BOSTON – Mass Cultural Council’s governing body voted unanimously today to approve the Agency’s Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Spending Plan, committing $34 million to strengthen and sustain the Commonwealth’s cultural sector through a strategic mix of grants, cross sector strategic partnership initiatives, and advocacy efforts. This plan is expected to fund a minimum of 2,200 grants across all programs, totaling approximately $26.2 million.
“Public investment in the cultural sector is more critical than ever,” said Michael J. Bobbitt, Executive Director, Mass Cultural Council. “The plan adopted today will allow Mass Cultural Council to ensure that creativity, expression, and cultural heritage remain accessible to all. Massachusetts is proud to lead by example, recognizing that a vibrant arts ecosystem is essential to our state economy, thriving communities, and our collective well-being. I am grateful to our state’s leadership in Governor Healey, Lt. Governor Driscoll and the Massachusetts Legislature for recognizing the power of culture and allocating robust state funding to Mass Cultural Council, which supports this year’s spending plan.”
As the Commonwealth’s independent state arts agency, Mass Cultural Council is charged with bolstering the cultural sector, thereby advancing economic vitality, supporting transformational change, and celebrating, preserving, and inspiring creativity across all Massachusetts communities.
The FY26 Spending Plan is a roadmap by which Mass Cultural Council will offer financial and programmatic support to its various stakeholders, including cultural organizations, businesses, and collaboratives; artists, creative individuals, and culture bearers; educational programs and youth development; and cities, towns, and tribes.
This Spending Plan is funded primarily through public dollars, including the Agency’s $26,975,152 FY26 state budget appropriation. Moreover, Mass Cultural Council elected to receive $1.3 million from the federal government through its annual state partnership grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), which will allow Mass Cultural Council to further expand its grantmaking reach.
In developing this year’s Spending Plan, Mass Cultural Council continues to implement the goals set forth in the Agency’s Racial, d/Deaf & Disability, and Native American & Indigenous People’s Equity Plans – all of which are consistent with federal civil rights law and reflect the Agency’s responsibility to serve all residents of the Commonwealth.
This spending plan is consistent with the goals and priorities outlined in Mass Cultural Council's Strategic Plan: - Advance the creative and cultural sector through building partnerships, identifying recommendations, and storytelling, both inside and outside of the sector.
- Build and support programmatic practices that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion through our services to the sector.
- Ensure that our internal systems, structures, and ways of working reflect our values and advance the sector’s needs.
“I’m grateful to my colleagues on the Council for continuing to uplift culture and creativity, and to the staff at Mass Cultural Council for their hard work in developing this plan,” said Marc Carroll, Chair, Mass Cultural Council. “This Spending Plan is not just a financial commitment, it’s a declaration that the arts matter now more than ever. Through this plan, we will ensure that every community in Massachusetts has access to the cultural resources that enrich lives and strengthen our social fabric.”
The Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2026 spans from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026.
FY26 Spending Plan Highlights
Communities
Last year, Mass Cultural Council launched a new Tribal Cultural Council Program, modeled after the celebrated Local Cultural Council Program, providing funds to Tribal governments to regrant in support of programs that provide community benefit. In FY26, at least 4 Tribal Cultural Councils will accept applications:Mass Cultural Council is working closely with other tribal governments as recommended by an advisory Tribal Task Force to explore the possibility of launching two additional TCCs in FY26.
In FY26, Mass Cultural Council will again invest $5.7 million into the Local Cultural Council (LCC) Program, the nation’s largest public grassroots arts support network. 329 LCCs provide annual arts and cultural grant funding to every community in Massachusetts through the efforts of more than 2,500 volunteers. They support local arts and history and sponsor community concerts and exhibitions. This year’s allocation is level with respect to FY25.
The revised Cultural Districts Initiative will be unveiled in FY26, following an extensive review and re-envisioning process. This year, the existing 58 state designated Cultural Districts will each receive a $15,000 grant as Mass Cultural Council staff will begin to work with them to bring the districts into compliance with the updated program guidelines. The Agency anticipates reopening the application for new Cultural Districts under the revised guidelines in FY27.
Individuals
Grants for Creative Individuals will again be offered in FY26. The program equitably advances creative expression throughout the Commonwealth through unrestricted $5,000 grants to Massachusetts artists, culture bearers, and creative practitioners. The Spending Plan allocates $2,270,000, allowing for up to 454 grants to be made through this program.
Mass Cultural Council will continue to host HireCulture.org, our widely referenced creative employment job site, as well as curate and publish weekly Artist Opportunities on the ArtSake blog, which showcases the creative, innovative work of Massachusetts artists.
Organizations
The FY26 Spending Plan again allocates a combined total of $7.2 million towards the programs through which Mass Cultural Council provides unrestricted operating support to nonprofit cultural organizations – Operating Grants for Organizations and the Cultural Investment Portfolio (CIP). The Agency continues to sunset the CIP program, opening new rounds of available funding through Operating Grants for Organizations.
FY26 will also see the first round of awards made through the new Creative Experiences grant program. The Spending Plan allocates $3,350,000 for this program which will provide grants of either $2,500 or $5,000 to activities that incorporate the arts, humanities, and/or interpretive sciences.
To commemorate the United States’ 250th anniversary in 2026, the National Endowment for the Arts awarded Mass Cultural Council $25,000 through the America250 Partnership to support projects that celebrate the semi-quincentennial. Mass Cultural Council will, in turn, make an additional 6 grants of $2,500 or $5,000 each through the Creative Experiences program to support projects that align with the program’s goals.
Mass Cultural Council also expects to award $3.4 million to provide Gaming Mitigation Fund assistance to nonprofit and municipal performing arts centers who host touring acts, as directed by state law. Awards from this program are used to help with the cost of touring artist fees.
Creative Youth Development and Arts Education
Mass Cultural Council will continue to support quality, creative learning experiences in schools and community settings. This includes:- YouthReach – supporting innovative and ongoing Creative Youth Development (CYD) programs in the arts, humanities, and sciences that aim to make a better world by unleashing the potential of young people as creators, leaders, and change agents. Most existing grant awards will be extended for one final year, ahead of re-opening a new application process for awards in FY27.
- Youth Arts Impact Network (YAIN) – an ongoing partnership with EdVestors to support CYD organizations. Mass Cultural Council will continue this partnership to promote the success of the CYD community.
- Poetry Out Loud – a program of the National Endowment for the Arts which last year celebrated 20 years of success in Massachusetts. Mass Cultural Council will again partner with the Huntington Theatre Company to implement this program in FY26.
Equity, Inclusion, and Access
While Mass Cultural Council continues to fold equity and access into all grant programs, the Agency looks forward to making additional grants that are specifically targeted towards these goals:Mass Cultural Council staff will work to launch FY26 programs and initiatives throughout the fiscal year. To stay up to date on funding opportunities, sign up to receive the Agency’s monthly Power of Culture e-newsletter or follow @MassCultural on social media. |
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