Massachusetts Capacity Building Grants

The Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) is pleased to announce the availability of funding from the Rural Development Fund (RDF), through the 2025 Community One Stop for Growth. Donor Name: Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 06/05/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The RDF is a competitive grant program created to provide financial support for a variety of activities related to economic and community development in rural communities and small towns throughout the Commonwealth. Eligible municipalities and other public entities are invited to submit project proposals to be considered for funding. The program is designed to support projects that address the unique economic needs and challenges faced by smaller communities, which sometimes includes difficulty competing against larger cities/towns for grant resources. RDF offers grants for a variety of project types, including community planning efforts, predevelopment activities, and/or construction. Funding Information Grants in this category will likely be in the $50,000-$500,000 range. Projects that apply under the “Planning and Zoning” category will be limited to no more than $100,000 per application. Grants in all other categories will be limited to a maximum of $500,000. At its discretion, EOED may make partial awards, for an amount less than requested by an applicant or make grants over $500K, as appropriate. All funding for this program is subject to annual appropriation. Eligible Projects  The program will consider a variety of projects for funding support. Examples of project types that may be submitted for considered include, but may not be limited to the following (projects listed under the corresponding Development Continuum categories): Planning and Zoning Category (generally, grant requests are for consulting services) Create a housing production plan to better understand housing needs of the community and identify strategies to reduce gaps in existing housing relative to identified needs. If applicable, create a multi-family zoning district near a transit station to comply with M.G.L. Chapter 40A, Section 3A. Conduct a zoning review to identify and remove language that hinders economic growth, such as housing and/or commercial development. Create a plan to update zoning rules to unlock potential housing production and economic development growth. Site Preparation Category (generally entails hiring of consultants, engineers, and/or contractors) Create a site master plan, including predevelopment activities, on an underutilized commercial property with the intent to create mixed use that may include affordable housing. Conduct design, engineering, and/or permitting activities to address changes to existing water, sewer and stormwater in a prospective development site. Demolish a blighted building that cannot be recovered to prepare a portion of a parcel or an entire parcel for mixed-use redevelopment that may include affordable housing. Buildings (generally entails hiring of consultants, engineers, and/or contractors) Conduct design, engineering, and/or permitting activities to address ADA accessibility requirements for public buildings and resources. Rehabilitate housing to bring an underutilized property back onto the market. Provide further subsidies to an affordable housing project to directly create affordable housing units or increase the number of affordable units in a new housing project. Infrastructure (generally entails hiring of engineers and contractors) Conduct design, engineering, permitting, and construction for road improvements, including projects that address public safety concerns, such as dangerous road conditions and/or imminent collapse of a bridge or culvert. Conduct design, engineering, and/or permitting activities to address improvements to existing water, sewer and stormwater infrastructure. Conduct design, engineering, and/or permitting activities to address construction of a new water line connection to an adjacent town or making plans to consolidate water districts for an area served only by wells. Conduct design, engineering, permitting, and construction of alternative transportation infrastructure to address ADA accessibility requirements for pedestrians and cyclists between residential and/or commercial areas. Eligibility Criteria  A municipal government, or other public entity, from any Massachusetts town that meets (based on the 2020 Census data) the definition of a Rural Community (having less than 500 persons per square mile) and/or a Small Town (having a total population of 7,000 or less persons). Other public entities may include a Public Housing Authority, Redevelopment Authority, Water/Sewer District, Economic Development Industrial Corporation, a public body created by legislative act, etc. Regional Planning Agencies may also be eligible applicants if applying on behalf of a clearly identified and eligible public entity or entities within their assigned region, with clear and evident support from those communities. Applications must be submitted by a single lead applicant. However, a lead applicant may submit a joint application in partnership with one or more other eligible applicant(s). For more information, visit EOED.

This funding opportunity provides financial support for the construction or renovation of affordable housing and services aimed at helping older adults live with dignity and independence, particularly in the Greater Boston area.

This program provides funding to Massachusetts-based clean technology startups and academic institutions for projects that advance innovations in areas like high performance buildings, clean transportation, offshore wind, and net zero grid technologies.

The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation is seeking organizations and/or projects that primarily serve the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community in Massachusetts to apply for the 2024 grantmaking cycle. Donor Name: The Boston Foundation State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/17/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Asian Community Fund at the Boston Foundation is a permanent resource designed to develop, strengthen and support Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community power in Massachusetts, to galvanize and unite the diverse ethnicities within this community, and to build a stronger advocacy voice. The Fund seeks to advocate for equal access to all aspects of their society and collaborate with other communities of color and oppressed communities to build collective strengths to overcome injustice and racism. ACF’s grantmaking approach focuses on strengthening the broader AAPI community ecosystem across Massachusetts and advancing policy and systems change. Through its grantmaking, ACF strives to catalyze new partnerships, expand the capacity of the local AAPI nonprofit and business sectors, and respond to emerging community needs. To this end, ACF encourages applicants to form cross-agency partnerships, collaborate with other communities, and mobilize multiple groups around a shared opportunity.  Funding Considerations Grants will be made for general operating support to organizations and/or projects that primarily serve the AAPI community in Massachusetts. Grants will range from $5,000 to $15,000. Applicants will be notified of funding decisions in June 2024. Funding will support the following types of work: Convening- Bringing communities together to elevate AAPI visibility, belonging, and narrative change, with a focus on advancing solidarity and partnerships. Catalyzing- Fueling new collaborations or innovations to tackle systemic gaps and opportunities facing AAPI residents in Massachusetts. Capacity Building– Expanding the reach and impact of programs that advance policy and systems change. Eligibility Criteria Applicants must be 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations based in Massachusetts or have a qualifying fiscal agent with 501(c)3 status. Applicants will be evaluated based on the organization’s mission, impact, and alignment to ACF’s goals of strengthening the broader AAPI community ecosystem and advancing systems change. Priority will be given to organizations that serve underrepresented AAPI ethnicities and geographical regions, organizations that have not previously received funding from ACF/TBF, and grassroots community organizations. Organizations receiving funding will share their experience and impact of the grant in summer 2025 via a phone call with ACF staff or a brief survey. For more information, visit The Boston Foundation.