Search Through Grants for Community Centers in Massachusetts in the U.S.

BCBSM Foundation Catalyst Fund

The Catalyst Fund provides one-time non-renewable grants up to $7,500 for a twelve-month period to help community-based organizations strengthen their capacity to expand access to health and health care in Massachusetts. Since 2002, the Catalyst Fund has distributed nearly $2.5 million in grants to health centers, clinics, health care advocacy groups, and community-based organizations. The Catalyst Fund is made possible entirely with donations from employees of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. 

Context

Nonprofit organizations that serve the health and health-related needs of people with low income and residents of Massachusetts who have been economically, socially, or racially marginalized, often operate with limited resources and capacity to entirely fulfill the needs of community members and staff. As a result, launching new initiatives to strengthen their infrastructure, or taking time to plan for the future, can be a luxury. The Catalyst Fund is intended to help organizations pay for these types of capacity building activities and as its name implies, help spark innovation. As such, the Catalyst Fund does not fund ongoing programmatic expenses, or general operating costs, such as salaries. 

Key Program Elements and Eligibility Criteria

The Catalyst Fund provides one-year, non-renewable grant awards up to $7,500 to Massachusetts community-based and/or grassroots organizations to address a health or health-related component of their work. Grant funds can be used for expenses that support the organization to strengthen their infrastructure, build capacity, or prepare for the future. From hiring a trainer on best practices in trauma-informed or equitable service delivery, to crafting a fundraising plan to make fresh produce freely available to families with low income, and for purchasing technology to support health education outreach to residents who speak languages other than English – these small one-time, fast-turnaround grants can make a lasting and outsized impact on organizations and the clients they serve.

The Foundation will accept applications from community-based organizations, community health centers, and social service organizations, even from those for which health is not a core activity or emphasis, if the proposed work has a compelling connection to health or health care.

What does this program do?

This program provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas. An essential community facility is defined as a facility that provides an essential service to the local community for the orderly development of the community in a primarily rural area, and does not include private, commercial or business undertakings.

What is an eligible area?

Rural areas including cities, villages, townships and towns including Federally Recognized Tribal Lands with no more than 20,000 residents according to the latest U.S. Census Data are eligible for this program.

How may funds be used?

Funds can be used to purchase, construct, and / or improve essential community facilities, purchase equipment and pay related project expenses.

Examples of essential community facilities include:

• Health care facilities such as hospitals, medical clinics, dental clinics, nursing homes or assisted living facilities.
• Public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangars or street improvements.
• Community support services such as child care centers, community centers, fairgrounds or transitional housing.
• Public safety services such as fire departments, police stations, prisons, police vehicles, fire trucks, public works vehicles or equipment.
• Educational services such as museums, libraries or private schools.
• Utility services such as telemedicine or distance learning equipment.
• Local food systems such as community gardens, food pantries, community kitchens, food banks, food hubs or greenhouses.

Grant Approval

Applicant must be eligible for grant assistance, which is provided on a graduated scale with smaller communities with the lowest median household income being eligible for projects with a higher proportion of grant funds. Grant assistance is limited to the following percentages of eligible project costs:

Maximum of 75 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 5,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 60 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 55 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 12,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 70 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 35 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 80 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income.

Maximum of 15 percent when the proposed project is:

• Located in a rural community having a population of 20,000 or fewer; and
• The median household income of the proposed service area is below the higher of the poverty line or 90 percent of the State nonmetropolitan median household income. The proposed project must meet both percentage criteria. Grants are further limited.

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.

What We Do

The Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts is a non-profit public charity that manages charitable funds established by individuals, families, businesses and other non-profit organizations.

Mission

Our mission is to improve the quality of life in North Central Massachusetts by:

• providing donors with a convenient, effective, and informed platform from which to engage in impactful philanthropy;
• conducting impactful grant-making informed by measurable results; and
• convening stakeholders around issues of importance to the residents of the region.

We are a trusted steward of the charitable assets, vision, and intent of our donors to do good works now and forever.

Community Enrichment Grant

The Community Enrichment program supports activities that enhance the vitality of our communities. They include activities that promote local arts, culture, creativity, civic engagement, and community development.

Vital communities are characterized by strong, active, and inclusive relationships between residents, private sector, public sector, and civil society organizations.

