Franklin Cultural District: Announces the Investment Fund Grant Awards

January 2, 2025

Volume 5, January 2, 2025 Congratulations! Cultural District Investment Fund Grants Awarded In fall, 2024, the Massachusetts Cultural Council awarded the Franklin Cultural District Committee a $15,000 Cultural District Investment Grant. This grant, one of several awarded to state-sponsored cultural districts, is intended to infuse new arts and culture activities and to attract creative businesses to the cultural districts. The Franklin Cultural District Committee voted to reserve a portion of the grant funds for FCDC-directed work and offer the remainder, in the form of grants,  to Franklin arts and culture organizations.  The Franklin Cultural District Committee (FCDC) is honored to announce the grants made possible by MCC Cultural District Investment Grant funds. The FCDC, in concert with the Town of Franklin Department of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, offers its sincere congratulations to all who received a grant. The FCDC looks forward to seeing these grant-funded initiatives come to life through performances, events, and more. The FCDC gratefully acknowledges the MCC and its generous grant that made these local grants possible, appreciates the leadership of the Franklin Department of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, and recognizes the continued support of the Town of Franklin. Below, please find a list of funded grants and a link to the organizations' websites. Some of these events will take place in the late spring or early summer. As a result, information pertaining to the grant-funded activity may not appear on the website until closer to the date. However, many of the organizations have other events and activities that may be of interest at this time. FY25 Cultural District Grant Awards Franklin Art Association: To contribute toward the cost of "Fakes and Forgeries" event during June 2025. ($400) Children's Museum of Franklin: To add a mural to the back wall of the Museum, currently under construction. The mural will be created by a local artist. ($600) Select Museum to learn more. Franklin Farmers Market: To provide entertainment at the Franklin Farmers Market during June 2025. ($1,100) Select Market for information.  Franklin Historical Commission: A second and expanded presentation of "A Community Rediscovery of Ideas, Literature, and the Shared Gift of Language. " This month-long presentation celebrates the life and many contributions of Franklin's namesake, Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Select Ben for event information. ($1,100) The Ben activities begin Saturday, January 4 at the Historical Museum. Franklin LGBTQ Alliance: To subsidize a small portion of the costs associated with the June Celebrate with Pride festival. ($1,030) Select LGBTQ for information about this organization. Franklin Performing Arts Company: To subsidize a small portion of the costs associated with the June 6 – 8, 2025 performance of Little Women at THE BLACK BOX.($1,100) Select FPAC for ticketing and performance information. Franklin Public Library: A concert by the Boston Typewriter Orchestra, April 2025. ($750) A concert by the Blackstone Valley String Quartet, performing the music of Taylor Swift. ($600) Select Library for event information. Franklin Public Schools, JFK and Parmenter Elementary Schools: To bring music, dance, the arts and more cultural diversity to JF Kennedy and Parmenter Schools (where Ms. MacMurray is the music faculty member). ($1,000) Select FPS Music for more information.  Franklin Public Schools Music Department, and the Franklin Public Schools: To contribute toward the purchase of needed quality string instruments to rebuild and strengthen middle school string program. ($2,120) Select FPS Music for more information.  In addition to the funds associated with these ten grants, the FCDC reserved $5,200 to fund three projects to be overseen by the FCDC. The committee-directed projects are: Porchfest 2025, to contribute to the cost of the Porchfest website, police detail and insurance. ($3,500) Artsy Boxes, to provide for maintenance of the artwork of current Artsy Boxes. ($1,200) Collaborative Musicians, to compensate musicians performing at community events. ($500) Information about these and other and Culture happenings is shared weekly in the Cultural District Newsletter. Partnering with Franklin Matters @https://www.franklinmatters.org sharing information about what matters in Franklin. Visit Franklin Matters for Franklin information. Franklin Cultural District Committee Amy Adams, Katherine Botelho, Pandora Carlucci, Sue Cass, Patrick Conlan, John LoPresti, Roberta Trahan Next meeting: January 9, 2025 at 7:00pm at Franklin Senior Center

Town of Franklin Franklin Culture District | 355 East Central Street | Franklin, MA 02038 US

Franklin Cultural District Committee is now accepting proposals for Cultural District Investment Grants

The Franklin Cultural District Committee is now accepting proposals for Cultural District Investment Grants until November 30, 2024. 

