Needham arts council reports $8,014 in town grant funds remaining ahead of June deadline

At its May 20 meeting, the Needham Council for Arts and Culture heard a financial update showing remaining town grant funds must be spent or encumbered before June 30.

Kavita, who ran the treasurer’s update, said the council budget for fiscal year 02/24–25 allocated $15,284 for grant reimbursements tied to murals and other programs. Reimbursements already processed total $7,270, leaving $8,014 in available town funds that will expire on June 30, 2025. Separately, the council has $9,400 in Massachusetts Cultural Council funds that became available in April and expire Dec. 31, 2025.

The treasurer said recent reimbursements include a replaced check for the River Symphony and the Arlequin Players' payment, and she has followed up with grantees who had not yet submitted receipts. Two recent events — a Chinese New Year celebration and an Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) event — were identified as likely to consume a “big chunk” of the remaining town funds when their reimbursements are submitted.

Council members discussed practical steps to use encumbered funds: because the council operates on a reimbursement model, payments arrive to the council only after grantees submit documentation. The treasurer said the town can open a purchase order (PO) for upcoming events or process journal entries to preserve funding for late-scheduled activities, and that ARPA and Mass Cultural Council funds follow different rules from town funds.

Council members agreed to follow up with grantees who have not yet turned in reimbursement paperwork and to send a second reminder. They also discussed reversing the order of drawdown next fiscal year — drawing town funds first and then MCC funds — to simplify accounting depending on the year the funds were allocated.

The council moved to accept the treasurer’s report during the meeting. The motion carried by voice vote.