Hi Everyone –
We want to give you an update on our upcoming 2021 grant cycle.
Typically, the Commonwealth’s operating budget is set by July 1 each year, and the Mass Cultural Council (MCC) releases its spending plan in August. However, the MCC’s planning for Fiscal Year 2021 is delayed due to the economic impacts of COVID-19. The Legislature’s budget process is delayed this year as policy-makers work to understand the current revenue picture and potential federal aid. The State government is currently operating on a month-to-month basis.
Because of all of this, the Mass Cultural Council is delaying the Local Cultural Council (LCC) grant cycle timeline by one month. This means our local grant applications will now open on Thursday, October 1st. The deadline to submit your application will now be Monday, November 16th.
This timeline is based on the hope that there will be a state budget in place by mid-November. If there is no budget in place at that time, the MCC may need to further adjust this timeline.
The grant allocation for Worcester will be determined after the FY21 State budget is signed into law, and the governing Council approves the Agency’s FY21 spending plan. We have no way of knowing the amount of our allocation for FY21 at this time.
We hope to have more information in September. In the meantime, we are continuing to prepare!
We’re still gathering community input through our Funding Priorities Survey. We are extending the survey deadline as well, so it will now close September 7th (Labor Day). The answers directly impact how we allocate these grant funds in Worcester, so it’s super important. It only takes about 3 minutes to complete, and you could win Bose headphones just for taking it! If you haven’t yet, you can take the survey HERE.
The Worcester Arts Council will vote on and announce our FY21 funding priorities in September.
We also have one open seat on the Council! We would love to welcome a new member in time for our grant cycle. If you’re interested or know someone who would make a great addition, find out more or apply HERE.
Finally, thank you for all your support and patience as we work together during this extraordinary year to ensure that the Worcester Arts Council can continue to help enrich our local neighborhoods with arts and culture.
If you have any questions, please get in touch any time.
Thank you!
Sincerely,
The Worcester Arts Council
