Search Through Grants for 501(c)(3) in Boston, Massachusetts in the U.S.

Forest Foundation was started in 1993 as a grant making foundation focused on new, small, and emerging non-profits supporting under- resourced youth and families in Essex County, Massachusetts. It has evolved into a regional grant maker with a sharp focus on the leadership development of undergraduate college students in the non-profit sector. We currently support 65 summer non-profit internships in Greater Boston, make venture grants to young leaders and their initiatives in New England and New York State, and continue to make regional grants to new and emerging social service agencies in Greater Boston.

About Our Regional Grants

Forest Foundation makes grants to new and emerging non-profits in Greater Boston, Massachusetts and is by invitation only. We support small social service agencies delivering critical need to under-resourced communities with a focus on youth and families.

Forest Foundation generally makes grants in the range of $2,000-$8,000. 

Global Impact Cash Grants

Identifying and incubating innovative early-stage solutions. We identify, incubate, and develop innovative early-stage solutions with the highest potential for impact. Global Impact Cash Grants go to nonprofit organizations (NPOs) and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) that address a significant social problem. We're looking for programs that fit within our investment sectors, focus on the underserved, and use technology to improve the reach and efficiency of services.

We accept applications year-round from eligible organizations. A brief Letter of Inquiry (LOI) is used to determine whether your organization will be invited to complete a full application. Please expand and carefully review each of the three sections below to learn more

Our priority social impact sectors

We focus on investing in innovative, tech-enabled solutions to the challenges and opportunities that matter most to communities in need, prioritizing four social impact sectors:

Cisco Crisis Response

Mobilizing to provide essentials to communities in need and those in crisis, including food, housing, secure connectivity, and disaster relief

By leveraging Cisco’s people, technology, financial resources, and strategic partnerships, we help strengthen community resilience and drive long-term recovery from crises.

Education

Supporting students, teachers, and schools by increasing engagement, building skills, promoting subject mastery, and expanding their capacity to thrive

Cisco is committed to inclusive access to digital skills training and supporting those who use technology to educate. Through programs like Cisco Networking Academy and social investments in education, we create new opportunities for individuals to thrive.

Economic Empowerment

Transforming communities through skill development, long-term career opportunities, entrepreneurship, and access to financial products and services

Strategic grants that unlock economic prosperity and growth for individuals and communities.

Climate Regeneration

Building an inclusive, regenerative, and resilient climate future through education, regenerative agriculture, conservation, protection, and clean energy solutions

Our efforts began in 2021, when the Cisco Foundation committed US$100 million over 10 years to fund nonprofit grants and impact investing in climate solutions. 

About Us

Mattina R. Proctor (1926-2005) was a compassionate philanthropist from Camden, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. Ms. Proctor championed and funded many worthwhile projects to benefit those in need, protect the environment, and bring fine music, arts, and media to the people. In her memory, The Mattina R. Proctor Foundation continues to support charitable organizations and initiatives in Maine, Massachusetts and beyond that focus on education, healthcare, music, and environmental stewardship.

Need Based Giving

MRPF strives to make a difference with the grants we make. We prefer to focus our giving on particular projects rather than on general program support. Successful applicants are generally those who demonstrate a specific need related to our focus areas in Maine, Massachusetts and beyond.

Focus Areas 

Education

We support organizations that provide educational opportunities in music, performance, and in traditional trades and crafts. The foundation has supported projects at the university and secondary school levels, and programs that engage younger students. We are especially interested in projects that support music and trades education in traditionally underserved populations in Maine and Massachusetts.

The Arts 

We supports organizations and initiatives that bring fine music, arts, and media to the people primarily in Maine and Massachusetts with a special focus on opera. We generally focus our funding on performance and education organizations. In this focus area we tend to concentrate on funding opportunities where major foundation support is critical to the ongoing success of the applicant.

Healthcare

We support healthcare initiatives predominantly in Maine and the Boston area, for public health and medical research. Funding is provided for initiatives in diabetes research and care, dental care, and projects that seek to provide preventative healthcare to underserved populations in Maine.

