Search Through Grants for Capital Funding in Massachusetts in the U.S.

The Foundation will support a broad spectrum of causes which support the environment, alternative health care and the arts.  The Foundation is particularly interested in funding educational projects which bring an awareness of the environment, alternative health care and the arts to those who are underserved, particularly to young people.  

Although the primary focus of the Foundation is as set forth above, the Foundation has the flexibility to contribute to such other causes as the Trustees determine.

George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation Grant

The George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation is a private independent Foundation which supports only non-profit 501(c)(3) organizations.

Unsolicited requests are always acknowledged and occasionally considered.

Program interests include:

• Culture: area museums and arts institutions
• Education: area colleges, universities and other Worcester schools
• Healthcare: hospital and support agencies
• Social Services: recreation, mental health, and youth development
• Religious Institutions

The types of projects supported include: 

• Emergency Capital Needs
• Small Capital Requests
• Expenses Related to Renovations
• Expenses Related to IT Projects
• Scholarship Funds
• Operating/Programmatic Support

The types of projects supported include:

• Capital Campaigns
• New Construction
• Building Renovations
• Historic Preservation
• Equipment, including computer hardware and software
• Building Furnishings

Our Mission and Values

The McKeen Fund was created as a Charitable Trust by Mrs. Noreen McKeen of Palm Beach, Florida. 

The Fund's Mission is to improve the lives of seniors, people with disabilities and disadvantaged children and families. 

Today, the McKeen Fund continues to support the donor's philanthropic philosophy and values, including an emphasis on giving to Roman Catholic organizations. The Trustees will also consider in addition to the donor's preferences, the demands of a changing world and its impact on the Fund's mission. 

Funding Priorities 

The purpose of the McKeen Fund is to provide support to medical, educational and social service organizations and programs that address the needs of vulnerable children and their families, and seniors. In education, grants focus on pre-k through secondary education, as well as enrichment programs and supportive services. 

Beyond Grants

The Fund also recognizes the donor's value of service and philanthropy going beyond just grantmaking. Fund resources extend to direct charitable activities, including leadership, expertise and a commitment to our grantees and other non-profit organizations. 

Grant applications will be considered where:

• Outside funding (including governmental) is not available;
• The project will be largely funded by the grant unless the grant request covers a discreet component of a larger project; and,
• Funds will be used for capital projects including equipment or endowments; or
• Funds will be used for specific programs that fit within the areas of interest.

Mission Statement

Town Fair Tire Foundation, Inc. (“TFTF”) is a private, not-for-profit philanthropic organization established by Neil Mellen in 2000. The mission of TFTF is to financially support entities and institutions that help people in need of social, health, welfare, educational and other human services throughout New England - Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Rhode Island – and beyond.

The Town Fair Tire Foundation is dedicated to helping create and sustain vibrant and healthy communities, families and individuals. To accomplish this purpose, TFTF invests in community-based organizations that promote self-reliance, economic and social advancement, and improved quality of life. The Town Fair Tire Foundation is especially committed to helping individuals and families who struggle daily with the effects of poverty.

An essential theme underlying the Town Fair Tire Foundation’s approach to giving is to “pay-it-forward” -- respectfully asking those who benefit from grants to pay the kindness forward to others in need. TFTF’s ultimate objective and mission is to promote positive change in the lives of those less fortunate to an exponential degree.

The Town Fair Tire Foundation performs its mission by funding proven or unique approaches from not-for-profit 501(c) (3) organizations.

What We Do

Town Fair Tire Foundation, Inc. (TFTF) is dedicated to helping create and sustain vibrant and healthy communities, families and individuals. To accomplish this purpose, TFTF invests in local community-based organizations that promote self-reliance, economic and social advancement and improved quality of life. 

TFTF is committed to helping individuals and families who struggle daily with the effects of poverty. Our initiatives are highly grassroots in nature, with the goal of giving back to the local and community levels.

