Search Through Quality of Life Grants in Massachusetts in the U.S.

Hannaford Charitable Foundation

We have a long history of supporting our communities through volunteerism, donations and community leadership. The Hannaford Charitable Foundation is one of many ways we support our communities.

The Foundation's mission is to invest in creating and sustaining healthy communities in our five-state region by providing financial support to nonprofit organizations and programs that focus on improvement of the root causes impacting the quality of life for our customers, associates and neighbors. Our areas of focus for financial support are food, education and health.

Focus Areas for support:

The Foundation supports organizations in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Vermont that focus on one of the following core components of healthy communities:

• Food – We support programs with long-term solutions that will ensure safe, stable access to healthy food primarily through regional food banks in the markets we serve.
• Education – We help to deliver strong programs that prepare people through all stages of life for success in education and readiness to enter the workforce.
• Health – We support organizations that provide quality programs focusing on promoting healthy lifestyles and improved care.

In determining which organizations and programs to support, the Foundation considers

• the impact and outcomes to the community
• prior support from Hannaford Charitable Foundation
• relative uniqueness of the program versus others in the community.

Our Mission 

The mission of the Kelley Foundation is to enrich the quality of life on Cape Cod through the Kelley Foundation Scholars Program and grants to nonprofit organizations providing programs and services that support all areas of the community: health and human services; housing; youth development; food security and access; arts & culture; and the environment.

Grants 

The Kelley Foundation awards program and capacity building grants to nonprofit organizations that support all areas of the community: health and human services; housing; youth development; food security and access; arts & culture; and the environment.

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.

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.

Since UniBank’s founding in 1870, charitable giving has been central to its mission.

Each year, UniBank gives back over $750,000 to local organizations to support youth development, community development, affordable housing, and the environment. Through this giving, UniBank strives to strengthen the communities it serves to improve the quality of life for individuals and families. Because of the partnerships UniBank has forged with local community organizations, critical services provided by partners include: Food for those facing food insecurity; Home heating assistance in the cold winter months; Affordable housing; Support for individuals struggling with addiction; Services for individuals with disabilities, among many other critical services.

This principle of philanthropic giving is what led the bank to announce the founding of the UniBank Charitable Foundation in 2018, which the Bank seeded with $2 million in 2021. The UniBank Charitable Foundation allows UniBank to continue the legacy of giving and the mission of helping people in Central Massachusetts for generation to come. Giving through the UniBank Charitable Foundation is conducted in addition to the already established charitable efforts.

The bank has pledged $1 million a year for five years to the UniBank Charitable Foundation bringing our non-profit and community financial commitment to nearly $2 million a year. 

UniBank Community Giving

UniBank is committed to supporting the communities we serve. We encourage and accept applications for funding that fall within our geographical footprint and within the categories of:

• Youth Development
• Community Development
• Affordable Housing
• Environmental Concerns 

Further consideration will be given to organizations with a relationship to UniBank and organizations that our employees actively participate in volunteering. While UniBank meets on a monthly basis to review requests for funding, the request must be submitted at least two months prior to the need for funds to ensure a timely decision.

Areas of Funding

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

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

Types of Funding

Funding requests are considered for:

General Operating Funding

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

Capital Funding

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

Program Funding

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

Capacity Building Funding

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

Emergency Funding

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

Our Mission

The mission of the Vermont Mutual Charitable Giving Fund is to enhance the quality of life in communities where the Group conducts business, by providing financial support to worthy community organizations.

Where We Give

The Charitable Giving Fund is designed to benefit organizations within the marketing territories of Vermont Mutual Insurance Group that aim to improve the quality of life for individuals, families and communities.

Giving Focus

The Fund provides financial support to organizations that help to build, maintain and enrich healthy lives and strong, vibrant communities. The Fund's primary focus is to contribute to non-profit organizations that serve communities through any of the following four initiatives:

• Promote Education: Examples may include traditional and non-traditional opportunities focused on inspiring academic excellence, leadership and community service
• Foster Youth: Examples may include teaching and modeling positive life skills
• Community-based: Programs that build better communities in which to live and work
• Satisfy Basic Needs: Examples may include affordable housing, homelessness and hunger

Since 1984, the Robinson Broadhurst Foundation has been working to improve the quality of life for the residents of Stamford and Worcester, New York, and Winchendon, Massachusetts.