Environmental Stewardship

We support organizations and campaigns that seek to acquire and protect land in the Midcoast region of Maine, both through direct acquisitions and via conservation easements. We tends to give to conservation organizations that demonstrate a desire to support rural economies through multiple-use management objectives, providing for continued agricultural and recreational uses, along with sustainable timber management programs. In all of our grants, the economic impact on jobs and the regional economy are important factors in the decision-making process.

About Us

Mattina R. Proctor (1926-2005) was a compassionate philanthropist from Camden, Maine and Boston, Massachusetts. Ms. Proctor championed and funded many worthwhile projects to benefit those in need, protect the environment, and bring fine music, arts, and media to the people. In her memory, The Mattina R. Proctor Foundation continues to support charitable organizations and initiatives in Maine and Massachusetts that focus on education, healthcare, music, and environmental stewardship.

Our Focus

MRPF supports organizations and initiatives primarily in Maine and Massachusetts that focus on education, healthcare, music, and environmental stewardship. Grants from MRPF typically range in size from $2,500 to $50,000. Grants are usually made for a specific project in a single year.

Multi-year grants may occasionally be made.

Need Based Giving

MRPF strives to make a difference with the grants we make.  Successful applicants are generally those who demonstrate a specific need related to our focus areas in Maine and Massachusetts.

Focus Area: Healthcare

We support healthcare initiatives predominantly in Maine and the Boston area, for public health and medical research. Funding is provided for initiatives in diabetes research and care, dental care, and projects that seek to provide preventative healthcare to underserved populations in Maine.

About Amgen

Amgen is one of the world’s leading biotechnology companies. Amgen is a values-based company, deeply rooted in science and innovation to transform new ideas and discoveries into medicines for patients with serious illnesses.

Amgen is committed to unlocking the potential of biology for patients suffering from serious illnesses by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative human therapeutics. This approach begins by using tools like advanced human genetics to unravel the complexities of disease and understand the fundamentals of human biology.

Our belief—and the core of our strategy—is that innovative, highly differentiated medicines that provide large clinical benefits in addressing serious diseases are medicines that will not only help patients, but also will help reduce the social and economic burden of disease in society today.

Amgen focuses on areas of high unmet medical need and leverages its expertise to strive for solutions that improve health outcomes and dramatically improve people's lives. A biotechnology innovator since 1980, Amgen has grown to be one of the world's leading independent biotechnology companies, has reached millions of patients around the world and is developing a pipeline of medicines with breakaway potential.

Non-Healthcare Donations and Sponsorships

Amgen Charitable Donations and Sponsorships are focused on humanitarian, social, education and community programs.

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.

Felicia Rose Grant Program

Mission

To support animal welfare nonprofits that work to:

• strengthen the human-animal bond
• promote respect for and kindness toward animals
• help animals in need through sheltering, adoption, education, and medical care

About Felicia

Felicia Rose, an American Staffordshire Terrier, was a guest of MSPCA-Angell in 2015 and soon thereafter found her forever home. She has since thrived, becoming an emotional support animal, as well as a therapy and service dog. Trained by her owner, she was certified through Pet Partners.

This sweet pup has volunteered with Tufts University’s Paws for People. She loves playing at the dog park, enjoying KONGs full of peanut butter, and being the center of attention.

Funding

The Felicia Rose Grant Program (FRGP) expects to award $120,000 each year through two grant cycles. Typically, three to six grant winners will be selected each cycle to share in $60,000 in grant funding for general operating expenses. Awarded grants will be a maximum of $20,000 payable over two years.

 Wynn Resorts Foundation

The Wynn Resorts Foundation (Foundation) fosters community engagement by encouraging employees to give to their favorite causes through the Foundation and Wynn Resorts, Ltd matches dollar for dollar up to $75,000 per employee, annually. Additionally, the Foundation fosters volunteerism among team members of Wynn Resorts, giving back where it helps most – at home.