TFTF’s ultimate objective is to promote positive change in the lives of those less fortunate and create greater societal good through the thousands of organizations we support across the region.

An essential theme underlying Town Fair Tire Foundation’s approach to giving is to pay it forward - respectfully asking those who benefit from grants to pay the kindness forward to others in need when they are able.

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.

Areas of Funding

The Irene E. & George A. Davis Foundation primarily considers funding requests from nonprofit organizations based in or working in Hampden County, Massachusetts that address needs in the following areas:

• Early Education (Birth to 5)
• Early Literacy
• Innovation and Excellence in Education
• Economic Mobility
• Arts & Culture
• Health
• Safety Net (Support for social service organizations responding to the essential needs for marginalized communities and vulnerable residents in Hampden County)
• Youth Development
• Leadership Development & Training
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Community Support

Types of Funding

Funding requests are considered for:

General Operating Funding

General Operating funding is awarded to help support an organization’s general operating costs and overhead rather than a particular project or initiative.

Capital Funding

Capital funding is awarded to support the purchase, construction, or renovation of a property, land and/or capital assets associated with the organization and the communities it supports.

Program Funding

Program funding is awarded to support a specific program, project, or initiative to be implemented by the organization with the goal of achieving measurable and meaningful projected outcomes.

Capacity Building Funding

Capacity Building funding is awarded to support and/or improve an organization’s work and operations. These awards typically focus on the areas of strategic planning, fiscal systems review, board development, staff development, diversifying revenue streams, etc.

Emergency Funding

Emergency funding is awarded to assist an organization in a time of unexpected and sudden need. These requests are reviewed as quickly as possible, typically within two weeks, of receipt.

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.

Mission

The Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation was established in 1973. The Foundation's 3 primary focus areas reflect Mr. Balfour's strong affinity for the employees of the Balfour Company, his commitment to the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and his lifelong interest in education. Specifically, the Balfour Foundation supports:

• Educational scholarships to employees of the Balfour Company, as well as to their children and grandchildren
• Organizations serving the people of Attleboro, with special consideration given to those organizations that provide educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations
• Educational organizations that serve New England

Focus Area

Educational Organizations

The Foundation's educational funding is generally focused on organizations or programs that provide support for underserved or under-represented populations to prepare for, access and succeed in higher education, including 2-year and 4-year institutions.

It is clear that Mr. Balfour was interested in supporting students for successful completion of college. As such, the Foundation focuses its grantmaking in the New England area on programs that support college readiness, access, and success. The Foundation is most interested in programs that support students all the way into and through post-secondary credential attainment (2- or 4-year credentials). Programs within institutions of higher education aimed at attracting, supporting, and retaining (through successful completion) under-served and under-represented populations are also of interest. In this area, we will consider applications that request scholarship funds, if those scholarships are part of a broader set of services and supports.

About the Fund

The Cultural Facilities Fund (CFF) is a capital grant program of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Fund offers grants to help nonprofit cultural organizations plan for, renovate, expand, and repair their facilities. CFF grants help increase contributions from private funding sources. The Fund is a landmark investment in the infrastructure of our state’s cultural resources.

Cultural Facilities Fund 2023 Grant Cycle

Over $9 million will be awarded to support repairs, renovations, new construction, and acquisition of facilities. Planning grants are also available for analysis, design, and feasibility studies that relate to a cultural facility.

This year, we are encouraging cultural organizations to consider ways to reduce the carbon footprint of their facilities, and to align with the Commonwealth’s goal of net zero emissions by 2050.  (Please note: applicants may apply for a Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grant in tandem with a Capital Grant, if it is for the purpose of planning for the reduction of carbon emissions.)

