Massachusetts Local Grants

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in New York and Massachusetts that enhance their capacity to serve young people with intellectual and learning disabilities, mental health challenges, and substance use disorders, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.

This grant provides multi-year funding to nonprofit organizations that deliver gender-specific programs and services aimed at improving the lives of at-risk women and girls in Essex County, Massachusetts.

This grant provides funding for marketing initiatives that promote events in Provincetown, particularly those that attract visitors during off-peak seasons and enhance community collaboration and diversity.

This mini-grant program provides funding to Boston residents and nonprofits for neighborhood block parties during the Halloween and fall season, promoting safe and festive community celebrations.

This program provides $5,000 to eligible Worcester-based businesses seeking certifications as Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, or Veteran-Owned through the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office.

This funding opportunity supports non-profit organizations and community groups in Nantucket that provide essential human services and substance misuse prevention and intervention programs to improve the well-being of local residents.

Mayor Michelle Wu, the Office of Human Services (OHS), and the Boston Centers for Youth & Families are pleased to announce applications are now being accepted for the Swim Safe Access Grant. Donor Name: City of Boston State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/12/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Swim Safe Boston seeks to improve water safety in Boston, address the public health threat posed by drowning, and increase access to swimming for Boston families. Drowning is the leading cause of death among children in the U.S. according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Swim lessons are one effective strategy to reduce drowning risk; some studies estimate that swim lessons can cut a child’s risk of drowning by up to 90 percent. Providing lessons that are free and easily accessible to families lowers barriers to access, especially for low-income residents.  Funding Information Total Amount Available for Grant Program: $250,000 Award Amount per Grant per Organization: Up to $49,999 Eligibility Criteria  Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria:  Applicants must be a non-profit 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. Boston Public Schools-affiliated entities are encouraged to apply.  Applicants may apply for programs that run on an ongoing basis. Funding will NOT be available for one-time events.  Programming sites must be located in the city of Boston. Only beginner level swim programs will be eligible for funding under this grant. The goal of this program is to get as many residents as possible to have basic water safety skills, so this funding is not available for intermediate or advanced-level swim classes.  Programs funded by this grant must be free for participants.  Programs must be able to demonstrate that they either operate the aquatics facility where the programming will take place or that they have a partnership with an aquatics facility that can accommodate the proposed program.  Preference will be given to programs that serve Boston residents that are predominantly made up of socially and economically disadvantaged and historically underrepresented groups or underserved markets. Swim Safe Award Recipient Requirements  If selected, the following will be required to remain in compliance:  Applicants or programs must be currently in operation or starting no later than October 1, 2024.  Award recipients will be required to attend a virtual Mandatory Award Orientation.  Award recipients must submit regular reports on program outcomes. The report format will be provided by the Mayor’s Office of Human Services. For more information, visit City of Boston.

This grant provides financial support to nonprofit organizations that offer summer programs for youth in the Greater Lawrence area, focusing on enhancing educational and developmental opportunities while addressing achievement gaps.

The RIZE Massachusetts Foundation is providing grant for people suffering from substance use disorder have access to care and experience better quality of life and overall health. Donor Name: RIZE Massachusetts Foundation State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 06/14/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 3 Years Details: The primary goal of this first round of grantmaking is to help organizations deepen their impact, scale their work, and build a strong and sustainable infrastructure. Grants will provide general operating support with a focus on capacity building. Nonprofits can use this unrestricted funding to address urgent and emerging issues, sustain operations, strengthen organizational infrastructure, or meet different operational needs.   Focus Areas The RIZE Massachusetts Foundation should be focused on prevention, harm reduction, treatment, recovery, trauma, and family support. Funding Information Depending on the organization’s size and budget. Organizations with budgets of $250,000 or less may request up to $50,000 per year or 30% of their annual operating budget, whichever is less, for three years. Organizations with budgets between $250,000 and $1 million may request up to $100,000 per year or 30% of their annual operating budget, whichever is less, for three years. Organizations with budgets ranging from $1 to $5 million may request up to $150,000 for three years. Eligibility Criteria RIZE seeks to fund nonprofit organizations that work on any aspect of the care continuum from prevention to recovery and that work with diverse communities and populations that are historically underserved and have experienced a higher rate of opioid-related overdose deaths. This includes nonprofit organizations that: Have a total annual operating budget of under $5 million. Deliver prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery programs and services in Massachusetts. Are in good standing and current on state and federal reporting requirements.  Ineligibility Fundraising pursuits Capital campaigns, endowments, or annual appeals Clinical or drug trials Support for individuals or the promulgation of religious beliefs Lobbying or legislative activity. For more information, visit RIZE.

The 2024 Youth Development Fund (YDF), launched by the City of Boston's Human Services Cabinet, is a $1.5 million grant program aimed at supporting non-profit organizations that offer high-quality, engaging programs for youth and young adults aged 14-24. The fund prioritizes initiatives aligning with Mayor Michelle Wu’s Connect, Learn, Explore commitment, aiming to increase free youth programming and provide positive outlets for youth outside school hours. Applications are open until 5:00 p.m. on August 19, 2024. This year, the fund will offer two tracks of funding: one for small, emerging organizations and another for larger, established organizations. Emerging organizations will also receive technical assistance and capacity-building support through the Emerging Organization Learning Community. Mayor Wu emphasized the importance of investing in youth programming for the community's future, while Human Services Chief José F. Massó highlighted the fund’s role in partnering with diverse youth development organizations. The program aims to foster growth in small organizations with annual budgets under $200,000 through mentorship and support, while larger organizations can receive grants up to $30,000. The 2024 YDF will focus on sports, gardening, urban farming, culinary arts, arts, and other youth development programming, supporting initiatives across all Boston neighborhoods.

