The COVID-19 Response Fund has been established by a coalition of business, government and philanthropic partners to rapidly deploy flexible resources to organizations in Greater Boston that are working with communities that are disproportionately affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
Hosted by the Boston Foundation, The COVID-19 Response Fund awards one-time operating grants on a rolling basis to non-profits whose operations in support of seniors, communities of color, immigrants and other vulnerable populations have been stressed by the outbreak. The Fund is designed to be adaptable in its goals and focus, which will evolve as community members and nonprofits in our region share their needs.
Given the immediate needs within our Greater Boston catchment area, the Fund has to date focused on providing general operating support grants to nonprofits whose operations address the basic needs of vulnerable populations that are under additional strain due to the pandemic.
The Boston Foundation encourages institutions, companies and other funders to contribute to the Fund, which will work in partnership with the City of Boston and other funders to ensure the Fund has maximum reach and effectiveness. In addition to offering an opportunity to contribute to the Fund, the Boston Foundation is also urging its own donors to look for opportunities to support nonprofits directly by making general operating support grants to organizations they wish to help.
Please note: The COVID-19 Response Fund at the Boston Foundation is currently not accepting new applications for the current phase of grantmaking. Please continue to check this page for updates. Current applicants should check their emails for information.
The COVID-19 Response Fund is just one of a number of resources that civic and philanthropic organizations are creating to support the needs of individuals, nonprofits and other organizations in Greater Boston and Massachusetts.
For general questions about the Response Fund, please direct your question to wNkEHjMwPXI6ZhO6smaqEd0zTRDpC355YnAzSulFlRRE+Kex49niygMQmiyUeQEj5zyDzwNP96HLGHWhziBJJpLe5Mn/mUJxQHVnZH4YevSFPUAEtOofF73jPloYiQq1jDAHemoR+oNDKPOhIggaBVPXXLHmjtVnLNbco2DW9zxznoWqWOhyvHXxR4Wau/uL
Grant announcements:
February 15, 2021
December 11
July 28
July 23
July 1
June 1
May 26
May 18
May 11
May 4
April 28
April 21
April 13
April 6
March 31
March 13: Press release on the COVID-19 Response Fund launch
A list of grantees can be found here
Health experts say vaccine distribution is critical to a just and equitable cending the pandemic. The Boston Foundation has gathered a list of resources for nonprofits and others talking about COVID-19 vaccines, reducing vaccine hesitancy and dispelling disinformation, including multimedia and materials for speakers of languages other than English
Since March 2020, generous donors have partnered with the Boston Foundation to give more than $15 million to the COVID-19 Response Fund in support of nonprofits taking a lead role in their cities, towns and neighborhoods during the pandemic.
Through the Response Fund, the Foundation has been able to provide urgent funding to more than 200 nonprofit partners to date. As we move forward, the COVID-19 Response Fund is working with locally-based, BIPOC-led and -serving organizations seeking to ensure a just and equitable recovery. This brief updates how, through the Response Fund, our civic leadership work and other initiatives, donors, nonprofits and the Foundation are having a collective impact during the pandemic.
The Boston Foundation is actively seeking donors to the COVID-19 Response Fund. To date, donors have contributed more than $15 million, which has provided general operating support for hundreds of Massachusetts nonprofits meeting community needs during the pandemic. In our current phase, the COVID-19 Response Fund is working with nonprofit partners in order to ensure a just and equitable recovery from the health and economic inequities made evident by COVID.
For interested philanthropic and business partners, please contact our Assistant Director of Philanthropy, Thomas Bentley, at 881msVKFv+Y0goG9G2tWd/QF9FsgiJbPIaSj7B6HhFYtSh5WyN6PPTC8Qz+UUGm00zLm4p+46lXtfw8wfCA56fp0f4mnW59ALALcC4cVNN2055lH4b//ebLy9h3xps9E8eD7+NFT8igY4C8Tu+4VhiO4uBUgz3tiWSfwvgCVaU7jzhiIywLdVJv15ChU8m5y5rzZ61YjeL+KjevGoRF9iQ== or 617-338-1778.
