$117,000 In Organizational Investment Grants Awarded To 13 Cambridge Nonprofits

$117,000 In Organizational Investment Grants Awarded To 13 Cambridge Nonprofits

 

Thirteen Cambridge cultural organizations have been awarded $117,000 in Organizational Investment Grants by Cambridge Arts and the City of Cambridge. The nonprofits are music, theater, dance and exhibition venues and community art centers. They offer teaching, professional development, and live music and dance and theater. The funding program provides $9,000 grants to each nonprofit to support operational costs, sustainability, and resiliency for local cultural organizations that benefit Cambridge residents.

 

This year’s recipients are: 

 

• Baldwin Community

• Central Square Theater

• Club Passim

• Community Art Center

• Gallery 263

• The Dance Complex

• The Flavor Continues

• The Foundry Consortium

• Innovators of Purpose

• José Mateo Ballet Dance Theatre

• Multicultural Arts Center

• New School of Music

• Shelter Music

(Full organization descriptions see below.)

 

This is the sixth year Cambridge Arts has awarded Organizational Investment Grants, which began as part of Cambridge Arts’ covid relief efforts. In addition to funding individual cultural projects, like most Cambridge Arts grants, our Organizational Investment Grants offer our largest financial grants to local organizations to support their work as an organization and strengthen their positive effects on the community.

 

Creating a distinct funding category for organizations also helps individual artists by increasing the funding opportunities overall and reducing the need to compete for funding with larger and often more well-resourced organizations.

 

Overall Cambridge Arts and the City are distributing $369,715 to more than 67 artists, cultural organizations, and community-based grant reviewers via grants and stipends this year through three funding opportunities offered by Cambridge Arts: Organizational Investment Grants, Art for Social Justice Grants, and Local Cultural Council Project Grants.

 

Each year, the City of Cambridge contributes substantial funding to support local artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations through the Cambridge Arts Grant Program. This support is coupled with funding received through the Massachusetts Cultural Council’s statewide Local Cultural Council Program.

 

Cambridge Arts’ Organizational Investment Grants are awarded on an annual cycle, with the due date to apply usually in mid-October of each year.

 

 

Baldwin Community 

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://agassiz.org/ and https://www.maudmorganarts.org/

 

The Maria L. Baldwin Community Center (MLBCC) is a vibrant intergenerational arts and community hub that has served Cambridge for more than 50 years. Our mission is to build community through creativity: nurturing relationships, celebrating cultural expression, and expanding access to the arts for people of all ages.

 

Located in the heart of the Baldwin neighborhood, MLBCC anchors a creative ecosystem that brings neighbors together across generations and cultures. Our campus includes the Maud Morgan Arts Center, Chandler Gallery, and welcoming community spaces that host visual arts, music, performance, literary, and wellness programs throughout the year.

 

Formerly the Agassiz Baldwin Community, we renamed the organization in 2024 to honor our neighborhood’s namesake, educator and civil rights leader Maria L. Baldwin, and to reaffirm our commitment to belonging, representation, and anti-racist values. Today, as Cambridge faces rising costs and deepening inequities, MLBCC remains a vital gathering place where creativity, connection, and care help the community thrive.

 

Central Square Theater

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.CentralSquareTheater.org 

 

Central Square Theater (CST) is dedicated to the exploration of social justice, science and gender politics through theater and education. Award-winning productions, the Catalyst Collaborative@MIT Science Theater Initiative, and youth development programming, enable CST to create theater where points of view are heard, perspective shifts, and change can happen.

Founded in 2008, Central Square Theater, the oldest female-led theater in New England, upholds the values and theatrical excellence of its origin companies, Underground Railway Theater and The Nora, both Cambridge based Companies. 

