Best Grants for Global Health in Massachusetts

The Jeanne D'Arc Credit Union Donation Request aims to support local non-profits that enhance community well-being through initiatives focused on health, education, and economic revitalization. The foundation encourages applications for event sponsorships and charitable projects that align with their mission of fostering vibrant neighborhoods and providing essential services. Interested organizations should submit requests at least six weeks before their events for timely consideration.

MEL Community Foundation

Our values of equity, resilience, inclusivity, innovation and strengths-based approach always informs our work supporting English learners in schools.

Our mission is to support English learners in Massachusetts public schools by raising academic achievement and post-secondary educational attainment. The MEL Community Foundation hopes to create and support equitable and inclusive school communities where all students are exposed to rigorous curricula and expectations and the opportunity for post-secondary educational and career opportunities are the norm and not the exception for English learners.

MEL Community Foundation Grant

Developing district partnerships and effective K-12 programming will require strong design, implementation, and staffing. We’ll launch our partnerships and program support by partnering with targeted school districts in Massachusetts. Defining the model, determining the level of staffing required, and achieving operational excellence will take time, but program support in targeted school districts will quickly reveal gaps that need filling and strength areas that can be replicated as we bring program partnerships to more districts in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The MEL Community Foundation partners with nonprofits in the U.S. that support learning outcomes for English Learners in public schools. Although we are Massachusetts based, the MEL Community Foundation welcomes any 501(c)(3) charitable applicant and/or public school district provided the organization meets the criteria.

The Moonlight Mile Fund Grant supports women aged 18 and older in Massachusetts and New York, providing matching funds for alternative healing, professional training, and athletic equipment. Applicants can receive awards ranging from $500 to $1,200, aimed at helping them fulfill their dreams. This initiative honors Deborah Reich's legacy, encouraging women to pursue their passions and achieve their potential while fostering personal well-being through various means of support.

The Coby Foundation Grant is dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations in the Mid-Atlantic and New England regions, focusing on innovative projects related to textiles and fashion. Applicants are encouraged to submit a letter of inquiry with a project description and budget at least nine months prior to the project start. The foundation seeks exhibitions, public programs, and publications that enhance understanding of textile arts, while promoting underrepresented artists and cultures.

The Rural Business Development Grants in Massachusetts aim to support small rural businesses by providing essential technical assistance and training. These grants prioritize projects that benefit rural areas and offer funding without a maximum limit, although smaller requests are favored. Eligible applicants include rural public entities and nonprofit organizations. Funds can be used for a variety of purposes, such as business planning, training, and community development, fostering economic growth in underserved regions.

The Nationwide Fishing Trap Removal, Assessment, and Prevention (TRAP) Program aims to eliminate derelict fishing traps nationwide. Focused on collaboration, it emphasizes standardized data collection, quantifying impacts, and comprehensive data sharing. With an annual budget of up to $1,475,000, the program supports 6 to 15 projects, providing grants ranging from $50,000 to $200,000 for 18-month initiatives. This effort significantly enhances marine resource conservation by reducing bycatch mortality and removing abandoned traps.

This program supports the expansion of emergency care and assistance for survivors of human trafficking during the 2026 FIFA World Cup events.

Through this opportunity, the Office of Grants and Research is making funds available to Massachusetts-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that specialize in providing emergency care and assistance for survivors of human trafficking. 

Throughout the months of June and July, over 2 million visitors are expected to visit Massachusetts for the 2026 FIFA World Cup games and related events. These events, accompanied by an influx of tourists from around the world, are expected to heighten the risk of trafficking-related activity.  

This state funding is intended as emergency supplemental support to help organizations secure the additional staff and resources needed to respond to increased referrals from first responders, hotel staff, ride‑share drivers, and others assisting potential human trafficking victims, as well as individuals seeking services themselves.

