Foundations that fund environmental groups in Massachusetts
These 25 foundations made grants to environmental groups in Massachusetts in the most recent IRS filing I have for each. None of them ticked the box for giving only to preselected organizations, and each filing gives application instructions or a website. That doesn't prove a foundation takes applications, and some on this list may not. The text below is copied from the filings, most of them for tax year 2024, so check a foundation's website or call before you apply.
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Fidelity Foundation
- $630,000 to Mystic River Watershed Association Inc, Arlington: Salary support
- $530,000 to The Trustees of Reservations, Boston: Acquisition for preservation
- $500,000 to Charles River Watershed Association Inc, Boston: Property care; buildings; renovation
How to apply: Https://www.fidelityfoundation.org/applying-and-reporting/letter-of-inquiry/
Restrictions: Http://www.fidelityfoundation.org/grantmaking-guidelines/
Fields Pond Foundation Inc
- $25,000 to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Athol: Toward permanent protection of four parcels of the hawes hill conservation corridor...
- $25,000 to Trustees of Reservations, Boston: Toward the permanent protection of 160 acres expanding bartholomew's cobble, a national...
- $15,000 to Essex County Greenbelt Association Inc, Essex: Toward permanent protection of evergreen farm, 32 acres with rare species habitat,...
How to apply: *we are pleased to accept proposals prepared under the philanthropy ma common grant application format. Other full proposals need not be more than three or four pages long, plus attachments but should include the following:*concise description of the purpose for which the grant...
Deadlines: Proposals and concept papers may be submitted at any time
Restrictions: The expected range of grants is $500 to $25,000 with most grants falling within the range of $5,000 to $15,000. The foundation is willing to consider multiple-year grants. As a normal practice, the foundation is unlikely to make the...
Liberty Mutual Foundation Inc
- $300,000 to New Ecology Inc, Boston: Capacity building for key decision-makers
- $225,000 to New Ecology Inc, Boston: Decarbonization planning and a unique approach to scaling
- $150,000 to Cathleen Stone Island Outward Bound School, Boston: Cathleen stone island environmental education programs: building a pathway to stem and...
How to apply: Only online applications are accepted. Visit www.libertymutualfoundation.org to apply online.
Deadlines: There are no submission deadlines. Liberty mutual foundation has rolling reviews of applications.
Restrictions: Liberty mutual foundation does not provide philanthropic support for: individuals; foundations that are primarily grantmaking agencies; religious organizations requesting funds for sectarian activities; fraternal, social or political...
Island Foundation Inc
- $25,000 to North American Marine Alliance, Gloucester: General support
- $20,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: Build community power for environmental justice
- $20,000 to Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts Inc, Barnstable: Southeastern massachusetts open space leadership
How to apply: Applying is a two-step process - a letter of inquiry or phone call and sending the foundation a full proposal. Include with letter of inquiry a description of the project, or call the foundation to discuss the project idea. Include with the proposal a cover letter that specifies...
Deadlines: Due march 1st, june 1st, september 1st, december 1st for funds to be distributed the following month
Restrictions: The foundation does not support requests from individuals, religious organizations or for profit organizations.
The Schmidt Family Foundation
- $250,000 to Clean Air Task Force Inc, Boston: Advancing sustainable materials
- $125,000 to North American Marine Alliance Inc, Gloucester: Working towards a resilient and equitable food system
- $104,000 to Boston Harbor Now, Boston: Ocean stewardship and research
How to apply: Online process, please see details at the websites: https://tsffoundation.org/ https://www.schmidtmarine.org/
Deadlines: Online process, please see details at: https://tsffoundation.org/. Https://www.schmidtmarine.org/
Restrictions: Online process, please see details at the websites: https://tsffoundation.org/ https://www.schmidtmarine.org/
Mutual Bancorp Foundation Inc Fka Cape Cod 5 Foundation Inc
- $20,000 to Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative Inc, Yarmouthport: Masshcic all-stars 2024
- $10,000 to Association To Preserve Cape Cod Inc, Dennis: Pond health program
- $5,000 to Chatham Conservation Foundation, Chatham: Website, signage and trail map update
How to apply: Cape cod five and its foundation have an online application process which can be found at: https://www.capecodfive.com/community-support-applications. This process allows applicants to submit a robust application,including pictures and video content, to tell their story beyond...
