Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.
Date: 9/13/2022
The Amherst Cultural Council (ACC) hosted its 2022 Grant Information Session on Sept. 2. The meeting took place on Zoom and was hosted by council Co-Chair Matt Holloway, with additional input from Staff Liaison Angela Mills. Holloway explained in detail the process by which applicants can request grants, as well as the parameters of the grants themselves.
Amherst residents may apply for grants to fund culturally significant projects. The grant application window opened on Sept. 1 and will continue until Oct. 17, which Holloway noted was a firm deadline. Applicants must visit the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) website and enter the ACC section, the link to which is also present on the ACC website itself. Once there, applicants fill out a virtual form, which requests information such as the type of project, amount of funding requested and the timeline of completion. Prospective grantees must also include a budget plan, which explains how the money will be spent on an itemized basis. Without a clear budget plan and timeline of completion, the grant is unlikely to be awarded, as this conveys a lack of organization and development.
The MCC has allotted $53,800 for the Town of Amherst’s cultural grants for fiscal year 2023 (FY23). Applications are processed throughout the winter, and awards are distributed during the spring. The ACC is “at the mercy of the MCC” when it comes to distribution of funds, said Holloway. For instance, FY22’s grants were expected to be disbursed in March, but grantees did not receive their funding until May. Holloway is optimistic that funds will be distributed faster this year, but still advised applicants to prepare for late reciept just in case.
Grants are open to anyone, but applications from people of color, individuals with disabilities and low-income communities will be prioritized. The council also encourages applicants to source multiple streams of funding. Most grants will only partially fund projects, so the council encourages securing outside funding to ensure completion of projects. Procurement of outside funding is also a good look during the application process as it conveys preparedness to the council, according to Holloway.
The council is looking for a diverse range of projects and will use this as a criterion for selection of awardees. Regional engagement is also favorable; Holloway encouraged applicants’ whose projects will involve other nearby towns and cities to apply for grants funding from these other cultural councils as well to maximize use of the total funding available.
A notable change to this year’s process is the implementation of the direct granting method. Grantees will receive their funding, complete projects and then submit a grant report afterwards. This comes as a departure from the previous method of reimbursement, wherein grantees submitted a budget, financed their own work and then were paid by the council after the completion of their projects. Holloway explained that the reimbursement method presented a barrier to the application process for certain low-income applicants, and that the direct granting method will foster greater inclusion for low-income individuals and groups.
The grant application is available online at: https://massculturalcouncil.org/local-council/amherst/.