Mission and Areas of Interest

The Robinson-Broadhurst Foundation is a private foundation operating and granting funds at the complete discretion of the Directors, to fund charitable 501(c)(3) organizations in the following endeavors, but not limited to:

• Provide a better quality of life for all community members.
  • For example; Hospice, senior housing, health clinics.
• Provide support for historical preservation in the communities served.
• Enhance opportunities for a quality education for all ages.
• Support projects that would promote community spirit and cooperation.
• Support community volunteer organizations that qualify.
• Support youth programs that encourage responsibility, community interest, citizenship and healthy life styles.
• Support religious organizations in their service to the community.
• Support municipalities to improve and maintain infrastructures.
• Support efforts to improve public safety.

The Foundation supports projects in coastal areas of Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island and selected international locations.

For the last two decades, the Foundation has focused a significant portion of its financial resources on Southeastern Massachusetts, where its office is located. Here the Board seeks to understand how communities grow sustainably and equitably, how to increase educational opportunities, how rural and urban economies are intertwined, and how to best protect working landscapes and the people who rely upon these areas for their livelihoods. In funding in a few specific areas, the Board believes it will have the most impact.   

Environment

In Southeastern Massachusetts, Maine, and Rhode Island, the Island Foundation promotes the conservation of marine and coastal resources. For many years, the Foundation has given priority to North Atlantic right whale research, protection of coastal waterbird habitat, and preservation of coastal lands.

More recently, the Board has been interested in new initiatives that:

• link climate change, renewable energy, and regional planning and support those most impacted by climate change;
• support working landscapes (sustainable agriculture and community-based fisheries) and the people who rely on them for their livelihoods;
• help local conservation organizations strengthen their own capacity;
• connect community health, quality of life, and environmental conservation; and
• promote environmental justice and seek to include the voices of those most affected by environmental harms.

Mission

The Ezra M. Cutting Trust was established in 1965 under the will of Ezra Cutting, who was born in Marlborough, Massachusetts. The Trust supports charitable organizations serving residents of Marlborough. Areas of special interest include agencies serving youth as well as those with programs fostering economic growth and the general quality of life in the City of Marlborough.

Grant Program

Grants are restricted to organizations located in Marlborough, Massachusetts (and to other organizations which serve Marlborough residents) and are generally made for special projects and programs, with a limited number of capital gifts made each year.

Program Type: Arts, Culture, & Humanities; Education; Employment; Environment; Health; Housing & Shelter; Human Services

The typical grant range is $2,500 - $10,000.

Our Mission

The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation supports community programming that results in children, adolescents, and young adults affected by substance use disorders, learning disabilities, mental illness, and intellectual disabilities achieving their full potential. The Foundation is dedicated to societal impact through healthy communities and capacity building. We work diligently to foster a sense of empowerment and an environment of collaboration.

Our Vision and Values

The Tower Foundation serves as a strategic partner and catalyst for positive community change. We believe in the power of sustainable, healthy communities and the effectiveness of coalitions and self-advocacy—success as measured by stakeholder partnership and growth as defined by constituent action and understanding. We hope to inspire others to honor strength in difference and identify opportunity in challenge.

We disburse assets strategically, to fund community programs and projects that boost societal and partner capabilities and lift young individuals to an enhanced quality of life. The Foundation prioritizes funding that leads to improved systemic and organizational capacities in screening/assessment, education/awareness, transition/service navigation, evidence-based practice, efficiency, and technology solutions.

Programs & Services Grants

The Foundation provides direct grants to fund programs and services in our four focus areas of intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health, and substance use disorders. Programs & Services grants support organizations working to improve the lives of children and young adults in our geographic footprint of Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York and Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Eastern Massachusetts.

DAIRY FOOD SAFETY & CERTIFICATION GRANT

The Northeast Dairy Business Innovation Center (NE-DBIC) announces the availability of funds through the Dairy Food Safety & Certification Grant program, which will provide grants for dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products. Projects funded through this program will support increased production safety standards with the goal of accessing new markets. Projects that increase marketability of dairy products will be prioritized. Activities covered by this grant include accessing technical assistance, audits, food safety plan development, training, testing fees, and certain infrastructure upgrades. 

