Opportunity Fund

The Opportunity Fund is a project-based grant initiative administered by the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC) in Boston, Massachusetts. The program is rooted in MOAC's broader mission to support artists and cultural workers as essential contributors to a vibrant and equitable society. Recognizing the role of arts in civic life and the importance of community-centered experiences, the fund offers direct financial support to individual artists and cultural workers who reside in Boston. The grant is specifically aimed at fostering inclusive creative expression across all neighborhoods through free and accessible public programming. Established in response to public demand for more neighborhood-specific cultural programming, the Opportunity Fund reflects the City’s commitment to empowering local artists as civic partners. Through streamlined application processes and equity-focused funding priorities, the fund seeks to lower barriers to participation while encouraging cultural expression that is reflective of Boston’s diverse communities. The program encourages applicants to design experiences that promote inclusion, representation, and shared cultural engagement. Examples of qualifying projects include dance classes, concerts, gallery exhibitions, cultural events, and arts education programs. All funded experiences must occur in publicly accessible, ADA-compliant venues within the City of Boston and be offered free of charge to the public. Funding for this opportunity is derived from MOAC's operating funds. Each selected applicant will receive a fixed grant of $3,000. Projects must take place between September 2, 2025 and August 31, 2026. Grants will be awarded and disbursed by December 31, 2025. Applicants may apply to fund projects that take place prior to the disbursement, although selection does not guarantee reimbursement. Individuals who previously received more than $20,000 from the City’s Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grants are not eligible for this program. Other restrictions include disallowing inherently religious programming and use of funds for alcohol purchases. Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria: they must be at least 18 years of age, identify as a working individual artist or cultural practitioner, reside in the City of Boston for at least one year at the time of application, and not be enrolled as a full-time student. Only individuals may apply; collectives and organizations are not eligible. City employees and their immediate families are also prohibited from applying. The application is intentionally short and designed to take no more than 20 minutes to complete via the Submittable platform. Applications are accepted from September 2, 2025 through October 16, 2025 at 5:00 PM. The review process includes verification of eligibility, followed by a weighted lottery system to prioritize equity in funding distribution. Additional lottery entries are granted to individuals from low-income backgrounds, performing artists, residents of specific neighborhoods including Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, and Roxbury, and applicants who have not received Opportunity Fund support in the most recent funding cycle. Selected grantees will need to establish a Supplier ID to receive payment and will be required to submit a final report on their project’s community impact. Accessibility accommodations and multilingual interpretation services are available upon request. Questions can be directed to artsgrants@boston.gov or by calling 617-635-4445.

Submit before the deadline to avoid technical issues. Contact staff with any issues before 5:00 PM deadline.