When Basketball was invented in 1891, who sank the first shot, and where did it take place? It was none other than James Naismith in his hometown of Springfield. When looking to raise funds for your nonprofit organization, you can score big time with grants from lots of places, but where do you start looking for one? Right here! Check out our list of Massachusetts State Funding Sources below for the top giving foundations and corporations that provide grants within the state.
Okay, now that you’ve left courtside and stepped into the game, what’s your next move? It’s time to examine the list carefully for specific funders who support your type of organization and learn how to approach them. That can seem complicated at times, but we’re here to help!
We have top-notch trainers and coaches around the country providing fast-paced and inspiring workshops designed to guide you in developing those skills and in writing exceptional grant proposals. Our 5-day Grantsmanship Training Program is our keystone workshop. Check the listing below for training in Massachusetts or click here to see our schedule.
Can’t attend a training in person? No problem! Just click here on “Read more” for additional online training resources along with three important steps to develop your new, game-winning strategy.
Below are links to elected officials, funding sources and other useful agencies for grant-seeking groups in Massachusetts. Please let us know about others that you feel would be helpful so that we can continue to improve this listing. Thanks!
Government Offices:
Governor Maura Healy - (617) 725-4005, Boston
Senator Elizabeth Warren - (202) 224-4543, Washington, DC
Senator Ed Markey - (202) 224-2742, Washington, DC
Attorney General Joy Campbell - (617) 727-2200, Boston
The A.G. is an advocate and resource for the people of Massachusetts in many ways, including protecting consumers, combating fraud and corruption, investigating and prosecuting crime, and protecting the environment, workers, and civil rights. Click on here on Grant Opportunities for their list of current offerings.
If you’d like to contact your other elected officials, click here on Federal and State Elected Officials.
The Mass Cultural Council is a state agency that promotes excellence, inclusion, education, and diversity in the arts, humanities, and sciences to foster a rich cultural life for all Massachusetts residents and contributes to the vitality of our communities and economy. The Council pursues this mission through a wide range of grants, initiatives, and advocacy for artists, communities, organizations, and schools.
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is committed to preparing all students for success after high school. The Department's work includes licensing educators, distributing state and federal education money, helping districts implement learning standards, overseeing statewide standardized tests, monitoring schools and districts, and convening districts and individuals to share best practices. Click here for Current Grant Funding Opportunities.
Nonprofit Services:
Association of Fundraising Professionals - Massachusetts - Based in Waltham, AFP-MA connects colleagues around the state to share creative thinking, important updates and networking to help one another build funding skills to benefit their nonprofit clients. Membership Benefits include an Online Career Center, where you can post or search for jobs; regular events like Monthly Breakfast Meetings and Fundraising Basics Courses at a discounted price; Access to AFP's Fundraising Resource Center, including the online Fundraising Survival Kit; and AFP's weekly eWire and bi-monthly Advancing Philanthropy magazine to keep you up to date on the latest trends.
Lawyers Clearinghouse - LC connects Massachusetts nonprofits with pro bono lawyers and also host legal workshops for nonprofits through the following programs:
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network - MNN is the voice of the nonprofit sector, a statewide organization that brings together all parts of the nonprofit ecosystem — nonprofits, funders, community and business leaders, and elected officials — to strengthen nonprofits and raise the sector’s voice on critical issues. MNN understands that strong nonprofits build strong communities. It is MNN’s mission to strengthen the nonprofit community through advocacy, public awareness, and capacity building.
Mass Nonprofit News - News and information about the nonprofit sector in Massachusetts, including job openings, grant announcements and opportunities, links to technology and support vendors, etc.
Massachusetts Service Alliance - MSA is a private, nonprofit organization that serves as the state commission on service and volunteerism. Through funding and coordination of services, they are committed to increasing the number of people engaged in meaningful volunteer opportunities across Massachusetts that are both fulfilling for the volunteers and that meet critical needs in our community. Programs include Americorps, Commonwealth Corps, the Youth Development Volunteer Initiative and National Days of Service.
Philanthropy MA - PMA bridges the nonprofit and grantmaking communities by giving access to research and information to support your fund development program, providing professional development and networking opportunities for nonprofit staff members, and giving your nonprofit organization more visibility among and access to grant makers. Connect with over 1,900 Foundations and 500 Nonprofit Partners in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Planned Giving Group of New England - PGGNE is an association of charitable gift planning professionals representing the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. They host monthly meetings with networking opportunities and an All-Day Conference, as well as offer an array of benefits to its members including an experience driven mentoring program.
Women in Development of Greater Boston - WID is a membership organization dedicated to the education and support of advancement professionals through an offering of various programs and services as well as opportunities for volunteer involvement. Members help one another develop and improve their professional skills, share information about employment opportunities, and foster a climate that promotes professional achievement.
Massachusetts Community Foundations
Have you checked out any of the local Community Foundations in Massachusetts? Each one is entirely unique, but their general goal is to provide funding and other services to nonprofits, schools, artists, churches and other groups through their own endowments and through their donor advised funds. Click here on Community Foundations - MA to see a list of them and the geographic areas they serve, or simply click on the specific Foundation names below.
Want to learn more about Community Foundations before approaching your nearest one for funding, or to learn about their other offerings? Click here on What’s a Community Foundation? Remember, research and insights are a real boost to successful Letter of Intent (LOI) and proposal writing.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation - Provides essential funding for programs in education, health care, basic human needs, the arts, the environment and more.