Examples include:

• Arts and Culture: including but not limited to art in public places, programs that encourage art in community institutions (community centers and schools), and “art for art’s sake.”
• Community Development: including but not limited to community-enhancing projects, and the preservation of community heritage and history.
• Civic engagement: Advancing community cohesion and participation

Grant amounts

While there are no set grant amounts, grants tend to fall between $2,000 and $15,000.

Collective Imagination for Spatial Justice 

At New England Foundation for the Arts, we believe that public art has the power to shift public culture and change the future, for the better. Creating positive social change requires collective imagination.

How It Works

Please read all the information below before starting an application.

Collective Imagination for Spatial Justice grants support teams of Massachusetts-based creatives and community members to do the important work of imagining:

The Collective Imagination for Spatial Justice grant aims to support teams that are dreaming up what public artmaking can be as we strive for more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

A new cohort of Collective Imagination Teams will be selected to participate in a six-month imagination journey, from January through June 2025. Each team will receive a $6,000 grant.

About MassCEC

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.

Our Mission

MassCEC's mission is to accelerate the clean energy and climatetech innovation that is critical to meeting the Commonwealth’s climate goals, while advancing Massachusetts’ position as an international climate leader and growing the state’s clean energy economy.

EmPower Massachusetts

EmPower Massachusetts offers multiple stages of investment in communities and community based organizations so that they can explore, develop, and implement program models or projects that provide access to the benefits of clean energy for previously underserved populations. This MassCEC program crowd-sources new and innovative ideas, then helps put them into action. EmPower offers funding to meet the following goals:

• Build organizational capacity & explore innovative solutions ($5,000 to $50,000 grants)
• Implement solutions ($50,000 to $150,000 grants)

Implementation Grants

• Implementation grants provide funding to implement community-based programs or projects that increase the access to the benefits of clean energy to and/or reduce energy burden on previously underserved population priority groups.
• Applications should identify specific goals and outcomes for energy access for the targeted priority population.

Purpose:

The Movement Building and Systems Change (MBSC) Grant Program supports nonprofits and community-based organizations that engage in organizing, power building, advocacy and structural change initiatives to transform power and resource distribution systems to advance equitable, vibrant, safe, and thriving communities.

This grant program explicitly seeks to fund organizations engaging in organizing, power building, policy, and advocacy efforts that address the issue areas of educational equity, arts education access and funding, community safety, and criminal justice reform. Because we recognize that these issues may not always be addressed in a siloed fashion, we encourage organizations to seek funding who are working to address them through an intersectional approach or in conjunction with other community-identified goals.   

Goals:

The goal of the MBSC grant program is to partner with organizations that utilize the methods below directly or through a combination of direct activities and partnerships to advance systems change through efforts that involve: 

• Community-driven and asset-based engagement, solution development, and problem solving. 
• Power building through a combination of healing practices, trainings, base and community building activities, including civic and leadership development opportunities. 
• In-depth political, issue, and systems analysis to address the direct issues and underlying historical, racial and systemic inequities. 
• Collective action including public accountability and civic engagement.  
• Unifying and collaborative efforts through coalitions, partnerships and strategic alliances within and across issue areas and sectors.    
• Expanding beyond traditional movement building approaches to include social media, the arts, narrative change work and alternative system development and planning.   
• Measuring progress and implications for impact at the individual, community, cultural, and systems levels with opportunities for routine reflection, redirection, and adaptation as needed to meet the evolving community and political landscape.

Through these integrated movement building approaches, organizational partners will be able to demonstrate the potential or proven ability to influence and foster change at the individual, community, cultural, and systems levels that leads to greater resource allocation and equitable and community-driven policy and systemic reforms in education, arts education, community safety, and criminal justice.

We believe the increased influence on policymaking and systems design will lead to local and state policies that are more just and foster opportunities for local, state, and federal policy influence and long-term opportunities for educational, economic, and social mobility. 

Grant Amounts and Terms

This is a three-year grant. Its annual renewal will be based on activities taken during the previous 12 months, completion of terms in the grant agreement, and availability of funds.

Annual grant amounts per organization can go up to $50,000 per year. 

Cultural Sustainability Grant

Cultural Sustainability is a one-time grantmaking and learning program nationally funded by The Wallace Foundation and delivered regionally by the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations. NEFA is delighted to offer substantial, non-matching operating support grants up to $100,000 to arts organizations of color with annual operating expenses under $500,000.

