The Opportunity Fund 7.0, administered by the City of Boston’s Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture (MOAC), provides project-based funding of $3,000 to Boston-based individual artists and cultural workers for publicly accessible, community-centered arts experiences. This grant program is part of the City’s broader effort to invest in Boston’s creative labor force while expanding equitable access to the arts across all neighborhoods.

Launched in 2016 in response to the Boston Creates Cultural Planning Process, the Opportunity Fund is a direct implementation of Goal 2 from that plan, which emphasized retaining and supporting artists in the city through increased public investment. The fund affirms that every Boston neighborhood should be a home for meaningful cultural expression and recognizes artists as essential civic contributors to Boston's vitality and equity.

Eligible applicants must be individual artists, teaching artists, cultural workers, or practitioners residing in Boston for at least one year at the time of application. Applicants must be 18 years or older and not enrolled as full-time undergraduate or graduate students. Only individuals—not organizations—are eligible, and applicants may not be current City of Boston employees. Additionally, those who received more than $20,000 from Neighborhood and Downtown Activation Grants are ineligible. Creative workers may apply to both the Opportunity Fund and the Neighborhood Activation Grant but will only be awarded one, if selected.

Applicants must propose projects that are free to the public and take place in publicly accessible and ADA-compliant locations within Boston. Projects can take place in spaces such as libraries, schools, parks, or community centers. Expenses that may be covered include materials and supplies, space rental, marketing, and compensation for participating artists. Alcohol is an ineligible expense.

The application opened on April 22, 2025, and will close on May 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Awards will be made via a weighted lottery, with additional consideration given to applicants who are performing artists, low-income individuals, or who live in and plan to host events in priority neighborhoods (Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roxbury). Applicants who did not receive Opportunity Fund grants in 2024 will also be prioritized.

Selected applicants will be notified by June 3, 2025, and grants will be disbursed by the end of June. Recipients must register as vendors with the City of Boston to receive payment and will be required to submit a brief final report within 30 days of completing their project. The fund is supported by the City of Boston’s operating budget, with a total of $300,000 available to fund 100 grants.

For accessibility or assistance with the application, applicants may email artsgrants@boston.gov or call 617-635-2787. Translation and interpretation services are available in multiple languages.