Search Through Foundation Grants for Nonprofits in Boston, Massachusetts in the U.S.

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Mission

Driven by a philanthropic calling to support marginalized communities throughout the world, the Semnani Family Foundation partners with on-the-ground organizations and leverages its resources in a cost-effective and efficient manner that delivers the maximum benefit.

History

Guided by his grandmother Maliheh’s example and teachings, Khosrow Semnani and his wife Ghazaleh established the Semnani Family Foundation in 1993. The foundation’s first grant was issued through CARE International to an orphanage in Romania that cared for newborns affected by HIV. Over the last few decades, the foundation has continued to build upon its mission to empower the disaffected, partnering with a variety of organizations in different countries who can make the greatest impact.

In addition to its global influence, the Semnani Family Foundation established roots within the state of Utah with the founding of Maliheh Free Clinic in 2005 to provide free healthcare to thousands of uninsured people in the Salt Lake City area.

Where We Work

The Semnani Family Foundation focuses primarily on promoting health, education, and disaster relief for marginalized communities all around the world. Driven by a clear mission to adapt and serve at the global level, we have leveraged our resources to make a meaningful impact in the following countries so far:

• Afghanistan
• Bosnia
• Colombia
• England
• Ethiopia
• Ghana
• Guatemala
• India
• Iran
• Kenya
• Madagascar
• Mali
• Mexico
• Pakistan
• Philippines
• Romania
• Somalia
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tonga
• Uganda
• United States
• Yemen

At the heart of the Foundation lies a fervent commitment to human welfare, always prioritizing health and the needs of society’s most vulnerable.

We have strong partnerships with nonprofit organizations across the country that are working to advance economic mobility and social progress in low- and moderate-income communities. Our focus areas include basic needs like food and housing, workforce development and education, and community development. In addition to our philanthropic investments, we also encourage our employees to make a difference by offering robust employee giving and volunteering programs, including the opportunity to direct funds to organizations they support through volunteer efforts, and a matching gifts program that doubles their individual giving to causes they care about. Last year, we invested $350 million in the communities we serve, and employees contributed more than 1 million volunteer hours and directed $65 million through individual giving and matching gifts to support nonprofits.Through our regional U.S. sponsorships, we support the economic, social and cultural life of the places we live and work. We provide an extensive program of arts and sports sponsorships to help maintain vibrant, healthy communities.Sponsorships supporting communitiesBank of America welcomes your sponsorship proposal for opportunities that make our communities a better place to live and work. We are particularly interested in providing support to address needs vital to the health of our communities through a focus on:

• preserving neighborhoods;
• educating the workforce for 21st century jobs;
• addressing critical needs such as hunger and emergency shelter;
• arts and culture;
• the environment; and
• diversity and inclusion programs.

Grants are made at the Foundation’s discretion based on our current funding strategies focused on housing, jobs and hunger. 

Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation collaborate with a wide range of nonprofit organizations that align with our strategic funding priorities. We prioritize our funding to activities and programs that have a broad reach and support the needs of underserved communities. We aspire to have a positive impact on the communities we serve by using our financial and volunteer resources and business expertise in collaboration with community organizations to help solve complex societal problems.

• Financial health
• Housing affordability
• Small business growth
• Sustainability

We may also support other local needs in eligible communities such as disaster relief, arts and culture, civic engagement, education, human and social services, and workforce development. However, opportunities are limited as our intent is to direct the majority of our giving within our major focus areas.

Centene Charitable Foundation

Successful corporate citizenship happens when companies invest in the local organizations that know their communities best. The Centene Foundation works with our local partners on initiatives that focus on inclusion, the whole person and community development.

Vision

Centene’s purpose is transforming the health of the community, one person at a time. The Centene Foundation is an essential part of how we pursue this purpose. We achieve measurable impact for the communities we serve through partnerships and philanthropy efforts that invest in initiatives with holistic approaches to dismantling barriers to health.

Areas of Focus

Reflecting Centene’s commitment to the needs of those who rely on government-sponsored health care and to addressing social determinants of health and health equity, preference will be given to initiatives in three distinct areas of focus.

• Healthcare Access
• Social Services
• Education

Our Mission

Our mission is to continue and further the philanthropic legacy of Gardner Cowles, Jr. and the Cowles family, which includes promotion of education, social justice, health, and the arts.