Grant Categories

• Capital Grants: For the acquisition, design, construction, repair, renovation, rehabilitation or other capital improvements or deferred maintenance of a cultural facility. Any of the following would qualify for consideration under this description:
• New construction.
• Additions to an existing structure.
• Renovations or repairs to an existing structure.
• Fixed/integrated equipment.
• Any combination of the above.
• Feasibility & Technical Assistance Grants (FTA): For costs and expenses related to overall planning and feasibility for a proposed eligible project.
• Systems Replacement Plan Grants (SRP): These are a specific type of Feasibility and Technical Assistance Grant specifically designed for organizations without full-time maintenance staff. The SRP is a 20-year capital needs assessment of the building and its mechanical systems.

Background

The Theodore Edson Parker Foundation was established in 1944 in Lowell, Massachusetts, under a will that reflected the founder’s interest in a wide range of community needs including children, disadvantaged young women, the elderly, refugees and immigrants. Since then, trustees have expanded our priorities to many other needs of the residents of Lowell.

Fields of Interest and Types of Support

The Parker Foundation’s primary goal is to make effective grants that benefit the residents of the City of Lowell. Grants are made for a variety of purposes including social services, cultural programs, community development activities, education, community health needs, and urban environmental projects. The foundation funds specific needs including special programs and projects, capital improvements and equipment purchases, and technical assistance. The trustees do not usually award funds for the operating expenses of well-established organizations, for endowment, or to fund deficits. 

John W. Alden Trust Grant

The John W. Alden Trust was established under the will of Priscilla Alden in honor of her father. In her will, Miss Alden specified that grant support should be directed toward "organizations providing care and administering to the needs of children who are blind, retarded, disabled or who are either mentally or physically ill ... or organizations engaged in medical and scientific research directed toward the prevention or cure of diseases and disabilities particularly affecting children."

The Alden Trust provides support to organizations serving children and youth (ages 0-24) with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities; and to organizations engaged in research focused on the prevention or cure of diseases and disabilities affecting children.

Organizations serving high-risk youth who are high risk by social or environmental factors and/or are engaged in behaviors that increase the likelihood of adverse health outcomes may meet the Trust’s criteria if the youth they serve are experiencing measurable effects from at least two of the following recognized risk factors:

• living at or below the poverty level
• experiencing school failure (having dropped out of high school)
• living in a foster home or group home
• living in a homeless shelter or motel
• having involvement with the juvenile justice system
• are pregnant or parenting
• having known involvement with drugs or alcohol

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.

Overview

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.

The Tower Foundation believes every young person should have the chance to achieve their personal goals, regardless of the challenges they face. Individuals who live with one or more of these issues may be overlooked or stigmatized, creating additional challenges. We also know that some young people face more challenges than others because of systemic inequalities. The convergence of our focus areas with racism, ableism, sexism, and other types of discrimination warrants the Foundation’s attention because as we know, people do not live single-issue lives.

The Tower Foundation sees its role as more than just a funder. These issues are near and dear to us because we have members of our family who live with one or more of the issues. These are individuals who are resilient—persevering despite the challenges they face— and who should be valued by our communities. The Tower Foundation envisions a future in which equitable communities include, accept and value these young people.

Strengthening Partner Capacity Grants

The Foundation seeks to fund requests that, “build and/or strengthen the systems, structures, cultures, skills, resources, and power that organizations need to serve their communities.” Strengthening Partner Capacity grants are available for board/leadership development; diversity, equity, inclusion; evaluation/evaluation design; organizational development; professional development; program design and planning (not service delivery); small capital projects/equipment purchases; staff mental wellness support; technology planning/purchasing; and other ideas that help organizations better serve their communities as described above. We accept applications for Strengthening Partner Capacity grants multiple times a year. All other grants in this category are by invitation only.

Focus Areas

The Foundation supports organizations and initiatives that help provide young people with opportunities to realize their highest potential regardless of the challenges they face. Our funding supports work in four focus areas: Intellectual Disabilities, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health, and Substance Use Disorders – all typically underfunded and stigmatized conditions.

We have set out broad, aspirational goals to guide our work and to keep us focused on the big picture. With these in mind, we hope to move a little closer each day to these ideals.

