MA
Malden Cultural Council recommends the disbursement of state funds allocated to Malden by the Massachusetts Cultural Council for arts, humanities, and interpretive science programs. Malden is a city of nearly 60,000, just north of Boston at the end of the MBTA Orange Line. Each city and town in Massachusetts has a Local Cultural Council (LCC).
The Massachusetts Cultural Council's LCC Program is the largest grassroots cultural funding network in the nation supporting thousands of community-based projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences annually. Each year, local councils award more than $2 million in grants to more than 5,000 cultural programs statewide. The program promotes the availability of rich cultural experiences for every Massachusetts citizen.
The MCC distributes funds to local and regional cultural councils, who then regrant funds to arts, humanities, and interpretive science projects in their own communities. Currently, there are 329 local and regional councils that represent all 351 cities and towns in the Commonwealth. The program is administered by 2,400 municipally appointed volunteers serving statewide.
A hallmark of the LCC Program is the emphasis on local autonomy and decision making. Councils are free to make funding decisions that best meet the particular needs and priorities of their community within the parameters of the broad state guidelines. Each local council determines its own local eligibility requirements based on a community input process and these are incorporated into their local guidelines and published to the council's public web page.
Applicants may apply to the LCC Program for projects, operating support, ticket subsidy programs, artist residencies, fellowships or other activities, based on local priorities and needs. Local councils may also choose to fund cultural field trips for children, grades pre-K through 12, by subsidizing the cost for children to attend programs in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences (including performances, educational tours and exhibits).
The LCC application process can be quite competitive. Because of the large number of requests and the limited funds available for regranting, many LCCs receive far more applications than they can fully or even partially fund. Average grants tend to be modest ($200-$500) and are reimbursement-based, meaning the applicant expends their own money, and if approved for a grant, then submits paperwork for reimbursement.
Exemplary LCC projects are eligible to be further recognized by the Gold Star Awards. LCC-funded projects are nominated by a council and are evaluated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council based on a variety of criteria. Collectively, Gold Star projects demonstrate the ways that culture contributes to the quality of life in cities and towns across the Commonwealth.
Additional Content:
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Home Page
Landing Page and Grant Application Links
Home Page
Arts Advocacy
Institution/Business Type:
Arts Council / Agency
Legal Status:
Nonprofit - Embedded in non-cultural public agency
Parent Organization:
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Institution/Business Type:
Arts Council / Agency
Legal Status:
Nonprofit - Embedded in non-cultural public agency
Parent Organization:
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Primary Discipline:
Multi-DisciplinaryActivities and Services:
Populations Engaged:
Geographic Reach: