Best Financial Assistance Grants in Massachusetts

The Emerging Adult Reentry Initiative in Massachusetts aims to reduce recidivism among young adults by providing essential funding for community reentry programs. These programs offer comprehensive pre- and post-release services, ensuring participants receive the support needed to reintegrate successfully. Collaborating with correctional partners, the initiative focuses on identifying and monitoring at-risk individuals, while a Technical Assistance Provider enhances program effectiveness through strategic support and research. This initiative is vital for enhancing public safety.

The F26AS00104 State ANS Management Plan 2026 aims to combat aquatic nuisance species through pre-proposals followed by full applications. Managed by the US Department of the Interior's Fish and Wildlife Service, this initiative requires a 25% cost-share and limits administrative costs to 5%. Applications are due by October 14, 2026, though the funding opportunity closes on December 16, 2026. The plan is crucial for maintaining biodiversity and supporting a coordinated national approach to invasive species management.

The Tree Campus Higher Education Program in Massachusetts promotes the importance of trees on college campuses. By meeting five key standards, colleges can achieve national recognition and foster a healthy, green environment for students. This initiative not only enhances campus beauty but also contributes to energy conservation, climate change mitigation, and mental health benefits for the community. Participation instills pride and encourages student involvement in environmental stewardship.

Community Foundation for Northeast Florida

The Community Foundation for Northeast Florida connects people who care with causes that matter. Since 1964, we have served the citizens of Duval, St. Johns, Nassau, Baker, Clay, and Putnam counties through a range of charitable and civic activities, while helping individual donors achieve their philanthropic goals. We believe in Giving Back. Forever Forward.

Scholarships

Thanks to generous donors, The Community Foundation offers several scholarships each year that benefit students in Northeast Florida who are seeking post-secondary degrees.

Dorothea B. Shaw Scholarship

The Dorothea B. Shaw Scholarship will provide $8,000 ($2,000 per year for 4 years) to support tuition, books, fees, room & board, and degree-related expenses for a student graduating from a Duval County public or private school and attending an accredited post-secondary institution in the Northeastern United States. Northeastern states are identified as: CT, MA, ME, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT. In selecting the successful candidate, the review committee will consider academic achievements, leadership experience, desire for personal growth and financial need. 

The New England States Touring (NEST) Grant supports nonprofit organizations in New England to present performances, readings, and screenings by regional and international artists. With three funding tiers—NEST 1, NEST 2, and NEST 3—this initiative aims to enhance community engagement, foster collaborations, and promote diversity in the arts. Eligible organizations can receive up to $10,000 to fund projects that occur between June 1, 2025, and August 31, 2026.

The Patterson Foundation offers Oral Health Grants to support programs that enhance access to dental care for underserved communities. Eligible 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations can apply for funding up to $35,000 for capacity expansion, $10,000 for personnel support, or $10,000 for program support. The foundation prioritizes projects led by volunteer dental professionals and requires follow-up reports for continued funding. Applications are accepted year-round through a two-step process.

The Booth Ferris Foundation's Higher Education Grant Program offers crucial capacity-building support to eligible higher education institutions in New York State, requiring an annual budget exceeding $1 million. Established in 1957, the Foundation has contributed over $425 million to various charitable causes. This program focuses on enhancing institutional effectiveness and sustainability, ensuring that organizations can thrive and serve their communities effectively. Note that the Foundation does not fund requests from individual schools or certain types of support.

The Climate Smart Agriculture Program (CSAP) facilitates a streamlined application process by merging various grant categories, including Food Safety, Environmental, and Energy. This initiative aims to enhance climate resilience among farmers, promote renewable energy, and improve food safety practices. By simplifying access to funding, the program empowers agricultural operations to adopt sustainable practices, thereby safeguarding natural resources and boosting economic resilience within the farming community.

