Mini Grants for Creative Projects

Individual artists, performers, musicians and creatives, unincorporated groups, not for profit organizations, and businesses are eligible to apply. Projects or events that contribute to Lowell’s Arts and Culture Community and further Mosaic’s mission of an arts and cultural plan for ALL of Lowell are eligible for funding. Preference will be given to projects/individuals that focus on underserved communities, and unincorporated groups/organizers without a fiscal sponsor or nonprofit status that have not been eligible for other local and regional funding.

Any proposed project should be welcoming to all Lowell residents, regardless of their background, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, neighborhood, and/or affiliation with the planners/coordinators. 

Events/initiatives that limit who can submit art, performances, and/or other pieces for consideration are permitted provided they are central to the event/initiative themes. The general public must have a way to interact with and experience the event/initiative. For example: a showcase of Latin-x artists, a young adult art competition, or an LGBTQ spoken word event that are publicly accessible would be permitted. Events that may restrict attendees by age due to the appropriateness of the content are permitted.

Mosaic strongly prefers to fund programs or projects that will be free and open to the public. If your group intends to charge admission for a grant-supported program, we highly encourage you to speak with a member of Mosaic to discuss parallel free or low-cost options.

Individuals and groups may submit one application per quarterly grant cycle. Individuals and groups are welcome to resubmit denied applications, or submit an application for a new project, in subsequent grant cycles. However each individual, group, and/or project is only eligible for one award every twelve months. Please reference the ‘previous awardees’ section below to review and confirm your eligibility. If you have specific questions about your eligibilty, please reach out to info@mosaiclowell.org.

Please note that grants funds cannot be used to support fundraising events.

Individuals and groups may submit multiple applications throughout the year. However each individual, group, and/or project is only eligible for one award every twelve months. Mosaic Lowell will host grant workshops throughout the year to introduce prospective applicants to the mini-grant application and guidelines.

Mini grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applications are reviewed quarterly. If you receive notification that your project/initiative did not receive funding, you must reapply to be considered during the next cycle.

Quarterly deadlines (subject to change):

1st Quarter mini grant: Applications due by 11:59 p.m. on January 31st. Notification of award will be sent mid to late February.

2nd Quarter mini grant: Applications due by 11:59 p.m. on April 30th. Notification of award will be sent mid to late May.

3rd Quarter mini grant: Applications due by 11:59 p.m. on July 31st. Notification of award will be sent mid to late August.

4th Quarter mini grant: Applications due by 11:59 p.m. on October 31st. Notification of award will be sent mid to late November.

All project expenses must occur within twelve months of the grant award (notification date). Mosaic Lowell cannot retroactively fund projects. A short project report will be required at the end of the grant period to include images and a summary of the project impact.

Funds will dispersed only after a signed grant agreement and W-9 is received. In the case of grants to individuals and businesses, funds are considered taxable income and a 1099 will be received at the end of the tax year.

Mini grant applications can be submitted online, via email to info@mosaiclowell.org, or through mail. Paper copies of the application form can be picked up at Mosaic Lowell at the Greater Lowell Community Foundation at 100 Merrimack St, Suite 202.

Applications must contain:

• Proposed Budget (we have provided a budget template that is required for this application), which should include all costs associated with the project and any funds already procured
• Project proposal with a maximum of one page detailing how requested funds would be used OR in the case of an individual application, an artist statement and description of how the funds would help further your artistic practice. If preferred, you may submit your project proposal video audio or video recording. There is a time limit of 3 minutes. For helpful tips on how to record audio or video of yourself using your phone: https://wave.video/blog/how-to-film-yourself-with-a-phone/ or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDWrqL3-SzM

Mini grants can only be awarded to a person/project/organization/schoool department once every 12 months. Please reference the previous awardees (linked below) to ensure your eligibility. If you have specific questions about eligibility, email info@mosaiclowell.org.

• Q4 2023 Awardees
• Q1 2024 Awardees
• Q2 2024 Awardees
• Q3 2024 Awardees
• Q1 2025 Awardees
• Q2 2025 Awardees
• Q3 2025 Awardees
• Q4 2025 Awardees

Mini-grants are reviewed and evaluated by a volunteer committee using a standard rubric. Prior to going to the review committee, applications are de-identified (i.e. names are removed) and randomized into smaller groups.

The volunteer committee scores each grant on a scale of weak to strong on the following points:

• Is it unique and engaging? Has the applicant provided enough detail to ensure feasibility of the proposal?
• For a Group, project, or event: is it designed to be inclusive and publicly accessible? If it is a proposal for an individual, is it clearly outlined how these funds will help advance their artistic practice and contribute to their future success?
• Is the budget balanced, appropriate, and clear? If the request will not fully cover the project costs, can it still be completed successfully?
• Does the proposal fit into their selected fundamental objective of equity building, youth development, or economic development? (expanding individual artistic practice is considered equity building)
• Is the application complete and did they follow instructions? (did they use the required budget template and is the project description one page or less)

To download a copy of the rubric used to evaluate mini-grants, click here.

Applications submitted by individual artists or unincorporated groups (those without a 501C3 or fiscal sponsor) receive an additional point.

Tips to submit a strong application

• Be clear, concise, and detailed in your one page description. Tell us why your project matters!
• Your budget should be as detailed as possible. If your project will cost more than the mini-grant, detail out how those costs will be covered. To download a sample budget, click here.

Periodically, Mosaic Lowell hosts live grant writing workshops. Be sure to sign up on our email list to be notified when our next session is hosted. Below are resources from previous sessions.

• Grant Writing Tips Document – Click to Download
• Boilerplate Grant Template from LMA Grant Consulting – Click to Download
• Presentation slides from 9/18/23 Grant Workshop – Click to Download
• View the recording from our 9/18/23 Grant Workshop – Click Here