Children, Youth & Families
Investing in the well-being of young people
There will only be one Children, Youth & Families grant cycle in 2024.
CY&F grants are designed to help young people realize their full potential and become caring, productive citizens. The focus is on underserved youth who face economic and/or personal barriers to success. We are offering two CY&F grant tracks this spring. Both tracks are open to organizations focused on youth in our geographic catchment area.
Capacity Building: To strengthen an organization’s core capacities.
Youth Emotional Well-Being: To develop new or expanded programs and resources that enhance emotional health supports for children of all ages. New programs include those started within the past three years.
This grant is for work based within our catchment area which includes Acton, Concord, Framingham, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Stow, Sudbury, and Wayland.
CY&F grant cycle 2024
Virtual Information Session: February 1
Click here for Info Session Slides
Click here for the Info Session Recording
Applications Available: February 1
Concept Papers Due: March 1
Grant Applications Due: March 29
Decisions will be announced in June.
Grant Tracks
Capacity building track:
This grant provides proven youth-serving nonprofits in our geographic catchment area with funds for capacity building projects designed to strengthen the agency’s core capacities.
Applicants must be seeking funding for a project that fits one of the following Capacity Building grant tracks:
Strategic or Business Planning
Examples: professional services for growth planning, organizational assessment and design, community needs assessment, market studies, business plans
Board or Staff Development/Training
Examples: board skills and leadership training, staff professional development training, executive coaching, succession planning (for current board and staff)
Fund Development Plans & Systems
Examples: professional services for structuring of fundraising programs, support systems and training
Communications Plans & Systems
Examples: professional services for a marketing and communications assessment and the development of a comprehensive plan, support systems and training
Program Evaluation
Examples: professional guidance to develop or enhance evaluation tools, systems and training
Youth Emotional Well-Being Track:
This grant is designed to help develop new or expand existing programs and resources that enhance emotional health supports for children of all ages. New programs include those started within the past three years.
Programming may be targeted to children, parents/guardians, caregivers, teachers, and others working directly with youth, and could include one-on-one supports, support groups, education, outreach and messaging, or other creative strategies that address a range of issues including, but not limited to, stress, anxiety, depression, fear, loneliness, and grief.
Other Criteria
The Trustees view collaboration among agencies with similar missions favorably and consider an applicant’s ability to secure alternate project financing. We welcome the opportunity to join with other funders in underwriting grant endeavors. Multi-year grant requests are accepted. Nonprofit organizations are limited to one grant per calendar year, with the exception of the Racial Equity grants.
Funding Restrictions
The Foundation does not make loans or grants to individuals. While we do not rule out requests for any particular type of assistance, we generally do not provide ongoing operating support, offset deficits, contribute to general appeals, purchase benefit tickets, sponsorships, fund efforts understood to be the responsibility of government or support religious activities.
Applying for a Grant
Applicants are encouraged to discuss their needs with Foundation staff prior to submitting a full proposal. Telephone inquiries are welcome.
Proposal Review Schedule
Proposals are reviewed in June.
frequently asked questions
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Applicants must have a 501(c)3 designation and be based in or primarily serving constituents in our catchment area which includes Acton, Concord, Framingham, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Stow, Sudbury, and Wayland.
If your nonprofit is based outside of the Foundation’s catchment area, you must speak to staff before applying for a Sudbury Program Grant. Please contact Executive Director Sonia Shah, shah@sudburyfoundation.org.
The Foundation does not make loans or grants to individuals. While we do not rule out requests for any particular type of assistance, we generally do not provide ongoing operating support, offset deficits, contribute to general appeals, purchase benefit tickets, sponsorships, fund efforts understood to be the responsibility of government or support religious activities.
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This grant is for work based within our catchment area which includes Acton, Concord, Framingham, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Stow, Sudbury, and Wayland.
If your nonprofit is based outside of the Foundation’s catchment area, but the work you do impacts youth within our catchment, you must speak to staff before applying for a Children, Youth & Family Grant. Please contact Executive Director Sonia Shah, shah@sudburyfoundation.org.
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This grant opens in February of each year. Concept papers are due late February, applications are invited by mid-March and applications are due late March. Decisions are announced in June. Please see exact due dates on the Children, Youth & Family webpage.
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Applicants may request up to $20,000 in funding.
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Multi-year grant requests are generally not support through this program. If your project is multi-year, please speak to staff before applying . Contact Executive Director Sonia Shah, shah@sudburyfoundation.org.
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In most cases, nonprofit organizations can only receive one grant per calendar year. There are exceptions. For example, a nonprofit organization can receive a Children, Youth & Family grant and a Racial Equity and Inclusion grant in the same calendar year.
