Massachusetts Humanities Grants

This grant provides subsidized access to a newly renovated arts venue in Harvard Square, supporting organizations and artists from diverse backgrounds to enhance the arts and culture scene in Cambridge.

This grant provides financial support to individuals, artists, and community organizations in Worcester County to develop projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences that enhance the cultural landscape and benefit local residents.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations and cultural affiliates in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that deliver public cultural programming benefiting local residents.

This funding opportunity provides $5,000 to Massachusetts K-12 schools and organizations for creative projects in the arts, sciences, and humanities that engage students and promote equity and accessibility.

This grant provides $5,000 to support creative learning projects in Massachusetts schools that engage K-12 students in the arts, humanities, and sciences, particularly benefiting historically underfunded organizations and diverse communities.

This grant provides financial support to organizations in Massachusetts focused on education, food, health, and housing programs, particularly benefiting communities north of Boston.

The Sarah G. McCarthy Memorial Foundation is offering grants ranging from $10,000 to $100,000 for a one-year duration to charitable organizations in Peabody, MA, supporting various sectors including arts, education, health, and housing, with applications open until September 30, 2024.

The Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust provides grants to organizations that create programs relating to arts, music, crafts, conservation, wildlife and history preservation. Donor Name: Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 09/15/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Program Types Arts, Culture, & Humanities  Environment Guidelines  The Trustee will make decisions to award grants consistent with the general objectives of the Helen E. Ellis Charitable Trust, “with primary consideration to those programs which will confer a benefit upon the citizens of the towns of Westport and Dartmouth and the city of New Bedford, MA. With respect to proposals of equal merit, preference shall be accorded to those submitted by organizations located within the Town of Westport, MA.” The following types of requests may be submitted. Programs that provide educational or cultural experiences to children and/or adults in the towns of Westport and Dartmouth and the city of New Bedford The Foundation will consider applications for Programs that provide educational or cultural experiences to children and/or adults in the towns of Westport and Dartmouth and the city of New Bedford. Proposed programs must also relate to conservation, wildlife, history of the area, and/or the promotion of music, the arts, and crafts. For more information, visit Bank of America.

This fund provides financial support for educational, food, health, housing, and shelter programs in communities north of Boston, with a focus on organizations in cities like Lynn, Salem, and Gloucester.

This grant provides funding for arts, music, crafts, conservation, wildlife, and historical preservation programs that enrich the cultural experiences of residents in Westport, Dartmouth, and New Bedford, MA, with a focus on projects benefiting the community.

The Mass Cultural Council is accepting applications for its Festivals & Projects Grants. Donor Name: Mass Cultural Council State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/23/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Funding Prioritization Mass Cultural Council envisions a diverse creative and cultural sector that is valued as essential in the Commonwealth. To that end, priorities have been established to support programmatic practices that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion through the services to the sector. Prioritization will include the following: Festivals, projects, or activities that significantly incorporate, and/or are primarily focused on arts, humanities, or sciences. Festivals, projects, or activities that align with the agency values of public service and inclusion. Applicants that have not received funding from Mass Cultural Council in the last three fiscal years (FY24, FY23, FY22: July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2024), or that are applying to Mass Cultural Council for the first time. Applicants participating in the Agency’s Card to Culture. Festivals, projects, or activities that are free to the public. Applicants that self-identify as led by and serving people of the global majority — Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Latinx, Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, and all other ethnicities of color. Applicants wishing to make this BIPOC Centered Organization identification will need to fill out a form in the Agency’s grants management system. Festivals, projects, or activities in cities and towns that are below the state’s median household income and below statewide educational attainment. This includes but is not limited to places designated as Gateway Cities. Applicants operating under parent entities are advised that, if demand exceeds available funding, Mass Cultural Council may limit the number of grants awarded to any one parent organization. Funding Information Festivals & Projects provides one-year grants of $2,500 to fund activities that provide public benefit using the arts, humanities, or sciences, taking place between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Who can apply? The following organizations are eligible to apply: Non-Profit Organization: registered to do business in the Commonwealth, in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at time of application (not dissolved or revoked) and listed in the Corporate Division’s Business Entity database, OR is a Massachusetts organization registered with the Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Non-Profit Organizations/Public Charities Division. For-Profit Organization: organized or registered to do business in the Commonwealth, in good standing with the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth at time of application (not dissolved or revoked) and listed in the Corporate Division’s Business Entity database, AND is one of the following: A Profit Corporation, Multiple-Member Limited Liability Company (including C Corporation, S Corporation, and Partnership LLCs), Limited Partnership or Limited Liability Partnership. Single Member Limited Liability Companies and Sole Proprietorships are not eligible for this program. Government Entity: a federally recognized Tribal, State, or Municipal government entity in Massachusetts. Unincorporated Organization: with a Massachusetts address, conducting 50% or more of its programming in Massachusetts, operating with an eligible fiscal agent. For more information, visit MCC.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for projects that acquire, create, and preserve open spaces, historic resources, recreational land, and community housing in Wellfleet.

