massculturalcouncil.org Local Cultural Council Program LCC Grant 2024
Organisation : Mass Cultural Council
Scholarship Name : Local Cultural Council Program LCC Grant 2024
Applicable For : located in Massachusetts
Application Deadline : 16th October 2024
Website : https://massculturalcouncil.org/communities/local-cultural-council-program/application-process/
What is Local Cultural Council Program?
The largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation, the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program enriches the cultural life of all cities and towns in Massachusetts. Led by municipally appointed volunteers, LCCs award $7.5 million every year, supporting 7,500 cultural programs that include everything from field trips to lectures, festivals, and dance performances. Contact your LCC to apply for a grant. Applicants must reside or be located in Massachusetts. Application Deadline is 16th October 2024.
Eligibility of Local Cultural Council Program
Types of grants:
** An LCC 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 LCC 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 between July 1, preceding the application deadline through December 31 of the following year.
** This means that applicants may apply for projects that have already happened or which happen prior to LCCs’ grant announcements, with the knowledge that funding is not guaranteed.
** LCCs are authorized to establish a smaller window of eligibility; if they chose to do so, the date range will be posted in their local priorities.
Applicant eligibility:
Applicants must reside or be located in Massachusetts. LCCs may accept applications from anyone included in the following list. LCCs are authorized to prioritize eligible applicant types or limit which types of applicants they fund; if they do so, they must publish the eligibility in their local guidelines:
Individuals : Individual applicants, which includes sole proprietors, must show that a public benefit results from the project for which they are applying.
Incorporated nonprofit organizations : Organizations incorporated as nonprofits with the Secretary of the Commonwealth.
Unincorporated associations : A group of individuals coming together with a common purpose (e.g., local community band, theater group) that do not have nonprofit status.
Incorporated for-profit organizations : For-profit organizations incorporated with the Secretary of the Commonwealth. This includes corporations, partnerships, and Limited Liability Companies (LLC). Applicants must show that a public benefit results from the project for which they are applying.
Tribal, federal, state, and municipal government organizations : This includes any governmental entity such as public schools, libraries, other municipal agencies, and the Local Cultural Council itself.
How to Apply for LCC Program?
Mass Cultural Council funds and manages a network of 329 Local Cultural Councils (LCCs) across the state, representing every city and town in the Commonwealth. Each LCC awards money based on individual community cultural needs, assessed and set by LCC members. Applicants apply directly to local councils.
Steps :
1. Read more about the LCC Program (below) and FAQs.
2. Check out Council Profiles to learn about local guidelines and priorities.
3. Watch the recorded walk-through of the program guidelines and online application.
4. Set up a user account and profile in the grants management system
5. Complete the online application by October 16, 2024 at 11:59pm (ET).
FAQ on Local Cultural Council Program
When do we find out if we are a recipient?
Typically in mid-January.
How are funds distributed?
If an applicant is awarded a grant from a Direct Granting LCC, they are paid once they complete the grant agreement package (forms sent by the LCC), and the LCC sends these documents to their Municipal Officer to process the payment.
If an applicant is awarded a grant from a Reimbursement-based LCC, grantees must first spend the money to then be reimbursed from LCC funds. LCCs specify the documentation needed for reimbursement within the approval letter they send to grantees. Grantees have one year from their award notification date to request reimbursement unless the LCC approves an extension.
Can LCC funds be used to purchase food?
The only restriction on our end is alcohol. Check with your LCC to see if they have any other restrictions on how funds can be spent.
Are grants awarded to projects that occur before grant announcements are made?
Yes — these are considered reimbursement grants. Projects can occur within an 18-month window (say July 1, 2024 to December 31, 2025). Please check with the LCC to see if their guidelines include a narrower timeframe.
We are an unincorporated group. Do we need to have a group bank account to receive funds?
Not necessarily. Some municipalities can issue checks.
After a program is completed, does the grantee need to complete and submit any paperwork to prove that they ran the program?
Yes, there will be a very brief final report due to LCCs.
What is the Application Deadline?
The Application Deadline is October 16, 2024 at 11:59pm (ET). Late applications cannot be accepted.