Search Through Private Grants for Nonprofits in Massachusetts in the U.S.

About the Trust

For over 81 years, The Agnes M. Lindsay Trust has been providing financial assistance to nonprofit organizations that help those in need. The Trust's focus areas of giving include Health and Welfare, Dental/Oral Health, Recreational/Camperships (camp scholarships), Education and Homeless Shelters, our newest initiative. Our geographic giving areas include the states of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Our Priorties

Health and Welfare

Impacting health and welfare organizations with grants that support capital projects for those with special needs, including the blind, deaf, learning disabled, elderly, youth and family service organizations, homeless shelters, and food banks to name a few.  

Dental Health

Expanding our reach to nonprofits that provide free dental clinics, and dental care to low income , needy populations to include children, families and the elderly through capital grants for dental equipment needs and program support.CampershipEnhancing children's lives through camp scholarships that provide a child with an opportunity for a summer camping experience/summer enrichment who would otherwise be unable to attend without this scholarship support.EducationAdvancing education through scholarship support to community colleges and preselected four-year colleges and universities to needy students from rural areas. Grants are awarded directly to the institutions who select recipients based on the Trust's criteria.  The Trust is not accepting any unsolicited requests from community colleges, 4-year colleges or universities at this time. Homeless SheltersResponding to the needs and demands placed on homeless shelters due to socioeconomic factors that impact individuals due to unemployment, addiction, behavioral disorders and other circumstances. We strive to work together to end homelessness. Capital and operating support grants are available.Food Banks/ Food PantryRecognizing the escalating need placed on food pantries and food banks due to inflation and the increased costs of food and basic necessities, we are committed to working with organizations to eliminate food insecurity and are dedicated to making a lasting impact by providing support through capital and operating grants.

Charitable Contributions

Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business. Throughout the year we receive a large number of requests from nonprofit organizations striving to make a positive impact, and we are thankful to be able to provide support to a variety of organizations and causes. While we would like to respond favorably to all requests, understandably, the needs are far greater than our allocated resources and we are unable to accommodate them all.

Warehouse Donations:

Warehouse donations are handled at the warehouse level - please consult your local warehouse for up-to-date information regarding their donations contacts and review process.

Grant Applications

If the request is under consideration, you may be contacted by staff for any additional information needed. Applications are reviewed within 4-6 weeks, and decisions are made based on several factors, including: type of program; identified community need not otherwise available; indication that evidenced based data will establish measurable results of intended outcomes; community collaboration; broad base of financial support; project budget and operating expenses.

Who We Are

The Creag Foundation is a private grant making foundation established in 2009 in Woodinville, Washington.

The founders of the Creag Foundation believe that meaningful change can only be achieved through hard work, creativity and passion. They also understand the practical mechanisms that allow charitable organizations to succeed and grow. As a group, Creag Foundation principals are dedicated to helping today’s most innovative programs improve the human condition in a wide variety of ways.

Our Focus

The broad purpose of the Foundation is to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations who are innovators in the field of human services. Our particular focus is on smaller organizations that are starting out or established organizations that are looking for funding to take their organization in a new direction.

What We Fund

/ What We Fund

The Creag Foundation is focused on innovation in the industry. We will consider proposals from 501(c)(3) organizations that are finding new ways to address societal issues facing the nonprofit community. Applicants must have held 501(c)(3) status for one year before submitting. If your organization has held 501(c)(3) status for over a year, and your believe that your organization has a new approach to an existing social problem or is addressing a previously unaddressed social issue, you are welcome to contact us and request that we consider your organization for a funding opportunity.

What does this program do?

This program helps eligible communities prepare, or recover from, an emergency that threatens the availability of safe, reliable drinking water.

What kind of event can qualify as an emergency?

• Drought or flood
• Earthquake
• Tornado or hurricane
• Disease outbreak
• Chemical spill, leak or seepage
• Other disasters

How may the funds be used?

• Water transmission line grants up to $150,000 to construct waterline extensions, repair breaks or leaks in existing water distribution lines, and address related maintenance necessary to replenish the water supply
• Water source grants up to $1,000,000 for the construction of new wells, reservoirs, transmission lines, treatment plants, and/or other sources of water (water source up to and including the treatment plant)

Why does USDA Rural Development do this?

