Search Through Essex County Grants for Nonprofits in Massachusetts

Funding for the arts is more critical now than ever before

Public art brings people together. Sharing diverse cultures paves the way for understanding, civic discourse and collective problem solving. Music, film, theatre, poetry and painting – they all spark something within us. The Creative County suite of grantmaking programs helps ensure that local artists, nonprofits and creative collaborations have equitable access to funding so together we can:

• Deepen engagement and investment in the creative sector.
• Enhance the visibility, reputation and new funding avenues for the arts.
• Inspire collaborative placemaking and public art projects by providing tools, templates and best practices.
• Increase capacity for cross-sector work and leadership development.

Overview

The Essex County Community Foundation's (ECCF) Creative County Initiative (CCI) is pleased to host the 2025 Last Mile Fund, a rolling grant program intended to provide artists with greater access to economic and professional development opportunities whose access to resources is otherwise limited.

This grant is ideal for those:

• with an upcoming project within the 2025 calendar year,
• seeking professional development, or
• needing resources to achieve a specific creative objective

The Last Mile Fund supports artists by:

• broadening access to professional resources,
• strengthening creative capacity,
• enabling artistic goals, and
• fostering a role in the creative economy

Examples of funded needs include:

• Supplies or equipment needed to complete a project
• Entry fees to a film festival, poetry contest, or vendor opportunity
• 1:1 sessions with a professional business and marketing coach
• Registration fees for professional development workshops/classes
• Studio fees to record music
• Travel costs to participate in a performance

Community Grants

State Farm is committed to helping build safer, stronger and better-educated communities.

• ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​We are committed to auto and home safety programs and activities that help people manage the risks of everyday life.
• We invest in education, economic empowerment and community development projects, programs and services that help people realize their dreams.
• We help maintain the vibrancy of our communities by assisting nonprofits that support community revitalization.

Good Neighbor Citizenship company grants focus on safety, community development and education.

Focus Areas

Safety Grants

We strive to keep our customers and communities safe. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Auto safety — improving driver, passenger, vehicle or roadway safety
• Home safety — shielding homes from fires, crime or natural disasters
• Disaster preparedness and mitigation
• Disaster recovery

Community Development

We support nonprofits that invest and develop stronger neighborhoods. That's why our funding is directed toward:

• Affordable housing — home construction and repair
• Commercial/small business development
• Job training
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Financial literacy
• Sustainable housing and transportation
• Food insecurity

Education

Our education funding is directed toward initiatives that support the following programs:

• Higher education
• K-12 academic performance
• K-12 STEM
• Pathways for college and career success

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

Areas of Giving

• Health Care Support
• Education Support
• Human Services
• Youth & Amateur Athletics Support
• Art & Culture Support
• Conservation & Wildlife Support

Transformational Capital Grant

Transformational Capital Grants provide major funding for nonprofit organizations to permanently and vastly improve their mission delivery by supporting the development of physical spaces that make a meaningful difference in enabling them to provide high-quality, impactful programs and services to those they serve. Grant amounts are up to $5 million, payable over multiple years.

These grants are extremely competitive, and the most compelling Initial Proposals will demonstrate completion of analyses to validate the project need and viability; strong Board commitment as demonstrated with a board-approved plan and community support; progress toward key regulatory benchmarks; at least 50% of the project costs pledged or received; and culminate with a milestone (groundbreaking, dedication, or similar) within one year of the Initial Proposal submission. Additionally, Initial Proposals should reflect a nonprofit’s strong leadership and proven impact in providing direct services and programs for unmet needs in underserved regions aligned with the Yawkey Foundation’s Giving Areas and geographic priority areas, including Gateway Cities in Eastern Massachusetts.

The approximate timeframe for reviewing Transformational Capital Grant Initial Proposals in order to determine which nonprofits will be invited to submit a Grant Application is 12-18 months, however the time period between Initial Proposal and application may vary depending upon the complexity of the project. The Yawkey Foundation is unable to provide feedback during the review period and will reach out to a nonprofit should further information be required for the Initial Proposal.

Cummings $30 Million Grant Program

Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $600 million to date in greater Boston. In 2026, it will grant an additional $30 million. These funds will be shared by 150 local-area nonprofits and will be awarded as multi-year grants, to be paid over either three or 10 years.