Mission: The Wynn Resorts Foundation raises funds from employees and fosters volunteerism among team members of Wynn Resorts, giving back where it helps most – at home.

Wynn Resorts Foundation Community Grant

The Community Grant Fund supports nonprofits serving the communities in which Wynn operations. Since its establishment, the Wynn Resorts Foundation Community Grant Fund has distributed more than $1.9 million to over 130 organizations in Las Vegas and Boston. The Wynn Resorts Foundation Community Grant (WRFCG) was created to provide Wynn Resorts staff an avenue to maximize the impact of employee’s charitable donations in the community they have made their home.  WRFCG intends to fund innovative non-profits working to improve the livelihood of Clark County residents. 

 Grant applications must meet a minimum of one of the focus areas of the Wynn Resorts Foundation "Make a Difference Pillars."

• Education: Innovation in Education, Workforce Preparedness, Positive Youth Development
• Vibrant Communities: Community Programs, Neighborhood Development, Environmental Preservation
• Cultural Enrichment:  The Arts, Civic Partnerships, Engaged Citizenship

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 TPC Grants

The Philanthropy Connection is committed to strengthening organizations working in Massachusetts by:

• Awarding multiple high-impact grants each year
• Awarding grants for operating expenses
• Introducing our Grantees to a wide pool of women philanthropists who will increase their organization’s network of potential funders, board members, and volunteers

This year TPC is awarding only unrestricted general operating grants.

Mission

The mission of the Gratis Foundation is to support programs in the fields of education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, abused and neglected children, and assisting U.S. Military personnel and their families. It is the intent of the foundation to award grants based on achievement, excellence, significance, or leadership in a specific field or charitable endeavor.

Program areas

• Animal Welfare & Advocacy
• At-Risk Youth & Families
• Churches & Religion
• Education
• Food Pantries & Feeding Programs
• Health Care & Medical Research
• International Humanitarian Aid
• U.S. Military Personnel & Family Support

Program limitations 

Supports programs in the fields of education, health care and medical research, humanitarian services, abused and neglected children, and assisting U.S. Military personnel and their families.

States served 

• District of Columbia 
• Florida 
• Massachusetts 

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. 

Summer Fund Grant

Founded in 1971, the Summer Fund is a donor collaborative that supports summer camps and enrichment programs for underserved youth throughout Greater Boston. The Summer Fund is operated and staffed by Philanthropy Massachusetts.

The Summer Fund supported its nonprofit partners through three different grantmaking initiatives. 

• General Operating Grants: General Operating Grants comprise the largest proportion of the Summer Fund's grantmaking portfolio. This initiative helps smaller, newer nonprofits fund day-to-day operations and expenses including staffing, field trips, transportation, and supplies.
• Mental Health Grant Program: The Mental Health Grant Program reflects a direct response to the needs of nonprofits. Established amidst a youth mental health crisis brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, Mental Health Grants fund on-site clinical staff, mental health-focused training and curriculum development, and resources to support staff well-being.
• Homeless Campership Fund: Through the Homeless Campership Fund, shelters and camps are allocated vouchers to subsidize camp fees for youth experiencing homelessness. If your program has connections to or is looking to establish connections with these high-need youth, applying for Homeless Campership Fund slots can help.

Funding

The maximum General Operating Grant to first-year recipients is $7,500 per site. First-year recipients may also request Mental Health Grant Program funding and/or Homeless Campership Fund slots, and those proposals will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Current Summer Fund grantees may request up to $40,000 per site in General Operating funds, but not more than 25% of the camp/program operating budget (30% for multi-site programs).

Our Mission

The primary mission of the Amelia Peabody Foundation is to increase the number, range, and depth of positive learning experiences available to materially disadvantaged young people living in the cities and towns of Massachusetts. Perhaps this is also the primary mission of your organization. If so, we welcome the opportunity to work with you toward our common goal.