The Founder

The Cowles Charitable Trust was first established in 1948 by Gardner “Mike” Cowles, Jr. (1903-1985). Born into the Cowles publishing family of Des Moines, Iowa, Mike was the youngest of Gardner Cowles and Florence Call Cowles’ six children. A newspaper editor and publisher by trade, he was committed to his family’s traditions of responsible, public-spirited, and innovative journalism as well as philanthropy. 

The Cowles Charitable Trust supports the arts, education, the advancement of ethical journalism, medical and climate research.

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)

Who We Are

The William and Bertha Schrafft Charitable Trust is committed to the intellectual, personal and artistic growth of underserved youth ages 6-21 primarily through supporting neighborhood-based education programming throughout the City of Boston. In addition, the Trust has a special interest in building effective pathways to economic independence for underserved populations of the City of New Bedford through education, entrepreneurship and economic development. We strive to support efforts that help young people develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in school and lay the foundation for satisfying and productive lives.

Schrafft Charitable Trust Grants

The Schrafft Trust provides Program Grants or General Operating Grants to nonprofit 501(C)3 organizations; incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts which help young people develop the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in school and beyond.

The Schrafft Charitable Trust prioritizes small to medium-sized, community-based organizations, charter and district schools in Boston and New Bedford that provide effective youth development, academic enrichment and/or arts and culture programming for underserved populations ages 6-21. We look for organizations led by board members and staff who are representative of the community served and who are actively engaged in diversity, equity and inclusion efforts.

The Trust also funds a small number of organizations in New Bedford that leverage the strengths of the region (e.g. its people, culture, history, agriculture, fishing and seacoast resources) to provide pathways to economic independence for underserved youth or young adult populations.

For Returning Grantees

If your organization has received funding from the Schrafft Charitable Trust within the last three years, you may apply directly with a full proposal.

Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation

We are a private family foundation awarding more than $12.4 million in grants  to over 278 organizations in Greater Boston and Gateway Cities.

Our Mission

Our mission is to effect permanent positive change in the lives of individuals and families across Greater Boston, especially in economically disadvantaged communities.

We invest in organizations that improve human health, raise educational attainment, increase economic security, and meet community needs.

We believe in engaged, multigenerational family philanthropy as a means to have greater impact and to honor our family’s philanthropic legacy.

Small Capital Grants

Our Small Capital Grants program provides $25,000 to $100,000 grants for one-time capital expenses that strengthen a nonprofit’s ability to serve its clients and achieve its mission.

This support is particularly valuable because nonprofits can find it difficult to make these investments through their operating budgets.

Background

Mabel Louise Riley, the Foundation’s donor, was born in 1883 in Boston. Miss Riley was an active patron of the arts and especially enjoyed the beautiful gardens at her homes in Newton and Cotuit on Cape Cod. Generous and concerned for the needs of others throughout her lifetime, she gave regularly to numerous charities in the Boston area.

In establishing a general purpose foundation, Miss Riley’s only suggestion to her trustees was that particular consideration be given to the needs of children and youth. The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation began operation as an active member of Boston’s philanthropic community in May 1972.

Purpose The purpose of the Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund is to support activities and projects in the greater Dudley area that build, strengthen, and support families. Funding PrioritiesThe Family Strengthening Small Grants Fund will give high priority to projects and activities which focus on: 

• mending the social fabric of the neighborhood; 
• building, strengthening, and supporting personal and family development;
• broadening the horizons of individuals and families;
• removing barriers to employment;
• increasing parental involvement;
• beautifying outdoor spaces; and
• community engagement.

Examples of Family Strengthening Activities

Strategies might include: 

• out-of-school activities for youth or intergenerational activities; 
• parenting seminars;
• life skills workshops (cooking, sewing, etc.);
• support groups and services for single parents;
• community support for reintegrating residents from situations such as recovery, incarceration, etc.; or
• neighborhood cleanups.

Funding

Anticipated funding will be in the range of $500 – $5,000 per grant. 

Background

Mabel Louise Riley, the Foundation’s donor, was born in 1883 in Boston. Miss Riley was an active patron of the arts and especially enjoyed the beautiful gardens at her homes in Newton and Cotuit on Cape Cod. Generous and concerned for the needs of others throughout her lifetime, she gave regularly to numerous charities in the Boston area.

