Department of Youth Services grants: Both due July 30, 2010
Bridging the Opportunity Gap grant - The Commonwealth Corporation invites proposals from youth-serving organizations to undertake activities that create opportunities for effective career readiness that provide "bridges" to employment services for youth in the custody of the Department of Youth Services. Proposals will be considered that focus on the design and delivery of innovative and high quality career readiness, vocational, and employment-related training services that prepare youth in the re-entry phase of their DYS commitment. Click here for more information.

Community Re-Entry grant - The Commonwealth Corporation invites proposals from youth-serving organizations to undertake activities that provide innovative programming that integrates a variety of opportunities for youth that build pro-social behaviors, engage youth in creative and productive activities, and support and enhance education and employment skill development while they are in the custody of the Department of Youth Services. Click here for more information.

Roots Cause Social Innovation Forum: Due Aug. 5, 2010
The Social Innovation Forum provides a unique opportunity for innovative nonprofit organizations to gain visibility, expand their networks, and build capacity. This year, the Social Innovation Forum has once again partnered with leading local funders to feature organizations in five social issue tracks. Through this five-track framework, we aim to identify true Social Innovators, nonprofits that are generating effective, enduring solutions to social problems that impact communities in greater Boston.
Benefits to Chosen Social Innovators. We will select one Social Innovator for each of our social issue tracks. The chosen Social Innovators will present their social impact models to leaders from Boston’s public, private, and nonprofit sectors at the Social Innovation Forum’s Showcase event on Thursday, May 5th, 2011. In addition, each Social Innovator will receive:

• $10,000 from the sponsoring Track Partner with an additional $5,000 the following year upon completion of the key measures process
• Support over the course of one year that includes consulting, coaching and in-kind services valued at $100,000

For information about the five tracks and how to apply, click here.

National Endowment for the Arts Access to Artistic Excellence Grants: Due August 12, 2010
The National Endowment for the Arts will provide support for a wide array of artistic creativity, including dance, literature, music, and more, that will preserve diverse cultural heritage and make the arts more widely available in communities throughout the country. Applicants must select one of the following disciplines that is most appropriate to the project: artist communities; dance; design; folk and traditional arts; literature; local arts agencies; media arts; museums; music; musical theater; opera; presenting; theater; and visual arts. Access to Artistic Excellence supports projects for children and youth where the focus is exposure to or appreciation of the arts, whether activities take place in school, after school, during the summer, or in community settings. To apply, click here.

Citizens Bank Foundation: Next deadline July 16, 2010
Each quarter, Citizens Bank focuses on a specific social concern and chooses a community organization as a Champion in Action. Each Champion in Action receives a grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation, as well as coverage from NECN, including public service announcements and television profiles; volunteer support from Citizens Bank and NECN; public relations support; and promotional support, including advertising in Citizens Bank branches, on Citizens Bank ATMs, on the website, and the NECN website. Click here for more information.

Wal-Mart State Giving Program: Next deadline Aug. 20, 2010
The Wal-Mart Foundation has four areas of focus: education, workforce development/economic opportunity, health and wellness, and environmental sustainability. For more information, visit http://walmartstores.com/CommunityGiving.

Cabot Family Charitable Trust: Next deadline Sept. 1, 2010
The Cabot Family Charitable Trust makes grant awards to nonprofit organizations working in the arts and culture, education and youth development, environment and conservation, health and human services, and for the public benefit. The trust provides funding for general support, as well as for specific programs and activities and capital campaigns. For more information, visit www.cabwel.com.

Paul and Edith Babson Foundation: Next deadline Sept. 9, 2010
The areas for funding consideration include: entrepreneurship and economic development; culture, education and leadership development; and environment and community building. For more information, visit http://www.babsonfoundations.org/peguidelines.htm.

BJ's Charitable Foundation: Next deadline Oct. 8, 2010
The mission of BJ’s Charitable Foundation is to enhance and enrich community programs that primarily benefit children and families. The majority of BJ’s Charitable Foundation giving is focused on organizations that:

• Promote the safety, security and well-being of children and families;
• Support education and health programs;
• Provide community service opportunities; and
• Aid in hunger and disaster relief.