CSX Charitable Investments offers the Pride in Service Grants to support organizations that honor and assist military members and first responders. Focus areas include safety, mental health, community bridging, workforce development, and addressing food insecurity. Eligible organizations include those with 501(c)(3) status, government entities, and educational institutions. Grants aim to uplift communities and recognize the contributions of those who serve, while ensuring alignment with specific charitable criteria.

The Atlantic Flyway Shorebird Initiative Grant supports crucial conservation efforts for shorebirds during their migration along the Atlantic Flyway. This initiative addresses threats such as human disturbance, habitat loss, and hunting in critical areas from the U.S. Atlantic coast to the Caribbean and South America. By promoting coordinated research and management, the initiative aims to ensure the survival of species like the American oystercatcher and red knot, fostering healthy migratory pathways.

FY27 High School Equivalency

The purpose of this state-funded grant program is to assist in the day-to-day operation of High School Equivalency Test Centers (HSE) including, but not limited to, the cost for test administration, accommodations, and technology upgrades.

Priorities:

The priorities for use of these funds must be in the areas of test center materials, technology, staffing, disability and English language learner accommodations, and travel to HSE Chief Examiner meetings for approved HSE Test Centers only.

Funding:

Approximately $247,953 is available.

This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.

Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. 

The Battlefield Preservation Fund Grant aims to support initiatives that preserve battlefields and related historic sites. This funding encourages planning and educational efforts, particularly those that engage new audiences in preservation activities. Eligible applicants include public agencies and nonprofits in specified states. Grants can be used for staff support, consultant fees, and educational materials. Applicants must provide a one-to-one match for funding, ensuring strong community involvement in preservation efforts.

The Citizens Grants: Financial Empowerment program supports nonprofits focused on creating measurable impacts in financial education for low to moderate income individuals and small businesses. This grant emphasizes partnerships with established 501(c)(3) organizations and encourages collaborative efforts that demonstrate alignment with funding priorities. By investing in financial literacy, Citizens aims to enhance fiscal health in underserved communities across select geographic areas.

The Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship, provided by the UNICO Foundation, offers two $1,000 awards to college students of Italian descent. Candidates must submit an original essay or short story celebrating their heritage while being enrolled in a full-time, accredited U.S. college for the 2026-2027 academic year. This initiative highlights UNICO's commitment to supporting educational endeavors and preserving Italian culture within America.

The Northeast SARE Partnership Grant Program supports innovative projects that enhance sustainable agriculture practices through collaboration between agricultural service providers and farmers. With funding up to $30,000, the program encourages research and education initiatives that address sustainability challenges in Northeast farming systems. It aims to foster partnerships that lead to better agricultural practices and community well-being, focusing on involving farmers directly in project development.

The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is offering a grant to support schools in conducting arts program reviews using the Arts & Cultural Vitality Index. This funding aims to enhance equity and access in arts education, ensuring high-quality, culturally responsive programs. Awards, totaling approximately $50,000, will vary based on student enrollment and proposal quality. Eligible schools can receive stipends for review team members and administrative costs, fostering a vibrant arts education landscape.

This funding opportunity invites innovative pilot studies focused on biological, behavioral, and social mechanisms related to HIV pathogenesis, aligning with NIDDK's mission and NIH HIV/AIDS research priorities. Topics may include exploring pathophysiological mechanisms of HIV comorbidities and coinfections, understanding HIV reservoirs in relevant tissues, and examining social determinants affecting health outcomes. Applications are due by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.

Title III of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) provides supplemental resources to local school districts to help ensure that English learners (ELs) and immigrant children and youth attain English proficiency and develop high levels of academic achievement in English, assist teachers and administrators to enhance their capacity to provide effective instructional programs designed to prepare ELs and immigrant children and youth to enter all-English instructional settings, and promote parental, family, and community participation in language instruction programs for parents, families, and communities.Strategic Objectives: 

DESE partners with districts, schools, and programs to:

• Strategic Objective 1 — "Whole Student" : Cultivate systems to support the whole student and foster joyful, healthy, and supportive learning environments so that all students feel valued, connected, nourished, and ready to learn. 
• Strategic Objective 2 — "Deeper Learning" : Promote deeper learning so that all students engage in grade-level work that is real-world, relevant, and interactive. 
• Strategic Objective 3 — "Diverse and Effective Workforce" : Develop and sustain a workforce that is diverse, culturally responsive, well-prepared, and committed to continuous improvement, so that all students have equitable access to effective educators. 