In establishing a general purpose foundation, Miss Riley’s only suggestion to her trustees was that particular consideration be given to the needs of children and youth. The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation began operation as an active member of Boston’s philanthropic community in May 1972.

Program Interests

The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation is a general-purpose foundation with a special interest in supporting the needs of low-income children and youth and their families.  The foundation supports a broad range of programs, particularly in the areas of education and human services, and neighborhood revitalization.  

Current more specialized areas of interest include:

• Arts access programs for underserved communities
• Support for foster care children and those aging out of the system
• Vocational Education and job training
• Affordable housing and shelter for vulnerable families

Types of Support and Grant Size

Grants are made in support of new projects and organizations, program expansion, and for capital projects.  The trustees are interested in leveraging their grants by funding programs that can become self-sufficient or may serve as a model in other geographic areas.

One-year grants normally fall in the range of $50,000 to $100,000.

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

Mission: The McCarthy Family Foundation Charity Fund was established in 1956. The trustees have a preference for organizations and programs focusing in the areas of education, food, health and housing & shelter programs.

Requests for general operating and program support will be considered, as will requests for specific program-enabling capital improvements. Grants may be subject to matching obligations and payable over multiple years. On very rare occasions, the trustees will consider needs for emergency grants.

Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award 

The Smith Family Foundation is committed to effecting permanent positive change in the lives of the residents of Greater Boston, particularly individuals and families in economically disadvantaged communities. In the area of health, the Foundation supports the advancement of biomedical research and the expansion of access to high-quality health care at safety net institutions serving low-income individuals and communities of Greater Boston.

The new Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award was created in 2017 to fuel creativity and innovation in junior investigators in the basic sciences. The Award supports the pursuit of high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research. The awards will fund high-risk, high-reward pilot projects solicited from our brightest junior faculty in the region. All applicants must be internally selected by their institutions. Any School or College within an academic institution in Massachusetts may each submit up to two applications. Each hospital or free-standing nonprofit biomedical research facility in Massachusetts may also submit two applications. Departments within a hospital or academic setting do not constitute a separate entity. 

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Grants

Through grantmaking and partnership, we work to increase the number of Boston students who progress through career pathways that are engaging and relevant, address community needs, and prepare young people to enter meaningful careers.

Career Pathways funds grants in 2 areas:

FOCAL Grants will support schools interested in integrating school-wide efforts around career readiness, with specific attention on leveraging personalized learning plans through MyCAP.

Focal Gerants

• Must demonstrate commitment of planning team members, including representation of school leadership, academics, student supports, and guidance, to engage in implementation and review efforts.
• Must demonstrate commitment to engaging in professional development and technical assistance activities, such as workshops, site observations, and school-based supports.

IDEAL Career Pathways Grants will support schools and their career-focused partner organizations to increase student access and persistence in existing career pathways by supporting pathway development in elements of high quality pathways.

Pew Biomedical Scholars 

The Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences provides funding to young investigators of outstanding promise in science relevant to the advancement of human health. The program makes grants to selected academic institutions to support the independent research of outstanding individuals who are in their first few years of their appointment at the assistant professor level.

Based on their performance during their education and training, candidates should demonstrate outstanding promise as contributors in science relevant to human health. Strong proposals will incorporate particularly creative and pioneering approaches to basic, translational, and applied biomedical research. Candidates whose work is based on biomedical principles but who bring in concepts and theories from more diverse fields are encouraged to apply.

Ideas with the potential to produce an unusually high impact are encouraged. Selection of the successful candidates will be based on a detailed description of the work that the applicant proposes to undertake, evaluations of the candidate’s performance, and notable past accomplishments, including honors, awards, and publications. In evaluating the candidates, the National Advisory Committee gives considerable weight to both the project proposal and the researcher, including evidence that the candidate is a successful independent investigator and has the skill set needed to carry out their high-impact proposal.

Funding from the NIH, other government sources, and project grants from nonprofit associations do not pose a conflict with the Pew scholars program.

Funding

The current grant level is $300,000.

An award of $75,000 per year for four years will be provided to the sponsoring institution for use by the scholar, subject to annual review of the scholar’s progress. Grant agreements will be issued in August of the award year. The awarded funds may be used at the discretion of the Pew scholar, for personnel, equipment, supplies, or travel directly related to the scholar's research and as to best advance his or her research and career.