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The Foundation requires a financial statement and programmatic report describing the way in which the funds were spent and an appraisal of the results achieved. Grant reports should be submitted to the Foundation upon completion of the project or within one year of receiving the grant award, whichever comes first. In some cases, the Foundation may request a Year Two report.
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There are two funding tracks for a Children, Youth & Family grant. Applicants must choose their track when submitting the concept paper.
Capacity Building: A project that will enhance your organization’ long-term sustainability. This is generally not operating support or program support. In most cases, grants designed to make an organization stronger and/or more financially stable.
Youth Emotional Well-Being: This grant is to support the development of new (started within the past three years) or expanded programs and resources that enhance emotional health supports for children of all ages. Programming may be targeted to children, parents/guardians, caregivers, teachers, and others working directly with youth, and could include one-on-one supports, support groups, education, outreach and messaging, or other creative strategies that address a range of issues including, but not limited to, stress, anxiety, depression, fear, loneliness, and grief.
Any organization submitting an application which would include working in collaboration with a school must submit a letter of support from the school.
If you have an idea for both tracks or if you are unsure if your project fits, please reach out to Foundation Staff.
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Absolutely, contact Executive Director Sonia Shah at shah@sudburyfoundation.org or 978-443-0849 with any questions.
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Invitation (Multi-year General Operating Support)
Boys and Girls Club of Assabet Valley: $100,000
Literations: $100,000
Camp Casco: $100,000
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Capacity Building
Danny’s Place Youth Services: $20,000 - Individual Donor Strategy Program
MetroWest Legal Services: $20,000 - Sharepoint Migration Project
SPARK Kindness: $20,000 - Accessibility-Centered Website Redesign Project
ThinkGive, Inc: $20,000 - Improving Communications with Stakeholders
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network: $14,322 - Enhancing Electronic Health Records Reporting Capabilities
Youth Emotional Well-Being
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CM/MW: $20,000 - 60 Men (of color) to Mentors in MetroWest
Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley: $20,000 - Summer Field Trips
Camp Casco: $20,000 - Overnight Camp for Childhood Cancer Patients and Survivors
Chica Project: $20,000 - Mental Health of Young Women of Color Program Expansion
Concord Prison Outreach: $10,000 - Program Implementation and Expansion
First Connections/JRI: $20,000 - ParentChild+ Program
Framingham State University Foundation /The Chris Walsh Center for Educators and Families of MetroWest: $18,367 - Family Educational Programming and Support Group
Literations: $20,000 - Framingham Sustained Tutoring Program
Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program: $10,640 - Klarman Eating Disorders Center Pilot Program
Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange, Inc.: $20,000 - Weekend Family Connections
SMILE Mass, Inc.: $20,000 - Club SMILE Mass
Invitation (Multi-year General Operating Support)
Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest: $200,000
Discovering Hidden Gems: $50,000
Hoops and Homework: $50,000
MetroWest College Planning Collaborative: $150,000
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Youth Emotional Well-Being Grants
Bethany Hill Place, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To support youth programming for low-income youth facing homelessness.
Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley, Maynard, MA: $20,000 - To support summer programming and the Beyond the Bell after-school programming.
Chica Project, Quincy, MA: $20,000 - To expand youth development programming in Framingham.
Danny’s Place, Acton, MA: $16,140 - To expand the Sparks & Me program.
Discovery Museum, Acton, MA: $11,500 - To expand the Nature Passport Program.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To provide wrap-around assistance to families of immigrant children.
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, MA: $20,000 - To fund another year of an environmental and social literacy program at three Framingham after-school programs run by the school department.
MetroWest Mediation Services, Natick, MA: $15,000 - To develop a Peer Mediation program at Natick and Wayland High School.
One Love Foundation, Boston, MA: $7,000 - To expand the relational health program into Framingham High School and Framingham State University.
OUT MetroWest, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To provide mental health services to youth participants.
The NAN Project, Lexington, MA: $18,000 - To expand peer-to-peer mental health programming in Framingham, Sudbury, and Acton-Boxborough.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To expand services to youth identifying as members of the LGBTQ+ community in their Framingham residential programs.
Wildflower, Inc., Lexington, MA: $10,000 - To expand supportive services and camp scholarships in MetroWest community in collaboration with Jeff’s Place.
Capacity Building Grants
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest, Worcester, MA: $25,000 - For a donor database conversion.
Family Promise Metrowest, Natick, MA: $10,000 - For online case management software.
The Food Project, Lincoln, MA: $15,000 - For a website design consultation.
The Guild for Human Services, Concord, MA: $25,000 - For staff training.
