Philanthropy Massachusetts Inc - Funder Overview

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: $4,715,953 (2023 tax year, total programme expenses)
• Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
• Decision Time: 3-4 months (February LOI to June awards)
• Grant Range: $7,500 - $40,000 per site
• Geographic Focus: Greater Boston (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea)
• Focus Area: Summer programmes for underserved youth ages 6-18

Contact Details

Address: 133 Federal Street, Suite 802, Boston, MA 02110

Phone: 617.426.2606

General Email: info@philanthropyma.org

Summer Fund Email: summerfund@philanthropyma.org

Website: https://philanthropyma.org

Hours: Monday - Thursday 9:00am - 5:00pm; Friday 9:00am - 1:00pm

Overview

Philanthropy Massachusetts (formerly Associated Grant Makers), founded in 1969, is the only regional association of grant makers serving Massachusetts and surrounding areas. While primarily a membership organisation for foundation staff, trustees, corporate grant makers, donors, and philanthropic advisory services, the organisation directly operates the Summer Fund, a donor collaborative established in 1971 that makes grants to summer camps and enrichment programmes. Since 1971, the Summer Fund has provided more than $40 million in resources to build, sustain, and strengthen quality summer programming for underserved youth throughout Greater Boston. In 2023, the Summer Fund distributed over $1,100,000 through its three grant-making initiatives, benefitting more than 12,000 youth at dozens of sites. The organisation also provides fiscal sponsorship for other collaborative funds, including the Massachusetts Early Childhood Funder Collaborative and the Massachusetts Community Foundation Partnership. Philanthropy Massachusetts earned a 4-star rating (95% score) from Charity Navigator, reflecting strong financial health and accountability.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programmes

General Operating Grants (Primary programme)

• First-year recipients: Maximum $7,500 per site
• Current grantees: Up to $40,000 per site (not exceeding 25% of camp operating budget, or 30% for multi-site programmes)
• Funds support day-to-day operations including staffing, field trips, transportation, and supplies
• Application: Annual LOI process (typically February), followed by full application (typically April)

Mental Health Grant Programme

• Funds on-site clinical staff, mental health-focused training and curriculum development, and resources to support staff well-being
• Created in response to the youth mental health crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic
• Grant amounts not specified separately; integrated with General Operating Grants
• First-year recipients may apply for Mental Health funding alongside General Operating funds
• Application: Same annual process as General Operating Grants

Homeless Campership Fund

• Provides vouchers allocated to shelters and camps to subsidise camp fees for youth experiencing homelessness
• Voucher-based system rather than direct cash grants to organisations
• First-year recipients may request Homeless Campership Fund slots
• Application: Case-by-case review within annual application process

Priority Areas

Geographic Focus:

• Youth (ages 6-18) primarily from Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Chelsea
• Strong presence in underserved and under-resourced communities
• Resources distributed commensurate with observed levels of youth poverty and need within catchment area

Programme Characteristics:

• Summer camps and enrichment programmes (not summer school)
• Programmes offering financial aid through scholarships, sliding scales, or free programming
• Organisations with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status
• Programmes meeting Massachusetts Department of Public Health standards
• At least two days of staff training before camp starts
• Experiential learning opportunities tailored to community needs
• Programmes designed to meet unique education, nutrition, health, childcare, workforce, and disability needs

Community Engagement:

• Demonstrated commitment to engaging with Summer Fund trainings and knowledge-sharing opportunities
• Participation in strategic grant-making initiatives
• Active involvement in the Summer Fund network

What They Don't Fund

• Capital improvements or capital expenses
• Summer school programmes
• Individual applicants (only 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisations)
• Programmes outside the Greater Boston service area (Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea)
• Programmes with mandatory religious activities (religious organisations may apply if programming is open to all and free of required religious participation)

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Mary Skelton Roberts, Chief Executive Officer (appointed May 2024)

• Former President of the Climate Beacon Conference and Senior Vice President of the U.S. Energy Foundation
• Previously co-director of Barr Foundation's climate team (2009-2021)
• Master's in City Planning from MIT with concentrations in consensus-building and environmental policy
• Mediation and facilitation accreditations from Harvard Law School's Programme on Negotiation and the Centre for Dispute Resolution in London
• Appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu to serve on the MBTA board of directors (2023)
• Described as "an experienced philanthropy leader with a long track record of developing multi-sector collaborations, public-private partnerships, and strategic communications throughout Massachusetts aimed at achieving policy change"

