This slide deck was presented at the Lynn Cultural Council annual grants workshop on 9/13/14. Please carefully review these slides and obtain the application form and more info on our website. This year's grant deadline is 10/15/15. For more information, please visit www.mass-culture.org/Lynn www.facebook.com/LynnCulturalCouncil or contact us: 781-691-0600 lynnculturalcouncil@gmail.com

1. GrantsWorkshop
9.13.15

2. WELCOME! 
Your council members
Seth Albaum
Alicia Churchill, Co-Chair
Sarah Jackson, Chair
Farah Manhi
Nicole Rim
Dave Simmons
Enzo Surin
Natanael Valenzuela
Yaya Yajaira
Kate Luchini,
Administrator
(non-voting)
Mayoral appointments
Three-year terms
VOLUNTEERS
Positions are open!

3. Please connect with us!
facebook.com/lynnculturalcouncil
mass-culture.org/Lynn
lynnculturalcouncil@gmail.com
781-691-0060

4. 2015-2016 Grant Cycle
$xxxxx available
 DEADLINE: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2015
 Postmark or email by 11:00 PM on this date
 No late applications accepted
 No drop-offs accepted
 Mailing address: Lynn Cultural Council c/o Lynn Museum
590 Washington Street, Lynn, MA 01901
 Email address: lynnculturalcouncil@gmail.com
 Download form: www.mass-culture.org/lynn

5. Fields of Interest
 Project grants and school field trip grants
 Solely to benefit Lynn residents.
 Includes study, pursuit, performance, exhibition, and
appreciation of the following:
 Arts: Creation of work in the crafts and performing,
visual, media, folk, design, literary, and interdisciplinary
arts. Presentation / preservation of, and education
about, the arts.
 Humanities: Culture, language, and creativity.
Examples: history, social studies, philosophy, criticism,
and literature.
 Interpretive sciences: How nature, science, and
technology relate to people's lives. Examples:
aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, natural
history museums, planetariums.

6. Grant Priorities
 Priority to Lynn Artists and Performers. When programs are
evaluated, priority will be given to the artist residing in
Lynn.
 Priority to projects that introduce or bring the arts to
underserved groups or organizations that may not
normally have access to or be in a financial or physical
position to attend or see such programs or performances.
 Low-income, inner- city/downtown-based, elderly,
racial/ethnic minorities, single parents, non-native English
speakers, children enrolled in any Lynn school, veterans,
and GLBT.
 First-time Lynn Cultural Council grant applicants.

7. Grant Must-Haves
 COMPLETED APPLICATION!!!
 Public benefit
 CONFIRMED VENUE!!!
 ADA compliance
 Applicable field of interest
 No substitution
 No discrimination
If one of these requirements is missing, the grant will
unfortunately be rejected outright. Please see handout for
detailed descriptions of each item.

8. Grant Guidelines
 Date range: Your event/activity must occur between
SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 AND DECEMBER 31, 2016 only.
 Partial funding: LCC grant funding CANNOT BE THE ONLY
MEANS OF SUPPORT for your project. Be sure to explain
how your event/activity will occur if LCC cannot fund
100% of your ask amount.
 Grant funds cannot be used for: Transportation or
refreshments.
 Budgets: Budgets must be complete, accurate and
balanced.
 Grant review/scoring: LCC applications are judged
separately, then weighed against the merits of other
programs. Please see handout for details.

9. Grant Guidelines, cont’d
 School Field Trip grants: To supplement ticket expenses for
cultural school trips. Cannot be used for bus transportation.
 Use of funds: Grants are good for 1 year from the date of
the grant approval letter; not transferable to other
programs or venues.
 Reimbursement model: If approved for a grant, the
grantee expends their own money on the project. Once
the project is complete, grantee submits paperwork to the
LCC for reimbursement.

10. Crediting the LCC
"This program is supported in
part by a grant from the Lynn
Cultural Council, a local
agency which is supported by
the Massachusetts Cultural
Council, a state agency.”

11. The Dreaded Budget!
 FILL IT OUT!
 The LCC cannot fully fund any project.
 Your expenses and revenues must balance out.
 Provide figures for the entire project—not just the
piece you want LCC to support.
 We cannot fund transportation or refreshments.

14. Sample budget
Review sample budgets online! (Project or capital)
http://massculturalcouncil.org/applications/lcc_glossar
y.asp#SampleBudgetNoCapital

15. COMMON PITFALLS
BY APPLICANTS
The applicant:
 Does not fill out budget.
 Requests 100% of a project’s funding. Last year, 11 of the 49 grant requests
(22.4%) sought 100% funding.
 Does not have a confirmed venue. Last year, 4 of the 49 (8%) requests had no
confirmed venue.
 Does not provide project dates/range of dates.
 Does not properly explain the project.
 Has not submitted prior year reimbursements or submits incomplete
reimbursements.
 Receives a grant in a prior year but did not complete the project.
 Makes unreasonable demands of the LCC.
We WANT to give you money. Help us to do that!

16. Questions?
facebook.com/lynnculturalcouncil
mass-culture.org/Lynn
lynnculturalcouncil@gmail.com
781-691-0060