About Amelia Peabody

Ms. Peabody was the sole surviving heir of Frank Everett Peabody an early partner in the brokerage house of Kidder, Peabody & Company. In 1942 she established a trust to benefit Massachusetts charities. The Amelia Peabody Foundation has administered a portion of those funds since her death in 1984.

Grant Application Considerations

We look first and most of all at the leadership of the organization. Experience has taught us that the people who lead and staff the organization are most instrumental in bringing about positive changes in the lives of the youth and families in the communities they serve.

Grants are made for almost any project that serves to promote and enhance the grantee organization's mission: for existing and new programs; for operations; capital acquisitions; for the renovation of existing buildings and facilities; for the repair, maintenance, and purchase of equipment.

Examples of organizations supported by Amelia Peabody grants are: neighborhood and community centers, youth centers, charter schools, out of school time and sport programs, YMCAs and YWCAs, and Boys & Girls Clubs.

Examples of program types supported by Amelia Peabody grants are: work preparedness, education persistence and enrichment, mentoring and youth guidance, increased opportunities and deeper benefits for youth, facility and technology improvements, and expansions in the number of youth or communities served.

Awareness. Education. Prevention.  These are three key tenets of Bayer Fund’s investments in health and wellness.  With a focus on cancer and cardiovascular disease, we provide resources to organizations dedicated to educating and/or providing services to patients, caregivers and at-risk populations.

Health & Wellness Grants

Programs that Bayer Fund will support include those that focus on patients and their families needing assistance with issues to managing cardiovascular disease and cancer. This includes education, disease awareness, and supportive services for these diseases. In areas related to cardiovascular disease, priority (though not exclusivity) will be given to charitable organizations that focus on programs and support for the African American community due to the high incidence rate of disease in this population.

Giving in this category will focus on support services such as education, disease awareness, and general access to care (e.g., housing for families traveling for cancer or heart care).

All funding requests and budgets must be for program activities and expenses that start after funding decisions are made. All programs must be completed within one year of the start date, except in limited situations where longer term programs have been agreed upon. Grant award amounts vary, depending on the size of the community, the type of programming, and the reach of the organization.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Lincoln and Therese Filene Foundation

The Filene Foundation is a private family foundation that makes grants to tax-exempt organizations and institutions that provide services to individuals and localities.

  The Foundation's major goals are: 

• to enable those who are disadvantaged to help themselves and others;
• to reduce social conflicts and create harmonious communities;
• to encourage informed civic participation on local, state and regional levels; and
• to promote participation in the performing arts.

Grant Programs

Lincoln & Therese Filene were innovators in Boston's early philanthropic community. Their interests spanned many areas of concern. Today, five generations of Lincoln and Therese's family continue the Foundation's grantmaking in four specific program areas, including:

Civic Education

The Civic Education Committee considers grants to organizations that reinforce the values and responsibilities, as well as the privileges and opportunities, of American citizenship for natural-born and immigrant populations.

The Committee focuses on programs to encourage, engage, and inform citizens including programs that educate others (e.g. training teachers or student leaders).

Human Development & Self Sufficiency

The mission of the Human Development and Self Sufficiency Committee is to enable those who are disadvantaged in various ways to help themselves and others. It supports organizations dedicated to building equitable, safe and successful communities in the Greater Boston-area by providing pathways for disadvantaged individuals to become self-sufficient, valued, and productive members of their communities.

The Committee funds grants in areas including, but not limited to, services for domestic violence and human-trafficking survivors, homelessness prevention, job training and programs that enable youth to overcome obstacles to positive growth.

Music Education & Performing Arts

The Music and Performing Arts Committee determines funding levels for continuing programs at Wolf Trap Farm for the Performing Arts, including the Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts and the Opera Company, and the Filene Music Program at Skidmore College. 

Other requests are considered on a limited basis, including initiatives that support Therese Filene’s lifelong effort to offer musical instruction and experiences to those who could otherwise not afford them.