To apply, click here.

Verizon Foundation: Next funding cycle Jan. 1 - Oct. 31, 2010
The Verizon Foundation supports programs that address the following focus areas:

• education
• literacy
• domestic violence prevention, and
• technology for healthcare and healthcare accessibility

To apply, click here.

CVS Caremark Community Grants: Next deadline Oct. 31, 2010
The CVS Caremark Community Grants program has three priority areas: children with disabilities; public schools offering inclusive academic or enrichment activities for children of all abilities; and health care for the uninsured. CVS awards funds to nonprofit organizations for programs targeting children with disabilities, programs focusing on health and rehabilitation services, public schools promoting a greater level of inclusion in student activities and extracurricular programs, and initiatives that give greater access to physical movement and play. In addition, the company makes some contributions to organizations that provide uninsured individuals with needed care, in particular programs where the care received is of higher quality and delivered by providers who participate in accountable community health care programs. For more information, click here.

Palm Foundation Cash Grant: Next deadline Dec. 1, 2010
The Palm Foundation will make cash grants to non-profit organizations that focus on issues directly related to the education of youth at risk—particularly those that have also submitted applications to the Palm Foundation for product donations and anticipate the need for financial assistance to support their product-donation proposals. In additions, preference will be given to organizations with a strong underserved outreach component. The Foundation is particularly interested in supporting the following organizations and programs:

1. Magnet and alternative schools and/or programs/organizations/institutions serving disadvantaged youth; and
2. Projects that assist children with special education needs (e.g. autism, cognitive disabilities) and programs that support student progress (e.g. the development and implementation of individualized education plans for children in foster care).

For more information, click here.

Yawkey Foundations Scholars Program: Next deadline Feb. 2011
The Yawkey Scholars Program is a need-based, college scholarship program for students with unique life circumstances who participated in a sustained mentoring relationship during high school. There are several requirements for this scholarship - most notably a student must live in and graduate from a high school in one of the following counties: Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Essex, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, or Worcester. For more info, click here.

Bank of America Philanthropic Management: Deadlines vary
Separate from the funding Bank of America gives through its corporate Foundation, Bank of America Philanthropic Management serves as trustee, co-trustee or agent to a wide variety of discretionary charitable foundations. These foundations' donors have granted Bank of America the authority to design their grantmaking programs and carry out the philanthropic mission of the foundations. For a complete listing of these nearly 100 foundations, as well as detailed information about the grant making focus of each, go to https://www.bankofamerica.com/philanthropic.

Mabel Louise Riley Foundation: Deadlines quarterly
The Foundation's current priorities include:

• Education and social services for disadvantaged children and adolescents.
• Community development that will benefit low-income and minority neighborhoods, including job development and training, housing, historic preservation, the urban environment, and the arts.
• Citywide efforts in Boston and vicinity that will produce cultural improvements and benefits.
• Grants that, despite some risk, offer a potential of high impact or significant new benefits for a community. The Foundation is especially interested in leveraging its grants by funding a new program that can become self-sufficient or may serve as models for other areas.
• Preschool reading programs.
• Improvement of race relations and safety issues.

For more information, visit www.rileyfoundation.com

Build a Bear Workshop Foundation: Deadlines rolling
The Build-A-Bear Workshop Foundation is committed to improving communities and impacting lives through unique philanthropic programs that help children and families, animals, and the environment. The foundation will make grants to qualified non-profit organizations in support of children's health and wellness, animals and the environment, and literacy and education. For more information, click here.

Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation: Deadlines rolling
The Foundation supports local organizations that provide basic human services to residents of eastern Massachusetts. Grant recipients generally provide services in the following areas: affordable housing, homelessness prevention, job readiness, family and children, human services, and community healthcare. The foundation accepts two types of grant requests: Community Grants and Partnership Grants. For more information, click here.