The goal of this initiative is to enable self-identifying arts organizations of color to sustain and expand their practices, impact the communities they serve, and provide meaningful arts and cultural experiences for larger, cross-cultural audiences. Arts organizations of color deserve to become long-lasting, well-resourced cultural pillars across New England.

Criteria

Cultural Sustainability is designed for and will prioritize applications from self-identifying arts organizations of color. While we realize that language that centers communities of color is ever evolving, for the purposes of this program, an arts organization of color would meet at least two of the following three criteria:

• Led by a person or persons of color, either artistically or administratively
• Predominantly in service of Black, Latine, Asian, Arab, Indigenous, Pacific Islander, and/or Caribbean communities, or another community of color.
• Founded by and for a community of color

Successful applications will:

• Demonstrate cultural impact in New England and beyond
• Model equitable practices in artistic and administrative activities
• Display clear planning and progress towards sustainability of services & programming
• Enthusiastically participate and contribute actively to a learning cohort
• Illustrate mission alignment with Cultural Sustainability 

Funding

Cultural Sustainability grants range from $20,000-$100,000, with partial funding opportunities to also fall within that range. No grantees will be awarded at less than 80% of their initial request. 

Organizations will request funding based on their annual operating expenses:

• Organizations with budgets under $100,000 can request up to $25,000.
• Organizations with budgets between $100,001 and $250,000 can request up to $50,000.
• Organizations with budgets between $250,001 and $500,000 can request up to $100,000.

Public Art for Spatial Justice

Supports public art that creatively expresses and embodies a more just version of what’s possible in public.

At NEFA, we believe public art has the power to shift public culture and change the future, for the better.

Public Art for Spatial Justice aims to support public artmaking that helps us see, feel, experience and imagine spatial justice now, while we are still on this journey towards realizing more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

How It Works

Public Art for Spatial Justice grants support Massachusetts artists and artistic collaborations to create public art in Massachusetts that fosters public imagination and contributes to more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

Funding Criteria & Priorities

Public Art for Spatial Justice aims to support public art that helps us see, feel, experience and imagine spatial justice now, while we are still on this collective journey towards realizing more just futures for our public spaces and public culture.

Eligible projects will be reviewed according to the following funding criteria:

• Artists/Artistic Collaborations share in NEFA’s values and commitment to the work of dismantling the legacies of racism, anti-Blackness, and white supremacy culture. Priority will be given to projects that:
• Are led or co-led by artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC). The path to dismantling the legacies of racism and white supremacy culture includes centering BIPOC (Black Indigenous People of Color)-led creative exploration and expression in public spaces.
• Disrupt harmful historic narratives that uphold structural inequities, decolonize and/or indigenize spaces, and/or centers BIPOC creativity, imagination and expression in public spaces
• Relevance: Projects creatively engage important public conversation(s) that are or need to be happening in this particular moment, in this particular place. Context is important in public artmaking. Public spaces are not neutral. And public art made in public spaces is not neutral. Priority will be given to projects that are rooted in community and/or demonstrate deep relationship to place –particularly rural places and/or places where folks are experiencing/have experienced displacement.
• Integrity: Projects honor the integrity of the people, places, stories, and ideas – past, present, and future- engaged in the artmaking.  Public art practices that reduce people, places, and stories to tools for artmaking are harmful. Also, artists are collaborators and co-conspirators on this journey towards justice, not saviors.

We recognize that feasibility may vary depending on how public health guidelines evolve during the pandemic. We ask that artists are realistic about feasibility, while acknowledging that this may change as public health guidelines change.

JMAC Access Grant Program

Providing resources to support artists and organizations in presenting their projects at the Jean McDonough Arts Center.

The Jean McDonough Arts Center, in partnership with the Greater Worcester Community Foundation, and thanks to the support of the Barr Foundation, is pleased to announce the continuation of the JMAC Access Grant Program.

The JMAC strives to ensure that every cultural organization, large and small, can have a home in downtown Worcester. The venue has proven especially critical for Worcester’s BIPOC and underserved artists – by helping artists create new work, generate income, and positively impact their community. Through the Access Grant Program, selected nonprofit cultural organizations and individual artists will receive the resources needed to create their stories and programs at the JMAC to share with Central Massachusetts audiences.

Through a two-phase application process, organizations and artists can apply for financial support to present their projects at the JMAC in the near future. The grant covers project development, implementation, and marketing costs incurred by the organizations and artists, as well as the usage costs of the JMAC space desired for the project.

