Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Grants Available

The Boston Redevelopment Authority and the Fort Point Channel Operations Board are accepting applications for this year’s Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Grant Program. Now in its fifth year, the program provides financial resources for capital improvements and public programming within and along the Fort Point Channel, as envisioned in the Fort Point Channel Watersheet Activation Plan. The plan was established in 2002 through a collaborative effort between the BRA, City of Boston, landowners, nonprofit and cultural leaders, and residents to encourage new cultural activities and year-round programming in Fort Point.

A total of $40,000 is available to organizations for the 2016 grant cycle, and applications are due on February 29, 2016 at 5:00 p.m. Applicants can request up to $40,000, but the BRA and the Fort Point Channel Operations Board have historically allocated smaller amounts to multiple organizations in order to promote a range of activities and improvements in the neighborhood.

The competitive grant seeks creative proposals for water-based programming in and around Fort Point that will benefit the general public, including such things as new water-based infrastructure, public events, art installations, and educational opportunities.

To be eligible, an organization must be tax-exempt or operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit. For-profit organizations may be eligible for funding at the discretion of the Fort Point Channel Operations Board if the project constitutes a not-for-profit, public project. Grant contracts are expected to be awarded by March 28, 2016, and projects must be completed by June 1, 2017.

View 2015 funded projects at the Boston Redevelopment Authority website.