Projects funded by this grant will allow dairy farmers, processors, and/or producer associations to take actionable steps to improve the safety of dairy products and improve marketability. Technical assistance providers or supply chain partners including distributors, co-packers and cross-dockers that would also benefit from grant activities should be listed as partners. Projects that demonstrate that grant activities will increase or expand access to market channels will be prioritized. Food safety activities under this grant should build upon baseline state and federal compliance requirements to further improve product consistency, safety, and quality of dairy products.

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

Funding

Grants will range from $10,000 - $40,000 with a 25% (cash or in-kind) match commitment required. Total funds available: $250,000. 

Required Project Criteria

The following criteria must be addressed:

• Must build upon dairy business’ existing baseline compliance with food safety requirements.
• Project increases the safety of dairy products produced in the Northeast.
• Business/organization can sustain the changes/improvements past the grant period.

Mission

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

We support the work of local nonprofit organizations.

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

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

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

Proposal Principles

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

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

Grant Making

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

Organizational Development Program Objectives

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

Examples include:

• Furniture
• Equipment
• Technology
• Facility improvements

For over 25 years the Bristol County Savings Charitable Foundation has provided funding and support to our communities. Our hope is that the investments we make, help to create a more equitable place to live and work and improve the quality of life for everyone in our communities.

Areas of Focus

Education & Literacy

Education is an essential foundation for prosperity and opportunity. We fund various types of educational support including early learning programs and initiatives, all levels of academic learning, workforce development, job training and more.

Economic Development

We fund activities and programs that work to improve the economic well-being and quality of life of our communities. Particularly those that focus on community development, diversification, creating and retaining jobs and building the local tax base.

Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing can improve the quality of life of residents leading to better health, adequate jobs, financial stability, security, and population diversity. We fund a wide variety of affordable housing initiatives including organizations and programs that provide credit counseling, homebuyer education, temporary and affordable housing solutions.

Critical Needs/Sustainability

This is a new area of focus added during the past year in response to the serious issues impacting our communities. The effects of Covid-19 and social injustice continue to be felt throughout our community and have negatively impacted many of our community organizations. We want to address these and other community impact issues as well as create the flexibility to address new critical needs and sustainability concerns that may arise.

Funding Ranges/Restrictions:

In an effort to assist as many qualified organizations as possible within our market areas, our Foundation awards grants of varying sizes depending on the specific project being funded. However, please note the following:

One-time Grants

• The average range for grants is up to $10,000.
• Successful applicants are limited to one grant per year.

Large Dollar Multi-Year Grants

• Our Foundation has a cap for the amount of multi-year grants issued annually
• Successful applicants are precluded from receiving additional grants during the multi-year funding period.

Chelsea Cultural Council

The Chelsea Cultural Council (CCC) is a volunteer board supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council. Council members encourage culture and diversity in the City of Chelsea by funding projects in the arts, humanities, and sciences including exhibits, lectures, concerts, festivals, performances, classes, and school field trips. The CCC places an emphasis on locally-based artists and programs that have the greatest impact on the Chelsea community.

Chelsea Heritage Celebrations Grant

The Chelsea Heritage Celebrations Grant program was established by the City of Chelsea and the Chelsea Cultural Council and funded by Encore Boston Harbor to support a broad range of cultural events and installations that promote the community’s heritage, quality of life, recreation, and cultural activities such as, but not limited to: 

• Street fairs
• Art shows
• Community Events
• Festivals
• Film series   
• Murals
• Sculptures
• Public Art

The goal is to fund both single and multi-day projects that are open to the public to promote the celebration of Chelsea and its surrounding heritage and diversity. The grant ranges up to $15,000. 

Mission

The Corporation’s purpose (and hence its Mission) is to honor the work of Hannah B. Chickering, who in the 19th Century dedicated her life to female prisoners and their children. Accordingly, the Corporation shall provide financial support to programs and organizations that address the needs of women and children in crisis, thereby furthering the Corporation’s goal of helping women and children gain health, safety, independence and self-sufficiency.