To make donations by credit card, click on the donate links on this page. (Please note: Minimum credit card donation is $50.)
To donate by check in any amount, make your check payable to "Boston Foundation, Inc." with "COVID-19 Response Fund" in the memo field and mail to:
The Boston Foundation
Fund Administration
75 Arlington Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02116
To donate from a Donor Advised Fund, make your donation to The Boston Foundation and write "For COVID-19 Response Fund" in the grant purpose.
To inquire about transferring other types of assets, please contact our Fund Administration office at (617) 338-2213 or email 2LRgAv5+7li4Z2ujFIgsu4wI9ykkiGlw8/D4KLO1qHffu6mkTGB7bCADYUL4sCZipGAjieZMH9HchnVAOUthqVr1T2KXiMi+KK8eLKsARLUxnhI5zlu1F24/+x/J1pkegOSAMKaje7nfAIBE5MqCL0ODHEnGVKAf5ye5222EW9hRU7kOpaimpY6mhZrAROr9.
To make donations by credit card:
Click on the donate links on this page. (Please note: Minimum credit card donation is $50.)
To donate by check in any amount:
Make your check payable to "Boston Foundation, Inc." with "COVID-19 Response Fund" in the memo field and mail to:
The Boston Foundation
Fund Administration
75 Arlington Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02116
To donate from a Donor Advised Fund:
Make your donation to The Boston Foundation and write "For COVID-19 Response Fund" in the grant purpose.
To donate other types of assets:
To inquire about transferring other types of assets, please contact our Fund Administration office at (617) 338-2213 or email 2LRgAv5+7li4Z2ujFIgsu4wI9ykkiGlw8/D4KLO1qHffu6mkTGB7bCADYUL4sCZipGAjieZMH9HchnVAOUthqVr1T2KXiMi+KK8eLKsARLUxnhI5zlu1F24/+x/J1pkegOSAMKaje7nfAIBE5MqCL0ODHEnGVKAf5ye5222EW9hRU7kOpaimpY6mhZrAROr9.
To ensure that we can coordinate and share resources as quickly as possible, donors may not restrict their grants to an individual grantee. If you have a specific organization you would like to support, we encourage you to give directly to that organization.
No. This Fund is not intended to be the only vehicle to give funds to nonprofits working at the frontlines of the COVID-19 outbreak. You are encouraged to give directly to organizations you may have supported in the past or nonprofits you know are addressing needs in your community. This fund is another vehicle through which those needs will be addressed. You can learn about other options from the CIty of Boston, the United Way, and other community foundations on our Other Resources page.
The COVID-19 Response Fund will prioritize funding for organizations in the Boston Foundation's defined catchment area. Donors seeking to support organizations outside of that geographic area are encouraged to make direct gifts or reach out to that area's community foundation for assistance in getting resources targeted to that region.
Our resources for processing smaller donations are limited, so we require a $50 minimum on credit card donations. To give smaller amounts, you may donate by check or we encourage you to directly donate to community nonprofits of your choice.
At this time, the COVID-19 Response Fund is not accepting new applications.
We deeply appreciate each of the over 1,000 nonprofits that submitted requests since the Fund’s launch in mid-March and your continued, tireless support of our communities during this challenging time.
The Fund’s current phase of grantmaking, providing one-time $25,000 general operating grants to support basic needs, is coming to a close and we are no longer accepting new requests for this phase of the work. Previously submitted requests continue to be considered, with the final docket of grantees to be announced on June 1.
While this phase of grantmaking is ending, we recognize that the pandemic continues to deeply impact our Greater Boston nonprofit partners and the community members you serve. We also realize significant pain persists as the pandemic and its impacts continue to unfold. The situation demands an ongoing commitment to racial equity as the virus exacerbates the impact of decades of systems, policies and practices that have disproportionately put Black, Latinx and other historically marginalized and oppressed communities at greater risk for illness and death.
Please continue to monitor this page for updates.