Public Education & Broadcasting

The Public Education and Broadcasting Committee considers grants to organizations that provide equal access to education and information by encouraging civic engagement, community involvement and early childhood education.

The Committee also focuses on efforts that address local community needs, including programs in public school systems.

Guidelines

The Foundation awards grants to educational institutions, public television, and other non-profit organizations whose proposals are specific and achievable, and whose successes can be replicated by other organizations. Awards are granted generally in the $10,000 - $20,000 range.

Chelsea Cultural Council

The Chelsea Cultural Council (CCC) is a volunteer board supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Council members encourage culture and diversity in the City of Chelsea by funding projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences including exhibits, lectures, concerts, festivals, performances, classes, and school field trips. The CCC places an emphasis on locally-based artists and programs that have the greatest impact on the Chelsea community.

Chelsea Heritage Celebrations Grant

The Chelsea Heritage Celebrations Grant program was established by the City of Chelsea and the Chelsea Cultural Council and funded by Encore Boston Harbor to support a broad range of cultural events and installations that promote the community’s heritage, quality of life, recreation, and cultural activities such as, but not limited to: 

• Street fairs
• Art shows
• Community Events
• Festivals
• Film series   
• Murals
• Sculptures
• Public Art

The goal is to fund both single and multi-day projects that are open to the public to promote the celebration of Chelsea and its surrounding heritage and diversity. The grant ranges up to $15,000. 

The Boston Scientific Foundation’s mission is to improve health and open up educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged persons, with an emphasis on communities where Boston Scientific employees live and work in the United States.

Education

The Foundation supports programs focused on improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational opportunities and academic development for K-12 students who are economically disadvantaged.

Grants to benefit economically disadvantaged in education programs is defined as programs with:

• Minimum of 50% of program participants at 185% of poverty or lower OR
• Funding directed to participants at 185% of poverty or lower
• We do not fund dollars towards stipends for program participation

How do you select applicants?

We support programs that improve health and STEM education for economically disadvantaged persons. Applications are initially pre-screened, with qualified submissions then vetted by regional grant review committees. We are particularity interested in proposals that contain these elements:

Evidence based approaches that include a methodology for tracking and measuring improvements in STEM learning or specific health outcomes related to our focus areas.

Clear identification of the target audience and data used to determine the majority of grant beneficiaries (participants) are economically disadvantaged (e.g., household income, enrollment in Medicaid or SNAP benefits, census data for the neighborhood or community, etc.)

Cost-effective and results-oriented programs, where our contributions can make a long-term measurable difference in the quality of people’s lives and serve as a catalyst for positive change.

Environmental Grants

A portion of our annual giving through our Grants Program is earmarked for environmental causes. These funds help support local conservation and preservation projects, address the loss of biodiversity, and engage the public with nature. Every year, our Environmental Grant Committee always has a stack of quality proposals to sort through. Of course, it would be wonderful to fund everything. 

Environmental grants are 100% managed by employees who serve on our Environmental Grants Committee. They review annual proposals from across the globe. Up to 20% of the grants are awarded globally.

Environmental stewardship is a core value that guides business decisions and the employee culture at CST. The Environmental Grants program provides an opportunity for CST to fund projects aimed at ecosystem protection and improvement, wildlife research, pollution and waste reduction, environmental education and engagement, and conservation.

Applications for grants will be accepted through May 1st annually. Priority will be given to action-oriented projects with at least 70% of the overall funding going to projects that have direct impact on the environment, ecosystems, and research. The remaining funds will be allocated to education and engagement projects.

We encourage applications from both rural and urban areas.

About 

The Berkshire Woodworkers Guild is a not-for-profit association of professional and amateur woodworkers recognized as a 501(c)(3) private foundation with tax exempt status.