Criteria

The Chickering Foundation seeks to promote and support agencies whose work reflects and promotes the mission of Hannah B. Chickering. Furthermore, the Chickering Foundation seeks to provide financial support that will make a meaningful difference to the women and children being served.

The programs and special projects we support: 

• Are dependent on private funding reflecting in their size and scope the size of our foundation.
• Provide community-based resoures for women and children in Eastern Massachusetts.
• Build relationships with individuals in order to bridge gaps left by government services, enabling women and children to have a higher quality of life.
• Develop relationships within the community in order to foster a long-term web of support for women and children for, but not limited to, jobs, housing, and life skills.
• Raise awareness and educate the public concerning the underserved needs of women and children.

Agencies that are approved for funding will be assigned a Chickering Foundation Manager and will undergo an annual review. Some one-time grants may be provided.

Redefining Community Wellness Grants Program

Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) have inadequate access to culturally responsive programming that addresses substance use and are disproportionately affected by policies that do not consider their needs. In response to this challenge and the lack of diverse representation, experience, and perspectives among currently funded grantees, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s (MDPH) Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (BSAS) has launched the Redefining Community Wellness Grants Program to intentionally center BIPOC voices throughout the grantmaking and capacity building process.

The goals of this program are:

• To support organizations that are BIPOC-led and that primarily serve BIPOC communities including CBOs, FBOs, and TIPSOs to redefine community wellness and address the negative impacts of substance use in their communities through a wide range of programming that help improve health, wellness, and quality of life for community members; and
• To provide capacity building to improve organizations’ ability to apply for future funding, which ultimately helps increase BIPOC representation in receiving grants beyond this program.

In designing this program, HRiA and BSAS collaborated with a Community Advisory Board (CAB) of BIPOC residents and organizations that were geographically diverse with a range of personal and work experiences with substance use and related services, to guide decisions regarding priority populations and scope of work for the Redefining Community Wellness grants.

Tribal Cohort

Goal of the Funding

The goal of this funding is to support tribes and nonprofits that are Native led or primarily serving Native American populations that address substance use directly or indirectly through focusing on social determinants of health (SDOH). Additionally, this funding will help build funded organizations’ capacity for organizational development and sustainability.

Funding

We expect grants to be up to $160,000.

• Planning phase: 3 months, $30,000
• Implementation phase: 12 months, $130,000

Our History

Since 1995, the SouthCoast Community Foundation has given rise to philanthropic giving across the SouthCoast region.

In its first year of operation, the SouthCoast Community Foundation received its first charitable gift of $100,000. In 1997, we invested $1 million to establish Youth Entitled to Success (Project YES), spearheading drug abuse prevention and education efforts in our community.

For 25 years, we have supported personal and corporate philanthropy by offering a range of innovative giving options. We offer a variety of funds to help every donor meet their philanthropic goals.

The SouthCoast Community Foundation currently manages $50 million in charitable assets in support of more than 200 funds established by nonprofits, families, and businesses across Southeastern Massachusetts.

Easton Legacy Fund Grant

The SouthCoast Community Foundation offers several competitive grant programs that invest in communities throughout Southeastern Massachusetts, intending to support nonprofit organizations’ causes in our area.

The Easton Legacy Fund was established to support the projects of not-for-profit organizations whose initiatives add to the quality of life within Easton or enhance the town. 

Calling to Serve

Since its inception in 2016, the Robinson Foundation has sought to demonstrate God’s love through sharing the gifts we have received. We understand the often unspoken hardships and struggles that people in and outside of our community face everyday. As such, our contributions are focused on relieving these hardships for the betterment of our world.

As a family-operated foundation, we pray that our small efforts will not only create immediate change in the lives of our neighbors, but will help set those lives on a course for success in the future. We are thankful for each and every day we have on this earth to use what God has granted us to make a difference.

