2008  LOCAL GRANTS AWARDED FOR  NEEDHAM

Representative Lida Harkins and Jean Cronin and Louise Miller, co-chairs of the Needham Cultural Council, have announced the award of seven grants totaling $5145, for cultural programs in Needham. The grants were awarded from a pool of funds distributed to Needham by the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC), a state agency that supports public programs and educational activities in the arts, sciences, and humanities.

Grant recipients include Needham-based Longwood Opera, the Needham Park and Rec. Dept., for Summer Arts in the Parks, and the Needham Concert Society, to help support its current season.    Money was also granted to the Needham Cultural Council to help advertise New Years Needham, the highly successful community celebration on New Year’s Eve.  A complete list of recipients and grant amounts can be found below.

The Needham Cultural Council is part of a grass-roots network of 329 local councils that serve every city and town in the state. The state legislature provides an annual appropriation to the MCC, which then allocates funds, totaling more than $2.65 million this year, to each local council. Decisions about which activities to support are made at the community level by a board of municipally appointed volunteers.

The MCC credits the local volunteers with making this system work. "They make limited resources go as far as possible, and they make the tough decisions about which projects should be supported. Thanks to them, the arts, sciences and humanities are part of people's everyday lives in every community across the state." The grants support an enormous range of grass-roots activities including concerts, exhibitions, radio and video productions, field trips for schoolchildren, after-school youth programs, writing workshops, historical preservation efforts, lectures, First Night celebrations, and nature and science education programs.

The members of the Needham Cultural Council are: Norman Abbott, Noreen Burdett, Jean Cronin Connolly, Sally Dempsey, Suzanne Heffernan, Caryl Johnson, Alice Kelleher, Kathleen Leahy, Claire Messing, Louise Miller, Anne Munstedt, Kathleen Rowe, Suzanne Saevitz, and Debbie Winnick.

The Needham Cultural Council will seek applications again in the fall. Information and forms are available at the Needham Town Hall and on line at www.needarts.org and are due Oct. 15. This year's grants in Needham are as follows:  Longwood Opera, $1500; Needham Concert Society, $950; New England Light Opera, $750; Needham Art Association, $695; Needham Park and Rec., $600; Richard Clark, $150, for a program at the Needham Senior Center; and Needham Cultural Council, $500.

What is the Needham Cultural Council and its purpose?
We are a group of interested residents whose purpose is to support community-based projects and activities in the arts, humanities and interpretive sciences to benefit the residents of Needham. We are appointed by the selectboard to dispense public funding allocated by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. We are responsible for informing the public about the availability of public funding for cultural projects and for reviewing and approving applications. The budget of the MCC is determined annually by the state Legislature. 

We also support the Needham Cultural Community through the facilitation of communication among the many cultural organizations and their collaboration through NeedArts and other venues. 

Who qualifies for funding?
Massachusetts-based individuals, artists, nonprofit community groups, cultural institutions and schools with a cultural project that has a public benefit component may apply.

How does someone apply for funding?
Applications are available at the Selectmen's Office at the Town Hall and at the Needham Public Library after September 15th. Application forms are accessible by clicking on the link* above and are also available on line at http://www.massculturalcouncil.org where applicants can complete the form and print it out. The library offers access to the Internet.

When are applications due? How should they be completed?
The deadline for 2008 Applications is October 15th, 2007 and postmarks are acceptable. All applications should be typed and signed by the applicant and sent,  to the Needham Cultural Council at the Needham Town Hall. Programs must be specifically described with the names, artist fees, qualifications of the individual(s) leading the activity, letters of support from facility to be use and collaborators. Applicants must use physically accessible facilities.

Submit the completed original application form, nine photo copies of both sides (10 total), one set of supporting materials, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope, which will be used for your notification of funding. Supporting materials may include items such as resumes of key personnel, organizational brochures, letters of support and commitment, artist samples (video, slides, writings, portfolio, etc.). If you wish to have these materials returned, include an additional SASE stamped with the appropriate postage.

What is the process for approval?
Approximately two months after the deadline, the Needham Cultural Council will inform applicants of their approval/disapproval. Applicants have one year from the date of final approval to complete their project and apply for reimbursement. 

How is payment received?
By submitting a Reimbursement Request form along with invoices, bills, a brief financial report, and copies of promotional material to the Needham Cultural Council address listed above. Request should be within 60 days of project completion. To receive reimbursement, grantees must acknowledge the source of funding, either by using the MCC logo or the following credit line in all verbal and written promotion: "This program is supported in part by a grant from the Needham Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency." Payment takes approximately six to eight weeks.

What criteria is used to make grant decisions?
Proposals are evaluated by several considerations: benefit to the community (including projects that may benefit segments traditionally underserved by cultural activities); quality of the activity, evidence of planning, qualifications of the individual(s) who will lead the activity, track record of the sponsoring group, clarity of proposal, and appropriatenesss of the project.  Organizations or individuals who participate in NeedArts community events will be looked upon favorably. School-related proposals must be for enrichment activities and not for programs, supplies, or salaries that should be part of the school budget. School PASS grants, for reimbursement of student tickets to Arts Programs, are also considered.  The Council carefully scrutinizes repeat requests; such proposals should include other sources of support to show the project is not dependent solely on Council funding.

If you are interested in serving on the Needham Cultural Council, please contact  the Selectmen's Office at the Needham Town Hall 1471 Highland Avenue - Needham, MA 02492