Lego Children's Fund: Deadlines throughout the year
The LEGO Children’s Fund will provide quarterly grants for programs, either in part or in total, with a special interest paid to collaborative efforts and to providing matching funds that leverage new dollars into the receiving organization. The foundation awards grants to organizations, including educational organizations with specific, identifiable needs primarily in these areas of support: early childhood education and development; technology and communication projects that advance learning opportunities; and sport or athletic programs that concentrate on under-served youth. More information can be found at http://www.legochildrensfund.org/Guidelines.html.

Essex County Community Foundation: Deadlines throughout the year
ECCF has a number of different grant making funds with deadlines throughout the year. The details of these funds can be found at http://www.eccf.org/grantguidelines41.html.

Children's Investment Fund Emergency Capital Grant Program: Deadline Rolling
The Children’s Investment Fund has a new grant program to address facility emergencies (for early care, education and out-of-school time programs) designed to help programs survive the challenging economic environment. The program has two funding priorities:

• Building emergencies, such as roof leaks and loss of heat; and repairs or renovations to meet licensing regulations or address health or safety concerns.
• Program consolidation to assist programs to remain financially viable; energy efficient renovations to reduce operating costs and improve the health of children and adults in the program; and facility improvements to meet accreditation standards.

To be eligible, you must be a community based, not-for-profit organization in Boston that serves a minimum of 50 percent low-income children, as defined by the Department of Early Education and Care income eligibility guidelines. More information can be found at http://www.cccif.org/new.htm.

TD Charitable Foundation: Deadline rolling
The TD Charitable Foundation is providing grants to eligible nonprofit organizations for employees to attend classes and courses that will enhance job performance. Organizations must have a mission or a focus that promotes one of the following:

• Affordable housing for low-to-moderate-income individuals;
• Increased economic (small business) development;
• Financial literacy for low and moderate-income youth, individuals, or families; and
• After-school or extracurricular programming for low- and moderate-income children.

Classes and courses must be pertinent to the job the employee performs and they may be one day classes or part of a certification program; attendance at conferences is not eligible.

To apply, click here.

Liberty Mutual Foundation: Deadline rolling
The goals of the Liberty Mutual Foundation Education Initiative are to improve the educational achievement and educational opportunities for disadvantaged youth in the cities of Boston and Lawrence.  Furthermore, the Education Initiative intends to locate and support educational programs that build on prior academic successes. The Liberty Mutual Foundation aims to achieve these goals by taking the following actions:

• Expand academic opportunities for low-income and limited English proficient (LEP) students by funding out-of-school time educational programs, extended learning in-school programs, vocational and technical-training programs and programs that emphasize and highlight the path to further education.
• Support elementary programs that seek to prevent the “achievement gap” by employing results-based curricula and focusing on basic literacy and/or numeracy.
• Broaden educational options for limited English proficient (LEP) students by increasing the number and quality of programs in Boston and Lawrence that provide English language instruction, especially those organizations that exhibit a special focus toward children and adolescents.
• Provide further options for education by expanding the educational alternatives (outside of the public school system) that are available to low-income and non-English speaking students.

To apply, click here.

Bank of America Local Grants: Deadline rolling
The majority of Bank of America's local grant making programs have no deadline; applications are reviewed throughout the year at regularly scheduled local market leadership meetings. To be considered for a local grant, your organization should be aligned with the funding priorities in your market. For information on specific priorities, or to apply, click here.

Brown Rudnick's Community Grants Program: Deadline rolling
Brown Rudnick's Community Grants Program subsidizes small projects designed to improve inner-city education in Boston, Hartford, Providence, New York, or Washington, D.C. To get more information and the full RFP, click here.

The Charles Hayden Foundation: Deadline rolling
The Charles Hayden Foundation seeks to promote the mental, moral and physical development of children and youth ages five to eighteen in the metropolitan area of New York and the City of Boston. Their focus is on those institutions and programs serving youth most at risk of not reaching their full potential, especially youth in low-income communities. For more information, click here.

