Massachusetts Private Grants

This grant provides financial support and coworking resources to small businesses in Massachusetts with limited revenue and staff, aiming to boost local entrepreneurship and community growth.

Community Engagement Planning Grants in Massachusetts aim to provide support to community-based organizations, municipalities, and other entities to facilitate meaningful community input in the development and deployment of solar energy projects owned by electric and gas distribution companies. The program goals include enabling informed community engagement, providing flexible funding for stakeholder meetings and public participation incentives, building capacity for future collaboration in clean energy projects, creating a framework for robust future community engagement, and facilitating discussions with diverse stakeholders.

This grant provides funding to local nonprofit organizations in the Greater New Bedford Area that demonstrate a significant impact on community needs and aim to drive meaningful change.

This grant provides funding for Massachusetts-based artists and community organizations to create public art projects that promote spatial justice and engage the public in meaningful ways.

Targeting projects led by members from historically excluded communities, this track offers specialized support including workshops and direct consultations. Focusing on equity and inclusion within Massachusetts narratives, the grant promotes projects that reinterpret recognized histories or highlight new stories. The funding, up to $20,000, supports up to 15 selected projects through a non-competitive review process, fostering equitable representation in the state’s cultural narrative. LOI April 5th

Open Door Grants are designed to support small to medium-size organizations by providing one-time $5,000 grants. These grants are available to organizations operating in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, which have operating budgets of $1 million or less as of 2023, and have been operational for at least one year. The grants can be used for either general operating support or specific project support. Eligible organizations include 501(c)(3) public charities, those with a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3), faith-based organizations providing secular services, and civic organizations engaged in charitable projects. Public, private schools, and government organizations are not eligible. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from March 20, 2024, to July 12, 2024, with decisions announced no later than August 2, 2024.

The Mass Cultural Council is offering grants of less than $1000 under its Local Cultural Council Program to support public programs that enhance the creative and cultural sector in Massachusetts, with applications open to individuals, non-profit organizations, unincorporated associations, for-profit organizations, and government entities, provided they demonstrate a public benefit from their project.

This grant provides funding for community-driven projects in New Bedford, Massachusetts, that enhance public spaces and promote cultural preservation, inclusivity, and engagement among residents and visitors.

This grant provides financial support to established livestock farmers in select New England counties to implement regenerative agriculture practices that enhance soil health, water quality, and pollinator habitats.

This grant provides funding to Massachusetts-based non-profits and organizations to expand and enhance previously funded projects that collect and share underrepresented narratives and experiences from the Commonwealth.

The Island Foundation is accepting applications for a grant program, with a deadline of 10/23/2024, aimed at supporting 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations in Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island that focus on environmental conservation, social change in New Bedford, alternative education, and addressing inequality for womxn and girls.

This funding opportunity supports grassroots community groups with limited resources to launch new environmental projects or significantly shift existing ones, focusing on those that amplify diverse voices and address environmental justice issues.

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is soliciting proposals for the Northeast Forests and Rivers Fund (NEFRF), a program dedicated to restoring and sustaining healthy rivers, forests, and grasslands to provide habitat for diverse fish and wildlife populations. This initiative aligns with NFWF's broader mission to protect and restore native wildlife species and their habitats, leveraging public and private funding to achieve significant conservation outcomes. The NEFRF, formerly known as the New England Forests and Rivers Fund, represents a strategic investment in the ecological health of the Northeast region, fostering biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. The program's target beneficiaries include various fish and wildlife populations such as river herring, Atlantic salmon, brook trout, wood turtles, golden-winged warblers, New England cottontails, and bobolinks. Beyond wildlife, the program also aims to benefit agricultural producers, particularly those in Historically Underserved and Special Emphasis categories, by helping them design and implement conservation practices. The impact goals are centered on improving habitat quality and connectivity, enhancing forest conditions, and promoting hayfield management conducive to successful grassland bird breeding. NEFRF's priorities and focuses are outlined in NFWF’s Northeast Watersheds Business Plan (March 2023), specifically targeting strategies for Stream and Riparian Habitat, and Upland Forests and Grasslands. Key implementation strategies for 2024 include restoring stream and riparian habitats, improving forest management for age and structural diversity, and promoting hayfield management. A significant portion of funding, approximately $625,000, is set aside for projects that assist agricultural producers in adopting conservation practices beneficial to target species like northeast turtles and golden-winged warblers, while also increasing Farm Bill program participation. Additionally, the program encourages projects that involve community outreach, engagement, collaborative management, and the incorporation of traditional knowledge and community input. Expected outcomes and measurable results include improved habitat for specific fish and wildlife species, enhanced age and structural diversity in forest blocks, successful grassland bird breeding, and increased participation of agricultural producers in conservation programs. Projects are expected to contribute to measurable conservation benefits through community input, co-design processes, and engagement with community-level partners (e.g., municipalities, NGOs, community organizations, community leaders) to ensure project design, implementation, maintenance, and long-term sustainability post-grant award. The grant duration is three years, with projects expected to start no later than six months after the award date. The NFWF's strategic priorities for the NEFRF reflect a theory of change that posits by investing in targeted habitat restoration, improved land management, and community engagement, ecological health will be restored and sustained, benefiting both wildlife and human communities. Funding is provided by a consortium of partners including the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Zoetis Foundation, and Sylvamo, underscoring a collaborative approach to conservation. The program encourages a holistic view of conservation, integrating scientific best practices with local community needs and traditional knowledge to achieve robust and lasting environmental improvements across Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, and parts of New York.