Priority Funding Causes

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program funds a wide variety of local causes related to:

Human services

• housing and food security, anti-poverty, disabilities, employment training, immigrant/refugee assistance, legal assistance, senior citizens, strong families/communities, youth activities/services

Social justice

• equity, anti-hate, opportunity gap remediation, representation

Education

• K-12/college, mentoring/tutoring, out-of-school time, complementary programs

Healthcare

• hospitals/clinics, mental health

The Environment

• environmental education, equitable access to outdoor spaces, recycling/waste reduction, sustainable agriculture and food systems (This program does not currently consider requests for research, land preservation, and large capital projects)

About ECCF

What we Stand for:

Essex County Community Foundation inspires philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives.

Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.

NiSource Charitable Foundation Fund for Merrimack Valley

To demonstrate a collaborative and sustainable investment in the region, in 2020 NiSource established the NiSource Charitable Foundation Fund for Merrimack Valley (“the Fund”), a Field of Interest Fund at Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF).

This responsive grantmaking program invites nonprofits to apply for grants between $25,000-200,000 in support of the core areas of Basic Needs & Hardship Assistance, Economic & Workforce Development, Safety, STEM and Energy Education and Environmental Stewardship. While the core five areas above remain the focus, the Advisors wish to highlight economic inclusion, racial and gender equity and environmental justice.

Core areas are:

• Basic Needs & Hardship Assistance: Food, Shelter, Social Determinants of Health Service and Mental Health
• Economic & Workforce Development: Retention and Attraction of Job Opportunities; Energy Infrastructure; Community Vitality
• Environmental Stewardship: Protection and Restoration of Natural Resources, Energy Conservation and Environmental Education
• Safety: Emergency Assistance & Disaster Preparedness, First Aid, Safety Education & Energy Safety
• STEM and Energy Education: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math and Energy Education

Franklin Square House Foundation

The Foundation, started in 2008, traditionally provides bricks and mortar grants for capital improvements to shelter projects that support women and women and their children, as well as capital improvement grants for economically and racially integrated childcare centers. Since becoming a foundation in 2008, FSHF has made grants totaling $13.2 million. 

Capital Improvements Grant - Projects to Childcare Centers

Evaluation and Ranking Criteria

• Creation of new childcare slots
• Administrative capacity of the organization
• Financial condition of the organization
• Track record of the organization
• Past standing of the grantee with the Foundation
• Alignment of the organization and the project with the mission and goals of the Foundation
• Proportions of subsidized slots to the overall population of the center. We generally like to see greater than our required minimum of 50% subsidized slots
• Completeness and coherence of the grant application
• Readiness to proceed with the project. All projects must be ready to start within 90 days of the date on the grant award letter and be completed within six months of the grant award
• The presence of slots reserved for homeless children
• The grantee’s offering of comprehensive services for families it serves (or access to those services through partnerships)
• The responsiveness of the grantee to requests for supplemental information regarding the grant proposal
• Results of the Foundation site visit

Funding

The maximum Childcare Grant is $100,000. If the cost of the work you wish to perform is greater than your request to the Foundation, you must provide evidence of plans to pay for the remaining balance of the work. If you are applying for other grants, please provide a detailed table of grants applied for, amounts expected to receive, the timing of the submission and award, and status of the application (it is acceptable to say you will be applying for something).

Areas of Giving

• Health Care Support
• Education Support
• Human Services
• Youth & Amateur Athletics Support
• Art & Culture Support
• Conservation & Wildlife Support

Strategic Investment Grant

Strategic Investment Grants support nonprofit organizations catalyzing plans around strategic growth, which may entail a reimagining, rescoping, or re-energizing of mission delivery for long-term optimized impact. Grant amounts range from $250,000 to $1 million, most often payable over multiple years.

Strategic Investment Grants may fund a nonprofit’s regional expansion (within Yawkey Foundation geographic priority areas), synergistic collaborations between two or more nonprofits for improved program or service delivery, and mergers or consolidations of organizations in transition. These grants may advance a nonprofit’s efforts around the feasibility and progress of a strategic plan.

