“At a time when the basic rights and well-being of hundreds of thousands of our neighbors are under assault, and each day brings renewed questions about the ability of our institutions to meet their commitments, we cannot afford to sit idly by,” Lee Pelton, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation.
Safety Net Grants
Safety Net Grants Special Round
In February 2025, TBF launched a special round of Safety Net Grants to be awarded to Greater Boston social service organizations that respond to the essential needs of marginalized communities and vulnerable residents. The grants are part of the Foundation’s overall strategy to meet the moment at this critical time.
April 2025 Grantee Announcement
The grantees for the April special round of grants were chosen from more than 500 applications by our panel of community reviewers, guided by the program's Funding Considerations. Information on a next round of support will be shared this summer.
Get Funds Flowing: Lessons from the Boston Foundation
In her article for Nonprofit Quarterly, Candace Burton reflects on her work leading the Safety Net Grants program at TBF and the lessons we've learned about trust-based grantmaking, streamlining systems, and centering equity as we meet this moment.
About Safety Net Grants
The Safety Net Grants program is designed to support social service organizations that respond to essential needs for marginalized communities and vulnerable residents in Greater Boston.
In this round, Safety Net Grants will be general operating support grants, mostly in the $25,000 range. Organizations that we determine are aligned with our field of interest funds supporting seniors and people with physical disabilities will be considered for grants up to $75,000. If you receive a grant, you are not guaranteed a grant in the range you select.
Essential needs are defined as resources that restore health, wellness, safety and belonging for individuals or families in crisis. If you have specific questions, please send an e-mail to safetynetgrants@tbf.org.
Eligibility:
Who Is Eligible?
Eligible Organizations primarily serve communities historically excluded from institutional philanthropy in Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties with a focus on the communities of greatest need as defined by the supplemental poverty measure (SPM). An eligible applicant would also meet the following criteria:
- Has a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit designation from the IRS or operates under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit;
- Has been operating for at least three years
- Engages in year-round programming
- Aligns with the strategic vision for The Boston Foundation;
- Does not discriminate in the hiring of staff or the provision of services on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability;
- Responds to an essential need by providing resources that restore health, wellness, safety and belonging for individuals or families in crisis
The new grants are open to all organizations meeting essential needs, with several priority areas including:
- Combating hate and discrimination;
- Food, fuel, and shelter;
- Legal aid; and
- Poverty alleviation
Our focus will also include supporting specific populations, including immigrants, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, and seniors.
Current Safety Net Grantees or folks who applied for the October 21st, 2024, deadline that strongly align with our stated priorities are eligible to apply this round. Those that are not aligned with our priorities will have a low chance of receiving funding. Please reach out to safetynetgrants@tbf.org and confirm your eligibility before applying.
Donate Now to Expand This Program
Your donations make it possible for us to meet this moment by supporting more organizations.
From a Donor Advised Fund:
Donor Advised Fund advisors can support the Safety Net Grants program by recommending grants to "the Boston Foundation" for the purpose of the "Safety Net Grants Special Round".
Via check or credit card:
You can make a donation to support the special round on our General Form. Just be sure to specify "Safety Net Grants Special Round" on the form or your check.
Donor questions and other forms of donation:
To make other types of donations, or if you have a donor-related question, email donorservices@tbf.org.
Exclusions:
The Boston Foundation does not make grants for capital construction costs, endowments, medical or academic research, scholarships, sectarian or religious purposes, or to support candidates for political office. Private non-operating foundations, 501(c)(4) organizations, and Section 501(a)(3) Type III Non-functionally Integrated organizations are not eligible to apply. In addition, grants are not made to individual persons. Parent Teacher Associations and tuition-based schools (including K-12 and post-secondary schools and universities) are also not eligible for this funding.
We are currently not accepting grant proposals from CDCs certified under Certified under MGL Chapter 40H and small businesses.
Who is Involved in Making a Funding Decision?
The Safety Net Grants team uses a version of participatory grantmaking—the practice of centering affected communities in grant-making decisions by giving them the power to decide which organizations to fund. We started by using a mixture of staff and community reviewers to guide our decision-making process and final grant decisions are approved by our board. Now Safety Net Grant applications are reviewed in a 100% community-led process. Community reviewers represent a diverse group of nonprofit leaders in Greater Boston and are responsible for the final grant recommendations for the program. The goal is to deepen this practice over the next several rounds.
Past Safety Net Grants Announcements
TBF announces $1 million in grants to 20 organizations
On February 12, 2025, TBF announced that 20 nonprofit partners have been chosen to share $1 million in this round of the Foundation’s Safety Net Grants program. Recipients, who were decided through a community-led process, will receive a $50,000 grant for general operating support over two years.
TBF announces the first cohort of grantees under the new Safety Net Grants program
In June 2023, TBF announced the first cohort of grantees under the new Safety Net Grants program, distributing $1.2 million in grants to twenty-four organizations making Boston a more equitable city through their critically important work serving essential needs. Providing a vital partnership, the decision-making process for these grants was led by a final review panel of 26 community members, working with TBF to ensure the final slate represented a diverse portfolio of organizations across Greater Boston. Overall, 79% of the Safety Net Grants recipient organizations are led by people of color, and nearly half are organizations that have not received funding from TBF in recent years.