Google Grants: Deadline rolling
The Google Grants program supports organizations sharing our philosophy of community service to help the world in areas such as science and technology, education, global public health, the environment, youth advocacy, and the arts. For more information, click here.

The Edith Glick Shoolman Children's Foundation: Deadline quarterly
The Foundation’s primary focus will be to support organizations and programs in the New York and Boston metropolitan areas which provide opportunities for children from birth through the elementary years. For more information, click here.

Staples Foundation for Learning: Deadline rolling
The mission of Staples Foundation for Learning is to help fund programs that support or provide job skills and education for all people, with a special emphasis on disadvantaged youth. Interested organizations must be invited to apply by the Staples Foundation. There are deadlines throughout the year. For more information, visit www.staplesfoundation.org.

The Lynch Foundation: Deadline rolling
The Lynch Foundation provides assistance to programs primarily in Massachusetts with an emphasis on education; culture and historic preservation; healthcare and medical research; and religious and educational efforts of the Roman Catholic Church. For more information, click here.

John Hancock Financial Services Offers Support for Programs Serving Boston Youth and Families: Deadline rolling
The mission of John Hancock in the community is to provide the greatest level of support for Boston youth and families most in need. John Hancock serves the community by providing program grants that directly serve Boston youth and families in need. John Hancock does not typically fund general operating support, capital campaigns, building renovations or endowments. For more information, visit www.johnhancock.com/about/community.html.

Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation Music Matters Grants: Next deadline announced Fall 2010
The Muzak Heart and Soul Foundation’s mission is to redefine and support music education.  Through music education, a child can better achieve his or her full potential and stimulate personal and educational growth. Music Matters Grants for 2010 will focus on educational reform in school music programs and independent music programs. Eligibile recipients are public school programs that qualify for Title I federal funding and serve a minimum of 70% low-income students, and non-profit organizations with music education programs. For more information click here.

Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation Toolbox for Education Grant Program: Next deadline TBA
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation funds the Lowe’s Toolbox for Education grant program, which has supported thousands of grassroots community and school projects in the communities where Lowe’s does business. This year, the grant program will give priority to projects that address basic needs among schools and parent groups.

To apply, click here.

National Endowment for the Arts Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth: Next deadline TBA
The Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category offers funding for projects that help children and youth acquire knowledge and understanding of and skills in the arts. Projects must provide participatory learning and engage students with skilled artists, teachers, and excellent art. Funded projects apply national or state arts education standards.

To apply, click here.

Northeastern Students4Giving Grants to Programs Supporting Families at Risk: Next deadline TBA
Northeastern Students4Giving (NS4G) is a collaborative effort among Northeastern University students committed to making a positive and lasting impact in the communities where they live and learn. The group makes small grants to community-based nonprofit organizations that address critical economic and social challenges facing the Boston neighborhoods of Mission Hill, Fenway, Roxbury, and the South End. The priority for the 2010 funding cycle is households at risk due to financial insecurity, with preferences to proposals that demonstrate how a small infusion of cash can make a meaningful difference in efforts to support low-income families with dependents in the targeted communities.

To apply, click here.

Bank of America Student Leaders program: Next deadline TBA
The Student Leader program recognizes students - juniors and seniors in high school - with a passion for improving their community.

Student Leaders will participate in:

• An eight-week paid internship at a local charitable organization
• A week-long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, DC to gain valuable civic, social and business leadership skills

Community-minded high school juniors or seniors should apply now. Students living in Suffolk, Essex, Norfolk, Middlesex, Plymouth and Bristol Counties are eligible to apply.

To appply, click here.

National Summer Learning Association Excellence in Summer Learning Award: Next deadline TBA
The Excellence in Summer Learning Award recognizes outstanding summer programs that demonstrate excellence in accelerating academic achievement and promoting healthy development for young people between kindergarten and twelfth grade. The award is given annually based on an application and interview process that elicits information on a program’s history, mission, goals, operations, management, staff development, partnerships, results, and sustainability. The Excellence in Summer Learning Award seeks to find and draw national attention to exemplary programs that provide and expand access to high-quality summer learning experiences for all young people.