Priorities: 

• Increase the English language proficiency of ELs by providing effective language instruction programs that meet the needs of ELs and increase student academic achievement
• Provide effective professional development designed to improve the instruction and assessment of ELs, to enhance the ability of teachers and school leaders to understand and implement curricula and assessment practices and measures, and to increase children's English language proficiency or substantially increase the subject matter knowledge, teaching knowledge, and teaching skills of teachers
• Provide and implement other effective activities and strategies that enhance or supplement language instruction programs for ELs which shall include parent, family, and community engagement activities

The NIDCD is offering funding to advance HIV/AIDS research, particularly focusing on areas related to communication disorders. This initiative supports low-risk clinical trials and encourages researchers to align their proposals with high priority topics identified by the NIH Office of AIDS Research. Applications must be submitted by the local deadline, with optional Letters of Intent due 30 days prior to the proposal deadline. This opportunity aims to enhance understanding and treatment in this crucial health area.

Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT)

The Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) program provides short-term emergency funding to help you with eviction, foreclosure, loss of utilities, and other housing emergencies.

RAFT provides up to $7,000 per 12-month period so your family can stay in your current home or move to a new one. You may use the money for rent, utilities, moving costs, and mortgage payments.

Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Capital Program

This competitive program increases downtown vitality through planning and capital implementation grants to municipalities.

The Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) is pleased to announce the MDI Capital Grant Program, through the FY27 Community One Stop for Growth.

The Massachusetts Downtown Initiative Capital Grant Program (“MDI Capital”) strengthens the economic and cultural vitality of the Commonwealth’s downtowns, village centers, and main streets by investing in vibrant, livable centers that attract residents, stimulate business activity, and promote equitable regional growth.

Building on the foundation of the original MDI Technical Assistance program, MDI Capital helps municipalities transform their downtowns into thriving, walkable, and inclusive destinations.

Through a combination of design and implementation grants, the program advances both local and statewide economic development priorities by reducing vacancies, increasing pedestrian activity, and fostering resilient, business-friendly districts that enhance quality of life and reinforce Massachusetts’ reputation as an exceptional place to live, work, and invest.

MDI Capital funds the following project types:

Planning:

• Downtown/Village Center Improvement Plan
• District Management Creation

Implementation:

• Public Realm & Streetscape Improvements
• Wayfinding & Signage Improvements
• Public Facilities & Gathering Spaces Improvements

Purpose:

Option 2: 0436 Innovation Carrer Pathways Planning Grant

The purpose of this competitive grant is to provide Innovation Career Pathway program resources to an Local Educational Agency who intends to seek Innovation Career Pathway designation from Department of Elementary and Secondary EducationDESE in school year 2026–2027.

Priorities

• Supporting applicants in the preparation of their Innovation Career Pathway designation application materials and preparing to implement school-wide My Career and Academic PlanMyCAP as part of the pathway development.
• Priority will be given to districts and schools in the strategic transformation region and districts and schools that have not received an Innovation Career Pathway designation.

Funding- Option 2

Approximately $450,000 An Local Educational Agency LEA may submit only one application for a maximum award of $15,000 to prepare Innovation Career Pathways Designation applications. This Request for Proposal is the governing document for these grant funds. Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this Request for Proposal.

Fund Use

Funds may be used for costs associated with out-of-school time training and meeting time for team members to create the scope and sequence and implementation plan. Allowable uses include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Stipends;
• Consultant fees;
• Supplies and materials associated with planning;
• Other costs related to creative and effective development of a scope and sequence.

Funds must be used in alignment with the purpose and priorities outlined and as described in a budget, budget narrative, and required program information that is submitted to the Department's Office of College, Career and Technical Education (CCTE).

