Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grant Application Instructions

Program Goals
The planning and construction of cultural facilities can be complex. The purpose of the Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants is to help managers and board members of cultural organizations get the objective information and analysis they need before they commit their organization's energies and financial resources to a facilities project.

Types of Projects Funded
Organizations that are contemplating an Eligible Project may apply for funds to support pre-implementation planning - research, fact-finding and analysis that can help them make more informed decisions about their facilities development effort.

Types of planning and technical assistance may include (but are not necessarily limited to): market studies; capital campaign feasibility studies; systems replacement plans or other comprehensive facility plans; site selection surveys; preliminary architectural plans and/or schematic drawings; accessibility assessments.

Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grant funds are not available for non-facilities-related planning efforts; site acquisition; regular operating activities; ongoing staff positions; complete architectural drawings; fundraising or marketing activities; or publications.

Review Criteria
As outlined in previous sections, the Cultural Facilities Fund statute establishes four threshold review criteria for all grants. All projects must provide evidence that they meet these four statutory criteria to be considered for a Cultural Facilities Fund Grant:

• There must be a demonstrated community need for the project.
• The project must be able to demonstrate that it will benefit tourism in the local area.
• There must be a demonstrated financial need for a grant.
• The project must be able to demonstrate local support.

The specific criteria by which applications will be reviewed are:

Quality of Planning:   (25%)

• Evidence that the planning effort linked to mission and an overall organizational/or facilities plan.
• Evidence that this is the logical next step in the organization's overall facilities planning efforts.
• In cases of expansion, evidence that impacts to programming and financial profile have been adequately addressed after completion.

Quality of Implementation:   (50%)

• Evidence that feasibility and planning consultants have been identified.
• Evidence that a scope of services has been formulated.
• Evidence that planning consultants are qualified.
• Submission of a complete planning and feasibility budget.

Impact of Grant:   (25%)

• The project benefits tourism in the local area.
• There is a demonstrated community need for the project.
• There is demonstrated local support for the project.
• There is a demonstrated financial need for the grant.
• The project will have a demonstrated economic impact on the local area.

Application Process - NEW!
Please note we have a new online application process.

I. Intent to Apply

1. Please review the eligibility requirements for the Cultural Facilities Fund as defined by the statute.

2. If you decide to proceed, create an organizational profile to be able to access the online application. (Please note: Usernames/passwords from the Organizational Support application will not work for this system.)

3. Complete the intent to apply (the Project Overview page) of the online application and submit it electronically by the intent to apply deadline - Friday, October 31, 2008.

II. Draft Application - (OPTIONAL)

1. Indicate that you will be submitting a draft on the Project Overview page.

2. Answer all of the narrative questions and save your work on the online application by Friday October 31st.

3. Mail two copies of the following items to Jay Paget at the MCC by Friday October 31st:
   • One-page project budget
   • One year of financial statements (please provide audits as available)

III. Final Application

1. Complete the remaining online Feasibility and Technical Assistance pages - including any updates or changes to the organizational profile and/or Project Overview page.

2. Click the "final submission" button of the online application by the deadline - Thursday, December 18, 2008. The electronic component of your application will then be automatically received by the MCC.

3. Mail or hand-deliver the following required and supplementary materials to the MCC, by the deadline - 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, 2008 (Please note that this is not a postmark deadline. Hard copy materials must be in MCC staff hands by 5 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, 2008.):

   Required Materials:
   Please submit THREE SEPARATE, COLLATED SETS of the following 10 items in the order shown below:

   1. One-page Project Budget (Please list both the Sources and Uses in the project budget and indicate if the Source funds are: "committed"," pending" or "projected". Also please indicate if the Uses are based on actual third party bids, i.e. a contractor bid, or if the costs are estimated).

   2. Evidence of matching funds.

   3. Income statement and balance sheet for the current year-to-date.

   4. Audited financial statements for the two most recent fiscal years. (If your organization's annual budget is less than $500,000 and no audited financials are available, please provide the review statement by the accountant or internally prepared income and expense statements and balance sheets for the two most recent years.) (Not required if the applicant is a municipality.)

      The most recent year's financial statements must be unbound, one-sided, and printed on 8.5" x 11" paper only.

   5. Resumes, CVs, or other summaries of qualifications for all key project personnel.

   6. Board List.

   7. Staff List.

   8. Copy of Current Long-Range Plan, if available.

   9. Copy of IRS 501(c)(3) tax exemption letter (if applicable).

   10. Copy of the lease, deed, ground lease or use agreement for your facility.

   Supplementary Materials
   Please submit three collated sets of any other materials that will help a review panel to assess your project. These may include but are not limited to:

   • Preliminary architectural plans or renderings for the project. (Summary plans are acceptable).

   • Planning and feasibility cost estimates from any third party consultants.

   • Zoning Variances, ZBA hearing dates, building permits or other evidence that regulatory approvals are in place or imminent (if applicable).

   • Copies of any feasibility and planning work done to date: market studies, fundraising assessments, project and business feasibility studies, operating pro-formas, etc.

   • Letters, press clippings, editorials, or other materials that demonstrate community need and local support for the project.

   • Other materials, as relevant.

   One copy of the supplementary application materials should be clearly marked ORIGINAL. Printed materials should be on one-sided 8.5" x 11" paper, held together by clips or rubber bands; please do not staple or use binders. Print must be no smaller than 12-point font. Please allow for at least 1" margins on all sides to allow for copying and binding of panel books.

Address mail to:
Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund Grant Program
Massachusetts Cultural Council
10 St. James Ave., 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02116-3803.

Only the electronic submission of all the application pages, and the mailing or hand delivery of the materials listed above will constitute the final application.

Proceed to the Online Application