Restrictions: Must be over $250, must be publicly supported type entity
Hermann Foundation Inc C/O Maryann Copeland Treasurer
- $175,000 to The 300 Committee Land Trust, Falmouth: Enable donee to continue exempt function
- $100,000 to Center for Coastal Studies, Provincetown: Enable donee to continue exempt function
- $50,000 to Association To Preserve Cape Cod, Dennis: Enable donee to continue exempt function
How to apply: By letter
Restrictions: Must be a section 501(c)(3) public charity
Merck Family Fund
- $50,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: Advancing state-based decarbonization strategies
- $35,000 to Regional Environmental Council Inc, Worcester: Youth gardening
- $35,000 to Greenroots, Chelsea: General support
How to apply: Step 1 - letter of inquiry using the online application; step 2 - full proposal using the online application system
Deadlines: February 1 and august 1
Restrictions: Grants made only to organizations that are tax exempt
Bafflin Foundation
- $50,000 to Sudbury Valley Trustees, Sudbury: Land conservation
- $50,000 to Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust, Athol: Land conservation
- $30,000 to The Andover Village Improvement Society, Andover: Land conservation
How to apply: No special form.
Deadlines: None.
Restrictions: Current primary charitable fields include art museums and the preservation of land and wildlife.
The Sudbury Foundation
- $40,000 to Regional Environmental Council, Worcester: Farm & local food
- $40,000 to Oars, Concord: Sudbury
- $20,000 to Massachusetts Audubon Society Inc, Lincoln: Children, youth & families
How to apply: Application forms are available on our website www.sudburyfoundation.org under the grant programs tab.
Deadlines: Please refer to our website www.sudburyfoundation.org under the grant programs tab.
Restrictions: Please refer to our website www.sudburyfoundation.org under the grant programs tab.
Fleischmann Foundation
- $13,000 to Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln: General charitable purposes
- $6,000 to Kestrel Land Trust, Amherst: General charitable purposes
- $2,000 to Chatham Conservation Foundation, Chatham: General charitable purposes
How to apply: Description of organization, mission statement, proof of tax exemption, statement concerning purpose & use of grant.
Restrictions: Charitable organizations
Park Foundation Inc
- $70,000 to Ceres Inc, Boston: Project support
- $50,000 to Conservation Law Foundation Inc, Boston: Project support
- $30,000 to Climate Finance Action, Boston: Project support
How to apply: Written request identifying organzation and purpose of funds
Deadlines: Quarterly deadlines - vary year to year date is first friday of every quarter
Edwin S Webster Foundation C/O Gma Foundations
- $25,000 to The Trustees of Reservations, Boston: General operating support
- $20,000 to Manomet Inc, Manomet: General operating support
- $20,000 to Kestrel Land Trust, Amherst: General operating support
How to apply: Applications should be submitted online at www.grantinterface.com/home/logon?urlkey=gma. Applicants should include a budget template, most recent audit, list of board of directors, history and mission of the organization, brief description of current programs, annual budget,...
Deadlines: May 1st & nov 1st of each year
Restrictions: No grants are made outside the united states, or to individuals. Generally, the foundation confines its grants primarily to the new england area. Organizations funded by the edwin s. Webster foundation must be tax exempt under section...
William E Schrafft and Bertha E Schrafft Charitable Trust
- $25,000 to Citysprouts Inc, Cambridge: Operating
- $25,000 to Mystic River Watershed Association, Arlington: Mission Safe Success Coaching
- $15,000 to Mattapoisett Land Trust, Mattapoisett: Operating
How to apply: Please see www.schrafftcharitable.org
Restrictions: Generally must be a Massachusetts tax exempt organization in existance for at least three years
The Peter and Elizabeth C Tower Foundation
- $25,000 to Massachusetts Audubon Society Inc, Licoln: Charitable
- $15,000 to Sassafras Earth Education, Aquinnah: Charitable
- $1,000 to Trustees of Reservations, Vineyard Haven: Charitable
How to apply: Submit letter of inquiry regarding program/project that qualifies, per grant guidelines on website. If proposal is selected for consideration, a full grant application must be completed. Grant applications are by request only and must be submitted directly to the foundation. The...
Deadlines: Applications due 1/24/24, 2/7/24, 5/22/24, 8/7/24 and 10/9/24.
Restrictions: Four distinct funding categories: learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, mental health and substance use disorder. Each category has its own objective, target population, and funding priorities. Awards may not be used for the...
The Fine Fund C/O Ffc Capital Corporation
- $10,000 to Orion Society, Great Barrington: General operations
- $10,000 to Orion Society, Great Barrington: General operations
- $2,500 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: Slingshot
How to apply: Letter of inquiry
Restrictions: Geographical area: boston charitable fields: environmental, visual arts
Ploughshares Foundation
- $8,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: Protecting the peoples harbor and for saving atlantic cod
- $6,000 to Better Future Project, Cambridge: 35o mass
- $4,000 to Charles River Conservancy, Cambridge: General
How to apply: All applications must be in written form. They must include a description of the organization which is submitting the application, the grant amount(s) requested by such organization and the use which the submitting organization intends to make of any grant(s) that may be...
