The Greater Worcester Community Foundation is now accepting applications for its 2025 Community Grant Program: Project Support.
Donor Name: Greater Worcester Community Foundation
State: Massachusetts
County: Worcester County (MA)
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/06/2025
Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The Community Grant Program is Greater Worcester Community Foundation’s signature funding opportunity, awarding close to $2 million annually across five strategic focus areas for both discrete project/programming and general operating support.
Focus Areas
- Arts & Creativity: Projects or programs that use the arts as a vehicle for community cohesion.
- Creative placemaking (process that uses art, culture and design to improve the physical and social wellbeing of a community).
- Projects that are intersectional in nature and promote arts and non-arts partnerships.
- Basic Needs: Projects or programs that ensure all residents have access to food, shelter and resources to achieve permanency.
- Economic Opportunity: Programs and projects that help individuals and families have opportunities to develop wealth and work towards financial self-sufficiency, such as:
- English language learning programs.
- Culturally responsive workforce programs (especially within healthcare, social services and the arts).
- Health & Wellbeing: Projects or programs within physical and behavioral health systems that increase ease of access and improve outcomes, particularly:
- Healthcare & social services navigation (helping people gain access to care).
- Complementary & palliative care (the important things insurance won’t cover).
- Healthy pregnancies & strong starts for new families.
- Youth Development: Projects or programs that provide young people with meaningful resources/experiences/leadership development opportunities that are often hard to access.
- Services that are typically not offered in a school setting (enhancement, skill building, leadership opportunities, other unique development opportunities).
- Postsecondary training, education opportunities, job training.
Funding Information
Grant range is $2,500 – $25,000.
Eligibility Criteria
- Types of Organizations
- 501c3 nonprofits, or any entity operating under a fiscal sponsorship of a 501c3.
- Collaboratives and coalitions with a fiscal sponsor and identified project lead.
- Houses of worship running community-serving programs that are not faith based and do not proselytize.
- Large multiservice institutions applying for well-aligned discrete projects.
- Geographic Location & Service Area (in order of preference)
- Based in Worcester County and serve primarily its residents.
- Not based in Worcester County but have a meaningful physical presence.
- Providing an unduplicated service in Worcester County and can demonstrate
- they have authentic partnerships and relationships with local stakeholders.
- Ineligible Organizations & Individuals
- Businesses
- Government organizations or municipalities
- Individuals (scholarships, tuition, direct aid etc.)
- Projects occurring in classrooms during school time as part of the academic program/curriculum
- Organizations requesting support for capital projects/campaigns.
For more information, visit GWCF.