The Town of Franklin and Franklin Cultural District Committee (FCDC) have received a Cultural District Investment Grant from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for fiscal year 2025.  

accepting proposals for Cultural District Investment Grants

The FCDC is announcing the availability of cultural district investment grant to FCD Partners for funding proposals for cultural initiatives planned in the district.

Please use the following link to apply and get information; Cultural Investment Grants: FY25 | Franklin Cultural District . If you have a project/initiative that will benefit and promote culture in our community and want to request funding, please complete the Funding Request online form.  

If you have any questions, please contact; John LoPresti, johntlopresti@gmail.com or Amy Adams, amyadams665@gmail.com.  All request for funding must be submitted by 5 PM on November 30, 2024.  

The FCDC will discuss and vote on the investment grant funding requests at its Thursday, December 12, 2024 committee meeting scheduled to be held in-person at the Franklin Public Library community room at 7 PM.

Cultural District Investment Grant info & application ->   https://www.franklinculture.org/cultural-investment-grants-fy25

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Healey-Driscoll administration releases "$14 Billion Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028"

"The Healey-Driscoll administration announced today (06/22/23)  a new five-year, $14 billion capital investment plan that includes more than $1.5 billion in housing-related spending and a new program to incentivize the creation of more affordable housing.

The administration’s plan, covering fiscal years 2024 through 2028, includes $97 million a year for the new HousingWorks program, which aims to encourage the production of 200 to 300 units of affordable housing each year. In addition, the spending plan also includes $90 million annually for housing acquisition, development and rehabilitation, and $120 million a year to preserve the state’s more than 43,000 units of public housing.

Besides housing, the spending plan focuses on advancing climate and economic development goals, and administration officials said it will help preserve and modernize the state’s infrastructure, invest in cities and towns, and make government more effective."

Continue reading the article ->

https://www.mma.org/gov-healey-announces-capital-plan-affordable-housing-program/ 

The Governor's official press release ->

https://www.mass.gov/news/governor-healey-and-lieutenant-governor-driscoll-release-14-billion-capital-investment-plan-for-fiscal-years-2024-2028

Healey-Driscoll administration releases "$14 Billion Capital Investment Plan for Fiscal Years 2024-2028"

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World’s biggest investment fund warns directors to tackle climate crisis or face sack | Sovereign wealth funds | The Guardian

"Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s single largest investor, has warned company directors it will vote against their re-election to the board if they do not up their game on tackling the climate crisis, human rights abuses and boardroom diversity.

Carine Smith Ihenacho, the chief governance and compliance officer of Norges Bank Investment Management, which manages more than 13tn Norwegian kroner (£1tn) on behalf of the Norwegian people, said the fund was preparing to vote against the re-election of at least 80 company boards for failing to set or hit environmental or social targets.

Established in the 1990s to invest surplus profits from Norway’s huge oil and gas reserves, it is the world’s largest sovereign fund, controlling an average of 1.3% of 9,338 companies across 70 countries. Large holdings include Apple, Nestlé, Microsoft and Samsung.

“We all know, we live in a world with a climate crisis, and we have a role to play and then companies have a role to play,” Smith Ihenacho said. “So we have stepped up our expectations towards the companies when it comes to setting targets to get to that net zero [emissions] by 2050 target. And we will push the companies more in setting targets and understanding how they’re going to get there.”

Continue reading the article online(subscription may be required)

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/feb/03/worlds-biggest-investment-fund-warns-directors-to-tackle-climate-crisis-or-face-sack

Melting glaciers and ice sheets around the world are causing concern over the changing climate. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Rex/Shutterstock