• The amount of the award that may be used for the principal investigator’s salary is limited to $12,500 per year (including benefits) or $50,000 over the duration of the grant. There are no limits on student or postdoctoral salaries.
• Not more than 8 percent ($24,000) of the total award value may be allocated for facilities and administration (F&A) charges or indirect costs (IDCs).
• Should the funds not be immediately required, they may be accumulated and carried over through the grant period and, with written approval of the program office, the grant may receive a no-cost extension for one additional year (without additional funds).
• Subawards are allowed.

During the four-year grant term, program participants are required to attend an annual meeting held in March or April. All eligible expenses for attendees’ travel, lodging, and meals are paid by Pew. The meeting provides Pew scholars with an opportunity to present their research and for scientific collaboration and exchange with other scholars and members of the National Advisory Committee.

Priority Community Programs

Suffolk County (Boston), Massachusetts has been identified as the next community for intentional Foundation funding to advance coalition and community-driven solutions to improve health.

This funding opportunity builds on best practices and lessons learned in other communities.

Program expectations

Foundation applicants are expected to demonstrate the capacity to implement and evaluate community-driven and community-led solutions to meaningfully impact health outcomes with a focus on chronic cardiometabolic conditions and maternal/child health.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to:

• Apply as part of multi-sector coalitions, teams, or partnerships, and
• Articulate alignment of efforts to the most recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA)

The applicant is expected to describe intended outcomes of the proposed initiatives and illustrate the capacity to leverage local resources and partnerships to sustain program implementation and evaluation efforts.

Example outcomes

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Community-clinical linkages - Novel approaches to delivering and coordinating sustainable healthcare and supportive community services for chronic cardiometabolic conditions (eg, diabetes, CVD, hypertension) and maternal/child health. Types of interventions could include care coordination via community health workers (CHW), promotoras or doulas, telehealth, and mobile care.
• Increased use of diagnostic testing and screening - Leveraging the value of no-cost testing through Quest Diagnostics to support grant-related activities and increasing patient engagement and activation through health education
• Social drivers of health - Efforts that emphasize the importance of social drivers of health (eg, food security, transportation) that lead to improved clinical and community health, and aligned with the most recently completed Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA).

Funding

• Estimated funding range - $100,000 to $1,000,000 per year
• Estimated period of performance - 1 to 2 years

Supporting Biomedical Innovation And Discovery By Early-career Investigators

For over 30 years, the Smith Family Foundation has been supporting groundbreaking medical research through the Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research. Its mission is to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the ultimate goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. Applications focus on all fields of basic biomedical science and may also be submitted by investigators in physics, chemistry and engineering. Since 1992, the Program has funded 202 scientists for a total investment of $46.1 million.

Three year awards in the amount of $400,000 (inclusive of 5% overhead per year) target new faculty who are within three and a half years of their first independent appointment by the start of funding on April 1st. Applicants must be full-time faculty at nonprofit academic, medical or research institutions in Massachusetts, at Brown University or at Yale University. Further details regarding the eligibility requirements may be found in the “Application Guidelines” document.

In order to ensure that the strongest research candidates from eligible institutions are able to apply, the Smith Family Foundation is a two-stage application process in which the institutional nomination process is eliminated, and any eligible candidate is invited to submit an initial proposal. Applicant eligibility must be verified by the relevant department Chair and the institution’s Office of Sponsored Research or the initial proposal will not be considered. There is no limit on the number of applicants from a given institution. The Scientific Review Committee will select a subset of initial applicants to invite to submit full proposals.

Program Overview and Statement of Purpose

The Smith Family Foundation is committed to effecting permanent positive change in the lives of the residents of Greater Boston, particularly individuals and families in economically disadvantaged communities. In the area of health, the Foundation supports the advancement of biomedical research and the expansion of access to high-quality health care at safety net institutions serving low-income individuals and communities of Greater Boston.

The Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research was created in 1991 to launch the careers of newly independent biomedical researchers with the ultimate goal of achieving medical breakthroughs. Since 1992, the Program has funded 202 outstanding scientists and has provided $46.1 million in research support. 

The Smith Family Awards Program for Excellence in Biomedical Research is managed by Health Resources in Action (HRiA). HRiA is a non-profit organization that partners with individuals, organizations, and communities to transform the practices, policies, and systems that improve health and advance equity.

