Whether you are part of an organization, an artist collective, or are a creative individual with a vision for a more diverse and activated waterfront, there are Better Beaches grant opportunities for you!

Grant applicants can come from any community in the Greater Boston Area, as long as their event takes place on one of our region’s free DCR public beaches. Better Beaches grants are awarded on the basis of equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Community impact, event feasibility, uniqueness, and funding saturation will also be taken into consideration. Prioritized proposals will include individuals, organizations, and creatives interested in empowering, collaborating with, and amplifying the power of local community members of color, Queer folks, people with disabilities, fixed income individuals, people whose primary language is not English, and Indigenous peoples.

The application is submitted via a google form or PDF, which may be found on the “Apply Here” section of our Better Beaches Grant Program webpage. There are separate applications for organizations and individuals. Before submitting, you should have a clear idea of what you’d like your event to look like, why it is important, how you plan to conduct your outreach, and what you need from us.

Applications we open in January, and decisions will be release in early Spring. Accepted applicants will then apply for permits through DCR in late Spring.

The Better Beaches program funds everything from music festivals to book clubs on the beach. Grant applications can be for any kind of event, as long as it takes place on one of the region’s public beaches! Better Beaches events don’t need to be big or involve typical beach activities. Better Beaches events can be short, easy, and designed for small groups.

Funds to support the program come from DCR and from the annual JetBlue Shamrock Splash, which will be held on Sunday, March 10th, 2024 at Constitution Beach in East Boston. Thanks to DCR and the JetBlue Shamrock Splash, Save the Harbor will be able to invest over $300,000 to support free beach events and programs.

Grants range from $1,500 - $8,000, and they are based on a structured tier system, but we take other things, such as community impact, event feasibility, uniqueness, and funding saturation, into consideration.

Yes! Even if you have been granted Better Beaches funding in the past, you need to apply for a DCR permit annually. The DCR permit enables you to host your event on a DCR public beach, ensuring that you stay within the bounds of what’s allowed on DCR property. You will need to specify event time, itinerary, attendance estimates, etc. We will provide more information about DCR permits over the course of the application season.

Hosting an event on the beach is often quite different than hosting events elsewhere. There are things to consider like tide levels, MBTA accessibility, and electricity that you may not think of immediately. But don’t worry – that’s why we’re here to help!

Here are some major pointers, but don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions!

• You cannot count on electricity. While we have portable generators available for you to borrow, there are no outlets on beaches!

• NO fires and inflatables are allowed on DCR beaches

• TIMING: Events may take place between June 1st and October 1st. Your beach event must end before sunset (plan accordingly based on the time of year). Please also check tide charts for the day of your event, i.e. if the event is not focused on swimming, it should take place during low-tide.

• Is parking available, or is it MBTA accessible?

• Will there be lifeguards on duty?

• Does the beach have ADA materials available?

• Are the restrooms easily accessible?