Funding

In both application rounds, the requested budget will reflect only the organization’s or artist’s discretionary expenses, and exclude expenses related to rental or usage of the JMAC. When grants are awarded, recipients will receive direct payment for their discretionary expenses. Concurrently, the JMAC will receive payment for their rental and usage expenses, at the following rates:

• Worcester PopUp, One Day: $2,500
• Worcester PopUp, One Week: $3,500
• BrickBox Theater, Half Day (6 Hours): $3,750
• BrickBox Theater, Full Day (Up to 12 Hours): $6,250
• BrickBox Theater, Two Days: $8,750
• BrickBox Theater, Four Days: $14,250

The Nashoba Valley Health Care Fund's purpose is to advance the community health of residents in Nashoba Valley.

Fund Background

The Nashoba Valley Health Care Fund was established in 2006 when Essent Healthcare purchased the Nashoba Valley Medical Center. The endowment of the medical center was divided between the Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts and the Greater Lowell Community Foundation.

Objective

The Nashoba Valley Health Care Fund focuses on advancing the community health of residents in eleven (11) communities: Ashby, Ayer, Bolton, Groton, Harvard, Lancaster, Littleton, Lunenburg, Pepperell, Shirley, and Townsend.

Priority will be given to, but not limited to, proposals pertaining to:

• Prevention of health problems
• Access to healthcare services
• Elder health
• Youth and adolescent health
• Behavioral health

Grant Size

Grant awards typically range from $5,000 to $20,000; however, larger-scale collaborative projects with requests that are more than $20,000 will be considered if the project's impact justifies the increased funding request.

Program Guidelines

The Gaming Mitigation Fund provides grants to Massachusetts nonprofit and municipal performing arts centers to spend on touring shows or touring artist fees. Established by the Legislature, these grants aim to target funding to those most directly impacted by the operation of resort-style casinos.

This is important because performing arts centers:

• Are economic engines for communities
• Ensure access to the arts across the Commonwealth
• Are centers of community gathering and place making
• Provide young people creative learning opportunities

Funding is meant to help organizations increase their buying power when directly competing with resort casinos to book touring artists.

Franklin Square House Foundation

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

Capital Improvements Grant - Projects to Childcare Centers

Evaluation and Ranking Criteria

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

Funding

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

Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation

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

Our Mission

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

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

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

Small Capital Grants

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

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

The life and works of Frederick Douglass continue to shape our understanding of America. A gifted orator and prescient writer, Douglass forces us to reckon with the legacy of slavery and the promises of democracy.

Mass Humanities supports public readings of Frederick Douglass’s influential address, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” around the Commonwealth. A group of people take turns reading parts of the speech until they have read all of it, together. Readings can take place anywhere, from community centers to historical societies to town greens.

In addition to producing two signature events, Mass Humanities provides grants to organizations interested in hosting a program in their community.

One-to-One Match: The cost-share match can be entirely in-kind-share.

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.

Rebecca Pomroy Foundation Grant

The Trustees of the Rebecca Pomroy Foundation annually make grants to assist worthy charitable organizations whose operations are in conformity with the foundation’s mission.

Our Mission

The Rebecca Pomroy Foundation seeks to “assist worthy charitable organizations that offer and provide health-building, educational and recreational opportunities and guidance to people of all ages in the community, with a special preference for organizations which provide training, education and counseling for girls and young women in need and organizations which operate community centers located in Newton, Massachusetts.”

Types of Support

The Foundation will consider the following types of support:

• Capital Grants
• General Operating Support
• Special Projects

Funding

The Trustees make total grants of approximately $120,000 annually. The size of an individual grant will vary; depending upon need and other factors, but is usually within the range of $2,000 to $10,000.

The Trustees will consider repeat support to charitable organizations; however such support must be requested and justified on the basis of both past year performance and future plans. Additionally, multiple year commitments will be considered by the Trustees when, in their opinion, longer than one year is needed to complete a certain task.

About MassCEC

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts.

Our Mission

MassCEC's mission is to accelerate the clean energy and climatetech innovation that is critical to meeting the Commonwealth’s climate goals, while advancing Massachusetts’ position as an international climate leader and growing the state’s clean energy economy.