These grants are extremely competitive, Initial Proposals should reflect a nonprofit’s strong leadership and proven impact in providing direct services and programs for unmet needs in underserved regions aligned with the Yawkey Foundation’s geographic priority areas, including Gateway Cities in Eastern Massachusetts. Initial Proposals for Strategic Investment Grants should demonstrate that a nonprofit’s Board has made a commitment to and has approved the strategic initiative.

The timeframe for reviewing Strategic Investment Grant Initial Proposals in order to determine which nonprofits will be invited to submit a Grant Application is between 6-12 months. The Yawkey Foundation is unable to provide feedback during the review period, and will reach out to a nonprofit should further information be required for the Initial Proposal.

Areas of Giving

• Health Care Support
• Education Support
• Human Services
• Youth & Amateur Athletics Support
• Art & Culture Support
• Conservation & Wildlife Support

Program and Small Capital Grants

Program and Small Capital Grants support high-impact, strategic, and innovative nonprofit organizations in delivering on their core missions. Grant amounts are up to $100,000, most often paid over one year.

Program and Small Capital Grants may fund programming, one small project, or a piece of equipment aligned with a nonprofit’s purpose. These grants are extremely competitive, and the Yawkey Foundation will receive many more compelling Initial Proposals than it will be able to fund. Initial Proposals should demonstrate an awareness of and alignment to the Yawkey Foundation’s mission and Areas of Giving. Additionally, the most competitive Initial Proposals will reflect a nonprofit’s strong leadership and proven impact in providing direct services and programs for unmet needs in underserved regions aligned with the Yawkey Foundation’s geographic priority areas, including Gateway Cities in Eastern Massachusetts.

The timeframe for reviewing Program & Small Capital Grant Initial Proposals in order to determine which nonprofits will be invited to submit a Grant Application is between 90-120 days. The Yawkey Foundation is unable to provide feedback during the review period, and will reach out to a nonprofit should further information be required for the Initial Proposal.

About ECCF

What we Stand for:

Essex County Community Foundation inspires philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives.

Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.

Essex County Land and Environment Initiative

The Essex County Land and Environment Initiative (ECLEI) seeks to improve the quality of life for Essex County residents by promoting the conservation and stewardship of land as open and green spaces in Essex County.  Specifically, funds may be used to:

• Acquire land for open/green space and passive recreational use
• Increase access to and quality of open and green spaces by building, improving, and/or maintaining supportive infrastructure

Funding

Applicants are invited to apply for grants of up to $25,000.

Our Mission

We are committed to closing the gaps on this region’s greatest disparities. Through our resources and relationships we work to open pathways to opportunity and build and sustain vital, prosperous and equitable communities.

Safety Net Grants

The Safety Net Grants program is designed to support social service organizations that respond to essential needs for marginalized communities and vulnerable residents in Greater Boston.

Built upon our now-closed Open Door Grants program, Safety Net Grants provide an opportunity to provide much-needed general operating funds to nonprofits addressing critical, immediate and essential needs for people throughout the region.

Safety Net Grants are $50,000, two-year general operating support grants, paid in two equal annual installments of $25,000.

Essential needs are defined as resources that restore health, wellness, safety and belonging for individuals or families in crisis. They can include, but are not limited to:

• Childcare assistance
• Direct cash assistance
• Disability assistance
• Food security
• Health care access
• Legal support
• Mental health support
• Rental and housing assistance
• Support for survivors of trauma

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

About ECCF

what we stand for

Essex County Community Foundation inspires philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives.

Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.

our values

ECCF seeks to reflect these important values in our work:

• Integrity. We steward charitable resources with an honesty and transparency that inspires trust, always in service to community.
• Collaboration. We build authentic relationships across our communities, working together to learn, iterate and think creatively to advance social change.
• Equity. We act to create and strengthen systems and structures that advance just opportunities for all people.
• Inclusivity. We believe in the inherent value of all people, striving for a culture where everyone feels welcome and can fully participate as themselves.
• Joy. We love what we do and have fun doing it.

our vision

Essex County thrives when we have:

• Successful schools and students
• Safe, clean and green neighborhoods
• Strong job and economic opportunities
• Vibrant arts and culture experiences
• Healthy people

Creative County Initiative ALAANA Artist Grant

ECCF’s Creative County Initiative (CCI) is expanding inclusivity by offering grants to support new or in-progress works in any artistic medium by ALAANA (African, Latine, Asian, Arab, Native American) artists. These grants aim to address the historic and systemic exclusion of ALAANA artists from resources for creative work.