Areas of Interest

• Animal Welfare
• Children & Families
• Disaster Relief
• Education
• Medical Assistance
• Nature & Wildlife Conservation
• Poverty Relief
• Religious & Spiritual Endeavors
• Veterans' Issues

Grant Considerations

We take many different aspects of applications into account when making grant issuing decisions, however these are some of the high-level questions we ask ourselves during the process:

• How does the organization serve their key audience goals?
• Is the organization fiscally responsible?
• Will a grant have a tangible, meaningful impact?
• Will we see direct results from this grant?
• Does the organization have other financial contributors?

About Us

Created in 1992, the Wellington Management Foundation donates money and volunteer time to more than 125 nonprofit community organizations that support youth in under-resourced communities in the North American and Asia-Pacific cities where we have offices. These organizations provide access to best-in-class educational programs and services, enhancing opportunities for future success.

In 2016, the Wellington Management UK Foundation was created to support organizations in both the UK and Europe. Wellington Management Foundation Grant.

The Wellington Management Foundation is an independent corporate foundation funded by Wellington, as well as current and former employees, who give generously to support a portfolio of nonprofit educational organizations. The Foundation is run by an advisory board which includes a chair and vice chair. All members of the advisory board are current or former Wellington employees. In addition, the Foundation relies on employee volunteers each year to conduct due diligence on grant applications and build long-term relationships with the community organizations funded.

Our Belief

We believe education is a critical lever in creating opportunities for equitable outcomes, including social and economic mobility.

Our Mission

We support best-in-class programs and organizations in our communities that are improving education and educational opportunities for youth from traditionally underserved and historically marginalized communities.

Our Portfolio

We support organizations across the full educational life-cycle of a student, from early education to career readiness programs, independent and charter schools, district-wide school-based programs, and after-school and summer programs, as well as college access and persistence programs.

Annual Grant

Every year we award grants to growth orientated small to medium organizations working to close the opportunity and achievement gaps for youth in traditionally underserved communities in North America and Asia-Pacific cities where Wellington has offices.

Our US Foundation funds programs that provide youth from traditionally under-resourced communities with access to high-quality academic programs and educational opportunities. We believe a strong academic foundation can provide a clear and positive path for the lives of young people. Accordingly, the US Foundation primarily aims to select organizations and programs that support:

• Academic improvement:
  • Educational tutoring and mentoring
  • Study skills programs
  • Technology-based initiatives
  • Mental health support
• Educational transitions:
  • School readiness programs
  • High school access and success programs
  • College access and success programs
• Extended learning time:
  • Out-of-school-time programs
  • Schools that operate extended hours
  • Programs that operate within schools to enhance curricula
• Career readiness:
  • Career and technical training models for linked learning
  • Workforce development programs

The US-based Wellington Management Foundation gives annual grants to programs that improve the educational opportunities for youth in traditionally underserved and economically challenged communities in eastern Massachusetts, the greater Philadelphia area, Chicago, the San Francisco Bay area, Toronto, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Sydney. The Grant Recommendation Committee (GRC), which engages employee volunteers to conduct a review of each new applicant and long-term grantee we fund, begins each year in September. Grants are made each December.

The Curtis Trust was established by the Will of George E. Curtis, which was allowed by the Plymouth County Probate Court in 1931. The Curtis Trust’s mission is to assist low income elder and disabled persons in Plymouth County, Massachusetts and the contiguous towns to remain in their homes and experience an improved quality of life. Curtis Trust support for low income elders and disabled persons in the target area has primarily been in the form of assistance to Visiting Nurses Associations (“VNA”) and like groups that make skilled and unskilled nursing visits to homes. In recent years, however, the Trust has broadened its scope of support with assistance to the visually impaired, emergency fuel assistance and palliative care to those dying at home. The trust has also funded telemonitors through VNAs that allow individuals with complex medical problems to remain at home while being monitored at their local VNA by trained medical personnel.

Background

The Tower Foundation is a family foundation that helps children, adolescents, and young people affected by intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, mental health issues, and/or substance use disorders. Our goal is to improve the lives of young people in our geographic footprint of Erie and Niagara Counties in Western New York, and Barnstable, Dukes, Essex, and Nantucket Counties in Eastern Massachusetts.

