Cultural Sustainability

About the Grant

Cultural Sustainability is a one-time grantmaking and learning program nationally funded by The Wallace Foundation and delivered regionally by the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. NEFA is delighted to offer substantial, non-matching operating support grants up to $100,000 to arts organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000.

The goal of this initiative is to enable self-identifying arts organizations of color to sustain and expand their practices, impact the communities they serve, and provide meaningful arts and cultural experiences for larger, cross-cultural audiences. Arts organizations of color deserve to become long-lasting, well-resourced cultural pillars across New England.

How It Works

Please read all the information below before starting an application.  

Small New England arts and culture organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000 are invited to apply for a non-matching operating support grant. Organizations of all artistic disciplines and genres may apply for grants of up to $100,000, depending upon organizational budget size.

All applying organizations must have an up-to-date profile on CreativeGround, NEFA’s primary tool for network and knowledge building across the New England creative economy. Follow the instructions on the CreativeGround requirements page to learn which fields must be completed in order to complete your Cultural Sustainability application.

Cultural Sustainability grants range from $20,000-$100,000, with partial funding opportunities to also fall within that range. No grantees will be awarded at less than 80% of their initial request. 

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible 

Applicant organizations must have reported under $500,000 in annual operating expenses in their two most recent fiscal years’ tax filings (Form 990, Form 1065, or Form 1120). Organizations without tax documentation should upload profit & loss statements for their two most recently completed fiscal years. 

We welcome the following kinds of organizations to apply to Cultural Sustainability: 

• 501(c)3 non-profit organizations
• Fiscally sponsored groups
• Artist-centered or led LLCs, S Corps, Limited or General Partnerships
• Federally- or state-recognized tribal governments

All Cultural Sustainability applicants must have:

• At least three (3) years of creative practice or arts programming experience
• Significant arts and cultural presence in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont)
  • If you meet other eligibility criteria, but are located in another U.S. region, you can visit usregionalarts.org to find the Cultural Sustainability opportunity in your area.
  • Please note that only one application is permitted across all Cultural Sustainability programs, so organizations who work in multiple regions may not apply through multiple Regional Arts Organizations.
• An up-to-date profile on CreativeGround, NEFA’s creative economy database. Review the CreativeGround profile requirements. 
• A Unique Entity ID in SAM.gov. The federal government requires that all NEFA organizational grant recipients supported by federal funds register for a SAM.gov UEI (Unique Entity ID). Getting a UEI is a free process and can be done by visiting SAM.gov. Read our blog post with more details.  

Not Eligible

• Individuals
• Units of local, state, or federal government
• Schools, including K-12, preschool, colleges, and universities both public and private

Funding Criteria & Priorities

Cultural Sustainability is designed for and will prioritize applications from self-identifying arts organizations of color. While we realize that language that centers communities of color is ever evolving, for the purposes of this program, an arts organization of color would meet at least two of the following three criteria:

• Led by a person or persons of color, either artistically or administratively
• Predominantly in service of Black, Latine, Asian, Arab, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and/or Caribbean communities, or another community of color.
• Founded by and for a community of color

Successful applications will:

• Demonstrate cultural impact in New England and beyond
• Model equitable practices in artistic and administrative activities
• Display clear planning and progress towards sustainability of services & programming
• Enthusiastically participate and contribute actively to a learning cohort
• Illustrate mission alignment with Cultural Sustainability 

Additional priority will be given to arts organizations who:

• Have a staff and board that reflects and represents the communities they serve
• Produce cultural work that preserves or advances indigenous or immigrant art or traditions
• Provide economic benefit to artists of color
• Are based in and serve a rural New England community
• Are not ArtsHERE or Powering Cultural Futures grantees

We expect the grantee cohort to include a wide range of artistic genres, organization structures, budget sizes, geographies, and cultures. Each application will be evaluated individually based on the funding criteria, with the final grantee cohort representing the diversity of the region. Applicants will be notified of the status of their application in March 2025.

Application Process & Deadlines

The application for Cultural Sustainability will open on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, and close on Thursday, November 21, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET.

Applications will be accepted through our online grant portal and reviewed by a majority BIPOC panel of arts professionals from a range of disciplines. 

Applicants will be notified of awards in March 2025, with the grant period starting on May 1, 2025, and ending on June 15, 2026. 

Cultural Sustainability grant payments will be released in three installments:

• 70% at the beginning of the grant period
• 15% upon completing an interim check-in with program staff (Zoom call)
• 15% upon approval of the final grantee report.

Grant Awards

Grant Request Amount

Organizations will request funding based on their annual operating expenses:

• Organizations with budgets under $100,000 can request up to $25,000. 
• Organizations with budgets between $100,001 and $250,000 can request up to $50,000.
• Organizations with budgets between $250,001 and $500,000 can request up to $100,000.

The minimum grant amount will be $20,000. Partial funding may be granted according to score and panelist review. No organization will be awarded at lower than 80% of their original request. For organizations with budgets over $125,000, we recommend requesting 20% of your annual operating expenses.

Eligible & Ineligible Expenses 

Cultural Sustainability grants are unrestricted operating support and need not be related to a specific project. Eligible expenses include, but are not limited to, staff salaries, supplies and equipment, rent, utilities, project costs, professional development, endowments, and operating reserves. Grantees can utilize funding at their discretion.

Cultural Sustainability funds may not be used for capital projects such as construction of a new building, renovations, and land purchases. For-profit entities may not use Cultural Sustainability funds for the sole benefit of any private shareholder or individual. 

Grantee Learning Cohort

Grantees will be in an organizational support and learning cohort with one another for the full period of the award. We will survey and assess grantee needs at the time of grant agreement and develop curriculum that serves them accordingly. The full cohort will meet once a month virtually and in-person at the NEFA office once during the grant period.

Grantee Requirements & Reports

Upon receiving a Cultural Sustainability grant, program staff will schedule an initial check-in to discuss any needs for organizational support, schedule an interim check-in based on the project timeline, and answer any questions grantees may have about the grant.

Interim Grantee Check-In

Grantees are required to complete an interim check-in with program staff to receive the second payment (15% of grant total). The date/time of the interim grantee check-in will be agreed upon by NEFA staff and grantee at the beginning of the grant performance period. Grantee will be asked to share an update on the learning cohort and any changes in needs for organizational support. 

Note: The interim grantee check-in will be conducted as a recorded virtual conversation with program staff.

Final Grantee Report

Grantees are required to complete a final grantee report by July 31, 2026, after the close of the grant period.  Approval of final grantee report is required to receive the third and final payment (15% of grant total). Grantee reports can be found in NEFA’s online grant portal.

Application Support

You can schedule one-on-one time with the Regional Grants & Initiatives team during our office hours on most Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons during the open application period on Calend.ly. Sign up to join open information sessions are also available on Friday mornings.

Interested in applying for Cultural Sustainability? Watch this Cultural Sustainability webinar (or read the transcript) before starting your application.