Creative county grants 

Funding for the arts is more critical now than ever before

Public art brings people together. Sharing diverse cultures paves the way for understanding, civic discourse and collective problem solving. Music, film, theatre, poetry and painting – they all spark something within us. The Creative County suite of grantmaking programs helps ensure that local artists, nonprofits and creative collaborations have equitable access to funding so together we can:

• Deepen engagement and investment in the creative sector.
• Enhance the visibility, reputation and new funding avenues for the arts.
• Inspire collaborative placemaking and public art projects by providing tools, templates and best practices.
• Increase capacity for cross-sector work and leadership development.

Special Project Grants

Funding for a uniquely innovative aspect of an overall program.

Creative County’s Special Project Grants, ranging from $2,000-$5,000, provide funding for a uniquely innovative aspect of an overall program within the following categories:

• Advancement of cultural planning
• Diversity, equity, inclusion and access
• Public art or creative placemaking
• Arts leadership
• Creative space development
• Organizational capacity building

Intention

To spark innovation and catalyze transformative artistic endeavors across Essex County. By funding projects that push boundaries and explore new possibilities, the Special Projects Grants play a crucial role in advancing CCl's mission to elevate arts and culture as essential components of community life, economic vitality, and collective well-being.

About ECCF

What we Stand for:

Essex County Community Foundation inspires philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives.

Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.

Dee & King Webster Fund for Greater Lawrence

The Dee & King Webster Memorial Fund for Greater Lawrence works to address the opportunity and achievement gaps faced by thousands of youth across Greater Lawrence. The fund was created in honor of R. Kingman “King” Webster, a Lawrence businessman and philanthropist who passed away in 2015 and who believed in the power of access, opportunity, and education for all youth, especially those living in poverty, and how it can provide them with new paths to success and opportunities to reach their full potential.

The Dee & King Webster Fund for Greater Lawrence will support educational and out-of-school time opportunities for youth (ages 0-8th grade) in the Greater Lawrence communities of Lawrence, Methuen, and Andover. The Fund seeks to support organizations that:

• Respond to community needs with high quality programs for infants and youth in Greater Lawrence.
• Offer innovative, effective, and measurable solutions to impact youth in positive, sustainable, and empowering ways.
• Provide young people with engaging and enriching opportunities inside and outside of school that promote skill development, social-emotional health, personal growth, and exposure to new experiences.

In addition, the Fund seeks to support collaborative programming with public and private schools that focus on closing the opportunity and achievement gaps faced by Greater Lawrence youth. Though not a requirement to apply, the Fund welcomes applications from organizations and programs that partner with one or more of the school systems of Lawrence, Methuen, and Andover to provide collaborative educational opportunities for youth. Partnerships may be with either one or multiple schools within the three systems.

Funding

Applicants may apply for a grant of up to $40,000, which may be split into two payments over a two-year grant period. 

Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award recognizes outstanding nonprofit organizations in the United States that have shown exemplary leadership by facilitating partnerships with public, private or social sector leaders who are working together as equal partners, not as donors and recipients, to build a cohesive community that serves as a model for collaborating with others for the greater good.

Each year, the Mutual of America Foundation sponsors a national competition in which hundreds of organizations demonstrate the value of their partnership to the communities they serve, their ability to be replicated by others and their capacity to stimulate new approaches to addressing significant social issues.

Six organizations are selected by an independent committee to receive the Community Partnership Award.

• The Thomas J. Moran Award is given to the national award-winning program and includes $100,000 and a documentary video about the program.
• The Frances R. Hesselbein Award is given to a partnership that is addressing social challenges in more than one community, or which demonstrates the potential to be replicated in other communities. This recipient receives $75,000.
• Four other organizations are named Honorable Mention recipients for their programs, and each receives $50,000.

Since its inception in 1996, the Community Partnership Award has recognized 262 partnerships from cities and towns across America. Like so many of our clients working in the nonprofit community, Mutual of America is dedicated to having a direct, positive impact on society.