To apply, click here.

Verizon CITE New England Scholarship: Next deadline TBA
Verizon welcomes applications from African - American U.S. citizens who are currently in their senior year of high school. Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better (based on a 4.0/5.0 maximum scale). Additional applicant requirements include:

• Accepted by an accredited college/university and a full-time student
• Major in one of the required Business related majors: Advertising, Marketing, Business, Finance, Accounting , Engineering/Electrical/Industrial, Math and Computer Science/Information Technology
• Provide proof of enrollment before actual allocation of the awarded funds
• Total Family Income of Applicant must be $75,000 per year or less

Target Store Grants: Next deadline TBA
Target offers program support in the following areas: arts, early childhood reading and family violence prevention. Applications for 2010 funding will be available March 1, 2010, for the May 31 deadline. For more information, click here.

Bank of America Neighborhood Excellence Program: Next deadline TBA
Since 2004, through Neighborhood Excellence Initiative, Bank of America has invested more than $110 million in nonprofit organizations across the country and provided nearly 500 organizations with strategic leadership development training. By combining leadership development with mission-based funding to organizations addressing critical needs across the country, BOA hopes to strengthen the economic and social health of the communities we serve.  

The Neighborhood Excellence Initiative is divided into three categories of awards:

• Neighborhood Builders® – Provides $200,000 in general operating support grant funding and leadership training over two years to two neighborhood non-profit organizations, in each market, working to promote vibrant neighborhoods. Applications due by June 1, 2010.
• Local Heroes - Recognizes and honors five community heroes in each market; recipients are able to direct a $5,000 contribution to an eligible non-profit of their choice. Applications due by June 1, 2010.
• Student Leaders® - Recognizes five exemplary junior or senior high school students with a passion for community service.  Each student participates in an eight-week paid summer internship with a community-based organization, as well as a week-long Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. Please note the Student Leaders applications are closed. 

To learn more, visit www.bankofamerica.com/neighborhoodexcellence.

Irving Community Fuel Grant Program: Next deadline TBA
The Irving Community Fuel Grant Program is a corporate giving program that supports projects in education, environment, and community need within Irving Oil retail service areas. In the field of education, the program supports initiatives ranging from early childhood education to afterschool mentorships for teens.  For more information click here.

Sun Life Rising Star Award: Next deadline TBA
Eligible organizations should be dedicated to keeping high school students in school and encouraging them to further their education. Your program must have clear, measurable goals and objectives, and the grant request must be for specific program support. Each organization will also be asked to nominate a student for a Sun Life Rising Star Award. Students may be nominated only through the nonprofit organization. Click here for more information. Questions, contact Molly Rand at 215.790.4341 or mrand@tierneyagency.com.

Best Buy @15 Community Grants Program: Next deadline TBA
Through the @15 Community Grants Program, Best Buy teams across the United States select non-profit organizations that provide positive experiences to help teens to excel in school, engage in their communities, and develop leadership skills. Best Buy seeks applications from organizations that are serving a diverse population of young teens in the areas of learning, life skills, leadership or relationship development. Special consideration will be given to programs that:

• Serve a diverse population in local or regional communities
• Build social, academic, leadership and/or life skills in early adolescents (primarily ages 13-18)
• Show positive results against a demonstrated community need
• Reach at-risk children in working families

Click here for more information.

Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation Youth Program Evaluation grants: Next deadline TBA
The Ruddie Memorial Youth Foundation has announced the availability of evaluation grants for innovative youth programs (birth to 25 years of age) to fund studies that document successful programs. Grants are designed to fund the evaluation of innovative youth programs or services with the purpose of identifying which programs and services are most effective. The foundation seeks to support programs that are innovative and have a potentially replicable service concept; are offered by small or medium nonprofit organizations (operating budget of less than $5 million); promote scholastic, professional, athletic, and/or other excellence in youth; and provide youth with new opportunities for health, personal growth, and success in the greater metropolitan areas of Baltimore, Boston, Madison, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Click here for more information.