This program helps prevent damage or restore households and business' access to clean, reliable drinking water in eligible rural areas and towns following natural disasters. Funding can improve the natural environment and encourage manufacturers and other businesses to locate or expand operations.

Mission

The mission of the Hearst Foundations is to identify and fund outstanding nonprofits to ensure that people of all backgrounds in the United States can build healthy, productive and satisfying lives. Through its grantmaking, the Hearst Foundations support well-established nonprofit organizations that address significant issues within their major areas of focus—culture, education, health and social service—and that primarily serve large demographic and/or geographic constituencies. In each area of funding, the Foundations seek to identify those organizations achieving truly differentiated results relative to other organizations making similar efforts for similar populations. The Foundations also look for evidence of sustainability beyond their support.

Whether providing a scholarship to a deserving student, supporting a rural health clinic or bringing artists into schools so children can see firsthand the beauty of the arts, the Foundations’ focus is consistent: to help those in need, those underserved and those underrepresented in society. Since the Foundations were formed in the 1940s, the scale and capabilities of the grant making have changed, but the mission has not.

Culture Grant

The Hearst Foundations fund cultural institutions that offer meaningful programs in the arts and sciences, prioritizing those that enable engagement by young people and create a lasting and measurable impact. The Foundations also fund select programs nurturing and developing artistic talent. Supported organizations include arts schools, ballets, museums, operas, performing arts centers, symphonies and theaters.

Funding Priorities in Culture

In the recent past, 25% of total funding has been allocated to Culture. Organizations with budgets over $10 million have received 60% of the funding in Culture.

The Hearst Foundations are only able to fund approximately 25% of all grant requests, of which about 80% is directed to prior grantees and about 20% is targeted toward new grantees.

Types of Support

Program, capital and, on a limited basis, general and endowment support

The Labcorp Charitable Foundation

We believe every person deserves equitable care and education.

In 2020 Labcorp established a private charitable 501(c)(3) foundation to advance our desire to bring quality healthcare access to all by supporting education and our local communities. 

Common grant opportunities include:

• Supporting food pantries and meal programs
• Providing healthcare and patient services for underserved populations
• Encouraging STEM programming
• Advocating for healthy lifestyles through ongoing medical research and screening

Background

The Memorial Foundation for the Blind is a private charitable foundation that provides funding to those organizations in Worcester County that serve the needs of persons with visual impairments. The foundation also provides funding to individuals who are certified as legally blind with the Massachusetts Commission for the blind, to purchase adaptive equipment, assistive technology, and other equipment that enhances the quality of life for the individual. In addition, the MFB provides scholarships to higher education to those who apply and meet the requirements outlined in the scholarship section of this websight.

The mission of the Memorial Foundation for the Blind shall be to serve the needs of and to promote the general welfare of visually impaired residents of Worcester County, Massachusetts and to provide grants to further this purpose

Program Grants

MFB welcomes grant proposals from nonprofit charitable organizations to improve the quality of life and encourage the independence of people with visual impairments. Proposals may include programs to improve access to the arts and culture, employment training opportunities, recreation and leisure time activities, and more. Applicants are encouraged to call and leave a message and a member of our Grants Committee will return your call to discuss your request.Application Procedure Please send a brief letter of intent describing your proposal idea. If your letter of intent is accepted, we will forward an application summary sheet which must be completed along with a brief narrative and budget for the program or project.

Michael & Susan Dell Foundation Grants

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation only accepts unsolicited proposals for specific areas within the education, family economic stability and childhood health sectors in select countries where we work, namely the United States, India and South Africa.

As a guideline, the foundation does not fund more than 25% of a project’s budget or more than 10% of an organization’s total annual operating expenses.

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation has always recognized the power of providing grants to partner organizations that we knew were already working hard to improve the lives of urban children living in poverty. By aligning with organizations that are already making a difference, we continue to make an immediate impact on the lives of thousands of children.

Foundation priorities:

We fund social enterprises that directly serve or impact children or youth from urban low-income communities in the areas of education, health, and family economic stability (including livelihoods and financial inclusion). These social enterprises may be structured as for-profit or nonprofit entities.

