County Executive Marc Elrich proposed a $7,230,304 FY 2027 Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) budget allocation for re-granting and administration. The proposal would increase AHCMC by $176,349, an approximately 2.5% increase over FY 2026. Any additional funding is good news; however, we know more is needed. We thank the County Executive for his stalwart support during this intense time of uncertainty and request an additional $1,047,830 in re-granting funds to meet the projected demand of our community. 

AHCMC thanks County Executive Elrich for his stalwart support for the arts and humanities in Montgomery County and must request additional funding based on rising demand from the field, inflation, and escalating funding disruptions from both private and public funders due to political factors at the federal level.

The Advocacy Platform:

Our request for increased support is based on application data and survey responses from the field that inform a dynamic and impactful investment strategy for Montgomery County’s arts and humanities sector.

In line with grants and services demand from professional arts and humanities practitioners and cultural nonprofits across Montgomery County, we request:

• Support for the County Executive’s 2.5% increase
• $1,047,830 in additional re-granting funds above the County Executive’s FY27 Budget Proposal for AHCMC’s FY27 budget allocation

Data from recent AHCMC grantee surveys and FY27 applications show an increase in demand exceeding $1,00,000 for FY 2027 over FY 2026. County funds are needed to stabilize disruptions in contributed income from our current political climate and to offset long-tail effects from low sales due to health concerns from residents and patrons.  The over $1,000,000 increase in demand encompasses FY27 grant applicants, increased cost of living, and an expanded FY27 grant pool that reflects our growing county and cultural community.