Franklin Square House Foundation

The Foundation, started in 2008, traditionally provides bricks and mortar grants for capital improvements to shelter projects that support women and women and their children, as well as capital improvement grants for economically and racially integrated childcare centers. Since becoming a foundation in 2008, FSHF has made grants totaling $13.2 million. 

Capital improvement Grant - Shelter Projects that support Women and their Families

Evaluating and Ranking Criteria 

• Creation of new units, rooms or beds
• Preservation of existing units, rooms or beds through capital improvements that rectify security, life safety, or building code issues
• Administrative capacity of the organization
• Track record of the organization
• Past standing of the grantee with the Foundation
• Alignment of the organization and the project with the mission and goals of the Foundation
• The presence and status of matching funds (if required)
• Completeness and coherence of the grant application
• Readiness to proceed with the project. All projects must be ready to start within 90 days of the date on the grant award letter and be completed within six months of the grant award
• The responsiveness of the grantee to requests for supplemental information regarding the grant proposal
• The results of the Foundation site visit

Since 1998, Essex County Community Foundation (ECCF) has proudly served the 34 unique cities and towns of Essex County. What started as an organization solely dedicated to strengthening our region’s nonprofits, has evolved – along with our communities – to an innovative and deeply connected Foundation inspiring system based social change.

Essex County Community Foundation inspires philanthropy that strengthens the communities of Essex County by managing charitable assets, strengthening and supporting nonprofits, and engaging in strategic community leadership initiatives. Our ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.

• We help donors of all sizes elevate their giving by managing charitable assets, sharing our local expertise and providing philanthropic guidance and education.
• Essex County’s 4000+ nonprofit organizations are doing smart, innovative work. We support their critical efforts with education, resources and funding.
• To solve our region’s most complex social issues, we invest and engage in community leadership initiatives driven by our Systems Philanthropy approach to change.

Essex County Community Response Fund 

During times of crisis, Essex County’s nonprofits are first on the frontlines. The Essex County Community Response Fund is a collaborative effort to provide streamlined, flexible support to these organizations, that do the critical work of feeding, sheltering and protecting our friends and neighbors, and strengthening our communities. By working with generous donors and our communities, ECCF ensures that our vital nonprofits have the necessary resources to meet the current moment. And together, we are building a permanent mechanism to help them meet the moments of the future.

ECCF’s Community Response Fund Grants are designed to help address acute community needs and establish mechanisms for longer-term recovery across the local nonprofit ecosystem. There will be multiple rounds of grants with special purposes that respond to evolving needs. The first iteration of the Community Response Fund Grants can be used for two purposes:

• Essential Needs: This is support for nonprofit organizations providing essential needs and related services in Essex County. It offers grants of up to $30,000 (over 1-2 yrs depending on grantee preference). These grants support essential needs including food, shelter, and clothing. Grants can be used for both general operating purposes and special projects.
• Structural Support: This funding is for special projects that help nonprofits explore organizational changes as they navigate the uncertain funding and legal environment. It offers up to $20,000 (1 yr). Structural support includes exploring reorganization, mergers, significant changes to business models and revenue streams, among other efforts.

Background

The Tower Foundation is a family foundation that helps children, adolescents, and young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders. Our goal is to improve the lives of young people in our geographic footprint of Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York, and Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Eastern Massachusetts.

Community Experts Fund

The 2025 Community Experts Team began their work together by drawing on their own experiences to explore a range of potential services for young people. What made a difference in their own lives, or what do they wish had been accessible to them? The team quickly coalesced around mentoring and/or coaching supports, while avoiding a narrow definition of either. Mentors help with needs that youth themselves prioritize, assist with progress towards personal goals, and help to weather life’s ups and downs.

Team members chose to support capacity building with this year’s fund. Nonprofits face daunting challenges in this moment that are not particularly conducive to taking on new program initiatives. For the 2025 Community Experts Fund, grants will help strengthen mentoring programs that support young people with mental health challenges, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, or substance use disorders. Mentoring should be understood as quality one-on-one time focused on youth-driven goals, distinct from case management and care coordination.

The Community Experts Fund has a total of $350,000 to award in 2025. Applicants may request any amount up to $50,000.

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation Vision

The Dudley T. Dougherty Foundation, "A Foundation for All", was established in 2002. It was begun in order to give a clear voice for those who wish to be a part of the many, worthy, forces for change in our world.