The Grow grant program, offered by the Grassroots Fund, is designed to support groups with existing project implementation experience in their communities. The program aligns with the Grassroots Fund's broad interpretation of "environment," funding a wide range of activities focused on local, grassroots work. The mission is to deepen community work by fostering vision development, increasing participation, identifying new stakeholders, and incorporating diverse voices and lived experiences into decision-making processes. Target beneficiaries for the Grow grant program are community-based, local initiatives, specifically those operating in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. The program emphasizes supporting groups that represent a broad range of community voices and are not currently being reached by other funders. The overarching impact goal is to strengthen community-led efforts and ensure that decision-making processes are inclusive and reflective of various perspectives. The program prioritizes volunteer-driven groups or those with no more than two full-time paid staff (80 hours/week combined) and an approximate annual operating budget under $100,000. These priorities underscore the fund's strategic focus on supporting smaller, community-rooted organizations that may have limited access to other funding sources. The Grassroots Fund's theory of change appears to be centered on empowering local groups to drive community development and foster more equitable and participatory processes. Expected outcomes include communities with further developed visions, reduced barriers to participation, engagement of new stakeholders, and increased integration of diverse voices and lived experiences in core decision-making. While specific measurable results are not explicitly detailed beyond these outcomes, the emphasis on "deepening their work" and "bringing more voices" suggests qualitative and potentially quantitative shifts in community engagement and project effectiveness. The grant size ranges from $1,000 to $4,000, providing crucial financial support to these initiatives. It's important to note that the fund does not support individuals, national or international work, lobbying, partisan political activity, land/building acquisition, studies without follow-up, publication of books/reports, micro/re-granting programs, or retroactive expenses. This clear outline of what is not supported further defines the strategic priorities of the Grassroots Fund, ensuring that grants are directed towards community-level, action-oriented initiatives that align with their mission of fostering grassroots environmental and social change.

The Greylock ABC Fund, managed by the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, invites applications for grants ranging from $1000 to $10,000 to support educational development projects for students of color and/or low socioeconomic status in pre-K through 12 in Northern Berkshire County and Pittsfield, with a focus on multicultural education, academic preparation, child development, tutoring, mentoring, and college preparation.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to Massachusetts-based organizations that help early-stage climatetech startups grow and innovate, covering various operational and developmental expenses.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to local nonprofits and community organizations working to improve health outcomes and address disparities in mental health, financial stability, and access to healthcare for residents in the Emerson Health service area.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in select U.S. markets that focus on youth education, storytelling, and community engagement initiatives.

The Middlesex Savings Bank Social Service Grant Program is designed to support projects and programs that address critical social needs within the communities served by the bank. While the provided text details the grant program's specific focus areas and eligibility, it does not explicitly outline the Middlesex Savings Charitable Foundation's broader mission or strategic priorities. However, by funding initiatives related to shelter, hunger security, clothing and basic needs, and support for veterans and first responders, the program implicitly aligns with a mission to foster community well-being and alleviate hardship for vulnerable populations. This grant program is a key component of the bank's community engagement, demonstrating a commitment to addressing fundamental social challenges at a local level. The primary beneficiaries of this grant program are low- and moderate-income individuals and vulnerable populations, including the homeless, those experiencing food insecurity, and veterans and first responders. The impact goals are to improve access to stable housing, ensure food security, provide essential clothing and hygiene products, and enhance the physical and mental well-being of veterans and first responders. Through these targeted interventions, the program aims to create more resilient and supportive communities where basic needs are met and critical support systems are in place for those who need them most. The program's priorities and focus areas are clearly defined: Shelter (affordable housing, homebuyer education, foreclosure prevention, housing for the homeless, emergency home repairs), Hunger Security (food provision for low-income and vulnerable populations, with a note that food pantries must request funding for a program or initiative, not just food purchase), Clothing and Basic Needs (provision of clothing and personal hygiene products), and Veterans & First Responders (projects benefiting their physical and mental well-being). This structured approach ensures that funding is directed towards specific, high-impact areas that align with the bank's community support objectives. While the description does not explicitly state "expected outcomes" or "measurable results" with specific metrics, it implies that successful programs will lead to improved living conditions, reduced hunger, increased access to basic necessities, and better support for veterans and first responders within the designated geographic areas. The "Funding Information" indicates that grant requests are considered up to $20,000, suggesting that the foundation seeks to achieve tangible, localized impact through these investments. The emphasis on programs and initiatives, particularly for food pantries, further suggests an interest in sustainable solutions over one-off aid. The foundation's strategic priorities, as inferred from the grant details, revolve around direct community investment in social welfare. Its "theory of change" appears to be that by strategically funding nonprofit organizations working in key social service areas, it can directly contribute to improving the quality of life for vulnerable residents in the communities it serves. The requirement for applicants to be nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations further reinforces a commitment to working with established, accountable entities capable of delivering effective programs. The explicit exclusions of political or sectarian activities and organizations using fiscal agents highlight a focus on direct, non-partisan, and transparent charitable impact.

This funding opportunity provides financial support to independent Federally Qualified Health Centers in Eastern Massachusetts to establish new residency programs for Family Nurse Practitioners, enhancing primary care access in communities with low life expectancy.