Future of the Cultural Facilities Fund
The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund is not currently accepting new grant applications. The state budget for the current fiscal year did not include an appropriation for the CFF.

A 2008 Act of the Legislature, however, authorized the Governor to invest up to $50 million in CFF through the issuance of state capital bonds over five years. Earlier this year the Governor elected to issue $7 million to support the most recent round of CFF grants. This leaves up to $43 million to be issued for the program in future years if the Governor so chooses. The Massachusetts Cultural Council, which administers this program with MassDevelopment, has made continued state investment in the CFF a top priority. We will keep you informed of new developments as the year goes on. We also plan to survey the cultural community in Massachusetts to determine the future demand for cultural facilities funding.

2009 Grants
A total of $12,467,900 in new funding was announced on May 14. 9 additional feasibility and technical assistance grants totaling $177,375 were approved on November 10.

Fund Impact
In two years, the state invested more than $24 million through CFF into 120 cultural organizations, schools, and communities to build, repair, and expand their facilities. It has supported projects across the state, in communities as diverse as Pittsfield and Provincetown. It has helped major tourist attractions like Plimoth Plantation and Mass MoCA leverage millions of private dollars to draw more visitors to Massachusetts. And it has helped smaller non-profits such as the Old North Church Foundation restore its National Historic Landmark building that is such a vital part of our national history.

These cultural institutions are major economic engines for the Commonwealth. A recent analysis shows that organizations receiving CFF grants provide jobs for nearly 5,500 full-time workers in Massachusetts. They draw more than 16 million visitors annually, 5 million of whom come from out of state. They generate more than $205 million in tourism-related revenues, and spend more than $1.1 billion on goods and services in Massachusetts. Through the boost provided by CFF, those organizations also employed more than 5,700 architects, engineers, contractors and construction workers, created 577 new jobs, and invested nearly $840 million in Massachusetts through the purchase of new goods and services.