Greater Worcester Community Foundation is proud to announce a significant development in its ongoing commitment to arts and culture.

A total of $2.25 million in new funding will support and sustain the growth of arts, culture, and creative endeavors across Worcester County. These funds, provided by a combination of public and private sources, will be invested locally to foster creativity and build the capacity of artists and arts nonprofits in the region.

The funding will be distributed in 2025 and 2026, and is made possible through contributions from individual donors, from federal funds allocated in partnership with the City of Worcester, and from the Barr Foundation, which is among Massachusetts’ largest private funders. 

Advancing Creative Worcester County

GWCF’s Creative Worcester County initiative was launched in 2017 as part of the Creative Commonwealth Initiative—a 10-year partnership between the Barr Foundation and eight community foundations aimed at strengthening arts and creativity across Massachusetts.

Greater Worcester Community Foundation continues to grow its impact as a regional champion for the arts. We are pleased to support the Creative Worcester County initiative as it fosters a thriving arts ecosystem that celebrates creativity, strengthens community, and supports economic resilience countywide.

- San San Wong, Arts & Creativity Program Director, Barr Foundation

Community foundations participating in the Creative Commonwealth Initiative are challenged to raise matching funds for each grant provided by Barr. Thanks to the generosity of 34 donors—including 22 who contributed through donor advised funds—Greater Worcester Community Foundation exceeded its latest goal, raising $277,609 over a year ahead of schedule. The community foundation extends its gratitude to these and prior donors toward this shared, sustained effort. 

I’ve been a long-time supporter of arts and culture in Worcester County. As the largest funder of arts programming in our area, Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s efforts are helping to build a more vibrant Worcester County where creativity thrives and diverse cultures are honored.

- Phyllis Pollack, donor and arts advisor

The latest Creative Commonwealth Initiative grant from Barr adds $1 million to help further GWCF’s arts work in several ways, including: 

  • Expanding its engagement with arts organizations across Worcester County, with a focus on intersectional grantmaking and creative placemaking.
  • Providing capacity-building opportunities for arts nonprofits through the Nonprofit Support Center.
  • Supporting individual creatives through Mass MoCA’s Assets for Artists program, hosted this year by ArtsWorcester.
  • Strengthening the sector through strategic investments in the Worcester Cultural Coalition and Fitchburg Cultural Alliance.

Supporting Local Creatives through the JMAC

Through a new $400,000 grant, the Barr Foundation is also partnering with Greater Worcester Community Foundation on the continuation of the Jean McDonough Arts Center Access Grant program, helping to preserve the JMAC’s legacy of community-driven support for local creatives. Over the course of this three-year grant, GWCF will oversee the grantmaking process for the JMAC, providing arts nonprofits and individual artists with resources to bring impactful projects to life.

Implementing the City of Worcester Cultural Plan

In addition, Greater Worcester Community Foundation is partnering with the City of Worcester to distribute the $574,097 in remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds allocated for nonprofit organizations in the arts and culture sector. These funds will be used to support the implementation of the City of Worcester’s Cultural Plan, with a focus on smaller and grassroots arts nonprofits that are still recovering from the negative economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Each of these investments underscores the power of collaboration and the arts in shaping a vibrant and inclusive community. We are honored to steward these funds and help bring the transformative potential of arts and culture to life across Worcester County.

- Pete Dunn, President & CEO, Greater Worcester Community Foundation

Additional contributions to Creative Worcester County are welcome and can be made online or mailed to Greater Worcester Community Foundation, 1 Mercantile Street Suite 010, Worcester, MA 01608.