The Expand Massachusetts Stories Grant - Open Track offers funding up to $20,000 for projects that amplify under-recognized narratives and voices in Massachusetts. Focused on using humanities tools such as inquiry, contextualization, and reflection, this grant seeks to enhance public understanding of the diverse histories and experiences within the state. Projects eligible for funding include oral histories, community-centered museum exhibitions, and other humanities-focused initiatives. The grant is competitive, with applications reviewed based on their contribution to a more inclusive narrative of Massachusetts.

Targeting projects led by members from historically excluded communities, this track offers specialized support including workshops and direct consultations. Focusing on equity and inclusion within Massachusetts narratives, the grant promotes projects that reinterpret recognized histories or highlight new stories. The funding, up to $20,000, supports up to 15 selected projects through a non-competitive review process, fostering equitable representation in the state’s cultural narrative. LOI April 5th

The Museum on Main Street (MoMS) program is a collaboration between the Smithsonian and Mass Humanities, bringing the "Voices and Votes: Democracy in America" exhibit to rural communities in Massachusetts. This program aims to enhance local engagement by incorporating community-specific programming alongside the national exhibition. Each selected site will host the exhibit for six weeks from April 19, 2025, to February 1, 2026, and will develop six related programs. The initiative underscores the evolution of American democracy, with a particular focus on issues of representation, civic participation, and the responsibilities of citizenship.Key Dates: LOI opens March 11, 2024; LOI due May 10, 2024; Award Notification July 1, 2024; Voices and Votes Tour April 19, 2025, to February 1, 2026

Museum on Main Street is a unique partnership between the Smithsonian and Mass Humanities that brings world-class exhibits to six rural communities in the state. Donor Name: Mass Humanities State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Mass Humanities Museum on Main Street grants offer $10,000 for sites to host the 2025-2026 tour Voices and Votes: Democracy in America and create programming rooted in their community. Voice and Votes will be in Massachusetts from April 19, 2025, to February 1, 2026. Eligibility Criteria Applicant organizations must: Be a 501(c)(3), non-profit, fiscally sponsored association, state or federally recognized tribe, or non-federal government organization. Serve Massachusetts residents in a rural community (defined as a population of 12,000 people or less according to the 2020 US Census). Be in compliance with state and federal regulations which bar discrimination on the basis of race, gender, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, age, or sexual orientation, and which require accessibility for persons with disabilities. Specifically: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 The Age Discrimination Act of 1975 Not have a currently open grant with Mass Humanities with the exception of 2024 Reading Frederick Douglass Together grants. For more information, visit Mass Humanities.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for the construction or renovation of affordable housing and services aimed at helping older adults live with dignity and independence, particularly in the Greater Boston area.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for organizations that offer affordable housing and essential services to help older adults in the Greater Boston area live with dignity and independence.