Research Focus

The three-year Award supports newly independent faculty engaged in basic or translational biomedical research. Investigators in the physical sciences (physics, chemistry, and engineering) whose projects focus on biomedical science are also encouraged to apply. While basic research projects involving human subjects, data, and samples are eligible, clinical trials research is beyond the scope of this program.

We invite proposals from starting faculty members who study a wide range of problems in diverse biological systems. For example, we have supported research as diverse as regulated translation in synapse formation, bacterial regulators of immunity, kinetochore function in centromere cohesion, neural codes for perception, and DNA damage pathways in tumors. We recognize that very basic biology discovered in systems ranging from bacteria to plants to human tumors can impact fields as distant as neural pathfinding and immune function. We welcome proposals that range from fundamental biology to translational research. Our review committees have traditionally been composed of researchers from diverse disciplines including bacterial and eukaryotic geneticists, immunologists, neurobiologists, developmental biologists, cancer biologists, and transcriptional regulation experts, who can assess a wide range of biological proposals.

In recognition of the importance of research collaboration within the scientific community, collaboration is an additional, but not required, positive ancillary factor. These projects may involve researchers within and/or outside the applicant’s institution.

Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) 2025 Prizes for Innovation

Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) and Newman’s Own Foundation are proud to announce the 2025 Prizes for Innovation! 2025 Prizes will focus on innovative, collaborative, systemic work advancing health equity for youth across three categories: 

• Food and Nutrition Policy Work – two $100K grants will be awarded over two years 
• Nutrition Education & School Food – two $25K grants will be awarded
• Indigenous Food Justice for Youth – two $25K grants will be awarded

In addition to funding awards, all Prize winners will be invited to attend the H2HC Fall Summit in Boston, Massachusetts on November 6, 2025. 

Hunger to Health Collaboratory (H2HC) is an innovative national model that convenes cross-sector thought leaders to explore innovative, systemic solutions to food and nutrition challenges with a focus on equity and the social drivers of health. H2HC created its Prizes for Innovation in 2023 and has awarded $400,000 since the program’s launch. 

Background

Sailors’ Snug Harbor of Boston began its formal grantmaking program with a focus on assisting seamen and their families. In 1970, the trustees voted to extend eligibility for grants to agencies that serve low-income elderly men and women in the Greater Boston area. From 1994 to 2015, the foundation also addressed issues facing Massachusetts’ fishing communities, with a particular focus on those in New Bedford, Gloucester, and on Cape Cod, through a special funding initiative undertaken in collaboration with the Island Foundation.

In June 2016, the trustees voted to consolidate these two funding streams into a single grantmaking program that addresses the social service needs of fishermen, their families, and low-income elders residing in coastal communities of Massachusetts, maintaining its focus on Gloucester, New Bedford, and Cape Cod.

Overview and Goals

The foundation’s grantmaking will focus on the social service needs of fishermen, their families, and low-income elders in coastal communities of Massachusetts, with a particular preference to support programs for those residing in the traditional fishing communities of Gloucester, New Bedford, and Cape Cod.

The trustees are interested in making grants to 501(c)(3) organizations that are presently providing such services, as well as to agencies seeking to expand or develop new programs to serve the particular needs of these populations and communities.

Preference will be given to programs that address social service needs of fishermen and their families that are the direct result of ongoing changes in the fishing industry, and to programs that help low-income elders live independently. For both of these population groups, the trustees have a particular preference for funding programs that prevent homelessness, re-house homeless families and individuals, or that provide the necessary services and supports to help families and individuals remain safely housed.

Potential applicants should please note that, while grantmaking will not be restricted to these areas, proposals falling within these stated preferences are more likely to receive Sailors’ Snug Harbor of Boston support:

• A geographic preference for the traditional fishing communities of Gloucester, New Bedford, and Cape Cod
• A preference for providing operating or program support, as opposed to capital support
• An impact preference for organizations and/or programs with fewer funding alternatives

Annual Grants

The majority of Sailors’ Snug Harbor’s grantmaking will support one-year requests in the program areas described above. Past applicants should please note that the online application process has changed somewhat, and the foundation now requests uploaded copies of Philanthropy Massachusetts’ Common Proposal Format.