Board of Directors

Board Chair: Prentice Zinn, Director and Principal at GMA Foundations

Recent Board Members (elected with three-year terms expiring 2027):

• Andrea Borowiecki, Vice President of Charitable Giving and Community Engagement, Rockland Trust
• Megan Burke, President & CEO, Community Foundation of Western MA
• Javier Juarez, Director of the Latino Equity Fund at The Boston Foundation
• Tracy Sawicki, Executive Director of the Tower Foundation

Re-elected Directors:

• Karen Gill, Director of Finance and Operations, Patrick J. McGovern Foundation (one-year term)
• Robert Zaccardi, Senior Vice President, BNY Mellon Wealth Management (one-year term)
• Ali Mathias, Head of Community Responsibility Strategy & Vice President, MassMutual Foundation (three-year term through 2027)

Summer Fund Governance

• Governed by an Advisory Committee
• Proposals reviewed by Summer Fund Advisory Committee members and Summer Fund staff
• Geeta Pradhan, President & CEO of Cambridge Community Foundation, served as a Summer Fund Advisory Committee member

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Letter of Intent (LOI) Phase (Typically early February)

• First step in the annual application process
• LOI submission period typically opens in January and closes in early February
• Organisations should sign up for the Summer Fund mailing list for announcements
• Contact summerfund@philanthropyma.org with questions before submitting LOI

Site Visit/Meeting Phase (Typically March)

• Prospective grantees who submit qualified LOIs meet with Summer Fund staff
• Meetings discuss programme details and the youth served
• Opportunity to clarify questions and strengthen full applications

Full Application Phase (Typically April)

• Organisations that successfully complete LOI and site visit stages are invited to submit full applications
• Submitted via online portal (link provided when application period opens)
• First-year recipients can request funding from multiple programmes (General Operating, Mental Health, Homeless Campership)

Review Process

• Proposals reviewed by Summer Fund Advisory Committee and staff
• Applications evaluated on three main criteria: response to community need, programme design, and network engagement

Decision Timeline

• LOI submission: Early February
• Site visits/meetings: March
• Full application deadline: Mid-April
• Grant awards announced: May
• Grant disbursement: June (contingent on funding goals being met)
• Total timeline: Approximately 4 months from LOI to award announcement

Success Rates

Specific success rates and application numbers are not publicly disclosed. The Summer Fund notes it supports "dozens of sites" in Greater Boston and benefitted more than 12,000 youth in 2023.

Reapplication Policy

Current grantees are eligible to reapply annually and may request up to $40,000 per site (significantly higher than the $7,500 maximum for first-year recipients). The increased funding ceiling for returning grantees suggests the Summer Fund values long-term relationships and rewards organisations that demonstrate strong programme outcomes and network engagement.

Application Success Factors

1. Demonstrated Presence in Underserved Communities

The Summer Fund gives explicit priority to organisations with a demonstrated presence in underserved and under-resourced communities. Grant resources are distributed in alignment with observed levels of youth poverty and need within Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Chelsea. Applications should clearly articulate the community served, provide demographic data about participants, and demonstrate deep understanding of local needs.

2. Programme Design Tailored to Community Needs

The most competitive applications feature programmes designed to meet the unique education, nutrition, health, childcare, workforce, and disability needs of their respective communities. Rather than generic programming, the Summer Fund seeks experiential learning opportunities specifically tailored to address the challenges and opportunities facing the youth served. Applications should connect programme activities directly to identified community needs.

3. Network Engagement and Collaboration

The Summer Fund prioritises applicants that demonstrate commitment to engaging with Summer Fund trainings, knowledge-sharing opportunities, and strategic grant-making initiatives. Organisations that actively participate in the Summer Fund network and contribute to collective learning are viewed more favourably. This suggests applicants should attend Summer Fund events, participate in professional development offerings, and engage with the broader community of summer programme providers even before applying.

4. Financial Accessibility

Programmes must offer financial aid through scholarships, sliding scales, or free programming. The Summer Fund prioritises ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent youth from underserved communities from accessing high-quality summer experiences. Applications should clearly detail financial aid policies and demonstrate how they ensure accessibility.

5. Staff Training and Quality Standards

Programmes must provide at least two days of staff training before camp begins and meet Massachusetts Department of Public Health standards. These requirements reflect the Summer Fund's commitment to quality programming and youth safety. Applications should demonstrate robust staff development systems and compliance with state regulations.