Deadlines: No
Restrictions: No
Ciccolo Family Foundation Inc
- $10,000 to Just Zero, Sturbridge: General purpose
- $5,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: General purpose
- $5,000 to Trustees for Reservations, Beverly: General purpose
How to apply: Letter request with supporting documentation and tax status
The Fletcher Foundation
- $410,000 to Regional Environmental Council Inc, Worcester: Grants
- $105,000 to Greater Worcester Land Trust, Worcester: Grants
- $5,000 to Canal District Alliance, Worcester: Grants
How to apply: See footnotes for details
Deadlines: See footnotes for details
Restrictions: See footnotes for details
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
- $436,719 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: 77500 expanding and sustaining the healthy neighborhoods study and healthy neighborhoods...
- $50,000 to Ceres, Boston: 82549 supporting the 2025 global sustainable insurance summit
- $25,000 to Clean Production Action, Somerville: 81031 supporting the cancer free economy network in continuing shared learning on how a...
How to apply: Most of rwjf's grants are made through targeted grant programs and funding partnerships. Rwjf's funding priorities and calls for proposals are described on www.rwjf.org.
Deadlines: No deadlines, except when foundation issues a call for proposal (cfp) or request for proposal (rfp).
Restrictions: Rwjf is dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime and pave the way, together, to a future where health is no longer a privilege, but a right. We are a national philanthropy that advances transformative systems...
Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation
- $150,000 to Conservation Law Foundation, Boston: General support
- $60,000 to Trustees of Reservations, Boston: General support
- $30,000 to Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Wellesley: General support
How to apply: No special requirements
Deadlines: October 1st
Restrictions: Massachusetts area
Geoffrey C Hughes Foundation Inc
- $100,000 to Berkshire Community Land Trust, Gt Barrington: River Run Farm Project
- $100,000 to Berkshire Natural Resources, Lenox: General & Unrestricted
- $10,000 to Berkshire Environmental Action Team Inc, Pittsfield: General & Unrestricted
How to apply: A letter of inquiry stating the purpose and the amount requested and the tax-exempt status of the applicant organization should be submitted via e-mail to the president of the foundation at the e-mail address indicated: strowbridge@foundationsource.com
Restrictions: There are no restrictions on awards. The foundation concentrates on environmental protection, education and social justice.
Claneil Foundation Inc
- $55,000 to North American Marine Alliance, Gloucester: General operating
- $55,000 to Center for Ecotechnology Inc, Pittsfield: General operating
- $1,500 to Harvard Conservation Trust, Harvard: General operating
How to apply: All requests must be submitted online, and through the foundation's online portal. The submission requirements vary. In general the following should be included: mission statement, a request description, an organizational budget, list of board members and their affiliation,...
Deadlines: Letters of intent: june 1 & december 1; proposals: march 1 & august 15.
Restrictions: Limitations: giving to mid-atlantic and new england regions. No int'l funding, support for religion-based programs or lobbying. Program areas: community fund: 3-year operating grants to orgs. On an annually rotating schedule of issues...
Towards Sustainability Foundation C/O Charles P Nelson Jr Cambridge Trust
- $25,000 to Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln: General Purposes
- $20,000 to Gulf of Maine Institute, West Newbury: General Purposes
- $20,000 to Lloyd Center for the Environment, Dartmouth: Environmental Science Education Programs
How to apply: A cover letter making request of grant, specifics of how the grant will be used by the solicitor, and how that use will tend to promote the Organization's purpose as described in subparagraph d of this Part, along with the solicitor's most current financial statement, the...
Deadlines: August 15 for consideration of grant for the Organization's fiscal year ending September 30.
Restrictions: Towards Sustainability Foundation ("TSF") intends to provide financial support only to 501(c)(3) public charities which help promote the efficient use of the earth's natural resources and human capital towards a balanced carrying capacity...
Harken Foundation
- $30,000 to The 300 Committee Land Trust, Falmouth: Final contrib #2 pledge
- $24,091 to Gulf of Maine Institute, West Newbury: General
- $1,000 to Association To Preserve Cape Cod, Dennis: General
How to apply: There is no standard submission form. A letter requesting a contribution is sufficient.
Restrictions: Organizations must be educational, religious or charitable as defined under irc sec 501(c)(3).
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