Intellectual Disabilities

• Children with intellectual disabilities are identified early and receive services that meet their evolving needs.
• Young people with intellectual disabilities are engaged in meaningful, social, vocational, and educational pursuits.
• Families understand intellectual disabilities and secure needed supports.
• Communities embrace young people with intellectual disabilities and provide them with a full range of supports and opportunities to engage in community life.

Learning Disabilities

• Children with learning disabilities are identified early, diagnosed, and connected to services that meet their ongoing individual needs.
• Youth with learning disabilities understand how they learn and pursue resources that support them accordingly.
• Young adults are confident and do not view their learning disability as a liability.
• Young adults with learning disabilities are ready for work and/or educational pursuits.
• Families are informed about learning disabilities and can identify and navigate available services.
• Communities value persons with learning disabilities and accommodate their needs.

Mental Health

• Stigma related to mental illness is eliminated.
• Children with social, emotional, and behavioral challenges are identified early and connected to appropriate services.
• Young people with mental health challenges understand and manage their conditions and behaviors.
• Families understand mental health challenges and help young people live productive lives.
• Communities offer meaningful opportunities and appropriate support to young people with mental health challenges and their families.

Substance Use Disorders

• Community members understand the prevalence and harmful effects of alcohol and drugs on young people and work to address them.
• Resources for substance use disorders prevention, treatment, and recovery are readily available.
• Families provide safe environments that support healthy and informed choices about alcohol and drugs.
• Young people make healthy and informed choices about alcohol and drugs.

Click here for the Foundation’s definitions of the above four focus areas.

What We’re Most Interested in Funding

Here are some examples of the sorts of things the Foundation might be willing to fund, just to get you thinking. This is not a complete list of everything we’ll consider!

• Board/Leadership development
• Diversity, equity, inclusion
• Evaluation/Evaluation design
• Mergers/affiliations
• Organizational development (e.g., strategic planning; marketing, development, and/or communications support; process improvement; succession planning)
• Professional development
• Program design and planning (not service delivery; contact us if you have questions!)
• Small capital projects/equipment purchases
• Staff mental wellness support
• Technology planning/purchasing
• What are your ideas? (We’re happy to discuss them!)

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.

The Nature Conservancy

The Nature Conservancy is a global environmental nonprofit working to create a world where people and nature can thrive.

Our Mission

To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

To make the highest possible impact on the climate and biodiversity crises, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is committed to advancing solutions and supporting partners throughout the Appalachians to connect and conserve vital wildlife habitat, build resilience to the impacts of climate change, and generate new job and recreation opportunities for communities.

Approximately one-third of the U.S. population lives in or within 100 miles of the Appalachians, including an estimated 36 million people that rely on the region for sources of drinking water. The landscape contains the world's largest remaining expanses of temperate broadleaf mixed forest and provides habitat to a wide diversity of plants of animals, many of which are listed as rare, threatened, or endangered. Conserving this landscape is critical for nature and for the people that live and work there.

However as climate change drives ecosystem instability, plants and animals are shifting their ranges northward, and people are having to find ways to adapt to complex and intertwined challenges. TNC and many others have been working to conserve vital Appalachian habitats for decades. Now we must ramp up our efforts and coordinate with partners across the Appalachians for maximum impact.

To succeed in these efforts, TNC’s Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund offers two grant programs for conservation and community organizations, municipalities, Federally Recognized Tribal Nations, and local and state agencies in the Appalachians who are working to protect and conserve this region:

• The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program
• The New York Climate Resilience Grant Program

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

The Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program provides grants of up to $100,000 for fee and easement acquisition projects throughout the Appalachians.

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

Conservation organizations are increasingly acknowledging the importance of incorporating social equity in their missions, partnerships, and projects and evolving how they work to have better outcomes for people and nature.

TNC defines community benefits as the positive outcomes that directly result from or are included within conservation projects as experienced by local communities and people. This is particularly important for historically marginalized communities, communities with limited access to nature, communities experiencing heightened impacts of climate change due to systemic underinvestment and poor infrastructure, and Indigenous communities. 