Background

Sailors’ Snug Harbor of Boston began its formal grantmaking program with a focus on assisting seamen and their families. In 1970, the trustees voted to extend eligibility for grants to agencies that serve low-income elderly men and women in the Greater Boston area. From 1994 to 2015, the foundation also addressed issues facing Massachusetts’ fishing communities, with a particular focus on those in New Bedford, Gloucester, and on Cape Cod, through a special funding initiative undertaken in collaboration with the Island Foundation.

In June 2016, the trustees voted to consolidate these two funding streams into a single grantmaking program that addresses the social service needs of fishermen, their families, and low-income elders residing in coastal communities of Massachusetts, maintaining its focus on Gloucester, New Bedford, and Cape Cod.

Special Three-Year Funding Initiative

The trustees recognize that nonprofit organizations are rich in ideas, but often lack flexible resources to explore possible new program directions or reach new clientele. To that end, the foundation has launched a new three-year grant program to help nonprofit partners develop and implement new approaches in their provision of social services. Grants up to $50,000 a year for up to three years will be awarded through this special initiative. Applicants are welcome to apply for both annual funding and for the more competitive three-year program.

Overview and Goals

The foundation’s grantmaking will focus on the social service needs of fishermen, their families, and low-income elders in coastal communities of Massachusetts, with a particular preference to support programs for those residing in the traditional fishing communities of Gloucester, New Bedford, and Cape Cod.

The trustees are interested in making grants to 501(c)(3) organizations that are presently providing such services, as well as to agencies seeking to expand or develop new programs to serve the particular needs of these populations and communities.

Community Giving

Having deep roots in the Boston area, we are committed to responding to a wide range of community needs. In this giving area, we aim to:

• Increase access to food, shelter, and other community-identified needs;
• Support people in crisis and communities facing emergencies;
• Enrich the lives of Greater Boston’s youth and families; and
• Make Greater Boston a more vibrant place to live.

We do this, in part, by supporting capital projects which are selected through an open application process.

Community Capital Grants

We occasionally support transformative capital projects in the $250,000 to $3 million range from nonprofits that are well-led, can point to significant accomplishments, and have a mission that is clearly aligned with ours.

Our intention is to provide support for projects that will result in a game-changing physical asset for an organization and the community.

Arts and music are the translators of meaning. For the past two years, our country and city have experienced health, racial, and economic pandemics that will forever change our lives, our thinking and our connections to each other. In this context, we believe that art is a critical force for advancing needed conversations, building belonging, imagining a better future and inspiring us to move towards it. We are proud to once again support visionary performing artists creating new work through Live Arts Boston. 

Now in its sixth year, Live Arts Boston (LAB), created with the support and partnership of the Barr Foundation, supports Greater Boston area artists to test ideas, explore collaborations and build skills in the process of generating new, original work. We invite performing artists, small performing arts organizations, bands, groups of artists, producers and presenters in the Greater Boston area to apply today.  

LAB provides up to $15,000 in project-specific funds to create, produce or present new performing arts work for Greater Boston audiences. In addition to funding, grantees will receive project documentation, one-on-one advising, peer networking opportunities and support for other professional development. 

Funding will support work in dance, theater, music, opera, musical theater, spoken word, performance art, circus arts, traditional and folk performing arts and any multi-disciplinary combination of the above. 

Helping Build Better Futures

Our mission is to deliver great value to our customers every day. For over four decades, our deep commitment to the principles of providing value and caring for others has helped define our culture. It extends beyond the walls of our stores, distribution centers, and offices, and into our local communities around the world. The intersection of these principles defines our global community mission:

Deliver great value to our communities by helping vulnerable families and children access the resources and opportunities they need to build a better future.

Our Social Impact Areas

We bring our community relations mission to life around the world by focusing our giving on four social impact areas where we believe we can have the most impact and are critical to helping families and children succeed and thrive.

Basic Needs

We are passionate about supporting nonprofit organizations that help fill critical basic needs such as a warm meal, clean clothing, and a safe place to sleep for vulnerable families.

Education & Training

Our efforts have focused on quality enrichment and extracurricular programs that provide skills, resources, and opportunities to support school and career success for children, teens, and young adults.

Patient Care & Research

We support organizations that deliver services to families and children facing health challenges and life-threatening illnesses.

Empowering Women

We support programs that provide services ranging from help for those fleeing domestic violence, to others that offer education, training, and job placement resources.

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