia sen ninhun kustu pa bó. Si bu prisiza del, kontata-nu na arts@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov  ó  617-635-4445.

  Arabic - العربية
              تنبيه هام! يحتوي هذا المستند أو طلب على معلومات هامة عن حقوقك و/ أو مسؤولياتك و/ أو منافعك. من المهم أن تفهم المعلومات الواردة في هذا المستند و/ أو طلب، وسوف نوفر لك هذه المعلومات بلغة اختيارك دون تحملك أي تكلفة. إذا كنت بحاجة إلى ذلك، يرجى الاتصال بنا على العنوان arts@boston.gov،
              أو LCA@boston.gov، أو رقم الهاتف 6176354445.


Russian -Русский:  ВАЖНО! В этом документе или заявлении содержится важная информация о ваших правах, обязанностях и/или льготах. Для нас очень важно, чтобы вы понимали приведенную в этом документе и/или заявлении информацию, и мы готовы бесплатно предоставить вам информацию на предпочитаемом вами языке. Если Вам они нужны, просьба связаться с нами по адресу электронной почты arts@boston.gov,  LCA@boston.gov, либо по телефону 617-635-4445.

Portuguese - Português:  IMPORTANTE! Este documento ou formulário contém informações importantes sobre os seus direitos, responsabilidades e/ou benefícios. É importante compreendê-las; podemos fornecê-las gratuitamente no idioma de sua preferência. Para solicitar, fale conosco: arts@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov ou 617-635-4445.

French - Français: IMPORTANT ! Ce document ou cette demande contient des informations importantes concernant vos droits, responsabilités et/ou avantages. Il est essentiel que vous compreniez les informations contenues dans ce document et/ou cette demande, que nous pouvons vous communiquer gratuitement dans la langue de votre choix. Si vous en avez besoin, veuillez nous contacter à arts@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov ou au 617-635-4445.

Somali - Af Soomaali: MUHIIM AH! Dukumintigaan ama arjigaan waxaa kujira macluumaad muhiim ah oo ku saabsan xuquuqdaada, waajibaadkaaga iyo/ama dheefahaaga. Aad ayey muhiim u tahay inaad fahamto macluumaadka ku qoran dukumintigan iyo/ama dalabkan, waxaana ku siin doonnaa macluumaadka ku qoran luqadda aad doorbidayso iyadoo aan lacag lagaa qaadaynin. Haddii aad u baahatid iyaga, fadlan nagala soo xiriir arts@boston.gov, LCA@boston.gov  ama 617-635-4445.