RCA program funding will support projects that demonstrate meaningful community engagement, work with those historically excluded from conservation, and lead to a fairer distribution of benefits for people and communities.

Some examples of community benefits include improved and greater access to nature, protection of drinking water sources, recreational and resource-based economic opportunities, flood mitigation, engagement in cross-cultural initiatives, or protection of lands that will meet community-defined conservation needs. We encourage projects with meaningful community benefits that are integrated with the land protection goals.

Project Evaluation

Projects will be evaluated  according to their capacity to deliver land protection outcomes aligned with the program goals, including:

• Location:
  • the project is located within TNC’s Appalachians Program boundary and is in or near a mapped focal area.  Projects outside of focal areas will also be considered.
• Resilience:
  • the percentage of the total project area that is part of the Resilient and Connected Network.
• Connectivity:
  • adjacency to protected lands or other attributes that will lead to landscape connectivity over time (e.g., the project is a necessary acquisition for advancing a local or regional plan that aims to protect a critical conservation corridor).
• Collaboration:
  • evidence of engagement with other organizations, community groups, or local governments (including, but not limited to, shared funding).
• Community:
  • project elements that directly engage and or benefit people, especially vulnerable or marginalized communities.
• Timeline:
  • the project will close within 12 months from the start of the grant agreement term.
• Feasibility:
  • likelihood that the project will close and the costs seem reasonable.

Who We Are

The Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation’s charitable giving primarily focuses on providing financial assistance in the form of grants to organizations in and around Malden, as well as scholarships to students that demonstrate a strong academic background. Grant recipients include local hospitals, social welfare concerns, libraries, youth-oriented programs, and cultural activities.

History

The Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation (the “Foundation”) is a non-profit corporation organized in Malden, Massachusetts on December 12, 1927. It was privately funded by Frank A. Bayrd in memory of his mother, Adelaide Breed Bayrd. The Foundation awards grants in accordance with the following policies: To support organizations, the activities of which are centered in Malden, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. To support organizations elsewhere, the activities of which give substantial benefits to Malden, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. Individual, endowment funds, performing arts scholarships (excepting educational projects and programs) and research grant requests are generally excluded from consideration and generally the Foundation favors grants toward capital improvements over operating deficits.

Grant Guidelines

The Adelaide Breed Bayrd Foundation is dedicated to benefiting the citizens of Malden and surrounding communities. We would appreciate hearing from you in any future grant application on the specific methods in which your organization fulfills that purpose.

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.

Mission

Our mission at the Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in North Central Massachusetts through philanthropy.

We support the work of local nonprofit organizations.

One way we do this is by awarding grants to programs, projects, and initiatives within our 33-community region.

These competitive grants are awarded to nonprofit organizations whose programs, projects, or initiatives address the grant program’s objectives and align with the funding guidance. Nonprofit organizations may apply to multiple grant programs each year, but we will only accept one application per organization per grant program.

We do allow organizations that have a fiscal sponsor to apply for our grants.

Proposal Principles

Proposals for grants are expected to address each of the following principles:

• Capacity for impact: Demonstrate capacity and potential for achieving and sustaining long-term impact.
• Plan of action: Include a plan of action with evidence that the plan is likely to achieve its intended outcomes.
• Collaboration: We encourage collaboration to leverage new and/or existing resources, organizations, relationships, initiatives, and investments to improve the likelihood of significant impact, efficiency, and sustainability.
• Tracking impact: Include measurable objectives and outcomes with a plan and tools to monitor progress.

Grant Making

The Community Foundation annually awards grants to local nonprofits in the areas of environment and animal welfare, education and career readiness, community enrichment, organizational development, community health, and racial equity.

Organizational Development Program Objectives

For the current cycle, the organizational development grant program will support small capital needs that strengthen and improve nonprofit organizational efficiency and effectiveness.