The McKesson Foundation Grant provides funding up to $25,000 for organizations focused on improving health outcomes in underserved communities. Established in 1943, the foundation prioritizes health equity through strategic partnerships aimed at reducing cancer burdens, preparing healthcare professionals, and enhancing crisis response efforts. Eligible applicants include national and local nonprofits targeting specific regions in the U.S. and Canada. The foundation emphasizes projects that align with its mission and demonstrate significant community impact.

The NRP Young Investigator Award is designed to support research on optimizing newborn care during delivery using Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) techniques. This grant encourages innovative projects addressing gaps in transitional physiology and resuscitation practices. Eligible applicants include researchers from Canadian and US institutions, particularly those in training or within four years of completing medical training. Awardees may receive up to $15,000 to enhance their skills and knowledge, ultimately improving neonatal outcomes.

The George I. Alden Trust offers a Higher Education Grant aimed at supporting independent colleges and universities in New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. The Trust prioritizes capital needs to enhance the educational experience, approving grants up to $100,000 for first-time applicants. Eligible institutions must have a minimum of 1,000 full-time undergraduate students and demonstrate a commitment to educational excellence and effective administration.

The Child Passenger Safety Education and Assistance Program provides essential support to eligible organizations in Massachusetts by funding car seats for low-income families. Administered by the Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research, this initiative aims to reduce child passenger injuries through education and proper car seat installation by certified technicians. Organizations can apply for grants up to $10,000 to ensure that caregivers are equipped with the necessary tools and knowledge to secure children's safety in vehicles.

The UNICO Foundation offers the Dr. Benjamin Cottone Memorial Scholarship, providing $5,000 to support a U.S. citizen of Italian descent pursuing a medical degree. Eligible candidates must be seniors at accredited colleges or medical schools, with proof of enrollment required. This scholarship not only aids education but also honors the foundation's commitment to community service and heritage, reflecting the core values of the Italian American community.

The George I. Alden Trust offers grants to YMCAs in Massachusetts, reflecting founder George Alden's enduring commitment to the organization. The Trust prioritizes capital projects and primarily provides outright grants, while occasionally offering challenge grants to enhance philanthropic support. Eligible applicants include Massachusetts YMCAs, with specific policies governing application frequency and eligibility after rejection. The Trust's mission is to serve the community, ensuring that educational and charitable initiatives thrive.

The Children, Youth & Families Capacity Building Grant Program aims to empower underserved youth by enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of nonprofits. By funding capacity-building projects, the program supports organizations focused on youth development, fostering leadership, and addressing barriers to success. Grants are available to agencies in Sudbury and surrounding areas, with a preference for those that prioritize direct engagement with youth. This initiative strives to create a positive impact on the future of children, youth, and families.

The Child Health Research Awards Program, funded by the Charles H. Hood Foundation, aims to support young investigators in pediatric research. It provides two-year grants of $200,000 to newly independent faculty, encouraging creativity and the transition to other funding sources. This initiative is pivotal in advancing children's health by fostering innovative research projects in New England, ultimately enhancing the well-being of children and families through early career support and funding opportunities.

The State Traffic Safety Information System Improvements Grant Program in Massachusetts aims to enhance highway safety through data-driven projects. Funded by NHTSA, the program supports the development of software, data reporting enhancements, and training for professionals involved in traffic records. With a total funding of $1,200,000, it seeks to improve data quality and interoperability across state systems and facilitate research on traffic safety trends.

The EDA Philadelphia FY 2016–FY 2019 Planning Program and Local Technical Assistance Program aims to enhance regional economic development by providing grants for creating and implementing Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies (CEDS). This initiative supports eligible organizations, including Indian Tribes and District Organizations, to develop plans that foster economic prosperity and job retention in distressed areas. Through various investments, the program strengthens local capacities for effective economic development and job creation.

Mission

The Foundation was established in December 2013 by Kathryn B. McQuade, after retiring from 33 years of working in the business community. I was blessed to have been born into a loving middle class family. My father worked very hard to insure that all of his children were given an opportunity for a good education and my mother, “a stay at home Mom’ was always there for us. My world was safe and comfortable. My life is in stark contrast to how much of the rest of the world lives. I continue to read of the terrible injustices waged against women and children globally and hope that this foundation can provide them the opportunity and resources to succeed. We will support organizations that help us achieve our goal of Striving to make sustainable improvements in women and children’s rights education and welfare.