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $16,000 - For staff training and development tools upgrade.
Jeff’s Place, Framingham, MA: $25,000 - For a communications plan consultation.
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA: $19,500 - To hire consultants for group mental health meetings for staff.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $25,000 - For a communications planning consultation.
ThinkGive, Inc., Concord, MA: $22,000 - For a leadership training consultation.
Discretionary Grants
Discovering Hidden Gems, Hudson, MA: $5,000 - For general operating support.
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $5,000 - For general operating support.
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For General Operating Support during the COVID-19 crisis, as part of the Foundation’s special 2021 Proactive Grantmaking Initiative.
Bethany Hill Place, Framingham, MA: $25,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/MetroWest, Worcester, MA: $25,000
Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley, Maynard, MA: $25,000
Employment Options, Inc., Marlborough, MA: $25,000
Family Promise Metrowest, Natick, MA: $25,000
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $15,000
Jeff’s Place, Framingham, MA: $25,000
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA: $25,000
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA: $25,000
One Can Help, Inc., Newton, MA: $10,000
Thrive Support and Advocacy, Inc., Marlborough, MA: $25,000
Invitation and Discretionary Grants
Discovering Hidden Gems, Hudson, MA: $20,000 - A two-year grant for general operating support.
Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA: $200,000 - A two-year grant for general operating support.
Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., Boston, MA: $150,000 - A three-year grant for general operating support.
CY&F Emotional-Well Being Grants
Bethany Hill Place, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - For a teen Emerging Leaders Program.
Chica Project, Quincy, MA: $20,000 - For a leadership/mentoring program at the Fuller Middle School in Framingham.
Discovery Museum, Acton, MA: $18,000 - For a Nature Passport Program.
Framingham State University Foundation, Framingham, MA: $18,360 - For a high school STEM Mentorship program in Framingham, Marlborough and Milford schools.
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $17,920 - For emotional wellness-related enrichment programs.
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, MA: $20,000 - For an environmental and social literacy program at three Framingham after-school programs.
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Waltham, MA: $20,000 - Training and support for Wayland public school staff on teen trauma, healthy relationships, and well-being.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $15,930 - For prevention programs that target parents and caregivers experiencing homelessness and other inequities.
The Guild for Human Services, Concord, MA: $19,130 - For an expressive arts therapy program.
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Framingham, MA: $14,300 - For DEI training for guidance counselors and mental health clinicians.
ThinkGive, Inc., Concord, MA: $15,000 - For a Social Emotional Learning program expansion.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To expand a substance use intervention initiative in Framingham.
Wildflower, Inc., Lexington, MA: $10,000 - For a program to provide additional family supports to clients.
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For general operating support during the COVID-19 crisis, as part of the Foundation’s special 2020 Proactive Grantmaking Initiative.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CM/MW, Worcester, MA: $20,000
Discovery Museum, Acton, MA: $20,000
Employment Options, Inc., Marlborough, MA: $20,000
Family Promise Metrowest, Natick, MA: $10,000
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $5,000
Jeff’s Place, Framingham, MA: $20,000
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA: $15,000
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA: $10,000
One Can Help, Inc., Newton, MA: $5,000
Thrive Support and Advocacy, Inc., Marlborough, MA: $20,000
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA: $10,000
Invitation and Discretionary Grants
Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA: $100,000 / For general operating support.
Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., Boston, MA: $150,000 / For a two-year grant to develop and pilot a therapeutic mentoring program.
John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Worcester, MA: $50,000 / For a two-year grant for general operating support for the new Mazie Mentoring Program at Marlborough High School.
OUT MetroWest, Framingham, MA: $150,000 / For a three-year grant to support the agency’s move to a new office/drop-in space.
Jeff’s Place, Framingham, MA: $20,000 / For capital support for costs related to handicapped accessibility at their new property.
MetroWest Legal Services, Framingham, MA: $25,000 / For the Juvenile Immigrant Relief Program.
One Can Help, Inc., Newton, MA: $2,500 / For general operating support.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $1,000 / For general operating support.
CY&F Emotional Well-Being Grants
Advocates, Inc., Framingham, MA: $20,000 / For technology to support virtual therapy sessions.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CM/MW, Worcester, MA: $20,000 / For a Diversity in Action training program for board, staff and volunteers.
Camp Casco, Sudbury, MA: $16,700 / For a resource database to connect childhood cancer survivors to emotional support services.
Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., Boston, MA: $20,000 / To update activities-based curriculum for a virtual platform.
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $15,300 / To upgrade technology for remote learning and other programming.
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Framingham, MA: $20,000 / To expand culturally-responsive education.
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Sudbury, MA: $9,060 / For a Dialectic Behavior Therapy program for families.
Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, Sudbury, MA: $8,500 / For a Dialectic Behavior Therapy staff training program.
SMILE Mass, Inc., Sudbury, MA: $19,400 / For outdoor recreation area activities for children and young adults with disabilities.
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Framingham, MA: $12,000 / For a pre-K mentoring program at the Framingham Community and Cultural Center.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $8,035 / For an Emotional Well Being and Resilience program/support group for Portuguese-speaking families.
ThinkGive, Inc., Concord, MA: $18,000 / To revise the grades 4-8 curriculum to deepen the examination of social justice and racial equity.
CY&F Capacity Building Grants
The Guild for Human Services, Concord, MA: $20,000 / For a training program for immigrant workers integrating English instruction with career coaching.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $24,000 / For strategic and business planning, and marketing materials development.
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CY&F Capacity Building Grants
Bethany Hill Place, Framingham, MA: $5,000 - For a website update.
Discovery Museum, Acton MA: $15,000 - For a fundraising consultation.
Employment Options, Marlborough, MA: $20,000 - For a marketing consultation.
Family Promise Metrowest, Natick, MA: $14,500 - For staff training.
Jeff’s Place, Framingham, MA: $19,500 - For a strategic planning consultation.
Lovelane Special Needs Horseback Riding Program, Lincoln, MA: $15,560 - To develop an internship program.
Minute Man Arc, Concord, MA: S10,000 - For a strategic planning consultation.
SPARK Kindness, Natick, MA: $24,310 - For a communications consultation.
The Food Project, Lincoln, MA: $25,000 - For a strategic planning consultation.
The Learning Center for the Deaf, Framingham, MA: $19,360 - For a series of consultations and activities to improve the visitor experience at TLC.
Thrive Support and Advocacy, Marlborough, MA: $25,000 - For a fundraising consultation.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA: $24,900 - For a data management consultation.
Wildflower, Inc., Lexington, MA: $20,500 - For a board development and succession planning consultation.
CY&F Invitation Grants
Doc Wayne Youth Services, Framingham, MA: $150,000 - Over two years, to develop and pilot a Therapeutic Mentoring program.
OUT MetroWest, Framingham, MA: $150,000 - Over three years, to locate, renovate and move to a new headquarters.
Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA: $100,000 - For general operating support.
John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Worcester, MA: $50,000 - Over two years, to support the new Mazie Mentoring Program at Marlborough High School.
CY&F Discretionary Grants
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA: $30,000 - To support the Heart of the CommUNITY Capital Campaign at the Framingham location.
One Can Help, Newton, MA: $5,000 - A gift to recognize Sudbury Foundation Trustee Susan Iuliano upon her retirement.
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Capacity Building Grants
Assabet Valley Collaborative, Marlborough, MA: $25,000 - For staff training on “Service Design Thinking.”
Daniel James McCarthy Memorial Fund, Acton, MA: $11,000 - For a strategic planning consultation.
Doc Wayne Youth Services, Inc., Boston, MA: $25,000 - To continue a program evaluation consultation.
Employment Options, Inc., Marlborough, MA: $16,000 - For an IT consultation and related staff training.
Jeff’s Place Children’s Bereavement Center, Framingham, MA: $21,000 - For a fundraising consultation.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA: $20,000 - To continue a board development consultation.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA: $24,000 - For staff training on new mobile technology.
Advocates, Inc / Autism Alliance of MetroWest, Framingham, MA: $24,500 - To develop an outreach program that identifies and trains students and adults to provide respite services to caregivers responsible for family members with autism.
Bethany Hill Place, Framingham, MA: $6,000 - For a combination training and consultation to enhance staff’s use of the agency’s donor management and fundraising software.
Birthday Wishes, Newton, MA: $8,000 - For a strategic planning consultation.
Communities for Restorative Justice, Concord, MA: $24,500 - For a communications/coaching consultation.
Discovery Museum, Acton, MA: $14,000 - For a strategic review of the Museum’s educational, programmatic and operational philosophy.
Hoops and Homework, Framingham, MA: $16,280 - For a fundraising consultation.
Invitation & Discretionary Grants
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CM/MW, Worcester/Framingham, MA: $25,000 - For general support.
Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA: $100,000 - For general support.
John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Worcester/Framingham, MA: $25,000 - For general support.
Nashoba Learning Group, Bedford, MA: $11,250 - A special grant for staff development.
MetroWest Legal Services, Framingham, MA: $50,000 over 2 years - Continued support for the Juvenile Immigration Relief Project.
Small Capital Grants
Grants for equipment, furnishings or repairs totaling $64,625, to the following CY&F grant partners: