2007 Foundation funding helped to pilot the Danforth Museum Teen Docent program where high school student have a chance to practice public speaking, guide children and families on museum tours and explore art as a career. Courtesy photo.
Grant awarded in December 2011
Twenty-seven local nonprofit agencies were awarded more than $265,000 in grant support in December through the Foundation’s final Regional Program funding cycle. Lots of impressive work being done in our area. Congratulations to all!
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Acton-Boxborough Coalition for Healthy Youth, Acton, MA / $5,000
For strategic planning for this new alliance of youth agencies.
A Place to Turn, Natick, MA / $5,200
A second year of support for the Eat Healthy program, which enables this food pantry to provide fresh produce to clients on a weekly basis.
Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA / $10,000
To pilot a series of programs and trainings to nurture new environmental stewards along the Metrowest section of the Bay Circuit Trail and Greenway.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest, Worcester, MA / $10,000
To support youth mentoring services in Metrowest.
Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley, Maynard, MA / $25,000
To support the agency’s Beyond the Bell after-school programming.
Center for Parents and Teachers, Concord, MA / $5,000
To plan and host parent education workshops during the 2011-12 academic year.
Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA / $15,000
To support the Teen Docent program, which provides high school students with experiential learning in art, leadership and artistic professions.
Drinking Gourd Project, Concord, MA / $10,000
To restore and interpret the Robbins House, the early 1800s home of one of Concord’s earliest African-American families and to present the stories of slavery-to-freedom-to-homeownership.
Foundation for MetroWest, Natick, MA / $3,000
To fund three Insight Tours to educate local donors about funding opportunities at area nonprofits.
Friends of Resiliency for Life, Framingham, MA / $15,000
To pilot the part-time position of Graduate Support Coordinator, who will track program graduates and support them as they transition to college or the workforce.
Golden Tones, Natick, MA / $7,500
To support a grantwriting consultation for this senior citizens chorus as a means of diversifying funding sources.
Indian Hill Music Center, Littleton, MA / $12,000
To support the development of a new website as part of an updated communications strategy.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA / $20,000
To support the Reducing Achievement Gaps program at the Wilson Elementary School in Framingham.
John Andrew Mazie Memorial Foundation, Wayland, MA / $10,000
To support the Mazie Mentoring Program for at-risk students at Framingham High School.
Kids Connect, Natick, MA / $5,000
To support after-school tutoring.
Partnerships for a Skilled Workforce (formerly Metro South/West Regional Employment Board), Marlboro, MA / $17,000
To support the Future Skills Institute which provides job readiness training and placement services to low-income 16-24 year old young adults in the Framingham area.
MetroWest Mediation Services, Framingham, MA / $10,000
To support free mediation services to parties in small claims, minor criminal and housing/eviction cases in the Framingham, Marlborough, Natick and Concord district courts.
Metrowest Nonprofit Network, Framingham, MA $2,500
To host a fundraising workshop for area nonprofit staff.
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA / $26,000
To support the High Flight Program, the YMCA’s outdoor, adventure-based counseling program for at-risk youth ages 12-17.
Organization for the Assabet, Concord & Sudbury Rivers, Concord, MA / $12,000
A second year of support for a project to increase community stewardship of the Sudbury and Concord rivers.
Sudbury Valley Trustees, Sudbury, MA / $25,000
To support the agency’s effort to obtain accreditation certification through the Land Trust Alliance.
Thoreau Farm Trust, Concord MA / $5,000
In support of a project to enhance the visitor experience at Thoreau’s Birthplace through audio and video programming.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA / $10,000
For a consultation to develop a micro-enterprise that will provide supervised employment opportunities for the at-risk young adult population at Wayside’s TEMPO Young Adult Resource Center.
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This marks the close of our Regional Grant Program. Beginning in 2012, the Foundation will direct local funding (in the 10 towns contiguous to Sudbury) to agencies serving Children, Youth and Families.
Other 2011 Grants:
Youth Development and Opportunity Grants
Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley, Maynard, MA
A $25,000 grant to enable the Club to serve children in Maynard and surrounding communities during a time of transition and a second $25,000 grant to support the Beyond the Bell after school programs in 2012.
Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlborough, MA
A $28,000 grant to conduct a Capital/Endowment Campaign feasibility study and to produce the supporting collateral material should the campaign go forward.
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Inc., Waltham, MA
A $6,000 grant to support the addition of a “Train the Trainer” component to violence prevention education at Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School.
Restoration Project, Concord, MA
A $10,000 grant to enable three CASE Collaborative special education students to participate in the upcoming summer and school year programs.
Organizational Capacity and Effectiveness Grants
Concord Museum, Concord, MA
An $18,000 for capital upgrades at the historic Museum which houses one of the oldest and most treasured collections of Americana in the country.
Discovery Museums, Acton, MA
To $12,500 grant to create a new and expanded exhibit at the Science Discovery Museum which explores the science and art of sound.
Framingham History Center, Framingham, MA
A $18,500 grant to send seven staff, board and community representatives to Part II of the Benevon fundraising training designed to help the agency solicit long-term donors.
Massachusetts Audubon Society/Drumlin Farm, Lincoln, MA
A $15,000 grant to pilot a part-time Farmer Educator position to expand, enhance and develop a business plan for the “Know Your Food” program which educates visitors on a variety of topics linking small-scale, local agriculture to environmental conservation.
MetroWest Free Medical Program, Sudbury, MA
To $5,000 grant to purchase a second Cholestech cholesterol testing machine and supplies to enhance a new early detection and prevention focus.
New England Wild Flower Society, Inc., Framingham, MA
A $15,000 grant to produce and install new signage throughout its Garden in the Woods property to reflect the agency’s renewed focus on native New England plants.
Root Cause / Social Innovation Forum, Cambridge, MA
A $50,000 grant to sponsor an SIF grant track around the issue area of Children, Youth and Families in the Metrowest region.
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc., Framingham, MA
A $10,000 grant to increase the hours of one part-time GED teacher to full-time status at the MetroWest Career Center to enhance the program and accommodate more students.
Third Sector New England as fiscal agent for Communities for Restorative Justice, Concord, MA
A $12,000 grant for a series of activities to support the agency as it becomes its own nonprofit entity, including a strategic planning consultation.
Photo courtesy of N.E. Wild Flower Society
2010 Grants
Community Building Grants
Hudson Area Arts Alliance, Hudson, MA, $5,000
A second year of support for the Hudson Pathways project, a collaborative public art and humanities initiative that showcases downtown Hudson and the Assabet River Rail Trail.
Pictured left is the mural painted by Hudson school children inside the Rail Trail Tunnel that runs under Route 290 in Hudson.
A Place to Turn, Natick, MA, $5,200
To enable this emergency food pantry to provide its clients with fresh produce on a weekly basis.
Organizational Capacity and Effectiveness Grants
Amazing Things Arts Center, Framingham, MA, $15,000
To repair the leaky roof at the Hollis Street Firehouse, the home of the agency’s cultural arts center, as part of Massachusetts Cultural Facilities Fund matching grant.
Boys and Girls Clubs of MetroWest, Marlboro, MA, $2,600
To provide staff training on the agency’s database software.
Center for Parents and Teachers, Concord, MA, $10,000
To plan and host 13 parent education workshops during the 2010-11 academic year.
DeCordova Sculpture Park & Museum, Lincoln, MA, $10,000
To help fund a comprehensive strategic planning process.
Employment Options, Marlborough, MA, $15,000
To help support the second year of operation of Furnishing Options, which provides free household goods to families in need.
Framingham Court Mediation Services, Inc., Framingham, MA, $5,000
For a second year of general support to enable the agency to continue to provide free mediation services to parties in small claims, minor criminal and housing/eviction cases in the Framingham, Marlborough and Concord district courts.
Framingham History Center, Framingham, MA, $12,000
To send eight staff, board and community representatives to an intensive two-day fundraising training designed to help the agency solicit long-term donors, and a supplemental grant of $3,500 to help purchase database software to complement the project.
Framingham Public Schools/Framingham Adult ESL Plus, Framingham, MA, $12,000
To fund one evening ESL class during the 2010-11 school year.
MetroWest Free Medical Program, Sudbury, MA, $5,000
For a series of projects and purchases to enhance services at the drop-in center.
Metrowest Nonprofit Network, Framingham, MA, $3,000
To host a full-day, participatory grantwriting workshop for Metrowest nonprofit staff.
Organization for the Assabet River, Concord, MA, $20,000
To support a rebranding and outreach project as OAR expands its river stewardship mandate to include the Concord and Sudbury Rivers.
Parmenter VNA and Community Care, Inc., Wayland, MA, $15,000
To support a capital campaign to expand the agency’s Hospice Residence from six to 10 beds to meet demand and enhance capacity.
Performing Arts Center of Metrowest, Framingham, MA, $9,700
To renovate the Center’s multi-purpose room so it can be used for performances, workshops and classes as a way to build the agency’s capacity.
Sudbury Valley Trustees, Inc., Sudbury, MA, $19,200
To pilot an AmeriCorps volunteer program to support SVT’s work in land stewardship and community outreach.
The Concord Players, Concord, MA, $5,000
To upgrade the sound system at the performance hall at 51 Walden Street in downtown Concord to enhance the Players’ ability to produce quality, large scale musicals.
Youth Development and Opportunity Grants
Concord-Carlisle Community Chest, Concord, MA, $10,000 over 2 years
To help pilot a part-time Youth Coordinator/Commissioner position for the Town of Concord to address a variety of youth issues, including mental health supports.