Our members come from a range of backgrounds and experience. They include cabinet makers, boat builders, sculptors, house builders, suppliers of wood products, wood turners, makers of musical instruments, and more. We reach common ground in our interest in fine woodworking on a professional level and woodworking as an enjoyable hobby. We're interested in the work of others, in exchanging ideas and techniques, in learning more about woodworking, and in helping one another with advice on skills. We are a supportive group, welcoming new members to join with those who have been part of the Guild for many years.

We sponsor a scholarship program for those wishing to become professional woodworkers and designers.

Berkshire Woodworkers Guild Scholarship

Since founding our guild in 1998, members have supported individuals planning to become professional woodworkers. To that end we have established a scholarship fund supported by generous financial donations and by the proceeds from our annual silent auction to which guild members donate a variety of beautiful wooden objects. 100% of the proceeds from our Silent Auction go to our Scholarship Fund. As our reputation has grown, our recipients have attended some of the best woodworking and wooden boat building schools in the country. Examples include the North Bennet Street School in Boston, the Furniture Institute of Massachusetts in Beverley, the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine, and the Krenov School in Fort Bragg, California, the Apprentice Shop in Rockport, ME, and the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, R.I. We ask scholarship winners to visit our annual show, meet the guild members, and display some of their work.

The Boston Scientific Foundation

The Boston Scientific Foundation’s mission is to improve health and open up educational opportunities for economically disadvantaged persons, with an emphasis on communities where Boston Scientific employees live and work in the United States.

Health

Programs that aim to improve the health of those who are economically disadvantaged, with a focus on cancer, diabetes, respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, mental wellness, gastrointestinal and urologic diseases and disorders through any one of these approaches.

• Disease prevention
• Disease awareness and diagnosis
• Access to care
• Quality of care

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.

Grant Program Description:

The U.S. immigration legal system is complicated and difficult to navigate without experienced help. Small errors can have serious ramifications on a case. However, people seeking immigration benefits often face barriers navigating the legal system because demand for accessible, affordable, and competent assistance vastly outweighs supply. Further, recent federal immigration policy changes have made it harder for immigrants to regularize their status, be released from detention, and gain work authorization.

To bridge this service gap, the Mayor’s Office for Immigrant Advancement (MOIA) is pleased to announce the 2026 Immigration Legal Access Grant. MOIA seeks to fund programming provided by community-based nonprofits and legal aid organizations to respond to this need for immigration legal assistance. Grants will be disbursed to immigrant-serving nonprofits that are working across immigrant communities. Proposals can include, but are not limited to: 

• Legal orientation
• Comprehensive consultations
• Pro se application support
• Forms assistance
• Full representation
• Bond assistance (legal support/representation only - funds cannot be used for paying bond)
• Other immigration legal services responding to emerging needs resulting from recent federal policy changes

Immigration legal services must be provided by licensed immigration attorneys or Department of Justice Accredited Representatives. If an organization does not meet either of those requirements, they must ensure adequate external legal supervision of their programming and detail this plan in their grant application. Due to the complexity and changing nature of immigration law, MOIA is prioritizing granting funds to organizations that are already DOJ accredited, have at least one immigration lawyer on staff, or are contracting with or receiving legal supervision from an immigration attorney that is a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and is in good standing with Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers.

Total Amount Available for Grants:

• $900,000

Maximum Award Amount per Grant:

Awards may vary in size up to $100,000; MOIA may award full funding, partial funding, or no funding. In the event that partial funding is awarded, MOIA will require an updated budget, budget narrative, and service goal. MOIA anticipates making one or two awards at $100,000, and multiple awards between $20,000 - $80,000. Receipt of MOIA grant funds in previous years does not guarantee receipt of funds in future years.

All grantees will be required to submit one interim and one final quantitative and qualitative report during and after the grant period. MOIA will provide reporting templates. The reports will require the following information, submitted in aggregate, on the below data points:

• Total number of individuals served
• Zip code or Boston neighborhood
• Gender
• Country of birth
• Type of assistance received
• Race (final report only)
• Income (final report only)
• Any other aggregated data requested by MOIA at the start of the grant period

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.