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Colleagues Guidelines
Colleagues in the Cultural Investment Portfolio (CIP) have a
long funding history with the Massachusetts Cultural Council (MCC)
and a proven track record of strong organizational capacity and
public programming in the arts, humanities, and interpretive sciences
to their communities. MCC invests in the mission of these organizations
by providing a predictable stream of unrestricted general operating
support.
Eligibility Requirements
To be classified as a Colleague, organizations must have:
- an established track record of programmatic excellence, demonstrable
public benefit, and organizational capacity as evidenced by
favorable MCC panel reviews
- at least four general operating support grants with no more
than one panel denial
- a minimum of 5 years providing public cultural programming
in Massachusetts
- incorporation as a not-for-profit organization
- have tax-exempt status under section 501(c)3 of the Internal
Revenue Service tax code or be an agency of local government
(ex. local arts agency, historical commission)
Cultural Data Project
The Massachusetts
Cultural Data Project (CDP) is a powerful tool that enables
organizations to track trends in performance and benchmark those
against others. The CDP quickly and effortlessly produces several
different reports that can aid in grant applications, board reporting,
and annual planning.
Staff Visits
Once every three years, each Colleague receive a visit from Colleague
Program Officer Charles Coe. (Occasionally, another MCC staff
or board member or executive director of another Colleague organization
may attend.) Ideally, Charles will have the opportunity to meet
with the executive director, artistic director, board chair and
the organization’s Cultural Investment Portfolio contact person.
Staff visits are not evaluations or accreditations; the visit is an opportunity to build on the existing relationship with MCC, answer any questions about the Cultural Investment Portfolio, and strategize ways to address the challenges and opportunities facing the organization.
Advocacy
A top priority of the Cultural Investment Portfolio is encouraging Massachusetts’ arts, humanities, and science organizations to see themselves as part of an important sector that speaks with a collective voice to state leadership. Advocacy involves communicating with your state legislators or members of the administration about how funding for arts and culture helps support your programming and serve your community.
To facilitate this conversation senior staff of all CIP Colleagues must participate
in two advocacy activities each fiscal year that enable direct
interaction with state leadership. These activities should provide
opportunities to explain to your legislators, in concrete and
personal terms, the social and economic benefit of supporting
a vibrant cultural community.
Be creative and think beyond the MCC requirement about ways to engage your legislative delegation in all of your work. Following are some suggestions on activities that meet the annual advocacy requirement:
- Talk to your elected officials at MCC events like local grant announcements, public receptions, or the bi-annual Commonwealth Awards.
- Have a conversation at community meetings hosted by others like chamber of commerce, Rotary, etc.
- A meeting at your state senator or representative's office, either at the State House or in his or her district.
- Add your elected officials to your mailing list. Invite them
to your programs.
Some examples:
- A chamber music ensemble invites their state senator to briefly address the audience before a performance.
- A youth arts program invites an elected official to observe a group of middle-school students in an after-school pottery program. The visit includes time for the official to chat with the students about why they enjoy learning how to throw pots.
- A group of seniors from an assisted-living center write letters to their elected representatives praising a local independent movie house that provides vans for residents to attend matinees.
- The executive director of a local history museum meets her state representative for coffee to describe the specific ways that local funding enables her organization to serve the community at large.
- Engage your board of directors, audiences, students and parents
to tell their stories, write letters, emails, make a phone call,
post on social media, sponsor an activity such as a mailing
party, or a phone-a-thon.
Colleague Requirements
To maintain Colleague status organizations must:
- Submit a Data Profile to the MA Cultural Data Project annually.
Learn
More
- Actively advocate for increased state and local resources. Learn
more
- Host a staff visit. Learn
more
Grant Awards
The Cultural Investment Portfolio provides unrestricted multi-year
grants using a formula scaled to the organization's operating
budget. Funding for Colleagues is expected to range from $3,000
to $10,000 each year for three years. Funding range and specific
award amounts are based on total funds allocated to the Cultural
Investment Portfolio by the MCC board based on the agency’s annual
legislative appropriation.
In cases where a Colleague experiences serious organizational capacity
issues, rather than take punitive action our goal is to strategize
with that organization to address the challenge. For example, we
may direct that a portion of the grant be used for capacity building
and planning.
Only in the most extreme cases when we or the organization determine
it is no longer able to carry out its basic mission will we discuss
rescinding funding.
Funding Decisions
Once the formula has been applied grant recommendations are sent
to the MCC board. The board considers funding recommendations and
makes all final funding decisions.
Legal and Other Requirements
ACCESS
In accordance with state law, the MCC recognizes the importance
of non-discrimination, diversity, and equal opportunity in all aspects
of its programs and activities. The MCC is committed to access,
not only as a matter of state and federal law, but also as a policy
designed to encourage the participation of all segments of the Commonwealth’s
population in MCC-funded programs. The MCC also considers low-income
communities, rural populations, and citizens over 65 years old as
underserved populations that should be proactively included in programs.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that persons
with disabilities have access to public programs or services on
an equal basis with the rest of the general public. Furthermore,
federal law mandates that any program or service that receives federal
or state funding must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
Therefore, all events and programs funded by the MCC must be accessible
to persons with disabilities, including those with visual, hearing,
mobility, and learning disabilities. Accessibility includes the
facility and event location as well as the content of the program.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FUNDING
Grant recipients are required to credit the Massachusetts Cultural
Council in all print, audio, video and internet materials, and all
publicity materials (such as press releases, brochures, posters,
advertisements and web sites). Detailed
information is available online.
Questions?
Contact Charles Coe
at 617-727-3668 x339.
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| © Massachusetts Cultural Council 2012 |
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