For Nonprofits
Open Grant Opportunities
| Grant Opportunity and Guidelines | Target | Application Link | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Community Fund Spring Grants | For nonprofits serving Cambridge | Application has closed. | Passed |
| Imagined in Cambridge! Fund Microgrant | For social innovators that have previously applied for the Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award | Apply here | Rolling |
| CAMBRIDGE WINS, Sports Equity Grants | For summer recreation programs serving youth in Cambridge. | Opening Spring 2023 | Passed |
| Imagined in Cambridge! Social Innovation Award | For emerging nonprofits and grassroots projects | Opening Summer 2023 | Passed |
Grant Reports and Guidelines
Frequently Asked Questions
Cambridge Community Foundation funding is available for existing programs, new programs, or for building the organization’s capacity and infrastructure.
General Operating Support grants are available to organizations with proven track records or for proposals that demonstrate clear and measurable outcomes and impact. We call these grants ‘negotiated’ general operating support grants, which allow you the flexibility to use funds at your discretion, while we assess your success based on established outcomes.
Applicants who are not 501(c)(3) organizations can apply for funding if they operate under the fiscal sponsorship of a tax-exempt nonprofit, that serves the people of Cambridge. The application must provide evidence of fiscal sponsorship.
Organizations cannot directly apply for funding for initiative areas. Instead, grants are made by invitation only. However, if you think your program is perfectly aligned with the goals of one of the initiatives, you may send us a letter of interest and then your organization may be invited to apply.
We expect a grant report a year from the award date. We do not require a specific format at this time, but would like you to report on the use of the funds in relation to the outcomes you stated in your proposal. Year-end reports should share progress, lessons, and constituent stories, if possible.
A year-end grant report must be received before further funding will be considered. If an organization received a grant in the prior year, it should include a report of that previous year’s funding with the next application.
Community Fund grants are for Cambridge-based organizations and organizations that provide services in Cambridge. If this describes your organization, then you are eligible to apply.
Please reach out to Christina Turner, Director of Programs and Grantmaking at [email protected]. Or, you may attend one of our Spring Cycle info sessions over Zoom: Either Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 2pm or Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 10am. To RSVP, please email Christina.
No. If you received a multi-year initiative grant, you are no longer required to apply each fiscal year. You are required to submit mid-term/final reports. We will reach out to you directly to share the new reporting form. Mid-term/final reports are due on the anniversary of your grant award.
If you are a past grantee, a lot of things about the FY23 Community Fund application will be the way you remember them. However, you may notice small shifts in language. Please make sure to read each question (and any associated help text) closely.
You may also notice that we have separated the final grant report from this year’s application. If you are an organization that received a FY22 grant and need to submit a grant report, we will reach out to you and share the new reporting form. Reporting for Fall FY22 grants will be due by December 31, 2022. Reporting for Spring FY22 grants will be due by February 20, 2023. Find the grant report form here.
The Fall application will open on September 12, 2022, and close on October 3, 2022. Grant awards will be announced before the end of the calendar year.
The Spring application will open on January 13, 2023, and close on February 13, 2023. Grant awards will be announced in mid-April 2023.
An organization can apply for a Community Fund grant once per fiscal year. The Cambridge Community Foundation’s fiscal year is July 1 – June 30.
Resources for Nonprofits
Coming soon!
Contact Our Grantmaking Team
Our Funds and Programs
To learn about different CCF grant cycles and programs, please select from the following. For more areas of work not showcased below, please use the main menu and hover over “our work and impact.”
COMMUNITY FUND
BI-ANNUAL GRANT CYCLE
INITIATIVE GRANTS
A RESOURCE FOR THE ARTS
IMAGINED IN CAMBRIDGE!
ANNUAL AWARD & MICROGRANTS
CULTURAL CAPITAL FUND
A RESOURCE FOR THE ARTSOur Grantmaking and Nonprofit News
For more information on our impact and nonprofit partnerships, explore our past press releases and sign up to receive newsletters.
Cambridge WINS to kick off a second season of youth sports grants.
WINS supports coaches and programs working to create an equal playing field.
Bob Moses Fund for Education and Organizing awards $180,000 in grants to movement builders.
The new fund has supported four grassroots movement builders who embody the late civil rights leader's values and spirit.
Philanthropy is for everyone, especially our youth.
For a third year, Cambridge youth leaders raised funds for our community.