6. Focus on Operational Sustainability

General Operating Grants are designed to help smaller, newer nonprofits fund day-to-day operations and expenses. The Summer Fund recognises that operational support is critical for organisational sustainability. Applications should clearly articulate how grant funds will support core operations rather than special projects, and first-year applicants should demonstrate how $7,500 will make a meaningful impact on their operating budget.

7. Mental Health Integration

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Summer Fund has emphasised mental health support through dedicated grant funding for on-site clinical staff, mental health-focused training and curriculum development, and staff well-being resources. Applications that thoughtfully integrate mental health considerations into programme design and staff support may be particularly competitive, especially for organisations applying to the Mental Health Grant Programme.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Geographic specificity matters: Only programmes primarily serving youth from Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Chelsea are eligible. Clearly demonstrate that your programme serves youth from these specific communities.

• Start small and grow: First-year recipients are capped at $7,500 per site, while current grantees can receive up to $40,000. The Summer Fund rewards long-term relationships, so view the first grant as an entry point to a potentially multi-year funding partnership.

• Engage before applying: Attend Summer Fund trainings, knowledge-sharing sessions, and networking events before submitting an LOI. Network engagement is one of three primary evaluation criteria.

• Emphasise community presence: The Summer Fund explicitly prioritises organisations with demonstrated presence in underserved communities. Provide specific evidence of your organisation's roots in the community you serve.

• Connect programme design to needs: Generic summer camp descriptions won't be competitive. Clearly articulate how your programme design responds to the specific education, nutrition, health, childcare, workforce, and disability needs of your community.

• Plan for the site visit: Organisations that submit qualified LOIs meet with Summer Fund staff in March. Prepare to discuss programme details, youth demographics, community needs, and how your organisation engages with the Summer Fund network.

• Apply to multiple programmes strategically: First-year recipients can request funding from multiple programmes (General Operating, Mental Health, Homeless Campership). Consider whether your programme aligns with multiple funding streams, but be realistic about your capacity to implement specialised initiatives like mental health programming or homeless youth services.

References

1. Philanthropy Massachusetts website - About page. https://philanthropyma.org/about/ (Accessed January 2025)

2. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Summer Fund main page. https://philanthropyma.org/summer-fund/ (Accessed January 2025)

3. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Summer Fund Criteria. https://philanthropyma.org/summer-fund/criteria/ (Accessed January 2025)

4. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Summer Fund Forms. https://philanthropyma.org/summer-fund/forms/ (Accessed January 2025)

5. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Funder Collaboratives. https://philanthropyma.org/Funder-Collaboratives (Accessed January 2025)

6. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Contact page. https://philanthropyma.org/contact/ (Accessed January 2025)

7. Charity Navigator - Rating for Philanthropy Massachusetts Inc. https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/042457605 (Accessed January 2025)

8. Cause IQ - Philanthropy Massachusetts profile. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/associated-grant-makers,042457605/ (Accessed January 2025)

9. Massachusetts Nonprofit Network - "Philanthropy Massachusetts hires Mary Skelton Roberts as its new CEO" (May 2024). https://www.massnonprofit.org/news/philanthropy-massachusetts-hires-mary-skelton-roberts-as-its-new-ceo/article_3f25ce06-071a-11ef-b3a4-23e0df38561e.html (Accessed January 2025)

10. Massachusetts Nonprofit Network - "Philanthropy Massachusetts elects four new board members" (October 2024). https://www.massnonprofit.org/expert_advice/boards_governance/philanthropy-massachusetts-elects-four-new-board-members/article_2fc12510-962a-11ef-85e4-07b0fbec1c25.html (Accessed January 2025)

11. Philanthropy Massachusetts - "The Summer Fund Receives $570,000 Multi-Year Grant to Support Homeless Campership Initiative from Liberty Mutual Foundation." https://philanthropyma.org/in-philanthropy/summer-fund-receives-570000-multi-year-grant-support-homeless-campership-initiative (Accessed January 2025)

12. Instrumentl - Summer Fund Grant profile. https://www.instrumentl.com/grants/summer-fund-grant (Accessed January 2025)

13. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Philanthropy Massachusetts Inc. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/42457605 (Accessed January 2025)

14. Philanthropy Massachusetts - Board page. https://philanthropyma.org/about/board/ (Accessed January 2025)