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$225,000 In Grants Awarded to 45 Community Organizations Strengthening Cultural Connection and Community Across Boston

The Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs Community Building Mini Grants will support organizations ongoing work to expand community building and provide more culturally relevant services to residents and families

BOSTON — Friday, August 2, 2024 — Today, the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs announced the 45 grant recipients of the City’s inaugural Community Building Mini Grants, which awards organizations up to $5,000 to build community and promote civic engagement across Boston’s neighborhoods. This funding will strengthen Boston’s local cultural sector and bolster the ongoing efforts of 45 critical organizations to expand their community building initiatives and provide more culturally relevant services to residents and families in Boston. The Community Building Mini Grant total funding is $225,000 through the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet’s budget. These grants build on Mayor Wu and the City of Boston’s efforts to make Boston a home for everyone and create opportunities for diverse cultural communities to thrive in Boston. 

By empowering these organizations, we are not just supporting cultural expression but also strengthening the fabric of our city through civic engagement and community building. Together, we are fostering a Boston where every cultural community can experience a sense of belonging, a sense of home,” said Mariangely Solis Cervera, Chief of Equity and Inclusion.

“We’re incredibly proud to be issuing these grants as one of our first initiatives,” said Alexandra Valdez, Director of Cultural Affairs. “We are deeply inspired by the positive impact these organizations have made in our community, and our office is looking forward to engaging with them further. This is a pivotal moment for Boston, and we are eager to contribute to a vibrant and inclusive cultural landscape that benefits everyone.”

The Cultural Affairs Community Building Mini Grants were open to non-profit organizations either located in the City of Boston or that directly impact communities within the City. Additionally, selected organizations demonstrated a close alignment with the Cultural Affairs mission, their vision for an equitable and just Boston as well as previous service with historically excluded cultural communities in Boston. Organizations were also required to demonstrate community building efforts, defined as providing culturally relevant services, cultural community gatherings, fostering intergenerational ties, community workshops/events/advocacy/outreach, and promoting civic engagement. The Cultural Affairs team also sought organizations that serve the current five main cultural communities of the office: Latin-X, Cape Verde, Vietnamese, Haitian, and Caribbean.  

The Cultural Affairs team will work closely with the selected organizations to support the implementation of the grants towards projects that build on Boston’s cultural sector. Recipients will be required to attend meetings with a Cultural Affairs Office representative as well as provide a final summary report upon completion of the grant term. This report will include successes, lessons learned, and the total number of individuals served through the grant funding. This program and the resulting report will greatly expand existing community programs and services, and help foster a sense of belonging among the City’s diverse residents and allies.

Recipients of the Cultural Affairs Community Building Mini Grants include: 

"We are incredibly grateful for the support of the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs, which will allow us to deepen our engagement in building a more inclusive and culturally rich environment for everyone,” said George Huynh, Executive Director of VietAid. “This is a testament to the wonderful diversity of our community, and we are excited to see the positive impact it will have in bringing people together all across the City.”

The Cultural Affairs Office, created within the Equity and Inclusion Cabinet following a 2023 City Ordinance signed by Mayor Wu, partners with community leaders and cultural organizations to curate events and initiatives that celebrate Boston's cultural diversity. The team currently consists of three cultural advisors: a Cape Verdean, Vietnamese, and Latinx Cultural Advisor, with hopes to expand with a Caribbean Cultural Advisor in the near future.

To explore additional funding opportunities offered by the City of Boston, visit boston.gov/grants. For questions regarding City of Boston grant programs, please email grants@boston.gov.

 

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