Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are posted in advance of the meeting. Minutes are posted following approval. View most recent Agendas & Minutes.

Committee Charge

Concord Cultural Council Charge

Members

Funding

The Concord Cultural Council is a non-profit organization appointed by the Select Board of the Town of Concord. The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) is the governing organization from which funds are derived and its mission is "to promote excellence, access, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences in order to improve the quality of life for all Massachusetts residents and to contribute to the economic vitality of our communities." The MCC website's link to Local Cultural Councils lists the guidelines to which local communities must adhere. In addition, the Concord Cultural Council Guidelines include specific criteria to enhance and encourage events offered to various groups in Concord. 

Grant Programs

The Concord Cultural Council supports community cultural projects through its 2 grant programs:

1. The Council awards grants to local organizations that adhere to the Massachusetts Cultural Council guidelines as well as the local Concord Cultural Council guidelines. Local and regional individuals and organizations in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences are eligible to apply for grants. The Council places priority on new initiatives and gives preference to events that benefit Concord.
2. The Council awards Field Trip Grants to school groups as ticket subsidies to attend cultural events.

Guidelines

All applications for grants from the Concord Cultural Council must meet the following guidelines:

• Deadline: Because due the ramifications of COVID-19 the grant cycle dates have changed this year, with applications available October 1st and to be submitted by November 1st.
• Time/Venue Required: Applicants must specify an arranged venue for their activity and a specific date or on-going timeline. 
• Level of Support: The Council does not fully fund any project. To demonstrate that your project is not dependent solely on Concord funding, you must specify other sources of financial support in the budget section of the application. All requests for full funding will be denied.  
• Local Priority: Preference is given to applicants who live or work in Concord, and who offer programs and presentations that specifically benefit a wide range of audiences in the Concord community.
• Handicap Accessibility: Activities must take place in a handicap accessible facility.
• Qualifications: Applicants must demonstrate a record of engagement in the type of activity for which funds are requested.
• Program Eligibility: Programs in music, dance, visual arts, poetry, literature, drama, the humanities and scientific interpretation for all age groups will be considered. Capital expenditures will be considered. Applications for programs that are normally funded by the town budget will not be considered.
• Repeat Applicants: An applicant who is funded 3 successive years will have lower priority in the 4th year.
• Project modifications: After the grants are awarded, programs cannot be modified without the Council's review.

Any questions may be directed to Chairperson Betsy Levinson.