 

CST, based in Cambridge, is rooted in our values that creative collaboration is the key to increasing diversity and growing the next generation of theater audiences. In addition to providing main stage programming, CST commits to partnering with peer organizations to devise and provide free/reduced theatrical experiences for both artists and audiences alike. Ongoing and current partnerships include The Dance Complex, Lemelson|MIT, Mayor’s Summer Work Employment Program, and Cambridge STEAM. CST threads this creative collaboration through all our programming.

 

Club Passim

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.passim.org 

 

The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant, inclusive music community. We do so through our legendary listening venue, Folk Collective program, music school, artist grants, and outreach programs. 

 

As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the legacy of our predecessors Club 47 (1958-1968) and the for-profit Passim (1969-1994). Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and New England by featuring local, national, and international artists at all levels of their musical careers. We cultivate a diverse range of musical traditions and genres, with an emphasis on the relationship between performers and their audience, as well as between teachers and students. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish, thereby enriching the lives of members of our community in Cambridge, New England, and beyond.

 

Community Art Center

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.communityartcenter.org/

 

Community Art Center (CAC) was founded in 1937, during the Great Depression, by parents who understood that creativity is central to human development. It's a historic neighborhood institution, committed to its mission: to cultivate an engaged community of youth whose powerful artistic voices transform their lives, their neighborhoods, and their worlds. Programs include essential childcare for children ages 5?12, Teen Media and Teen Public Art Programs for youth 13?19. CAC produces Do It Your Damn Self!! the longest-running youth film festival in the country! Its Teen Public Art Program engages youth and community, installing dozens of murals and art installations throughout the city. Community Art Center is more than an art center, it’s a trusted hub of creativity, healing, and community support.

 

Located in Cambridge’s Port neighborhood, CAC primarily serves historically excluded, under-resourced families, many in public housing. CAC provides holistic programming that supports physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing. Recognizing art as gateway for understanding, and a driver of equity, CAC also offers wraparound services including food access, mental health counseling, and housing support.

 

The Dance Complex

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.dancecomplex.org/  

 

The Dance Complex (The DC) enables the creation, study, and performance of dance, sustaining artists, audiences, and community through programs that connect movement and ideas. We celebrate the wonder and curiosity of dance for all.

 

The DC honors the many perspectives and purposes that bring people to dance, supporting each individual’s unique journey. We foster a safe, inclusive space where creativity flourishes and diverse artistic voices shape new work. Through open communication and intentionally reducing barriers, we build access and agency so those often othered, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, immigrants, elders, and those economically disadvantaged, can thrive through dance.

 

We embrace the widest definition of movement: heritage dances from Africa, the Middle East, South America, and across the diaspora coexist with new works born of today’s diverse communities. We also embrace the widest definition of dancer, welcoming all ages, abilities, and experiences, recognizing that each story enriches the collective dance.

 

The Flavor Continues

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.theflavorcontinues.org/ 

 

Established in 2019, The Flavor Continues (TFC) is the first community-led non-profit organization exclusively serving Street and Club Dance in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area. It is spearheaded by members within the Street and Club dance communities pursuing a sustainable foundation for the culture. TFC was formed in direct response to the ongoing need to provide resources and uplift members of marginalized communities by promoting well-being, education, employment, and social justice - all through dance.

 

The Flavor Continues was first used as a moniker, which then evolved to represent the organization’s consistent dedication to providing for the community. Beginning as an organization focused on curating dance events, it soon transformed to exist at the intersection of historical and cultural preservation, education, and social justice. As a convener, resource provider, educator, and facilitator, TFC provides a platform for creatives to strengthen their individual practice and connections with the community at large.

 

TFC is proud to be celebrating its 6th year as an incorporated nonprofit, serving more than 350 individuals annually. Additionally, TFC has maintained an official partnership with The Foundry in Cambridge, MA, which has allowed us to continue our programming and helped us visualize what it means to have true partnership and collaboration.