Examples include:

• Furniture
• Equipment
• Technology
• Facility improvements

Mission

The Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation was established in 1973. The Foundation's 3 primary focus areas reflect Mr. Balfour's strong affinity for the employees of the Balfour Company, his commitment to the city of Attleboro, Massachusetts, and his lifelong interest in education. Specifically, the Balfour Foundation supports:

• Educational scholarships to employees of the Balfour Company, as well as to their children and grandchildren
• Organizations serving the people of Attleboro, with special consideration given to those organizations that provide educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations
• Educational organizations that serve New England

Focus Area

Attleboro-Specific Charities

The Foundation supports organizations that specifically serve the people of Attleboro, with special consideration given to organizations that provide educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations.

Mr. Balfour asked the trustee to make grants to charitable organizations that serve the residents of the City of Attleboro, with a priority for those organizations that “[further] education, hospitalization or medical and surgical research.” As such, the Foundation will consider applications for a broad range of human services needs in Attleboro with a priority for education and medical services. 

Couch Family Foundation

The mission of the Couch Family Foundation is to be a catalyst for change in the lives of children and their families by creating quality and equitable opportunities to help them learn, thrive, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives.

The Couch Family Foundation partners with organizations serving the Upper Valley Region of New Hampshire and Vermont. We support people and programs working to improve children’s health and well-being, early learning and development, family resiliency, and community vibrancy.

Cherished Communities: Upper Valley and Martha’s Vineyard

Given the Couch Family has deep ties to the Upper Valley region of New Hampshire (Grafton and Sullivan Counties) and Vermont (Orange and Windsor Counties) and the island of Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts, the Foundation prioritizes nonprofits serving these localities that are focused on ensuring child and family well-being and promoting healthy communities. 

Furthermore, the Foundation provides grants in these cherished communities to organizations that align with its mission, have demonstrated impact and strong leadership, implement a collaborative approach to community change, and a focus on racial equity and justice.

Within this priority, the strategy is to strengthen organizational capacity and services to:

• Enhance early childhood (Prenatal-5 years) through early learning and development, health and mental health, and family support services to promote the well-being of young children and their families.
• Nurture vibrant communities to fulfill a significant community need, address an emerging issue and/or promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Eligibility Parameters

The Foundation prioritizes grants to organizations that have strong leadership, deep community relationships, a collaborative approach to community building and that have demonstrated focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion.  

The Foundation provides the following types of grant support:  

• Unrestricted (i.e., General Operating)
• Project
• Capital
• Event Sponsorships

Please note for Capital Support and Event Sponsorship, contact a member of the Foundation staff prior to applying for support. The Foundation only considers such applications that are closely aligned with the Foundation’s mission and priorities. Event Sponsorships are only supported for organizations that have an established relationship with the Foundation.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

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.

Mission Specific: Miss Peabody's philanthropic legacy and interests are of paramount concern.

Geography: The Board focuses its giving in Massachusetts.

Capital: The Board favors capital projects and purchases when the need is relevant to the community served, and where a large area or number of people will benefit.

Lasting Impact: The Board favors initiatives with measurable, significant, and lasting impact.

Likelihood of Success: The Board looks for well-conceived and researched projects with specific and well defined outcomes. A logical implementation plan, with a realistic and appropriately detailed supporting budget, timeframes, multiple sources of funding for the undertaking, and the credibility of the organization are important elements in evaluating the proposal.

Proportional and Appropriated: The Board expects the dollar amount requested to be in proportion to size of the project as well as the size of the organization

Well Leveraged: The Board looks favorably on organizations that can secure funding from multiple sources. In a major capital project, the trustees expect the fundraising process to be well along before receiving a proposal. The funding for your project budget should be at least 50% committed from other sources before you apply. Challenge grants are sometimes considered by the Trustees to help grant seekers secure funding from other sources.

Community Support: The Board looks for evidence that the organization and its work are valued by the constituents it serves and surrounding community.

Soundness of Organization: The Board favors supporting well-managed organizations with good oversight and relatively low administration and other overhead expenses. An organization's financial statement and condition are important considerations.

