About the Fund

The Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund is a new initiative of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Fund was created as part of a major economic stimulus bill that was approved by the Massachusetts Legislature in July 2006. The legislative appropriation to the Fund for its first year was $13 million.

The goal of the Cultural Facilities Fund is to increase investments from both the public sector and the private sector to support the sound planning and development of cultural facilities in Massachusetts.

The Fund will provide Capital Grants and Feasibility and Technical Assistance Grants to promote the acquisition, design, repair, rehabilitation renovation, expansion, or construction of nonprofit cultural facilities in Massachusetts. All grants from the Fund must be matched with cash contributions from the private or public sector.

Eligible applicants include nonprofit cultural organizations and (subject to some limitations) municipalities and institutions of higher education that own cultural facilities.

Program Administration
The Fund is administered through a collaborative arrangement between MassDevelopment and the Massachusetts Cultural Council. A Governor-appointed Cultural Facilities Fund Advisory Committee advises on the operation of the Fund.

MassDevelopment has authority on all matters of Fund administration, including final approval of all grant decisions.

The Massachusetts Cultural Council is responsible for managing most aspects of the grant review process, through a contractual relationship with MassDevelopment. This includes distributing guidelines for the program, offering technical assistance to applicants, and reviewing grant applications.

The Cultural Facilities Advisory Committee is responsible for advising MassDevelopment on the management and operation of the Fund. The Committee consists of nine members, six appointed by the Governor, plus the President and CEO of MassDevelopment, and the Executive Directors of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, and the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism. The six members appointed by the Governor represent six different geographic regions of the state, as called for in the statute.

Advisory Committee Members

Wayne Capolupo, CEO and Principal
SPS New England
Salisbury

Robert L. Culver, President and CEO
Cultural Facilities Advisory Committee Chair
MassDevelopment
Boston

Michael A. Halperson, Executive Vice President
Dome Publishing Company
Foxborough

John Plukas, Co-Chairman
Wainwright Bank & Trust Company
Boston

John William Poduska
Consultant and Businessman
Weston

David Starr, President
Republican Company
Longmeadow

John C. Stowe, President and CEO
LUTCO, Inc.
Boylston

Anita Walker, Executive Director
Massachusetts Cultural Council
Newton

Betsy Wall, Executive Director
Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism
Winchester