This program provides financial assistance to low and moderate-income homeowners in Scituate, Massachusetts, to make essential health and safety repairs and modifications to their primary residences.

The City of Somerville’s New Small Business Vitality Grant offers up to 12 months of rental support for physical storefronts. Donor Name: City of Somerville State: Massachusetts City: Somerville Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/15/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Priority Applications During the review process, priority points will be given to: Businesses that have not received funding from the City or State previously (1 point) Businesses that are opening this storefront as a result of business displacement. Displacement is defined as: a business had to close its previous location as a result of the business storefront relocating from an “act of God” or extreme rental increase since April 2020. Documentation of rent increase from previous location required. Evaluation will be case-by-case as rent structures are varied (1 point) Immigrant-owned/women-owned/black, indigenous, people of color–owned (BIPOC)/ veteran-owned/lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQIA)-owned/disability-owned business enterprises (1 point) Businesses within a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) (1 point) Businesses with fewer than 5 full-time employees (1 point) Somerville resident-owned business enterprises  (1 point) Funding Information Funding will be up to $50,000 in rental support, covering both past and future rent expenses with a limit of 12 months. Eligibility Criteria Eligible Applicants Eligibility requirements for the New Small Business Vitality Grant include: The Business must be physically located in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Business must have opened a new storefront to the public on or after January 2023, or has leased a vacant space and is intending to open a new storefront in 2024. The Business must be a physical (brick-and-mortar) storefront; home-based businesses are not eligible. The Business must have fewer than 20 full-time employees. The Business must have a lease agreement for at least one year following the grant award. The Business must be operating in 5 or fewer locations. The Business must not meet the definition of formula retail – franchises, including independently owned locations, are not eligible for this Program. The Business must agree that if awarded, the Business will prioritize hiring local Somerville, MA residents, with a preference for low to moderate-income individuals when possible and suitable. For more information, visit City of Somerville.

The City of Boston has launched the Third Annual Community Empowerment Grants, offering a total of $500,000 to strengthen capacity and expand programming for organizations supporting men and boys across Boston’s neighborhoods. Administered by the Mayor’s Office of Black Male Advancement (BMA), these grants provide up to $20,000 per organization to enhance programs aimed at empowering Black men and boys. Applications are open now and must be submitted by January 6, 2024, at 5:00 PM. The grants focus on seven key areas: Mentoring and Out-of-School Time, Youth and Young Adult Pathways, Housing Mobility, Economic Inclusion and Wealth Building, Workforce Training and Development, Fatherhood Engagement, and Mental Health and Wellness. Programs in these areas should foster social, economic, and emotional wellbeing for men and boys, providing pathways to success in education, housing, employment, and mental health. Building on the success of prior grant cycles, this year’s initiative introduces enhanced capacity-building support through the BMA Capacity Building and Impact Institute and mentoring opportunities in collaboration with Mass Mentoring. These programs offer personalized coaching, nonprofit training, and expert resources to help grantees amplify their impact and build long-term sustainability. To further promote collaboration, the BMA will facilitate a community of practice for grantees to share insights and strategies. Eligible applicants must be Boston-based organizations with a demonstrated history of positively impacting Black men and boys. Interested organizations can attend a virtual information session on December 11, 2024, at 12:00 PM via Zoom, with registration available on the BMA website. For further questions, applicants may contact the City of Boston grants team at [email protected]. In previous cycles, $1.5 million in Community Empowerment Grants has been awarded to 115 community-based organizations. This ongoing investment aligns with the BMA's mission to create equitable opportunities and lasting change for Black men and boys across Boston. For more details on this and other grant opportunities, visit www.boston.gov/grants.

This program provides financial support to projects that enhance economic resilience, diversity, and sustainability in the Cape Cod region, targeting local organizations and initiatives focused on housing, entrepreneurship, workforce education, infrastructure, and climate resilience.

This grant provides funding for public art projects and performances by individual artists and groups based in Salem, Massachusetts, to enhance community engagement and creativity.

The Assets for Artists' 2025 Capacity-Building Cohort is a 6-month program offering a $2,000 unrestricted grant and professional development resources to emerging or mid-career artists from under-resourced communities in Northern Berkshire County, Massachusetts, aiming to strengthen their creative practice and achieve long-term sustainability.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in Massachusetts and New York that enhance their capacity to serve young individuals affected by disabilities and mental health challenges, particularly in historically marginalized communities.

SMAC Quick Support for Organizations in Minnesota provides grants of up to $2,500 for planning and small projects. The grant is available to nonprofit organizations within the eighteen counties of the SW MN Arts Council service region or on tribal lands within their service area. Applicants may choose from five project types including Art Legacy Project planning, Small arts project, Small equipment purchase, Arts organization development, and Arts organization start-up. For more information, visit Southwest Minnesota Arts Council.

City of New Bedford Enhanced Facade Improvement Program in Massachusetts offers a Facade Grant to owners and tenants of commercial properties to enhance or restore the original character of their buildings. The program aims to facilitate commercial revitalization, stimulate private investment, preserve and beautify New Bedford’s Commercial Districts, and create a pleasant walking environment. The objective is to assist in substantially beautifying the entire facade or elevation of a commercial building while promoting retail activities, encouraging neighborhood character and architectural design, and using quality materials with good design concepts. Applications prepared by tenants must be signed and submitted by the building owner.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to fire departments in Massachusetts to educate school-aged children and senior citizens about fire safety and prevention.