Partnerships

We collaborate with a range of organizations focused on creating opportunities for children and families living in urban poverty, with a deep emphasis on measuring impact. Our funding advances projects already making an impact in education, health, and family economic stability. Through these enduring and long-standing partnerships, we create lasting change together.

Our Mission

The Tony Robbins Foundation is a nonprofit organization created to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of people often forgotten.

We’re dedicated to creating positive changes in the lives of youth, seniors, the hungry, homeless and the imprisoned population, all who need a boost envisioning a happier and deeply satisfying way of life. Our passionate staff, generous donors and caring group of international volunteers provide the vision, inspiration, and resources needed to empower these important members of our society.

Grants

Dedicated to meeting challenges within the global community, creating solutions and taking action, The Tony Robbins Foundation provides monetary donations to various organizations around the world. Funding requests are evaluated on an ongoing basis. We look for organizations that align with our mission to empower individuals and organizations to make a significant difference in the quality of life of those often forgotten.

What does this program do?

This program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

How may the funds be used?

Funds may be used to finance the acquisition, construction or improvement of:

• Drinking water sourcing, treatment, storage and distribution
• Sewer collection, transmission, treatment and disposal
• Solid waste collection, disposal and closure
• Storm water collection, transmission and disposal

In some cases, funding may also be available for related activities such as:

• Legal and engineering fees
• Land acquisition, water and land rights, permits and equipment
• Start-up operations and maintenance
• Interest incurred during construction
• Purchase of facilities to improve service or prevent loss of service
• Other costs determined to be necessary for completion of the project
• See 7 CFR Part 1780.7 and 1780.9 for a complete list

The Lawrence Foundation is a private family foundation focused on making grants to support environmental, human services and other causes.

The Lawrence Foundation was established in mid-2000. We make both program and operating grants and do not have any geographical restrictions on our grants. Nonprofit organizations that qualify for public charity status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or other similar organizations are eligible for grants from The Lawrence Foundation.  

Grant Amount and Types

Grants typically range between $5,000 - $10,000. In some limited cases we may make larger grants, but that is typically after we have gotten to know your organization over a period of time. We also generally don’t make multi-year grants, although we may fund the same organization on a year by year basis over a period of years.

General operating or program/project grant requests within our areas of interests are accepted. In general, regardless of whether a grant request is for general operating or program/project expenses, all of our grants will be issued as unrestricted grants.

Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Grant

The Foundation will consider requests to support museums, cultural and performing arts programs; schools and hospitals; educational, skills-training and other programs for youth, seniors, and persons with disabilities; environmental and wildlife protection activities; and other community-based organizations and programs.

About the Fund

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

Cultural Facilities Fund 2023 Grant Cycle

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

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

Grant Categories

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

Ameriprise Financial Grantmaking

At Ameriprise Financial, giving back is deeply rooted in our culture. We’ve initiated positive change in the communities where we live and work for more than 120 years. We believe our community involvement enables us to actively live our values. Through grant making, volunteerism and employee and financial advisor gift matching programs, we support a diverse group of over 6,000 nonprofits across the country.

Focus Areas

Awarding grant dollars to nonprofits is one way we strengthen our communities and help individuals on a path to financial independence. To ensure we're meeting the needs of our communities and making an even greater collective impact, we focus on three key giving areas when awarding grants.

Volunteer engagement is a priority across all focus areas:

The engagement of Ameriprise employees and financial advisors is a critical component of our philanthropy. Whether it’s serving on a nonprofit board, engaging friends, clients and community members in volunteering or providing skills-based support, our relationships with nonprofits go deep. For this reason, we give priority across all focus areas to applications where there is active volunteer engagement of Ameriprise advisors and employees. 

