Westport Cultural Council Community Grants Program

The Westport Cultural Council Community Grants program is a local funding initiative designed to support arts and cultural projects that engage and benefit the residents of Westport, Massachusetts. This program is administered by the Westport Cultural Council and consolidates two sources of funding—the Helen E Ellis Fund and the Carol Vidal Cultural Fund—into a unified grant pool. The goal is to streamline the grant application and administration process while enhancing the cultural vitality of the Westport community. The grants are made possible through the Helen E Ellis Charitable Trust, administered by the Bank of America, and the Westport Cultural Gift Fund, which is administered directly by the Westport Cultural Council. Helen E Ellis, an artist and long-time resident of Westport, established her charitable trust posthumously in 1978. Since 1992, her trust has supported the development of artistic and cultural expression through funding grants for the Westport Cultural Council. The Carol Vidal Cultural Fund, combined with the Ellis Fund, enhances the financial capacity of the Council to offer meaningful support to local initiatives. The Cultural Gift Fund, launched in 2023 through the generosity of an anonymous Westport family, aims to further expand resources available for the program. The WCC Community Grants aim to fund initiatives that directly involve the arts, interpretive science, or humanities, especially those that occur on the South Coast or highlight Westport’s creative talent and cultural assets. Projects that have a measurable impact on the local community, whether immediately or over time, are given priority. The Council is particularly interested in proposals that foster community engagement, promote cultural diversity, and avoid duplication of existing programs. Eligible applicants include individuals, nonprofit organizations, public schools, libraries, and religious groups, provided the projects serve the general public. Applications must include a letter of support from a partner organization, such as the Westport Community Schools, if the project involves collaboration. This requirement ensures alignment and support between collaborating institutions. The 2026 grant cycle for the WCC Community Grants will open for proposal submissions from February 1 through March 4. The Westport Cultural Council meets on the first Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. at the Town Hall Annex, where potential applicants can learn more about the grants and the application process. Although no separate pre-application phase is outlined, applicants are encouraged to prepare thoroughly by gathering required documentation and securing letters of support. The program does not outline a fixed total funding amount or specific award sizes, as the amount available for distribution may vary annually depending on the contributions received from the Helen E Ellis and Carol Vidal Funds. There is no stated requirement for cost matching, and awards may be used for a variety of purposes including tickets, operating support, school field trips, afterschool programs, artist residencies, concerts, and other cultural or educational activities.

The Council prioritizes projects that involve arts or cultural resources, promote local talent, avoid duplication, and have measurable impact on the Westport community.