Overview
The Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC) was created by Section 15 of Chapter 653 of the Acts of 1989. This act added Section 52 to Chapter 10 of the Massachusetts General Laws, establishing MCC within the Office of the State Treasurer, but not making MCC subject to the Office of the State Treasurer’s control.
According to its website, MCC’s mission is the following:
[MCC] advances the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing public resources.
The Council pursues this mission through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools.
MCC is governed by the MCC Governing Council, which comprises 19 volunteer members who are appointed by the Governor. Council members serve three-year terms with staggered appointment dates to avoid all 19 members having the same term expiration date. The Governor chooses a chair and a vice chair from among the council members. By majority vote, the council approves an annual program of grant offerings and a budget. An executive director, who is appointed by the Governing Council, manages MCC’s daily activities.
As of June 30, 2024, MCC had approximately 39 full-time employees. Its office is located at 10 Saint James Avenue in Boston. MCC received appropriations and grants of $84,831,610 in fiscal year 2023 and $32,928,445 in fiscal year 2024.1 MCC also distributed $78,276,989 in fiscal year 2023 and $27,880,773 in fiscal year 2024 through donations and grants.
The table below details the sources of funding for MCC during fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
MCC Sources of Funding
| Source of Funding | Fiscal Year 2023 | Fiscal Year 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| State Appropriation | $22,500,000 | $25,000,000 |
| State Earmarked Pass-Through Funds | 877,000 | 895,000 |
| State Executive Office for Administration and Finance Reserve Pass-Through Funds* | — | 155,175 |
| MassDevelopment Cultural Facilities Fund** | 428,368 | 347,189 |
| National Endowment for the Arts: Basic State Plan | 707,900 | 804,100 |
| National Endowment for the Arts: Arts in Education | 63,400 | 62,900 |
| National Endowment for the Arts: Arts in Underserved Communities | 241,300 | 282,900 |
| National Endowment for the Arts: Folk Arts Infrastructure Grant | 30,000 | 35,000 |
| National Endowment for the Arts: Poetry Out Loud | 20,000 | 20,000 |
| Chapter 23K Funds (Gaming)† | 5,165,522 | 5,125,055 |
| Harry Rice Trust Account** | 223,620 | 201,126 |
| Cultural Sector Recovery Funds (Chapter 102 of the Acts of 2021)‡ | 54,574,500 | — |
| Total | $84,831,610 | $32,928,445 |
* The State Executive Office for Administration and Finance Reserve Pass-Through Funds were a one-time reimbursement that MCC received from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance related to the collective bargaining unit’s fiscal year 2024 retro payments.
** The MassDevelopment Cultural Facilities and Harry Rice Trust Funds are continuous trust accounts that MCC uses for its own funding. The account balances in this table reflect the account balances from the Massachusetts Management Accounting and Reporting System (MMARS) as of the end of each fiscal year.
† Chapter 23K Funds relate to the 2% gaming tax revenue collected from Massachusetts gaming licenses for each budget year, as stated in Section 59 of Chapter 23K of the General Laws. This fund was established to support the Massachusetts Cultural and Performing Arts Mitigation Trust Fund.
‡ The Cultural Sector Recovery Fund was a one-time grant that MCC received from the Executive Office for Administration and Finance, which it disbursed in fiscal year 2023 to support individual artists and cultural workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
MCC Program Grants
According to its website, MCC provides grants to individuals and organizations through various programs funded by state and federal funds. Once MCC receives funding, it establishes grant allocation and program guidelines. These funds are distributed through direct grants to individuals and organizations across the state through a competitive grant process. To raise awareness about these grants, MCC promotes them through social media, by hosting information webinars, and by providing details about each grant on its website.
Individuals and organizations submit applications for grants through MCC’s grant management system. MCC hires external reviewers who ensure that each applicant meets the program’s eligibility requirements. Examples of grant requirements for an organization include: (1) whether the organization’s primary mission is to create or present cultural activities within the arts, humanities, or interpretive sciences; (2) whether these cultural activities should be publicly accessible and community based; (3) whether the organization is associated with a federally or state-recognized tribe or an Urban Indian organization that has ties to the land currently known as Massachusetts; and (4) whether the organization was established on or after March 31, 2020. Examples of grant requirements for an individual include: (1) whether the applicant is 18 years of age or older, (2) whether the applicant is a full-year resident of Massachusetts for the calendar year, and (3) whether the applicant received a different artist grant during the same calendar year.
The external reviewers provide a funding recommendation list, along with a priority rating, to MCC’s Governing Council for approval. Once MCC’s Governing Council approves the applications, applicants are notified, and an MCC program staff member publishes the funding recommendation list on MCC’s website. The MCC finance team initiates the standard grant contract process, which includes processing a Form W-9 for an organization’s tax identification number; obtaining a completed and signed electronic fund transfer form and a contractor-authorized signatory listing form, which lists the people authorized to sign forms on behalf of an organization; and completing the standard grant contract within the grant management system.
MCC also distributes funds to local and regional cultural councils, which then regrant funds to arts, humanities, and science projects in their communities.
The table below details MCC’s distribution of funding during fiscal years 2023 and 2024.
