The Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) Community Grant Program provides funding for initiatives that aim to create a better Brookline for all residents. This aligns with BCF's mission to support a diverse range of efforts that foster opportunity and promote equity within the community. The program seeks to address various community needs, including but not limited to Health & Wellness, Climate Sustainability, Arts & Culture, Healthy Aging, Wealth Building and Economic Mobility Programs, Housing, Crisis Intervention Services, and Organizational Capacity Building activities like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training.
The target beneficiaries of this grant program are individuals and groups within Brookline who are impacted by inequities or belong to vulnerable and marginalized populations, including those most affected by the pandemic. The impact goals are centered on advancing equity, removing barriers to opportunities, meeting immediate individual needs, and addressing the root causes of inequities. The program prioritizes organizations that are led by BIPOC individuals (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) or focus on BIPOC and other vulnerable populations. An organization is considered BIPOC-led if its Executive Director/CEO or Board Chair identifies as BIPOC, or if 50% or more of its leadership staff, program directors, or board members identify as BIPOC.
In this fiscal year, BCF has a total of $100,000 available to distribute through the Community Grant Program. Individual grant requests are limited to a maximum of $25,000. For reference, the average Community grant awarded in fiscal year 2024 was approximately $12,500. The BCF is inviting applications for one-year Community Grants.
Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, Town departments or agencies, and community groups. Organizations can submit only one application for either the Community Grant Program or the Youth Development Grant Program. Importantly, organizations currently funded through the Safety Net grant program are still eligible to apply for Community Grants or Youth Development Grants. The overarching theory of change for BCF's Community Grant Program is to empower and uplift local organizations that are directly engaged in creating a more equitable and inclusive Brookline, thereby fostering sustainable positive change within the community.