Meeting Basic Needs

At Ameriprise Financial, we help clients achieve financial security and peace of mind. That’s satisfying, meaningful work. We also help the people in our neighborhoods who struggle to meet basic needs such as where their next meal comes from, where they’ll sleep tonight or how they’ll find a higher wage job. We’re here to help them through the three platforms of our Meeting Basic Needs focus area.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Hunger
• Food banks, food shelves and food pantries, daily meal programs or meal services for the homebound
• Hunger-relief programs targeted to meet the special needs of children, ethnic populations or veterans
• Food programs run by nonprofits where hunger is not their sole focus, for example a youth meal program at the YWCA or a backpack program run by a Boys & Girls Club
• Shelter
• Emergency shelter, including youth homelessness
• Transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and efforts to end chronic homelessness
• Housing-first models (programs quickly providing housing and then addressing needed services)
• Achieving and maintaining home ownership, repair and maintenance efforts helping keep seniors, veterans and other populations in their homes 
• Adult Self-Sufficiency: Programs serving adults age 21 and older that help address the following areas:
• Basic hard and soft skills that help adults achieve economic and family stability
• Basic financial and budgeting skills
• Increase employability and wages, including work readiness and job transitions
• Employment of disabled adults

Supporting Community Vitality

We believe communities should be strong, healthy and resilient. We want livable places for all, where neighbors look out for one another, cultural events are well-attended and people pull together in times of crisis and joy. We work to create economic vitality and cultural enrichment through the following areas of focus.

Consideration is given to applications addressing the following: 

• Community Development
• Neighborhood revitalization
• Economic development
• Strengthening and supporting small businesses and nonprofits through technical expertise
• Cultural Enrichment
• Arts education
• Access for underserved populations
• Diverse artists and performances that spark topical community conversations 

Volunteer Driven Causes: Ameriprise employees and financial advisors are outstanding volunteers who serve in teams and also as individuals bringing personal skill-sets to nonprofits. Volunteering is part of the culture at Ameriprise and we are proud to support communities through contributions of both service and financial resources. 

Funding for Volunteer-Driven Causes is determined by current Ameriprise volunteerism. In general, funding is in proportion to the size of the Ameriprise volunteer team supporting a nonprofit. A team may include employees, financial advisors and/or staff or a combination of any Ameriprise volunteers. 

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.

Battlefield Preservation Fund

Grants from the Battlefield Preservation Fund will serve as a catalyst to stimulate efforts to preserve battlefields, viewsheds, and related historic structures and to leverage fund-raising activities.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning

Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach

Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Guidelines

Grants from National Trust Preservation Funds (NTPF) are intended to encourage preservation at the local level by supporting on-going preservation work and by providing seed money for preservation projects. These grants help stimulate public discussion, enable local groups to gain the technical expertise needed for preservation projects, introduce the public to preservation concepts and techniques, and encourage financial participation by the private sector.

A small grant at the right time can go a long way and is often the catalyst that inspires a community to take action on a preservation project. Grants generally start at $2,500 and range up to $5,000. The selection process is very competitive.

Eligible Activities

National Trust Preservation Fund grants are awarded for planning activities and education efforts focused on preservation. Grant funds can be used to launch new initiatives or to provide additional support to on-going efforts.

Planning: Supporting existing staff (nonprofit applicants only) or obtaining professional expertise in areas such as architecture, archaeology, engineering, preservation planning, land-use planning, and law. Eligible planning activities include, but are not limited to:

• Hiring a preservation architect or landscape architect, or funding existing staff with expertise in these areas, to produce a historic structure report or historic landscape master plan.
• Hiring a preservation planner, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce design guidelines for a historic district.
• Hiring a real estate development consultant, or funding existing staff with expertise in this area, to produce an economic feasibility study for the reuse of a threatened structure.
• Sponsoring a community forum to develop a shared vision for the future of a historic neighborhood.
• Organizational capacity building activities such as hiring fundraising consultants, conducting board training, etc.

Education and Outreach: Support for preservation education activities aimed at the public. The National Trust is particularly interested in programs aimed at reaching new audiences. Funding will be provided to projects that employ innovative techniques and formats aimed at introducing new audiences to the preservation movement, whether that be through education programming or conference sessions.

Summer Fund Grant

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

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

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

Funding

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

The Nature Conservancy

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

Our Mission

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

Connectivity, Climate, Communities Fund

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

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

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

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

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

Resilient and Connected Appalachians Grant Program

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

Equitable Conservation and Community Benefits

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

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

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

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

Project Evaluation

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

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

What does this program do?

This program is designed to provide technical assistance and training for small rural businesses. Small means that the business has fewer than 50 new workers and less than $1 million in gross revenue.

What is an eligible area?

Rural Business Development Grant money must be used for projects that benefit rural areas or towns outside the urbanized periphery of any city with a population of 50,000 or more. Check eligible areas. 