Kathryn McQuade Foundation Grant

The Foundation will make timely decisions on your grant request and provide clear communications on our expectations of reporting progress.

Women

The Foundation’s goal is to provide women assistance and provide them an opportunity to succeed. Assistance can take many forms, however our goal is to help them become self sufficient and enable them to lift themselves out of poverty and provide for their children. Access to education, job training and professional skills, even access to capital in order to build a business are possible ways we will consider helping women to succeed. Grant requests should focus on enabling the women to sustain financial independence.

We look forward to hearing of the many creative ways organizations are working on helping women succeed through out the world. To help women is to help their children and the communities they live in.

Children

Too many children in the US and across the world live in poverty and lack the access to education. Education and/or appropriate skills training are necessary to break the cycle of poverty and crime. While the assistance to women may take many forms, the foundation’s focus for children will target education and/ or skills training. The Foundation is open to many ideas on how to accomplish this goal and look forward to receiving proposals to help all children achieve their potential.

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education provides leadership, oversight, funding, support, and accountability for the Commonwealth's approximately 400 school districts that educate close to 1 million public school children each year. We also oversees programs that serve 20,000 adult learners each year.

Building Early Childhood Partnerships: A Preschool Itinerant Team Initiative

Purpose

The purpose of this competitive grant program is to support 10–15 Massachusetts district teams to develop strategies for supporting preschool students to receive their Individualized Education Program (IEP) services in Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) licensed community-based settings1, including Head Start, child care and family child care. Support for participation in this initiative includes professional development, coaching, and resources.

The initiative will include in-person professional development for the awarded teams (anticipated to begin in late winter), monthly coaching for the community team (anticipated to begin in early spring and last throughout the summer) and virtual and/or in-person networking opportunities with communities that have implemented the itinerant team model.

Priorities

The main priority of this competitive grant program is to select 10–15 district/community teams, consisting of district, community-based preschool program and Early Intervention administrators/staff, that are prepared to collaborate with one another to develop a local itinerant team model to ensure that preschool children with IEPs have access to inclusive settings with their peers.

Priority will be given to districts and schools that:

• Are in the strategic transformation region;
• Are below the 95% threshold for Indicator 12 and have a rating of zero or one for Indicator 6; and/or
• have a rating of a zero for Indicator 6.

Fund Use

Funds may be used to support participation of team members in the:

• in-person professional development;
• development of an action plan related to the development of a Preschool Itinerant Team that could be implemented in the 2026-2027 school year; and
• development of resources that may be needed related to the implementation of a Preschool Itinerant Team model, including but not limited to outreach materials, training materials, a needs assessment and a cost analysis.

Fund use can include coordinator time, travel to in-person professional development, other professional development needs, site visits to communities currently implementing a preschool itinerant team model, stipends, substitutes and resource development.

The Toy Foundation Program offers a unique opportunity for nonprofit organizations to apply for toy donations to support children in need. The application period runs from January to June, with approved applicants receiving toys by the end of the year. This initiative, part of the Toy Chest program, has positively impacted over 35 million children since 2003, promoting play as essential for emotional and educational development.

Cherokee Nation Foundation

The Cherokee Nation Foundation is a nonprofit organization serving the Cherokee Nation, a federally recognized tribe of more than 470,000 citizens. Its mission is to provide educational opportunities to Cherokee students so they can reach their full potential. The Cherokee Nation Foundation is a tax-exempt charitable organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Scholarships

Cherokee Nation Foundation offers a diverse range of scholarships to help reverse the trend of rising student debt. Students may receive up to two CNF scholarships per academic year. All opportunities are reserved for Cherokee Nation citizens, unless otherwise noted in the description.

Clarkson Family Scholarship

Applicant must be a current full-time student or a graduating high school senior with a minimum 3.0 GPA, attending a college/university or higher education institution in New England (Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island or Vermont). This is a one-year scholarship reserved for Cherokee Nation citizens.