EmPower Massachusetts

EmPower Massachusetts offers multiple stages of investment in communities and community based organizations so that they can explore, develop, and implement program models or projects that provide access to the benefits of clean energy for previously underserved populations. This MassCEC program crowd-sources new and innovative ideas, then helps put them into action. EmPower offers funding to meet the following goals:

• Build organizational capacity & explore innovative solutions ($5,000 to $50,000 grants)
• Implement solutions ($50,000 to $150,000 grants)

Innovation and Capacity-Building Grants

• Innovation and Capacity Building Grants are "seed" funding for the exploration of innovative ideas for potential program models or projects, including the opportunity to build community or organizational capacity.
• Among other purposes, this funding could be used for:
  • staff time devoted to program concept development or refinement
  • technical studies needed to move projects forward
  • costs for a grant-writer, accountant, lawyer, or other professional services
  • community engagement expenses
• Grant range: $5,000-$25,000 (up to $50,000 in some cases)

We are Stronger Together

2020 was a year like no other. It offered us a unique opportunity to demonstrate the strength of H.B. Fuller’s values, particularly the power of collaboration and courage. Our focus on taking care of employees, solving customers’ challenges in new ways, and supporting our communities when they need us most never faltered.

Our commitment to STEM education and youth leadership development did not waver, and we created a new funding focus to address racial inequities in the areas of employment, education and safety. Additionally, employees around the world took part in company-sponsored matching programs and a variety of virtual or socially-distanced volunteer opportunities to amplify their impact on issues they care about.

Overall, the gifts of time, talent and financial resources provided by H.B. Fuller and its employees in 2020 had an immeasurable effect on communities around the world.

STEM and Youth Leadership Grant

H.B. Fuller’s philanthropic vision is to help young people grow into productive, successful adults.

H.B. Fuller Company Foundation grants are strategically focused in two areas:

• STEM education – youth education initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
• Leadership development for youth – organizations and programs that help young people become successful, productive adults

Annual Community Impact Grants program

Fallon Health awards grants in the range of $5,000 to $45,000, per proposal, with the average awards of $10,000 to $20,000. We fund new programs or the continuation or expansion of existing programs that address one or more of our focus areas for funding.

Focus areas for funding

Food and nutrition security

Priority will be given to programs that improve or expand access to healthy and culturally inclusive food sources, with a focus on individuals and families with limited economic means.

Older adults

Programs for older adults that support housing safety and stability, that mitigate isolation and loneliness, or that work to eliminate barriers to health care (for example: technology, transportation, health literacy)

Early intervention programs for children and youth

Programs that focus on mental health, behavioral health, and/or substance use prevention, education, and awareness

 Criteria

Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the Fallon Health Community Impact Committee on the basis of:

• The program’s ability to address one or more of the focus areas for funding
• The importance of the particular problem being addressed and the number of people who will be served
• The qualifications of the organization(s) sponsoring and implementing the program
• The sustainability of the program
• Collaboration between the program and other community resources, with a goal of reducing or eliminating duplication of services 

Background

The Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) is an applied space health research catalyst supported by the NASA Human Research Program (HRP) to fund disruptive, high-impact scientific studies and technologies to equip astronauts for space exploration. TRISH relentlessly pursues and funds novel research to deliver high-impact scientific and technological solutions that advance space health and help humans thrive wherever they explore, in space or on Earth. 

TRISH supports programs in physical and mental health surveillance, prevention, countermeasures, and medical treatments. Since its inception, TRISH has funded over 150 projects that have advanced medical science for both our world and the worlds that lay beyond. As the only institute dedicated to promoting space health discoveries and technologies, TRISH is accelerating research that will benefit all people with a future in deep space and here on Earth.

Founded on October 1, 2016, TRISH works in partnership with NASA’s HRP through Cooperative Agreement NNX16AO69A. Led by Baylor College of Medicine’s Center for Space Medicine, TRISH’s consortium leverages partnerships with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). TRISH recognizes the need to encourage innovation among the space health community, to attract cutting-edge technologies and high-risk, high-reward ideas, and to translate existing technologies for use in space flight. All proposals should be sure to clearly justify how the project will reduce risks to human health and performance in space.  

Catalyst Grant

The Catalyst Grant Program offers a streamlined method for carrying out proof-of-concept projects, directed technology development(s) for space health that address a critical need(s), maturation of promising concepts with strong preliminary findings, and innovative projects that present opportunities outside of regularly scheduled solicitation cycles. 

