Boston Foundation announces more than $900,000 in new COVID-19 related grants

Boston – The Boston Foundation today announced $925,000 in new grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund to support Greater Boston nonprofits providing critical support to communities most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The 29 awards bring to 174 the number of grants from the Fund, which has grown to nearly $9 million on continued strong fundraising. 

The round includes 12 grants, totaling $475,000, made possible by a gift from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund supports those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities, and those facing food insecurity. The Fund works in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders who partner with local leaders to understand the response and relief landscape, strategically filling in where gaps are pronounced.

To date, over half the money raised for the COVID-19 Response Fund, a total of $4.6 million, has been distributed directly to nonprofits as general operating support over the past eight weeks.

“The need continues in cities and towns across Greater Boston and the Commonwealth as a whole, said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “Fortunately, so has the desire from donors large and small to support their fellow residents in a time of need, and this need will continue long after the immediate health emergency abates. Just as people around the country are being warned not to let our guard down when it comes to public health, we must also not let ourselves be lulled into the illusion we have done enough. Indeed, when it comes to addressing inequity, we are just getting started.”

The COVID-19 Response Fund has been supported by donations from more than 800 foundations, donor-advised funds, businesses and individuals giving anywhere from $50 to $500,000. The Foundation thanks all its donors for their generosity in this critical time.

Each of the grantees below receives a $25,000, one-time general operating support grant from the COVID-19 Response Fund.

Asian Women for Health, Inc. (Boston): to provide culturally-specific crisis intervention and mental health support for Asian women impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cardinal Cushing Centers (Hanover): to support increased residential programming for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Collaborative Parent Leadership Action Network (CPLAN) (Boston): to help address the immediate basic needs of over 100 parents of color. Support includes access to food and cleaning supplies, emergency financial stipends, ensuring cultural and linguistic access to information, and social-emotional family activities to strengthen families’ mental health.

College Bound Dorchester (Dorchester): to support students and families by providing direct financial assistance and connections with mentors.

Community Caring Clinic, Inc. (Roxbury): to provide culturally competent mental health services to the residents in Roxbury.

East Boston Ecumenical Community Council (East Boston): to support the immigrant community living in East Boston and Chelsea. Support includes emergency shelter and time-limited transitional housing for youth, families and adults; meals and food for low-income individuals; and referrals to healthcare and medical services.

Elevate Boston (Boston): to provide trauma and mental health virtual supports and financial assistance for families of COVID-19 survivors and victims, and distribute gift cards for food, toiletries and personal protective equipment.

Four Corners Main Street (Dorchester): to support increased demand for services to local small businesses, operated almost exclusively by people of color and immigrants.  Support includes language translation, technology support, food distribution, and application assistance.

Italian Home for Children (Jamaica Plain): to support increased comprehensive residential programming to children, adults and families who are struggling with trauma, abuse, mental illness, learning disorders and poverty.

KIND, Inc. (Boston): to support child clients with emergency and other short-term needs, as supporting the overall well-being of the child raises that child’s chances of a successful legal outcome in their immigration case. Emergency funds will be used for food and groceries, basic household or hygiene supplies, educational needs, and emergency medical or dental needs.

Lucy’s Love Bus (Amesbury): to support families with children with cancer and who are facing severe financial hardship. Lucy’s Emergency Fund provides families with emergency funds for housing and utilities, and gift cards to gas stations, grocery stores, and pharmacies.

Matahari Women Workers Center (Boston): to provide support for low-income immigrant womxn and their families who work in essential services in Suffolk and Middlesex counties, including survivors of labor trafficking. Support includes the distribution of PPE, help for those filing for unemployment, financial support, and advocacy for paid sick time and government assistance for all workers regardless of immigration status.

North Suffolk Mental Health Association (Chelsea): to continue providing culturally and linguistically competent behavioral health services to high-risk and vulnerable adults and children in the communities of Chelsea, Revere, East Boston and Winthrop.

Root NS, Inc. (Salem): to produce and deliver free meals for low-income seniors, children, and youth in Salem, while creating jobs for program alumni. 

The Latino Support Network, Inc. (Lynn): to financially support undocumented residents who live in the North Shore and who need economic relief as a result of COVID-19.  

Trinity Boston Connects (Boston): to provide racially equitable, trauma-inclusive case management support to youth and families, including providing basic needs, wellness calls and remote programming and clinical services, group and individual teletherapy sessions, and Trauma-Inclusive Trainings for nonprofit leaders and staff of color.

True Alliance Center (Mattapan): to provide immigrant families with rental assistance, translation services, and immigration support.

Yad Chessed Fund, Inc, (Waltham): to provide emergency financial assistance for food, medical expenses, rent, mortgage, and utilities to Jewish families in need in Boston and surrounding towns.

The following grants are made possible by our partnership with the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. All grants are for general operating support. Grant amounts are noted with each grantee.

Autism Sprinter (Randolph) - $40,000: To support weekly food distribution to immigrant families, elderly, and households disproportionately affected by COVID- 19, including drop-offs for individuals who lack transportation access.

Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center, Inc. (Quincy) - $45,000: To distribute gift cards distribution for families who are facing critical challenges including health issues, loss of work or hours, or have children with special needs, increase 1:1 counseling on mental health issues, referrals for basic needs resources or guidance on unemployment or legal matters and parent support group, translate resources into Chinese and make programmatic adjustments ensure safety and health of staff and participants when sites will open for childcare.

Cape Verdean Association of Brockton, Inc. (Brockton) - $40,000: To provide much-needed relief to the residents of the greater Brockton community, including gift cards for food products, support for uninsured residents and assistance for funeral expenses for the families of victims.

Everett Haitian Community Center (Everett) - $40,000: To provide resources for rent, utilities and food, support for the unemployment application process, and support distribution of linguistically and culturally appropriate information on safety and healthy behaviors. In addition, the funds will allow EHCC to partner with legal organizations and a certified attorney for immigration consultations for immigrant clients (including CNA workers).

Father Bill’s & Mainspring, Inc. (Brockton) - $45,000: To cover operating costs of running shelters, opening and staffing new temporary shelter and quarantine sites, purchasing cleaning and hygiene products and providing cleaning, meals, and access to care for clients.

Greenroots (Chelsea) - $45,000: To administer the One Chelsea Fund, including fundraising, working with eligible residents, and effectively distributing aid, in addition to supporting community wellness check-ins and ensuring all residents, regardless of documentation status, get the resources and services they need to fight the virus.

Housing Families, Inc. (Everett) - $45,000: To provide food and grocery assistance, educational and therapeutic resources, pro bono legal services and eviction prevention, general case management, and safe housing for families in need.

Interfaith Social Services, Inc. (Quincy) - $40,000: To acquire and distribute food for families and individuals in ten South Shore communities and meet added demand.

Victory Human Services, Inc. (Brockton) - $45,000: To provide training and protective equipment to the communities that are disproportionately impacted by COVID-19: communities of color, the elderly, and working families/disproportionately affected households during and for 90 days after the end of quarantine.

Women Encouraging Empowerment, Inc. (Revere) - $40,000: To provide housing assistance to families disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and provide funds for the purchase of baby supplies such as diapers, and food assistance to families in need.

YMCA Malden (Malden) - $50,000: To support YMCA Malden’s food assistance program, which has distributed more than 155,000 pounds of food to the community, the equivalent of more than 129,000 meals.