MCC Distribution of Program Fundings
| Program/Organization | Fiscal Year 2023 | Fiscal Year 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Local Cultural Councils | $5,500,000 | $5,500,000 |
| Grants for Creative Individuals | — | 1,920,000 |
| Cultural Investment Portfolio | 5,758,300 | 5,672,360 |
| Cultural Investment Portfolio Gateway | 132,000 | 118,500 |
| Cultural Sector Recovery for Individuals | 19,775,000 | 685,790 |
| Cultural Sector Recovery for Organizations | 30,981,000 | — |
| Cultural Sector Recovery for Partnership and Service | 2,500,000 | — |
| Cultural District Initiative | 795,000 | 810,000 |
| Festivals and Projects | 1,788,500 | 1,812,500 |
| Gaming Mitigation | 3,737,400 | 3,662,200 |
| Gaming Cultural Investment Portfolio | 1,100,000 | 1,200,000 |
| Partnership and Service | 2,180,465 | 2,544,423 |
| STAR Residencies | 1,399,900 | 1,435,000 |
| Traditional Arts Apprenticeships | 180,024 | 180,000 |
| Universal Participation Innovation | 475,000 | 470,000 |
| YouthReach | 1,874,400 | 1,870,000 |
| Social Prescription | 100,000 | — |
| Total | $78,276,989 | $27,880,773 |
MCC Administrative Spending
During fiscal years 2023 and 2024, MCC incurred $5,668,129 and $5,744,112, respectively, for general and administrative expenses. These administrative expenses include payroll-related expenses, staff travel, professional development, routine maintenance, service contracts, and other office operating expenses. MCC’s Governing Council reviews and approves the annual spending each August through a vote.
According to MCC officials, employees, including the executive director, are required to request preapproval for expenses such as professional development, in-state travel, subscriptions, interpreters, and office equipment by completing an expenditure/procurement form. The employee then submits the expenditure/procurement form to their manager for approval. Once the expense is incurred, the employee then submits an employee reimbursement form to their manager for approval. Once a manager approves the form, they forward it to MCC’s chief financial officer (CFO) for approval. The CFO reviews the form and ensures that the manager has signed and approved the request and submits the employee reimbursement form, along with the expenditure/procurement form, to the Payroll Department for processing. The Payroll Department records the expense in the appropriate accounts and processes the payment of the expense through the Human Resources Compensation Management System, the Commonwealth’s official payroll system.
Out-of-state travel expenses require prior approval from the Governing Council for all employees, including the executive director. MCC employees submit an out-of-state travel request to the CFO, who consults with the employee’s manager to review and confirm the nature and requirements of the travel request. The CFO then submits the travel request to MCC’s Governing Council for approval. Upon approval by the MCC’s governing council, the CFO submits the travel request to the Executive Committee for further approval. Once all approvals are obtained, the employee is notified that the request for out-of-state travel has been authorized. Once the travel expense is incurred, the employee completes an employee reimbursement form and submits it to their manager for approval. Once approved, the form is forwarded to the CFO for final review and approval. The CFO ensures that all required invoices and forms are accurate and complete, then forwards the out-of-state travel reimbursement form to the Payroll Department for processing. The Payroll Department records the expense in the appropriate accounts and processes the payment of the expense through the Human Resources Compensation Management System.
MCC adheres to the Commonwealth’s procurement card (P-Card) program2 policies and procedures, which are regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Commonwealth. Two employees at MCC are authorized to use P-Cards for business-related expenses. These employees complete a procurement request form for all P-Card purchases, which are pre-approved by the CFO. These two employees reconcile P-Card expenses monthly and submit the procurement request forms, invoices, and reconciliations to the fiscal team, which ensures that all required invoices and reconciliations are accurate and complete. The CFO then reviews and approves the payment for the P-Card expenses, and the fiscal team records the expenses in the appropriate accounts and processes the payments of the expenses through MMARS.
Local Cultural Council Program
According to MCC’s “Local Cultural Council Program Guidelines,” MCC will provide public funding for arts, humanities, and science programs or projects for any community in the Commonwealth, as long as the city or town has established a local cultural council (LCC). The 329 LCCs in Massachusetts are listed in the Appendix.
City and town officials are responsible for appointing LCC council members who will distribute the funds on behalf of the community. Cities and towns also have the option to form regional cultural councils. A regional cultural council can receive total funding equal to the combined allocations of all the participating communities. When two or more towns come together to establish a regional council, at least one representative from each community must be appointed by each regional council. Additionally, MCC must approve the establishment of the regional consortia, as outlined in Section 58 of Chapter 10 of the General Laws.
LCCs must have between 5 and 22 members on the council. These council members are appointed by the community’s top administrative official, such as the mayor, city manager, select board member, or another executive officer. Council members must have a demonstrated interest in the arts, humanities, or sciences. However, the community’s top administrative official and members of a city or town council or select board, as defined in Section 21C of Chapter 59 of the General Laws, cannot serve as council members. Towns and cities are responsible for their LCCs.
Each LCC must establish a revolving account for grant money from MCC, keeping it separate from other funds administered by the LCC. According to MCC’s “Local Cultural Council Program Guidelines,” LCCs are required to do the following each year: (1) submit council priorities and guidelines by August 31, (2) meet with the municipal fiscal officer between September 1–30 and complete the LCC account form by October 17, and (3) complete and submit the grant decision report to MCC through MCC’s grant management system no later than January 17, allowing for a 15-day reconsideration period.
MCC may impose corrective actions on any LCC that does not meet the above regulatory guidelines. Corrective actions may include, but are not limited to, the following: submission of financial reports within a new timeframe specified by MCC, resolving differences in the LCC’s and municipality’s accounting records, providing training to the LCC on how to adhere to MCC’s guidelines, and appointing or removing members of the LCC as necessary.
MCC reviews all three sections of LCCs’ annual reports and approves or rejects funding for LCCs. If MCC determines that corrective action is needed for an LCC, it will withhold funding until the LCC takes necessary corrective actions. Based on MCC’s Local Cultural Council Guidelines, LCCs have the freedom to make funding decisions that address the specific needs and priorities of their communities while adhering to broader state guidelines. Each LCC establishes its own eligibility requirements through a community input process, which is then integrated into its local priorities.
| Date published: | November 26, 2025 |
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