Since 1986, The Trust for the Meditation Process has encouraged the practice of inner, silent awareness, whether it's called meditation, mindfulness or contemplative prayer. Our financial grants to non-profit organizations renew contemplative Christianity, promote health and wholeness, and bring silence and stillness to a hectic world.  

Contemplative Christianity Grants

Many people think of meditation as an exclusively Eastern religious practice. But Western religion, too, has a long tradition of silent, non-discursive prayer, often called contemplation, which is rooted in a rich mystical literature. Contemporary thinkers are unearthing this tradition. Their fresh encounter with the Gospels and mystics emphasizes that God is a living presence in us – to be known in silence and love and manifested in our acts of compassion.

• Grants made in the Contemplative Christianity Program have these objectives:  
• Introduce or expand the teaching and practice of Christian contemplative practices, such as Christian Meditation or Centering Prayer.
• Focus on silent, non discursive meditation rather than another aspect or method of prayer or spiritual formation.
• Connect with a Christian audience or have a Christian context.
• Identify and support emerging scholars and leaders in Contemplative Christianity and Christian mysticism.
• Raise the profile of Contemplative Christianity, with language and programs that speak to all Christian denominations and that reconnect people to Christian contemplative traditions.
• Reach underserved populations, such as children, teens, and young adults, people of color, people who are LGBTQ, people with low incomes and people facing addictions, illness, trauma or loss.
• Encourage dialogue among contemplative traditions in all religions.

Mindfulness Grants

Thirty years ago, Jon Kabat-Zinn and his colleagues at the University of Massachusetts medical school adapted classic forms of meditation found in most religions for a modern, secular audience. A simple practice of paying silent attention to the present moment formed the core of their efforts to help people improve physical and emotional health. 

Since then, a large and rigorous body of research has shown that a regular practice of mindfulness meditation can change us in many significant ways: improving immune function, reducing stress, reducing pain and symptoms of chronic disease, improving sleep, improving attention, fostering self- care and compassion, and the list continues to grow. Today, an ever widening interest in the benefits of mindfulness practice has led to its introduction in many fields and professions.  

Grants made in the Mindfulness Program have both of these objectives:

Introduce or expand mindfulness meditation through educational or human service nonprofits or government entities, such as K-12 public schools, colleges and universities, correctional facilities, rehabilitation programs, healthcare, counseling and case management services.

Reach underserved populations, such as children, teens, and young adults, BIPOC and LGBTQ communities, people in the criminal justice system, people with low incomes, and people facing addictions, illness, trauma or loss.

Mindfulness Program grants are highly competitive and we generally receive more applications than we can award. 

Grant Guidelines

Our focus is short-term projects where a small grant can make a credible impact and result in clearly identifiable outcomes. We make 20 to 40 grants annually. Initial awards are typically small – $3,000 to $5,000.

The type of projects we fund includes:

• Meditation courses, workshops, lectures or retreats.
• Trainings, sabbaticals, retreats and other development for meditation teachers.
• Meditation curriculum development.
• Books, supplies and equipment for meditation programs.
• Efforts to expand and build the capacity of meditation programs and address barriers to practice. 
• Meditation research, especially the development of simple, effective, accessible evaluation tools.
• Publications that effectively spread critical perspectives on meditation and meet an important gap in the current literature.
• East/West meditation dialogue.

The Gladys Brooks Foundation was created under the will of Gladys Brooks Thayer of New York. 

Its purpose is to provide for the intellectual, moral and physical welfare of the people of this country by establishing and  supporting non-profit libraries, educational institutions, hospitals and clinics.

Scope of Grants Considered

The Foundation will consider major grant applications for innovative projects in the fields of libraries, education, hospitals and clinics.

Grants for Libraries 

Grant applications will be considered generally for resource Endowments (print, film, electronic database, speakers/workshops) capital construction and innovative equipment. Projects fostering broader public access to global information sources utilizing collaborative efforts, pioneering technologies and equipment are encouraged.

