Mansfield Cultural Council

Amount Available for Granting in FY 2011

(information not yet available)

PASS applications are accepted.

LCC Program Guidelines (PDF)

Local Guidelines

To apply for Mansfield Cultural Council Grant, download and print an application form from www.massculturalcouncil.org or pick up a copy from the Mansfield Town Hall Clerk’s Office.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS AND APPLICATION CHECKLIST

The Mansfield Cultural Council is pleased to be one of 351 cities and towns in Massachusetts to award funds in partnership with the Massachusetts Cultural Council. These funds are granted to qualified individuals and organizations to support cultural projects that benefit the community. Eligible disciplines include arts, humanities and interpretive sciences. Applications are sought annually and evaluated on a competitive basis in the fall. Grant awards typically range between $250 and $1,500. Larger awards are given on occasion. With funds being limited, grant requests should not normally exceed 50 percent of the cost of the proposed project or activity. New or previously unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to discuss their proposals with a council member before the deadline.

ELIGIBILITY
Applicants can be: a) arts, humanities or interpretive science organizations; b) individuals including artists, science educators, historians or other humanists, parents, community members, etc.; c) community organizations including, but not limited to, schools, social service organizations, business and civic groups, churches, neighborhood centers, youth, senior and family associations, etc.; Incorporated organizations must be nonprofit; unincorporated associations must have a nonprofit purpose. Individual applicants are required to be residents for at least one year; organizations must be organized and operating in the state for at least one year.

CRITERIA
Proposals are evaluated by a municipally appointed panel of artists, humanists and community representatives. Criteria include artistic, humanistic or scientific quality, value to the community, quality of planning, community support and/or involvement and the track record of the applicant. The applicant's qualifications must be demonstrated, and if the applicant is not directly leading the activity (i.e., a community agency is hiring an artist), then qualifications of the individual(s) leading the activity must also be described. Proposals from schools and libraries must not request support for activities that should be or have been part of the municipal budget (i.e. teacher salaries, classroom supplies, school-sponsored clubs and organizations, library books/videos, etc.). Enrichment projects utilizing outside professionals are allowed. Mansfield-based applicants are given preference over those from out of town. Funded activities must take place in physically accessible spaces. The Council will carefully scrutinize repeat requests; such proposals should include other sources of support to show the project is not dependent solely on Council funding.

APPLICATION PROCEDURE AND LOCATION
All applicants must submit their proposal on an official application form. Forms are available at the Town Clerk's office, or from any member of the council. The application form can also be completed online and printed out for submission to the council. Go to www.massculturalcouncil.org. When filling out the application, use the space provided to answer questions. One additional 8 1/2" x 11" page to complete questions is allowed. Completed applications must be received at the Town Clerk's office by Oct. 15 of each year. (valid postmark is acceptable).

SUPPORT MATERIALS
Applicants are required to submit one set of supporting materials. These may include slides, tapes, videocassette, resume, publicity, critical reviews, photos, printed materials. Letters of support/commitment from sponsoring organizations are strongly encouraged. If an applicant states that he/she will be working with or for another person, organization, or conducting the project in a specific facility, a letter of commitment or agreement from the individual/organization/facility's representative must be submitted with the application. All applicants proposing to work in the Mansfield public school system must contact and receive approval from, Director of Fine Arts or Director of Performing Arts for the Mansfield Public Schools.

CONDITIONS
All grants are subject to the following conditions. Failure to comply may jeopardize full payment of the grant award:
• Projects must demonstrate their relationship to the city in which the project takes place;
• Projects must be completed within one year of the date of the final written notice of grant award approved locally and by the state;
• Events/activities must be held in physically accessible facilities;
• Payments are on a reimbursement basis after the project is completed. Payment requests must document expenses with invoices, canceled checks, receipts and/or contracts;
• A final narrative report and expense documents must be submitted within 60 days of project completion;
• All applications must be typed;
• In all published materials and announcements regarding the activities supported by LCC funds, the sponsoring group or individual must acknowledge this support with a written and/or verbal credit statement or by using the MCC logo. The credit statement is "This program is supported in part by a grant from the Mansfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency." The logo is available at the MCC's web site: www.massculturalcouncil.org or from the MCC upon request on a camera-ready slick sheet or on diskette (Mac or PC). Credit is required by the MCC and failure to comply may jeopardize funding;
• After careful analysis of previous funding distributions, the Mansfield Cultural Council has concluded that, while not a priority, tuition reimbursement, travel and capital equipment will be considered under certain conditions. For capital expenditure requests there are additional questions to answer.

For additional information, go the “Frequently Asked Questions” page of the Massachusetts Cultural Council web site at www.massculturalcouncil.org.

Grant Applicants

• Tips for Grant Applicants
• LCC Grant Application (PDF, 20 KB)
• PASS Grant Application (PDF, 35 KB)

Grant Recipients

• LCC Reimbursement Form
• Credit and Publicity Kit for LCC and PASS Grant Recipients
• Download an MCC Credit Logo

FY 2010