Twenty organizations receive general operating grants in $1 million Safety Net Grants round

Boston – The Boston Foundation today announced the 20 nonprofit partners that were chosen to share $1 million in this round of the Foundation’s Safety Net Grants program. Awarded twice each year, Safety Net Grants provide two-year, $50,000 grants to support social service organizations that respond to essential needs of marginalized communities and vulnerable residents in Greater Boston. More than 160 organizations applied for funding in this round.

Safety Net Grant applications are reviewed in a 100% community-led process.  A group of 38 community members from dozens of nonprofit and community organizations took part in two rounds of reviews of the applications, putting forth the recommended grants list for the cycle. Community reviewers are compensated for their time and effort.

“We are excited both for this slate of nonprofit partners, many of whom have not received prior funding from the Boston Foundation, and for the process that has developed over time to make this a truly community-led and community-focused process,” said Orlando Watkins, Vice President and Chief Program Officer at the Boston Foundation. “Thank you to all those willing to participate in this process, and to the Safety Net grants team, headed by Candace Burton, for bringing this important work forward.”

Applications for the next round of Safety Net Grants will open on September 9.

Meet the nonprofit partners receiving Safety Net Grants

The following organizations will receive $50,000 in general operating support, payable over two years in this round of awards.

Boston Area Gleaners, Inc.
Boston Area Gleaners, Inc. supports an equitable, just, and sustainable local food system.

Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc.
Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc. improves the quality of life for Cambodian Americans and other minorities and economically disadvantaged people in Lowell through educational, cultural, economic, and social programs.

Caribbean Youth Club, Inc.
Caribbean Youth Club, Inc. serves newly arrived Caribbean immigrant youth by delivering comprehensive resettlement services.

Chinese Culture Connection, Inc.
Chinese Cultural Connection, Inc. connects seniors and empowers Chinese immigrants/Chinese-descended people to appreciate and retain their heritage, develop bicultural fluency, and enrich others with an understanding of Chinese language and culture.

DeeDee's Cry
DeeDee's Cry creates a space where conversations begin to lift the stigma on suicide and mental health within Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

Dorchester Community Food Coop
Dorchester Community Food Coop challenges the traditional food system by building a community and worker-owned asset that nourishes, employs, and reinvests in the local community.

Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Inc.
Ecumenical Social Action Committee, Inc. strives to improve the quality of life for Boston and eastern Massachusetts residents through innovative homeownership, education, and community service programs.

Family Van at Harvard Medical School
Family Van at Harvard Medical School is dedicated to advancing health equity in Boston by taking preventive health care directly to medically underserved neighborhoods.

Fathers' Uplift, Inc.
Fathers' Uplift, Inc. provides mental health counseling, coaching, and advocacy to assist fathers with overcoming barriers that prevent them from remaining engaged in their children’s lives.

Found in Translation, Inc.
Found in Translation, Inc. gives low-income bilingual women an opportunity to achieve economic security through the use of their language skills, and to reduce linguistic disparities in health care.

Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc.
Hildebrand Family Self-Help Center, Inc. transitions families out of homelessness to safe, affordable, permanent housing while working to disrupt systems that lead to poverty and homelessness.

Love Life Now Foundation, Inc.
Love Life Now Foundation, Inc. supports survivors of domestic violence through year-round initiatives and direct assistance to domestic violence programs.

Mandela Yoga Project, Inc.
Mandela Yoga Project, Inc. delivers of a new system of free yoga that is designed to address stress, racial trauma, and chronic health conditions that is community-led.

Paralyzed Veterans of America, New England
Paralyzed Veterans of America, New England has developed a unique expertise on a wide variety of issues involving the special needs of veterans of the armed forces who have experienced spinal cord injury or dysfunction.

Reclaim Roxbury
Reclaim Roxbury is dedicated to improving the quality of life and economic wealth for Roxbury residents by preventing displacement and supporting economic development.

Sisters Unchained, Inc.
Sisters Unchained, Inc. is dedicated to supporting young women and girls impacted by parental incarceration.

South Asian Workers Center
South Asian Workers Center is a support structure for low-income, working-class immigrant communities from South Asia and beyond.

Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, Inc.
Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, Inc. provides representation for all asylum seekers by training college students to become immigration advocates.

Urban Farming Institute
Urban Farming Institute develops and promotes urban farming to engage individuals in growing food and building a healthy community.

Women's Lunch Place
Women's Lunch Place inspires hope and supports the development of self-sustaining skills for women experiencing hunger, homelessness, and poverty.