What kind of funding is available?

There is no maximum grant amount; however, smaller requests are given higher priority. There is no cost sharing requirement. Opportunity grants are limited to up to 10 percent of the total Rural Business Development Grant annual funding.

How may funds be used?

Enterprise grants must be used on projects to benefit small and emerging businesses in rural areas as specified in the grant application. Uses may include:

• Training and technical assistance, such as project planning, business counseling and training, market research, feasibility studies, professional or/technical reports or producer service improvements.
• Acquisition or development of land, easements, or rights of way; construction, conversion, renovation of buildings; plants, machinery, equipment, access for streets and roads; parking areas and utilities.
• Pollution control and abatement.
• The capitalization of revolving loan funds, including funds that will make loans for start-ups and working capital.
• Distance adult learning for job training and advancement.
• Rural transportation improvement.
• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

Opportunity grants can be used for:

• Community economic development.
• Technology-based economic development.
• Feasibility studies and business plans.
• Leadership and entrepreneur training.
• Rural business incubators.
• Long-term business strategic planning.

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

Health & Wellness Grants

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

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

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

Please see FAQs for additional guidelines.

Mission

The Rogers Family Foundation funds nonprofit organizations that provide educational, medical, artistic, human services, and community development within Massachusetts’ Merrimack Valley and North Shore, and Southeastern New Hampshire.

Geographic Focus

• Southeastern New Hampshire
  • Auburn, Atkinson, Chester, Derry, Danville, Exeter, East Kingston, Epping, East Hampstead, Fremont, Hudson, Hampstead, Kingston, Litchfield, Londonderry, Newton, Plaistow, Pelham, Raymond, Stratham, Salem, Sandown, Windham.
• Massachusetts’s Merrimack Valley and North Shore
  • Andover, Amesbury, Beverly, Boxford, Byfield, Danvers, Dracut, Essex, Gloucester, Georgetown, Groveland, Haverhill, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Lawrence, Marblehead, Manchester, Middleton, Methuen, Merrimack, North Reading, North Andover, Newbury, Newburyport, Peabody, Rockport, Rowley, Swampscott, Salem, South Hamilton, Salisbury, Topsfield, Wenham, West Newbury.

The communities listed above comprised the newspaper’s circulation area and therefore serve as a geographic starting point for the foundation’s funding focus. However, these guidelines are not set in stone. From time-to-time, grants of special interest to the trustees may be made outside of this geographic area.Funding Interests

The foundation’s priority interests are:

• education
• health
• human services
• community development
• the arts in Lawrence and other towns listed above. 

About the Foundation

Jesse W. Couch lived a life of zeal, honor, and dedication to the betterment of his community. The Couch family now humbly stewards the foundation he created to carry on his legacy of service for future generations. We believe that impact is best accomplished through partnerships with local organizations that know the people and communities they serve. We invest in and support efforts to protect the environment, further conservation and preservation initiatives, and save historical architecture that preserves community heritage. We also support initiatives that promote wellness and mental health and organizations seeking to provide and further education for all communities.

Annual Grant Focus

Each year, we seek to partner with and support non-profit organizations making an impact in the focus areas listed here.  The focus areas for 2025 are:

• Animal Wellbeing: We are dedicated to helping nonprofit organizations that nurture compassion and respect for all living animals. We must have animal-focused organizations that advocate for animal rights and provide humane treatment across all spectrums.
• Early Childhood Education: We are looking for schools that are providing young children with a creative and balanced approach to education. Things we love in early childhood curriculums:
  • Life Skills
  • Collaboration With Their Peers and Teachers   
  • Having Fun   
  • Montessori Teachings   
  • Project Based Teachings   
  • Diversity   
  • More Time Outside   
  • Less Screen Time
• Teachers: Teachers are essential to providing children with the best possible education. We must invest in their future and are always looking for teams that help them succeed in educating future generations.
• Get Outside: Being outside can improve memory, fight depression, lower blood pressure, and more! We support organizations that facilitate and encourage more outdoor activities that help create healthier communities. 