We are a foundation whose purpose is to look ahead towards the future, giving the past its due by remembering where we came from, and how much we can all accomplish together. We aim to make the critical difference on our planet by recognizing and having respect for our ever changing world. We respect all Life, the Environment, and all People, no matter who they are.

About the Latino Equity Fund

The Latino Equity Fund (LEF) at the Boston Foundation is the first and only community fund in Massachusetts dedicated to activating, convening, and supporting the Latinx community in Greater Boston and across the Commonwealth. Established in 2013, LEF serves as a permanent resource to uplift Latinx voices, foster cross-sector partnerships, and advance systemic change. The Fund works to mobilize Latinx residents, nonprofit organizations, and community leaders toward Nuestro Futuro—Our Future. 

About this Application Cycle

For the FY26 grant cycle, LEF will award one-time $25,000 grants to 20 Latinx-serving nonprofit organizations within the Boston Foundation’s catchment area. LEF seeks proposals from community-based nonprofits advancing the well-being and economic mobility of Latinx residents in the following priority areas:

Basic needs:

• Housing stability  
• Food security
• Health care access (including, but not limited to: disabilities assistance, HIV prevention, elder care, mental health and well-being, and substance use)
• Legal aid  

Economic Mobility:

• Job readiness and career coaching
• ESOL and Language access
• Immigrant/refugee workforce integration
• Professional credentialing and certification

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Engineering - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Engineering course in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional course in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different courses in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Engineering courses of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Engineering - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Engineering program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Engineering course not previously offered, and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Engineering courses previously offered, and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Engineering courses for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting. 

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Gateway unit in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional unit in the 2027-2028 academic year (two different units in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Gateway units of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Gateway - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must use their grant funds to expand their existing PLTW Gateway program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Gateway unit not previously offered, and/or adding additional class periods of an existing PLTW Gateway unit previously offered, and/or training additional teachers in a PLTW Gateway unit for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - New Program

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantee must offer at least one PLTW Launch module in the 2026-2027 academic year and must offer one additional module for the 2027-2027 academic year (two different modules in two years). Grantee may implement any PLTW Launch modules of their choosing. Grantee must complete two years of grant reporting.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

Our Mission: Empower Students to Thrive in an Evolving World

Our Philosophy for Education: We believe all students – beginning at a young age – need access to real-world, applied learning experiences that empower them to gain the skills they need to thrive in college, career, and beyond.

We believe teachers play an immeasurable role in empowering students, and our programs provide teachers with the support and resources they need to devote more time to inspiring students.

Burns & McDonnell

Burns & McDonnell is a family of companies bringing together an unmatched team of 12,000 engineers, construction and craft professionals, architects, planners, technologists and scientists to design and build our critical infrastructure. With an integrated construction and design mindset, we offer full-service capabilities. Founded in 1898 and working from more than 75 offices globally, Burns & McDonnell is 100% employee-owned.

PLTW Launch - Program Expansion

Getting students excited about STEM is essential to building a brighter future for all of us. Showing students how STEM topics fit into the real world and real careers can give them the tools to embrace this vital message. Burns & McDonnell and its Foundation have partnered with PLTW to increase access and participation to PLTW programs for students located in Burns & McDonnell communities. PLTW programs empower students to develop and apply in-demand, transportable skills by exploring real-world challenges.

Through this partnership, Burns and McDonnell is supporting PLTW grants to schools interested in starting and expanding PLTW programs beginning in the 2026-2027 academic year.

Program Requirements

Grantees must use these grant funds to expand their program. Example expansion activities include but are not limited to adding an additional PLTW Launch module not previously offered, and/or offering existing PLTW Launch modules to more students, and/or training additional teachers in PLTW Launch Classroom Teacher Training or PLTW Launch Lead Teacher Training for the 2026-2027 academic year. Grantee must complete one year of grant reporting. 

Digital Equity Initiative Partnership Grant

The Digital Equity Initiative Partnership Grant provides support for collaborative projects focused on digital equity related needs serving communities in Essex County.

Funding Priorities

Funding will prioritize the four impact areas of our digital equity plan: devices, access, literacy, and collaboration. Proposals may take on any or a combination of these focus areas and must be submitted as a collaborative project with at least one other partner. Integrated systems based projects are highly encouraged.