DESE Competitive Grant Submission Policy

Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "Local Educational Agency Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in Grants for Education Management System. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the Local Educational Agency Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the Request for Proposal.

Underutilized Properties Program

Targets underutilized, abandoned, or vacant properties.

The Underutilized Properties Program is part of the Community One Stop for Growth, a single application portal and collaborative review process of community and economic development grant programs that make targeted investments based on a Development Continuum. It is designed to allow applicants to apply for consideration of multiple sources of funding to support multiple phases and facets of a project. 

What makes a good project?

A good project provides public purpose in one or more of the following categories: creating jobs, driving innovation, eliminating blight, increasing housing production, supporting economic development projects, increasing the number of commercial buildings accessible to persons with disabilities, conserving natural resources through targeted rehabilitation, and/or reuse of vacant and underutilized property owned by the applicant.

While a particular application may not satisfy every criterion, application review is based on the totality of the facts and circumstances. Review criteria assesses the likelihood that the use of the requested funding will advance a project towards increased public benefits:

• Clarity, Purpose, and Users of the Space
• Ecosystem Analysis and Partnerships
• Goals of the Project
• Economic Impact
• Project Execution

Funding

No set maximum but typical awards are anticipated to range from $50,000 to $1,000,000 for Building Capital Improvements and up to $250,000 for Pre-Development.

Farm Readiness Grant Program

The Farm Readiness Grant Program provides reimbursement funding for installation-ready capital improvements that help Massachusetts farms maintain and modernize core infrastructure within their existing footprint. The program supports the purchase and installation of durable equipment and systems that improve operational reliability, food production and handling capacity, resource efficiency, environmental performance, and overall farm readiness. This accelerated funding opportunity is designed for farms that are prepared to move forward immediately with commercially available projects that address deferred or time-sensitive needs and can be completed on a short timeline.

Projects funded through this program must:

• Be installation-ready and commercially available at the time of application
• Result in the purchase, replacement, or upgrade of a durable capital asset
• Be located within the existing farm footprint (no new construction)
• Not require permitting
• Be able to be purchased, installed, and fully completed by June 30, 2026
• Be paid for in full by the applicant prior to reimbursement
• Support active commercial agricultural production in Massachusetts
• Deliver a clear, near-term operational improvement once installed

What you can get

• Maximum award: $50,000 per farm
• Reimbursement grant
• Minimum cash match: 20%
• One application per agricultural operation

The Patterson Foundation offers Assistance Dog Program Grants to support organizations providing service animals to veterans and individuals with disabilities. Funding is available for projects that expand capacity, personnel costs related to puppy training, and program support aimed at improving client experiences. Eligible organizations must be 501(c)(3) non-profits and can request grants up to $35,000 for capital projects or $10,000 for program support. Applications are accepted through a two-step process.

The George W. Wells Foundation Grant supports quality educational, human services, and healthcare programs for underserved populations. Established in 1934, it primarily funds one-year grants, with occasional multi-year support. Eligible applicants include IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charities, particularly those serving Southbridge, Massachusetts. The Foundation encourages requests for both general operating and program support, allowing for small, program-related capital expenses to be included.

The MBF IOLTA Grants Program, managed by the Massachusetts Bar Foundation, provides crucial funding to nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts. Annually, it awards about 100 grants to support programs that deliver civil legal services to low-income individuals or enhance the justice system. These grants address a variety of legal issues, including domestic violence, housing, and discrimination, ensuring that vulnerable populations receive the necessary assistance to navigate legal challenges.

The Red Sox Foundation offers event sponsorship opportunities to support community initiatives in New England and Lee County, FL. Sponsorships range from $1,000 to $10,000, with a focus on health, education, and recreation. Organizations must have 501(c)(3) status and align with the Foundation's mission to enhance the lives of children, families, and veterans. Applications for sponsorships over $10,000 are by invitation only, fostering impactful community partnerships.