Current Grant Guidelines

The Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) exists to promote a strong, engaged and inclusive community. To support this mission, each year BCF seeks proposals that address the various needs and opportunities in the community, encourage collaborations and partnerships that address community needs, and strengthen our community and local non-profits.

In 2013, BCF issued a first-of-its kind report, "Understanding Brookline: Emerging Trends and Changing Needs," which combines an analysis of the data from the U.S. Census and other sources and interviews with more than 30 community leaders, part of our effort to inform residents about new trends in Brookline and to engage the community in addressing the town's most pressing needs. Please visit our website to download the report and access additional information about BCF's Understanding Brookline initiative. 

The report is helping BCF to shape its priorities going forward. We hope to work with our partners to answer questions such as:

  • How can we nurture the diversity and vibrancy of our community in a time of rising costs and income disparity?
  • How do we increase the capacity of our most in-demand resources and extend benefits to those who need them?
  • What creative solutions and new or strengthened collaborations can help us ensure Brookline is a great place to live for all residents?

BCF is interested in exploring and answering these questions with community members and supporting work that addresses some of these key issues.

Funding Priorities:

Brookline Community Foundation accepts all types of proposals that support a strong, engaged and inclusive community. We are particularly interested in projects that offer:

  • Support for programs focused on poverty alleviation.
  • Expanded services for under-served members of the community, particularly Brookline’s elder and low-income population.
  • Increased access to and availability of after-school and out-of-school time programs for Brookline youth.
  • Increased access to programs that promote arts and culture.
  • Support for programs and projects that help to foster a healthy environment and environmental sustainability.
  • Support for programs focused on health and well-being of Brookline residents.
  • Support for programs that encourage civic engagement and volunteerism.

The Brookline Community Foundation does not provide grants for:

  • Travel 
  • Individuals 
  • Research 
  • Individual Scholarships 

Eligibility

Wherever feasible, grants shall be made to or through tax-exempt organizations that meet the requirements of Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code, as well as to governmental bodies and agencies serving the Town. If an organization or project is new and not yet tax-exempt, an application may be submitted through an organization that has agreed to serve as a fiscal sponsor. 

An eligible organization 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 or gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin or disability.

It is BCF’s policy to limit grantees to no more than three consecutive years of funding except in special circumstances.

Please note: Organizations that are currently funded through other funding streams of the Brookline Community Foundation are eligible to apply. Except in rare circumstances, however, specific programs will only receive funding from either the Spring Youth Fund Grant Cycle or the Fall Community Grant Cycle.

Application Deadline and Process

Applications are due on Monday, July 29, 2013 by 5 p.m.

Funding decisions will be made in late October and applicants will be notified of decisions no later than Friday, Nov. 15, 2013. Complete directions and application materials are available online at: www.brooklinecommunity.org/grants. Please follow the instructions on the website and submit all required materials electronically to: jlemire@brooklinecommunity.org.

In addition, if you received a grant from the Fall Community Grant Cycle in 2012 and are applying for another grant now, you must submit a Grant Report form (available on BCF’s website) with this application. If the 2012 program work will not be complete by the 2013 application deadline, please contact Jennifer Lemire, Associate Director of Programs and Grants, to arrange to submit an interim report.

Please direct all questions to: Jennifer Lemire, Associate Director of Programs and Grants, 617.566.4442 or jlemire@brooklinecommunity.org. 

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