Community Experts Fund

The 2025 Community Experts Team began their work together by drawing on their own experiences to explore a range of potential services for young people. What made a difference in their own lives, or what do they wish had been accessible to them? The team quickly coalesced around mentoring and/or coaching supports, while avoiding a narrow definition of either. Mentors help with needs that youth themselves prioritize, assist with progress towards personal goals, and help to weather life’s ups and downs.

Team members chose to support capacity building with this year’s fund. Nonprofits face daunting challenges in this moment that are not particularly conducive to taking on new program initiatives. For the 2025 Community Experts Fund, grants will help strengthen mentoring programs that support young people with mental health challenges, intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, or substance use disorders. Mentoring should be understood as quality one-on-one time focused on youth-driven goals, distinct from case management and care coordination.

The Community Experts Fund has a total of $350,000 to award in 2025. Applicants may request any amount up to $50,000.

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.

The Massachusetts Service Alliance (MSA) expands volunteerism and service in Massachusetts by providing individuals and organizations with funding, training, and support, which enables them to strengthen communities and make our Commonwealth a better place to live. We are a dedicated partner of Massachusetts community based organizations of all scopes and sizes, providing tailored resources and support for them to better leverage volunteers and service members to meet their mission. Through our direct support, organizations strengthen their capacity and are better positioned to expand their impact in Massachusetts communities, serving more and doing more. For over 30 years we have had a proven track record of bringing volunteerism and service resources to organizations from Pittsfield to New Bedford and Springfield to Lowell. We believe in the power of volunteerism and service to improve the quality of life of all residents of the Commonwealth. We seek to understand and address the changing needs of Massachusetts and are committed to an equitable, inclusive and just allocation of resources i the Commonwealth. 

AmeriCorps 2026-27 Service Year Competitive Grants

MSA offers three* types of AmeriCorps Operating Grants to support AmeriCorps programming:

Cost Reimbursement Grants MSA funds grants that support fully developed plans to establish a Massachusetts AmeriCorps program or to support, expand, or replicate an existing program. Grant awards are renewed annually for a total of three years, subject to annual review and availability of federal appropriations. Programs seeking funding beyond three years must reapply as a recompeting applicant. The maximum award amount a program can request for an operating 4 grant is $25,000 per Member Service Year (MSY). One MSY is equivalent to 1,700 hours of service. Programs should be prepared to adjust their budgets if a different level is requested.

Fixed-amount Grants Most grants are cost reimbursement grants; however, in some cases, MSA may offer applicants the opportunity to be considered for a full-cost fixed-amount grant. Applicants applying for a fixed amount grant are allowed to request up to the same cost per MSY as operating grants. Fixed amount grants do not require the same level of financial reporting or matching requirements as cost-reimbursement grants, but funds may only be drawn in proportion to hours served by AmeriCorps Members.

Education Award Only Program (EAP) Grants In addition, applicants may also request fixed amount grants for Education Award Only (EAP) or Professional Corps Programs. The funding allowed for these programs is significantly less than what is available to full-cost grants and is set at a maximum level of $1,000 per Member Service Year (MSY).  

Autism Community Impact Grant

The Flutie Foundation recognizes not-for-profit organizations who share our mission to help individuals and families with autism live life to the fullest. For our 2023 Autism Community Impact Grant, we will continue granting these organizations with a particular emphasis on supporting traditionally under-served, under-funded, culturally diverse communities.

Our Autism Community Impact Grant cycle will consider requests that will help fund programs and projects showing potential to make an IMMEDIATE impact in the community and align with the Flutie Foundation priorities as stated in our Seven Key Dimensions described below. We especially encourage organizations with programs serving those most profoundly affected by autism to apply and share their stories.

Grant Funding Priorities

Work/School

Providing a path for educational opportunities, vocational skills programs, employment, housing, transportation and healthcare delivery for individuals on the autism spectrum.   

Active/Social

Support for recreational and sports programs, aquatic programs, social skills training, family events and summer camps for all individuals on the autism spectrum.

Safe/Supported/Informed

Funding for community organizations and schools who are providing vital resources and actively assisting individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their families through advocacy programs, diagnostic and clinical services, direct family support, safety equipment, emergency care, respite services and other opportunities that will enhance the quality of life for those affected.

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

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

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

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