BCF Community Grant Program

Overview

The Community Grant Program provides funding to programs and efforts that support our vision of a better Brookline for all who live, learn, work, and play here.

Grant program details

As one of BCF’s largest grant programs, the Community Grant Program aims to support a wide range of efforts that create opportunity and promote equity. We welcome proposals that address a variety of community needs such as, but not limited to, the following:

• Health & Wellness
• Climate Sustainability
• Arts & Culture
• Healthy Aging
• Wealth Building and Economic Advancement Programs
• Housing (including capital improvements, access to affordable housing)
• Children & Families (including access to reliable and quality childcare programs)
• Education (including access to academic supports, afterschool programs, support for students’ social, emotional, and mental health needs)
• Crisis Intervention Services (including services that address mental, emotional, and physical health)
• Organizational Capacity Building activities (including Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Training & Support)

BCF will consider requests for the following: general operating support, project and program funding, capacity building efforts, capital improvements, sector-building efforts, and community- and movement-building initiatives. Please see Grant FAQs for examples of projects within these categories. We will also consider requests for one year or multi-year grants (as funding is available). We encourage you to connect with our team in advance of submitting a proposal if you are interested in requesting multi-year support.

Priority considerations

In alignment with our organizational vision and funding priorities, as we review proposals, we will give preference to community organizations and groups that:

• Are working to advance equity, including removing barriers to opportunities, meeting the immediate needs of those impacted by inequities, addressing root causes of inequities such as poverty or racism;
• Are led by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color), and/or;
• Focus on BIPOC and other vulnerable populations.

For this grant program, an organization/group is considered BIPOC-led if they meet at least one of the following three criteria:

• The organization/group’s Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer or Board Chair identifies as BIPOC.
• 50% or more of the organization’s leadership staff or program directors identify as BIPOC.
• 50% or more of board members identify as BIPOC.

Eligibility

501(c)(3) nonprofits organizations, Town departments or agencies, and community groups can apply for funding. If you are a Town department or agency, please see our additional guidelines. Organizations and groups that are currently funded through other BCF grant programs are eligible to apply.

Proposed projects or programs should directly benefit members of the Brookline community, which we define as those who live, learn, work, or play in Brookline.

To be eligible, an applicant must be operated and organized so that it does not discriminate in the hiring of staff or provision of services on the basis of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability.

If an organization or project is new and/or not yet tax-exempt (is not a 501(c)(3) nonprofit), an application may be submitted through a fiscal sponsorship. BCF can assist applicants in identifying an appropriate fiscal sponsor. If you are interested in pursuing fiscal sponsorship, please refer to our grant FAQs for more information or contact BCF.

BCF is unable to provide direct support or scholarships to individuals and our grants cannot be used to cover travel costs, political campaigns, or lobbying.

Application timeline

The BCF Community Grant Program will reopen in 2023. Please check this page for updates about RFPs, timing, and upcoming grantmaking cycles.

How to apply

Apply through our online grant application or by mailing or emailing your application to BCF. All applications must be received by the grant deadline.

Application support & technical assistance (TA)

We encourage all applicants to contact us prior to submitting your application so that we may support you, as needed, in your submission. We also welcome you to attend one of our optional applicant support and TA sessions.

Applicant support sessions and TA offerings will be announced when the Community Grant Program reopens in 2023.

Questions?

Please contact us at grants@brooklinecommunity.org with any questions before, during or after the application process. We are happy to discuss ideas prior to submission.