Discovery Museums, Acton, MA, $15,000
To design the Dream Green: Reinvent Your House exhibit at the Science Discovery Museum, a permanent exhibit that explores the concepts of green design, energy conservation and sustainability.
Framingham Police Department, Framingham, MA, $5,000
To host a program of Youth-Police dialogues to improve communications and understanding between at-risk Framingham teens and law enforcement officers.
Gaining Ground, Inc., Concord, MA, $5,000
To fund the 2010 Farm Team, a summer program that offers high school and college-age volunteers an opportunity to learn firsthand about organic farming, the environment, and community-building while growing fresh produce to donate to area food pantries and meal programs.
Kids Connect, Inc., Natick, MA, $5,000
For general support for this after-school tutoring program.
Manitou Camps Foundation, Wayland, MA, $13,200
To provide start-up funding for Jeff’s Place, a program that supports grieving children.
Preservation of Community Character Assets Grant
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, MA, $15,000
For a series of efforts to enhance the mapping and reporting of invasive plant species data in the SUASCO watershed, including the development of a database and web-based map for sharing and analyzing the data.
2009 Grants
Organizational Capacity and Effectiveness Grants
Assabet Valley Collaborative, Marlborough, MA, $100,000
Over three years, to strengthen and expand Family Success Partnership’s capacity to serve children with borderline mental health issues by working closely with families to coordinate and maximize the services offered by community and state agencies.
Domestic Violence Services Network, Concord, MA, $14,800
For promotional materials designed to increase visibility and raise community awareness of domestic violence in the organization’s 10 suburban partner towns.
Employment Options, Marlborough, MA, $15,000
To develop a Peer Leader Program where parents recovering from mental illness support other parents raising families while coping with mental health issues.
Framingham Court Mediation Services, Inc., Framingham, MA, $10,000
General support to enable the agency to continue to provide free mediation services to parties in small claims, minor criminal and housing/eviction cases in the Framingham, Marlborough, Natick and Concord district courts.
Framingham History Center, Framingham, MA, $4,500
For a public relations consultation to help the Center refine its messaging to a variety of constituents.
Framingham Public Schools/Framingham Adult ESL Plus, Framingham, MA, $12,000
On behalf of Framingham Adult ESL Plus, to reinstate one evening ESL class each semester during the upcoming school year.
Friends for Tomorrow, Inc., Lincoln, MA, $2,500
For a one-day board development retreat and additional consultant coaching with the executive director.
Minute Man Arc for Human Services, Inc., Concord, MA, $8,000
To offer a six-month management training workshop series to 12 mid-level managers.
Organization for the Assabet River, Concord, MA, $3,000
For a professional consultation to help develop a short-term business/strategic plan.
Communities for Restorative Justice, Concord, MA, $15,000
To continue expansion of the Restorative Justice program into Acton.
Thoreau Farm Trust, Concord, MA, $10,000
To support a series of consultations to develop and implement plans to guide the use of the Thoreau birth house.
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham, MA, $10,000
To support the newly-created position of Medical Case Manager, designed to increase client access to basic health services and relieve psychiatric medical staff of this administrative activity.
Community Building Grant
Hudson Area Arts Alliance, Hudson, MA, $10,000
To oversee the initial phase of a collaborative effort with the Hudson Recreation Department, Hudson Public Schools and others on a public art and humanities initiative.
Youth Development and Opportunity Grants
Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA, $10,000
To expand AMC’s Outdoor Adventure Initiative for Deaf Youth program to Framingham by working with The Learning Center for the Deaf.
Concord-Carlisle High School, Concord, MA, $2,000
To enable the high school to offer the Challenge Day Program, designed to address issues of isolation, self-esteem and peer pressure.
Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA, $20,000
Over two years, to create an integrated Visual Arts and Social Studies curriculum and programming based on the work of renowned African-American sculptor (and former Framingham resident) Meta Fuller, in collaboration with Framingham Public Schools.
Framingham Public Schools students view the sculptures of artist Meta Fuller thanks to joint funding from the Sudbury Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts which enabled museum staff to work with teachers to develop a curriculum highlighting the artist’s legacy and culminating in annual class visits to the Museum to see the works firsthand.
Photo courtesy of the Danforth Museum.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest, Framingham, MA, $15,000
An additional year of support for The Wizards, an after-school program to strengthen the science and math skills of fifth grade girls at Framingham’s Woodrow Wilson Elementary School.
Metrowest YMCA, Framingham, MA, $15,000
General support for the High Flight Program, the YMCA’s outdoor, adventure-based counseling program for at risk youth ages 12-17.
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Inc., Waltham, MA, $15,000
To continue the Peers Against Violence program at LS Regional High School and introduce the program to students at Wayland High School.
Resiliency for Life, Natick, MA, $15,000
An additional year of support for the program which provides intensive academic and social support to at-risk youth at Framingham High School.