In keeping with the TRISH mission of translating and maturing novel approaches, TRISH may identify specific project(s) for deeper investigation or collaboration opportunities with other funded researchers.  Our primary goal is to help mitigate NASA HRP’s Human Research Roadmap (HRR) Risks and enable future Artemis missions and deep space exploration.  

Award Information

• Tier 1 projects are a maximum total amount < $150K and limited to one year. 
• Tier 2 projects can reach a total amount of ≥ $150K for up to two years. 

Please note that the Catalyst Program has limited budget availability. TRISH seeks research that enables and enhances human exploration of space beyond low-Earth orbit. Catalyst Projects MUST: 

• Have a focus that falls outside of a currently open or recently-closed TRISH solicitation.
• Address a critical human system risk challenge for NASA HRP and TRISH.
• Represent unique and high-impact ideas, technologies, or countermeasures to space flight hazards.

Selected proposals will be funded as research grants. Multi-year proposals will be funded in one-year increments. Additional funding allocations to participating investigators will be based on the submitted budget, available funds, programmatic alignment, and project review.

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

James W. Blake "Catalyst" Award

Accelerating growth & impact in the local community 

James W. Blake served as President and CEO for HarborOne Bank for over 25 years. During his tenure, the Bank grew from$ 458 million to $4.5 billion in assets. Through this tremendous period of growth, Jim remained committed to the people and communities where HarborOne Bank had a presence. Jim lent his time, talent and voice to numerous local and state-wide organizations and encouraged staff and Bank leadership to do the same. Under Jim’s leadership, HarborOne established a first of its kind financial education center serving over 20,000 individuals and businesses, a robust college scholarship program which invests $1M in promising area students, and the HarborOne Foundations serving Massachusetts & Rhode Island that have donated over $5 Million to local nonprofit organizations. Beyond the time, wisdom and financial support, Jim served as a model for all who have had the pleasure to work with him, as he treated any and all with respect and dignity. As a social entrepreneur and business leader, Jim is a believer in the value of investing in quality organizations and watching them grow and make an impact in the cities and towns served by HarborOne.

Award Purpose

The annual James W. Blake “Catalyst” Award is intended to assist a local organization in dramatically accelerating their organizational development, impact and reach. The award will support transformative projects or small but critical capital projects that will have a substantial effect on the organization and who they serve.

Investment Focus Areas

What is the Urban Agriculture Program?

The purpose of the MDAR Urban Agriculture Program is to advance Commonwealth goals and objectives, leverage collective resources, and support commercial projects designed to increase the production, processing, and marketing of produce grown and sold in urban centers across the Commonwealth. Expenditures will promote strategies to address food insecurity and to increase access of fresh, local produce in urban neighborhoods with a high concentration of low-moderate income residents.

Urban agriculture encompasses a wide variety of activities related to the growing of plants and the raising of animals for food including but not limited to: production techniques such as land-based outdoor and greenhouse cultivation, rooftop open air and greenhouse production, hydroponics, aquaculture, aquaponics, beekeeping and egg-producing poultry. Each project proposal must represent long-term, capital investments such as infrastructure improvements, building upgrades, purchase of computer software and systems, land procurement, and purchase of farm equipment. Projects will also foster youth development, small business development, and job training directly related to commercial urban farming.

This program does not fund backyard produce or livestock raised for personal consumption.

MDAR’s Urban Agriculture Program seeks proposals that demonstrate strategies for municipalities to increase access to affordable, fresh food for urban residents address the challenges of small scale farming in densely populated centers, and create direct markets in low-moderate income neighborhoods.

Examples of Project Priorities:

• Soil Management: Initiatives that address the issues of soil quality in urban environments with particular emphasis on improving soil fertility in blighted areas;
• Land: Proposals for acquisition of land for food production in urban settings;
• Equipment: Mobile market vehicles, small farm equipment or hand tools;
• Green Infrastructure: Demonstrations of greenhouse, hoop house, cold frame and other technologies to help urban farmers scale up the volume, quality and enable year round production or to manage energy and water usage, or allow for more intensive and efficient food production in urban environments;
• Climate Change Infrastructure: Compost tumblers and water conservation methods such as drip irrigation or rainwater recovery systems.
• Community Urban Farming Projects: Capital infrastructure to support non-commercial urban food production, via partnership with municipality or non-profit organizations for community benefit and distribution; must have a minimum of 0.5 acres in food production.
• Innovative Growing Technology: Demonstrate practical/economically viable approaches to urban aquaculture/aquaponics and vertical farming and other innovative growing methods to make available local sourced food and products to low-moderate income communities;
• Marketing, Distribution, Transportation: Improve the transportation and distribution of locally grown products from farm to customer such as food hubs sourced from local urban farms or other innovative technologies designed to aid/improve cost-effective distribution of food produced on urban farms to urban residents;