The Boston Foundation - Beyond its proactive grant making to nonprofits in strategic focus areas and responsive grants of approximately $2 million annually to Open Door applicants, TBF supports nonprofits with networking opportunities, introductions to donors, public events and workshops, as well as free use of office space for meetings.
Brookline Community Foundation - Spotlights community needs, inspires philanthropy, and awards strategic grants that create a more vibrant, engaged and equitable Brookline. To support this mission, BCF seeks grant proposals that demonstrate creative and strategic thinking, leverage partnerships and resources and address community needs.
Cambridge Community Foundation - Provides Community Fund discretionary grants of varying amounts, Culture and Recreation grants, and Invitation-Only grants. Details are available here: Cambridge Foundation Grantmaking.
Cape Cod Foundation - Today, CCF manages more than 250 individual charitable funds, no two of which are exactly alike in their purpose. Many are set up by donors to address a specific problem or area of concern or to address evolving challenges. As the Cape Cod community changes, the Foundation redirects its programs to respond to those changes. At all times, the Cape Cod Foundation is dedicated to addressing the issues that are of the greatest importance to the people of Cape Cod.
Community Foundation for Nantucket - CFN serves the community through its four-point mission: As a Specific Steward – by creating and managing funds to ensure a legacy for charitable solutions; as a Grant Maker – by awarding grants through the Nantucket Fund™ and donor-directed funds that respond to pressing needs; as a Charitable Resource – by maintaining in-depth knowledge of the nonprofit sector, and by providing resources for donors, nonprofits, and the community; and as a Catalyst – by mobilizing community leadership to affect collaborative solutions for Nantucket’s most critical issues.
Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts - For potential donors, the Foundation provides flexible giving options that enable and simplify the achievement of their significant current and permanent charitable goals. Combined with the Foundation’s deep knowledge of its region, community leadership, strategic collaboration and effective grantmaking, CFNCM provides education, guidance and resources to strengthen and improve its local communities.
Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts - The Foundation offers donors, both individuals and organizations, great flexibility in fulfilling their philanthropic goals. Individuals, families, businesses, and organizations create permanent charitable funds that help their region meet the challenges of changing times. The Foundation invests and administers these funds, with assets pooled for investment purposes. Individual funds in turn make grants benefiting charitable organizations in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts - CFWM administers a charitable endowment consisting of nearly 600 separately identified funds ($121 million) serving the three counties bordering the Connecticut River in western Massachusetts (Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties). To learn more about the work of the Community Foundation, peruse their Annual Report. Or, check out the Funds of the Community Foundation or its Contributors. Also, view this video about the Foundation.
Essex County Community Foundation - ECCF’s mission is to promote philanthropy in Essex County by managing charitable funds for donors, providing grants and services to nonprofit organizations, and engaging in community leadership initiatives. The Foundation’s ultimate goal is to improve the quality of life in the 34 towns and cities of Essex County.
Foundation for MetroWest - FFMW connects philanthropic opportunity with demonstrated need by serving as a resource, leader, and catalyst for philanthropy, connecting donors with nonprofits, and nonprofits with each other across the region. Grants are provided in four key areas – family support, arts and culture, environment, and youth development. In addition, monthly capacity-building trainings and seminars are provided free of charge to nonprofit board and staff members.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation - GLCF provides leadership, education and financial support through its vast donor network to effectively address social, educational, economic, environmental and cultural needs of its local communities. They are the leading charitable organization in the Greater Lowell/Merrimack Valley area providing these critical services to support regional nonprofit organizations, community groups and area students through academic scholarships and charitable foundations.
Greater Worcester Community Foundation - In collaboration with partners in the nonprofit, public and business sectors, GWCF brings people and resources together to help the region meet pressing and long-term needs and prepare for the future.
Note to grantseekers: GWCF offers an excellent blog explaining in detail their grantmaking requirements:
Looking Under the Hood of GWCF Granting. Talk about gaining insights into a potential funder!
United Ways Of Massachusetts
All United Way organizations around the country are dedicated to supporting projects within the four main areas of Health, Education, Financial Stability and Disaster Recovery of Individuals. While they share this common focus, each UW chapter also provides funding and support for programs customized to the needs of its home area. To find out more about a specific UW and its resources and nonprofit funding opportunities, please click on the links below:
BERKSHIRE UNITED WAY - Pittsfield
CAPE AND ISLANDS UNITED WAY, INC. - Centerville
COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS UNITED WAYS - Worcester
NORTHERN BERKSHIRE UNITED WAY - North Adams
UNITED WAY OF ACTON-BOXBOROUGH - Acton
UNITED WAY OF CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS - Worcester
UNITED WAY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY, INC. - Greenfield
UNITED WAY OF GREATER FALL RIVER, INC. - Fall River
UNITED WAY OF GREATER NEW BEDFORD - New Bedford
UNITED WAY OF GREATER PLYMOUTH COUNTY - Brockton
UNITED WAY OF HAMPSHIRE COUNTY - Northampton
UNITED WAY OF MASSACHUSETTS BAY AND MERRIMACK VALLEY - Boston
UNITED WAY OF NORTH CENTRAL MASS., INC. - Fitchburg
UNITED WAY OF PIONEER VALLEY - Springfield
UNITED WAY OF SOUTHBRIDGE, STURBRIDGE AND CHARLTON, INC. - Southbridge
UNITED WAY OF TRI-COUNTY, INC. - Framingham
UNITED WAY OF WEBSTER AND DUDLEY, INC. - Webster
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