Boston – The Boston Foundation announced its quarterly discretionary grants after the December meeting of the Foundation’s Board of Directors earlier this month. The Board approved $842,252 in single and multi-year discretionary grants to 11 organizations. In addition, the Board approved $979,000 in grants to 37 organizations through the Foundation’s Open Door Grants program. Open Door Grants are made twice in the fiscal year – in the second and fourth quarters. The Board also acknowledged $2,505,000 in grants paid out between-cycles through other discretionary programs of the Foundation.
“As we enter our third year of the Open Door Grants program, we continued to be both amazed by and proud of the caliber of organizations we can support through the program,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “In addition, we are pleased to continue our support for critical job training and workforce development programs like Commonwealth Kitchen, Best Corp. Hospitality Training Center and the Center for Women and Enterprise. They are part of a strong portfolio of investments, including our continuing support for Skillworks, that are opening up opportunities for people throughout Greater Boston to develop skills and land sustainable jobs.”
A $175,000 grant to the Dorchester Bay Economic Development Corporation represents the largest single-year investment in the quarterly docket, and continues the Foundation’s 10+ years of consistent support for improving transit and housing opportunities on the Fairmount Corridor. The grant will provide ongoing support for the Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative, a cooperative effort between Dorchester Bay, Codman Square Neighborhood Development Corporation and the Southwest Boston Community Development Corporation to increase opportunities, improve transit equity and ensure development without displacement in the neighborhoods along the Fairmount rail line.
The Foundation is also making a continued commitment in the Arts, with a three-year, $225,000 grant to the New England Foundation for the Arts for its Regional Dance Development Initiative. The funding will back the development of a program to support dance artists and projects in Greater Boston.
Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition: A $35,000 grant to Mattapan Food and Fitness Coalition, an organization that aims to make healthy and affordable food, opportunities for active living, and safe and inviting recreational spaces and streets readily accessible to all Mattapan residents and residents of surrounding communities.