Program and Small Capital Grants

The Yawkey Foundation, a private philanthropic organization rooted in the charitable legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey, offers Program & Small Capital Grants to support strategic, high-impact projects that align with the foundation’s core giving areas. These grants are designed to address critical, time-sensitive needs within nonprofit organizations that deliver direct services across underserved communities in Eastern Massachusetts, especially within designated Gateway Cities. The foundation's Areas of Giving include Health Care, Youth & Amateur Athletics, Education, Arts & Culture, Human Services, and Conservation & Wildlife. Program & Small Capital Grants fund discrete and timebound needs such as equipment purchases, targeted programmatic efforts, or one-off projects directly tied to the applicant’s core mission. The maximum grant amount is $100,000, and funds are typically disbursed over one year. The foundation explicitly does not fund general operations, personnel costs, stipends, consultants, or programs specific to individual public schools, districts, municipalities, or counties. Funding decisions prioritize organizations with strong leadership, demonstrable community impact, and alignment with the foundation’s mission. Eligibility is open to nonprofit organizations, with a preference for those that have not recently received Yawkey Foundation support to first apply under this grant type before considering more substantial funding opportunities. Proposals must reflect clear mission alignment and demonstrate measurable impact in one or more of the foundation’s giving categories. Applicants must also include a detailed, request-specific budget using the template from Philanthropy Massachusetts. Each nonprofit may only submit one initial proposal per calendar year across all Yawkey grant types. The submission process involves an Initial Proposal that is reviewed over a 90- to 120-day period. The Yawkey Foundation does not provide interim feedback during this time. Depending on the funding category, there are four annual submission windows: January for Youth & Amateur Athletics, March for Education and Conservation & Wildlife, May for Human Services, and September for Health Care and Arts & Culture. Nonprofits are notified if they are selected to submit a full Grant Application. While not all applicants will advance to the full application stage due to competitiveness, the Initial Proposal process is positioned as a critical first engagement step with the foundation. Organizations are encouraged to email yawkey@yawkey.org for further information if not addressed in the published FAQs.

Highlight alignment with Areas of Giving and geographic scope; emphasize timebound, discrete project rationale; strong leadership and proven service delivery increase competitiveness.