 

The Foundry Consortium

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.cambridgefoundry.org/ 

 

The Foundry is a community arts center located at the intersection of East Cambridge and Kendall Square. We unite creatives in underrepresented communities by building an accessible and dynamic environment where everyone can connect, access, and discover across the arts, entrepreneurship, technology, and education. Offering maker spaces, multi-purpose rooms, a dance studio, art studio, performance space, and demonstration kitchen, The Foundry brings STEM and the Arts under one roof for the Cambridge community with its spaces available for reservation and public programming. The Foundry is more than a space; for many of our community members, it is the one place where they can bring their whole selves.

 

The Foundry serves individuals, organizations, and communities with a focus on supporting those with limited financial resources and marginalized backgrounds. The Foundry’s reach extends strongly to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) and queer communities. These communities have historically faced systemic barriers in accessing resources and opportunities in the arts. Over 50% of the users fall within our lowest sliding scale bracket, which includes organizations with operating budgets under $50,000 or individuals earning less than $28,200 annually. We actively address this disparity by creating an inclusive and welcoming environment where their voices and artistic contributions are valued and celebrated.

 

Gallery 263

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.Gallery263.org

 

 Gallery 263 is a 501(c)(3) creative space committed to advancing contemporary art. Our conceptually driven exhibitions and enriching community programming foster the lifelong engagement of artists and visitors. It is the only art gallery in Cambridgeport and has been actively engaged in the neighborhood since its inception 17 years ago. The gallery started as the project of a group of friends and has evolved into a structured, stable, well-administered, and enduring organization led by a staff and Board of Directors who range in age, professional work experience, and socioeconomic status.

 

Gallery 263 averages approximately ten exhibitions per year and provides a diverse range of programming including yoga classes, artist talks, skill and professional development workshops, music, and more. Exhibitions showcase artwork of various mediums from artists of all career levels, with an emphasis on supporting local and emerging artists.

 

In addition to the rotating exhibitions, the gallery showcases the work of twelve Massachusetts-based artists housed in flat files drawers in the gallery and online as part of its Small Works Project. 

 

Gallery 263 actively collaborates with neighborhood groups and events such as the Cambridgeport Neighborhood Association, Morse School, the Halloween Art Party in Hasting Square, Open Studios, Porchfest, among many others.

 

Innovators of Purpose

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.innovatorsforpurpose.org  

 

Innovators for Purpose (iFp) is a BIPOC-led nonprofit design and innovation studio based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Our mission is to empower young people, especially those from underrecognized communities to shape what’s next in their lives, communities, and the world.

 

Founded in 2014, iFp reimagines how learning happens by blending art, design, and STEM into meaningful, hands-on experiences that connect creativity with purpose. Beginning with our first program at Fletcher Maynard Academy, we’ve continued to grow alongside Cambridge youth, helping them transform curiosity into confidence and imagination into impact.

 

Over more than a decade, iFp has engaged over 2,000 students and partnered with more than 50 community collaborators through our core programs, while reaching thousands more students, parents, educators, community members, and business leaders through our iFp Converge event series. These public gatherings celebrate creativity, inclusion, and innovation, bringing together diverse voices to explore how art, design, and technology can build stronger, more equitable communities.

 

Rooted in Cambridge’s dynamic ecosystem, iFp ensures that local youth don’t just witness innovation, they actively shape it. Through creativity and collaboration, they learn that their voices, ideas, and cultural perspectives belong in the spaces where the future is being designed. Together, we’re cultivating a generation of innovators who lead with purpose, empathy, and imagination.

 

Jose Mateo’s Ballet Dance Theatre

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.ballettheatre.org/ 

 

Ballet Theatre of Boston, Inc., d/b/a Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre (JMBT) is a vibrant community of artists, art educators, students, audience members, and partner organizations working at the intersection of artistic excellence, innovation and social change. Founded in 1986 by Cuban-born choreographer Jose Mateo, JMBT began as a small company and a single-studio school. The organization has expanded to two locations with offices, four studios, and performance space at the Historic Old Cambridge Baptist Church in a unique partnership model for mixed-use space, and an additional studio in Dorchester. 