Grants for Educational Institutions

Grant applications from universities, colleges and secondary schools will be considered generally for:

• educational endowments to fund scholarships based solely on educational achievements, leadership and academic ability of the student; 
• endowments to support fellowships and teaching chairs for educators who confine their activities primarily to classroom instruction in the liberal arts, mathematics and the sciences during the academic year;
• erection or endowment of buildings, wings or additions thereto of buildings, and equipment for educational purposes;
• capital equipment for educational purposes.

Grants for Hospitals & Clinics

Grant proposals from hospitals and clinics where the proposal addresses a new health need, an improvement in the quality of health care or reduced health costs with better patient outcomes will be considered generally for:

• endowments for programs;
• erection or endowment of buildings, wings of or additions to buildings;
• capital equipment.

Adelard A. and Valeda Lea Roy Foundation Grant

The AV Roy Foundation has historically supported a broad range of organizations working in the areas of arts and culture, churches, education, environmental education, food access, health, land trusts, museums, and social services. The Trustees prioritize grants serving greater Boston and underserved rural and urban communities in Massachusetts, with some additional grantmaking in other areas of Northern New England.

In an effort to ensure that applications to the Foundation closely match current giving priorities, the Trustees will give priority to Massachusetts and Northern New England applicants focused on the following:

• Environment: requests focused on land conservation, in particular projects close to completion and projects resulting in easements held by accredited land trusts; environmental education; and climate change
• Health and Welfare: basic human needs (with priority given to food security and housing); hospice and home health care
• Arts and Culture: in particular, arts access and education for disadvantaged, elderly, or youth populations, and historic preservation
• Education: schools serving youth from low income backgrounds, including independent schools
• Churches providing basic needs support and other social services programming, as well as capital needs for facilities or historic preservation

Funding

Grants typically range from $2,500 to $10,000. In 2023, the average grant was $3,800. The Trustees anticipate a slightly higher average grant size this year, and fewer grants in total.

Washington Trust Charitable Foundation

The Washington Trust Charitable Foundation provides grants to 501(c)(3) organizations within our market area, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts and southeastern Connecticut.

Charitable grants range widely in size. Multi-year grants are often considered for capital funding (to build or repair facilities), capital campaigns, or specific projects, with consideration given to:

• Affordable Housing and Revitalization Programs
• Business and Economic Development
• Youth and Family Services
• Hospitals, Health and Human Service Organizations
• Museums, Arts and Cultural Organizations
• Colleges, Universities, Libraries
• Conservation and Environmental Groups

The William J. & Margery S. Barrett Fund for Adams. Cheshire & Savoy

The William J. & Margery S. Barrett Fund for Adams, Cheshire and Savoy was initially created by Margery Barrett in 1995. Mrs. Barrett was born in North Adams on July 11, 1910 and moved to Adams as a child. She graduated from the former Adams High School in 1927 and from the former North Adams Normal School (now the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts) in 1929. She was a teacher in the Conway School System and the former Howland Avenue School in Adams. She married William Barrett, with whom she shared her life in Adams until he died in 1969.

In 1995, Mrs. Barrett, with the help of her attorney, used Pfizer stock (inherited from her father and husband, both of whom had worked at Specialty Minerals) to establish the fund through the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation and to increase her income through a charitable remainder trust. The Fund awarded grants anonymously for several years, giving her the joy of seeing her generosity support organizations around her. Upon Mrs. Barrett’s death in 2000, the remainder of the trust was added to the Fund and, at her instruction, her name was publicly announced for the first time. Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is proud to serve as steward for the William J. & Margery S. Barrett Fund for Adams, Cheshire & Savoy, seeking to improve the quality of life for the residents of those communities, today and in years to come.

The fund is an ongoing resource that works across town borders to support innovative projects and services for the maximum benefit of the residents of these towns, with particular emphasis on low income and/or underserved adults and children.