The Opportunity

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center seeks to support the development and scaling of education and workforce programs for clean energy occupations. Social Finance, a national nonprofit organization and a Securities and Exchange Commission registered investment adviser (SF Advisors, LLC) with over a decade of experience designing and managing complex, long-term partnerships and investments in collaboration with the public, private, and social sectors has proposed to partner with MassCEC to create a Massachusetts Climate Careers Fund. The Fund would aim to help participants access and persist in high-quality training for in-demand climate careers like HVAC/R technicians, electricians, energy auditors, and EV mechanics, by flexibly covering individuals' specific needs.

Winning Home Grant

Winning Home, Inc., a private, non-profit charitable organization that provides services and support to children who are economically, socially, physically, emotionally or mentally handicapped or disadvantaged and their families.

The corporation may provide such services and support directly, or may make grants, including but not limited to grants of funds, licenses, leases or other rights to qualified organizations, defined below, and may enter into such agreements with such organizations as are necessary to use and/or administer the assets of the corporation for the purposes stated herein. Any services or support shall not be prohibited and any organization described herein providing such services shall not be disqualified from receiving assistance because such services or support or such organization also benefits persons not within the categories described above, so long as the primary emphasis of the services, support or organization shall be for disadvantaged children as described above. 

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.

Purpose

The purpose of this Competitive grant program is to provide access to highly effective adult basic education services to eligible adults who cannot or will not enroll in class based instructional services at a Community Adult Learning Center.

Priorities

The priority is to support one statewide standalone program that offers volunteer tutoring services annually to approximately 1,000 eligible adult students in cities and town in the Commonwealth including Gateway cities and that:

• demonstrates past effectiveness in providing one-on-one academic instruction for ABE or ESOL students;
• provides one-on-one adult basic education instruction through the use of well-trained and well-supported volunteer tutors;
• for ABE services, ensures the program implements a curriculum that is aligned with the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE)
• for ESOL services, ensures that the program implements a curriculum that is aligned with the standards and benchmarks of the Massachusetts English Language Proficiency Standards for Adult Education (MA ELPS) and the standards of the College and Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education (CCRSAE) at all levels;
• provides services that are effective in assisting adults to develop the college and career readiness skills needed to successfully transition to higher education and stable jobs that provide a family-sustaining wage; and
• Provides services that are aligned with the strategy and goals identified in the Local Workforce Development Plan Package.

Funding

The total allocation available for one statewide primary instruction by volunteers' program is approximately $500,000. Funds are contingent upon satisfactory performance, the appropriation of state and federal funds, and the continuance of federal authorizing legislation.

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

Fund Use

Funds must be used to provide Adult Basic Education instructional services, delivered by well-trained volunteers, including basic skills, pre-adult secondary education, adult secondary education, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

Personnel costs may include paid staff time for: recruitment; volunteer/student orientation; volunteer training and ongoing support; required and ongoing assessment of student progress; establishing and maintaining tutor/student matches; advising; follow-up; referral; professional development data collection/entry; and administration. A portion of the funds may be used to support non-personnel related costs.

As defined by the Code of Federal Regulations, 34 CFR §463.25 and §463.26, not less than 95 percent of funds must be spent on adult education direct services and literacy activities. If awarded, programs may negotiate on an individual basis with DESE to determine an adequate level of funds for non-instructional purposes by submitting a written request and rationale annually with their continuation applications. Administrative costs must be reasonable, necessary, and allocable.

Adult Education and Family Literacy Services is a restricted rate program that is subject to a statutory "supplement not supplant" restriction. For this competition, applicants may include indirect cost rates to recover certain business-related expenses necessary to support the proposed services.

• Local Education Agencies (LEA) may apply their district rate.
• A non-LEA that has a current federally approved restricted indirect cost rate may use that rate.
• A non-LEA that has an FY22 approved indirect cost rate may use that rate for purposes of an application under this funding opportunity. However, if awarded a grant, the agency must reapply to DESE for FY24 and annually through the grant cycle (2 CFR 200.332).
• A non-LEA that does not have either a Federal or DESE approved indirect cost rate may budget up to 8% percent of the agency's proposed budget to recover certain business-related expenses. However, if awarded a grant, the agency must apply to DESE for FY24 and that there is no guarantee that the rate will be approved (2 CFR 200.332).

Project Duration

Conditionally renewable annually for up to 2 (two) additional years.