The NCAA Division II Degree Completion Award provides financial assistance to student-athletes who have exhausted their athletics eligibility, enabling them to complete their first undergraduate degree. Since its inception in 2001, nearly $9 million has supported approximately 1,875 athletes, with a remarkable 90 percent graduation rate among recipients. The award covers tuition costs up to $15,000 for remaining credits and may be used in the summer term or short terms surrounding the final undergraduate year.

About Us

As a tax-exempt, public charity, the SouthCoast Community Foundation offers donors the guidance and flexibility to fulfill their philanthropic goals. We serve a range of charitable individuals, families, and corporations whose main concern is improving the quality of life in our community.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation allocates individual, family, and corporate funds to meet community needs. To date, the organization has distributed over $60 million from more than 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region.

Scholarship Resources

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is proud to offer scholarship opportunities to students in our community. We manage one of the largest scholarship programs in our area, with more than $800k awarded to local students each year.

Most SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarships are available through our online scholarship portal. Unless otherwise noted, scholarships are available through the Universal Application, which automatically pairs eligible students with all available scholarships.

Westport and Beyond - The Erika Hall Memorial Scholarship

The Erika Hall Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to grant scholarships to Westport High School or Westport residents who graduated from sister schools (i.e., Diman Regional, Bristol County Agricultural, Bishop Connolly, or Bishop Stang High School). All scholarship applicants must be planning on attending a two- or four- year college or university.

The Smith Family Foundation's Odyssey Award aims to drive innovation in biomedical research by funding high-risk, high-reward projects from junior investigators in Massachusetts. Launched in 2017, this initiative seeks to empower researchers to explore impactful ideas that could lead to breakthroughs in health care, particularly for underserved communities in Greater Boston. Institutions can submit up to two applications, fostering a competitive environment to support the brightest minds in science.

About Us

As a tax-exempt, public charity, the SouthCoast Community Foundation offers donors the guidance and flexibility to fulfill their philanthropic goals. We serve a range of charitable individuals, families, and corporations whose main concern is improving the quality of life in our community.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation allocates individual, family, and corporate funds to meet community needs. To date, the organization has distributed over $60 million from more than 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region.

Scholarship Resources

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is proud to offer scholarship opportunities to students in our community. We manage one of the largest scholarship programs in our area, with more than $800k awarded to local students each year.

Most SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarships are available through our online scholarship portal. Unless otherwise noted, scholarships are available through the Universal Application, which automatically pairs eligible students with all available scholarships.

Thomas O. and Sarah F. Jackson Trust Award

The Thomas O. and Sarah F. Jackson Trust Fund of the SouthCoast Community Foundation provides tuition assistance on an annually rotating basis to graduating Silver Lake, Carver, and Plymouth High School seniors during their first year of college. Recipients must attend either the Massachusetts Institute of Technology or the University of Massachusetts, and preference is given to students majoring in an agricultural course of study.

About Us

As a tax-exempt, public charity, the SouthCoast Community Foundation offers donors the guidance and flexibility to fulfill their philanthropic goals. We serve a range of charitable individuals, families, and corporations whose main concern is improving the quality of life in our community.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation allocates individual, family, and corporate funds to meet community needs. To date, the organization has distributed over $60 million from more than 200 funds to humanitarian, educational, and cultural organizations in the region.

Scholarship Resources

The SouthCoast Community Foundation is proud to offer scholarship opportunities to students in our community. We manage one of the largest scholarship programs in our area, with more than $800k awarded to local students each year.

Most SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarships are available through our online scholarship portal. Unless otherwise noted, scholarships are available through the Universal Application, which automatically pairs eligible students with all available scholarships.

Olga R. Sylvia, Manuel Sylvia, and Iria R.S. Sylvia Scholarship Fund

This fund was established to provide scholarships to: One student from NBHS and one from Dartmouth HS who attends or will be attending an institution of higher learning. Scholarships can be renewed yearly.