JMBT’s mission is to reposition the role of dance in our culture by creating new ballets of excellence that are relevant to contemporary audiences; expanding the purpose of ballet in the education of youth and enrichment of community; and creating sustainable, inclusive outreach programs that embrace diversity, equity and social responsibility, accessible to participants of all racial, cultural, and economic backgrounds, Reposition the role of dance in our culture and expand its purpose in the education of youth and enrichment of community locally and beyond.

 

Multicultural Art Center

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.multiculturalartscenter.org

 

The Multicultural Arts Center (MAC) is a nonprofit cultural institution founded in 1978 to help diverse populations better understand one another through the arts. Since 1985, the MAC has been housed in its historic home at 41 Second Street in Cambridge, where it presents visual and performing arts programming that celebrates identity, fosters inclusion, and strengthens community.

The MAC’s mission is to present multicultural visual and performing arts programs that educate the community about diversity and to make its professionally equipped facility accessible to artists and groups who might not otherwise have access to the cultural mainstream.

For almost 50 years, the MAC has been a gathering space for artists and audiences across Cambridge and Greater Boston. Its work uplifts artists of color, immigrant and emerging artists, and community members seeking connection through creative expression.

 

In recent years, the MAC expanded its programming and deepened its community impact. Highlights include launching a new Artist-in-Residence program in 2024, which provides rehearsal space, mentorship, and a culminating public showcase; advancing accessibility through the Backstage Accessibility Project, funded in part by the Massachusetts Cultural Council; and strengthening financial stability through a 3-year strategic plan and the first annual Gala in 2025. Together these efforts push the MAC’s vision of a thriving, inclusive arts ecosystem where creativity bridges differences.

 

New School of Music

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.newschoolofmusic.org/ 

 

The New School of Music (NSM) was founded in 1976 by composer, educator, and Cambridge resident Nicholas Van Slyck. Guided by its vision of Music for All, NSM provides affordable, high-quality music education in a non-competitive, inclusive, and community-centered environment.

Our mission is to foster a lifelong love and understanding of music. We believe everyone, regardless of background, income, identity, or ability, deserves access to meaningful musical experiences. To advance equity and inclusion, we offer need-based scholarships, a 50% tuition discount for low-income Card to Culture holders, and targeted outreach to underserved communities. We engage the public through free performances, partnerships, and neighborhood events, and we intentionally welcome underrepresented students and families.

 

Each year, NSM serves nearly 400 students from infants to older adults from every neighborhood in Cambridge and beyond. Our 29 professional musician-educators foster a learning environment rooted in respect, creativity, and connection. Located in a historic West Cambridge facility, we offer private and group instruction, recitals, community events, and faculty concerts celebrating diverse musical traditions.

 

Shelter Music

Grant Award: $9,000.00

https://www.sheltermusicboston.org 

 

Shelter Music Boston presents classical chamber music concerts, of the highest artistic standards, in homeless shelters and other sheltering environments. Our goal is to promote community, creative interaction, respect, and therapeutic benefit. We believe all people deserve access to the dignity, creativity, and passion of classical music whether or not they have a home. Shelter Music Boston (SMB) was founded in 2010 by professional violinist Julie Leven to address a complete lack of access to live classical music and its known healing benefits for individuals who are homeless and marginalized in other significant ways. What started with two musicians performing at two homeless shelters has led to 80 professional musicians on SMB’s roster delivering 100 concerts for more than 1,500 audience members at 8+ partner sites annually, including our Children’s Program, performing more than 900 concert programs since its founding. SMB’s programs occur throughout Greater Boston, including Cambridge sites – HRI’s Putnam Square Apartments, CASPAR Emergency Shelter, and more recently two-family shelters in Cambridge managed by Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center. While there are other programs that provide music education or performances in shelters or for underserved communities, there is no other organization in Greater Boston that uses classical music as a social service with the same consistency or professional standards.