Mass Humanities’ Expand Massachusetts Stories-Open Track grant program offers up to $20,000 for projects that collect, interpret and/or share narratives about the Commonwealth, with an emphasis on the voices and experiences that have gone unrecognized, or have been excluded from public conversation.

Potential Projects May Include:

• Oral histories
• Community-centered museum exhibitions
• Facilitated discussions about underrepresented aspects of local histories
• Exhibits and programs focused on new interpretations of collections
• Short documentary films (15-30 minutes) or digital media projects that present new insights into the lives of Massachusetts residents past or present
• Teacher professional development focused on connecting Massachusetts narratives to K-12 curriculum
• Programs that use inquiry, contextualization, and/or reflection to support residents in recording and exploring their lived experiences

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Processor Innovation Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy processors to better position their businesses long-term. Key dairy consumers are shifting their purchasing choices to those that support small businesses, rural communities, and have direct, positive impacts to the climate. Leading reasons consumers are switching brands include a desire to support local businesses and companies that share their values as well as a perception that products are better quality, natural/organic, and more environmentally sustainable. Projects funded through this program will support longterm business investments that increase dairy processor business consumer appeal and marketability of value-added dairy products. 

This grant will fund a wide range of projects. Projects may address improvements in topics such as: sourcing, product development, transportation/distribution, marketing/supply chain, operations, employee welfare, consumer experience, utilization of materials or systems that reduce carbon footprint and, and beyond.  

Grants are available to applicants in all Northeast states: Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

Award

Grants will range from $75,000 to $250,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Total funds available: $1,000,000. 

This grant round will include a two-step application process. Following the review of pre-applications, a subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full application.  

Project Bread connects people and communities in Massachusetts to reliable sources of food while advocating for policies that make food more accessible—so that no one goes hungry. We make it easier for people to access and afford food with dignity - money for groceries, healthy meals for kids in their schools and all summer long, an expert helping you navigate your options to finally make ends meet. We envision a Massachusetts where hunger is permanently solved for everyone.

Project Bread offers a variety of funding opportunities for anti-hunger organizations and food assistance providers in Massachusetts throughout the year to further our shared mission. We also share relevant grant opportunities from external organizations to further assist our child nutrition partners.

Community Power Fund

Project Bread’s Community Power Fund is a new funding opportunity that supports community-led advocacy, leadership, and movement building to end hunger in Massachusetts. As part of the Make Hunger History (MHH) initiative, this fund is rooted in the belief that ending hunger requires systemic change - not charity. We invest in communities most impacted by food insecurity to build the power, capacity, infrastructure, and leadership needed to drive long-term policy and systems change. This is about shifting narratives, redistributing power, and supporting solutions shaped by those closest to the issue.

The Community Power Fund, through a Request for Proposal (RFP) is seeking strategic investment to build collective power and advance the Make Hunger History Coalition’s vision. Rather than funding standalone programs or direct services, the RFP will support equity-centered, advocacy-driven initiatives that:

• Center community voice and leadership
• Mobilize those most impacted by hunger
• Foster cross-sector collaboration
• Build grassroots capacity for long-term movement work

Projects must align with the Coalition’s strategic priorities and be rooted in authentic, community-driven change. We are seeking proposals from grassroots organizations, mutual aid groups, coalitions, and small nonprofits - especially those led by and serving communities most impacted by hunger and structural inequity, including Black, Brown, immigrant, Indigenous, Trans, and gender-expansive communities. Collaborative applications are encouraged. 

Each grantee will receive a two-year investment of up to $20,000 per year (up to $40,000 in total after 2 years) to support work aligned with the MHH Coalition’s vision. Funds may be used for personnel/stipends, training, events, outreach, communications, materials, technical assistance, and evaluation. Grants are unrestricted and may be applied to areas of greatest need within the scope of the project.