← Back to US Funders Directory

New England Biolabs Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.5M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.0M
Decision Time
3mo

New England Biolabs Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1,464,221 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $6,674,504 (2023)
  • Number of Grants: 147 awards (2023)
  • Grant Range: $4,000 - $15,000 (international: $5,000-$15,000; local: $4,000-$10,000)
  • Typical Grant: $3,000 - $8,000
  • Geographic Focus: Central America, Andean South America, West Africa, and North Shore Massachusetts
  • Decision Timeline: LOIs reviewed twice yearly; decisions conveyed approximately 2.5 months after LOI submission

Contact Details

Overview

The New England Biolabs Foundation (NEBF) is a private foundation established in 1982 by Donald Comb, founder of New England Biolabs, Inc., a leading supplier of reagents for the life sciences industry. A molecular biologist by training, Comb was inspired by the diversity of life on Earth and the power of local communities, creating the foundation with the premise that thoughtfully investing in people living and working in areas of high biodiversity can make meaningful contributions to conservation at both local and global scales.

The foundation fosters community-based conservation of landscapes, seascapes, and biocultural diversity, recognizing that natural and cultural values are inextricably linked and that Indigenous Peoples and local communities play a fundamental role in environmental stewardship. NEBF provides small project grants to grassroots organizations and NGOs in targeted geographies, complemented by capacity-building programs in partnership with the Creative Action Institute. With total assets of approximately $6.7 million and annual giving exceeding $1.4 million, the foundation made 147 grants in 2023.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

International Grants: $5,000 - $15,000

  • Support community-based conservation projects in targeted geographies
  • First-time applicants are unlikely to receive the maximum amount
  • Typical grants range from $3,000 to $8,000

Local Grants (North Shore Massachusetts): $4,000 - $10,000

  • Community-based conservation projects
  • Arts and cultural projects that raise environmental awareness, catalyze action, or foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion

Capacity Building Programs

  • Training and networking workshops for grantees
  • In-person workshops conducted in partnership with Creative Action Institute
  • Mini-grants for creative advocacy practicums

Priority Areas

NEBF welcomes inquiries from nonprofit organizations working to:

  • Conserve terrestrial and marine biological diversity
  • Sustain cultural diversity, linguistic diversity, and traditional knowledge systems and practices
  • Maintain ecosystem services (water, soil, carbon sequestration)
  • Support food sovereignty and economic vitality of local communities
  • Sustain healthy reefs and fisheries

Geographic Focus

Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua):

  • Belize, Guatemala, Honduras: Coastal landscapes/seascapes within the Gulf of Honduras and the Bay Islands
  • Nicaragua: Southern Pacific coast including Lake Nicaragua, and Northern Caribbean coast within Nicaragua's North Atlantic Autonomous Region

Andean South America (Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru):

  • Ecuador and Peru: Andes-Amazon Basin
  • Peru: Sacred Valley of the Incas (Ollantaytambo to Pisac in the Southern Andes)
  • Bolivia: Altiplano extending from Lake Titicaca to Lake Poopó and beyond to Sucre

West Africa (Ghana, Cameroon):

  • Ghana: Weto Landscape/Togo Plateau in the southern part of the Togo-Atakora Mountains

North Shore Massachusetts:

  • Coastal communities in Essex County and Suffolk County

Legacy Countries (occasional consideration):

  • Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, El Salvador

What They Don't Fund

  • Capital endowments, renovations, or building funds
  • Conferences or travel grants
  • Disease-specific initiatives or medical research
  • Private schools
  • Production of videos, movies, or books
  • Religious activities
  • Routine operating costs of organizations
  • Scholarships, fellowships, and internships
  • Human services organizations
  • Grants to individuals
  • Projects outside their stated geographic focus areas

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

  • Jessica L. Brown - Executive Director (Compensation: $145,396 plus $51,080 other)
  • Deborah Fraize - Director of Business Operations (Compensation: $110,749 plus $36,509 other)

Board of Directors

  • Henry P. Paulus - Trustee
  • David C. Comb - Trustee (son of founder)
  • Heidi Ellard - Board Member
  • Dylan Comb - Board Member
  • Jovial King - Board Member
  • Barbara Vallarino - Board Member
  • Brian Tinger - Board Member

Founder's Legacy

Donald Comb (1927-2020) was a biochemist who earned his PhD from the University of Michigan. His passion for marine ecosystems, developed during summers at the Bermuda Biological Research Station studying sea urchins, led to his lifelong commitment to protecting biodiversity. He also helped establish the Ocean Genome Legacy, a non-profit marine research facility dedicated to preserving the biological diversity of the sea.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

  • Submit an LOI through the online application system at nebf.org
  • First-time visitors must create an account to register their organization
  • Keep responses concise - "For most sections, a few sentences should suffice"
  • Prepare narrative responses in Word before copying into the online form
  • Adhere to character limits specified for each question

Step 2: Full Proposal (By Invitation Only)

  • Do NOT submit a full proposal without being invited by staff
  • Invited proposals may be up to 10 pages
  • Include: project plan, objectives, expected outcomes, detailed budget, requested grant amount, and total project budget

Key Deadlines (2025/2026)

2025 LOI Deadlines: May 1 and October 20, 2025

2026 Grant Round (Note: Only one grant round in 2026 due to strategic planning):

  • LOI submissions: November 1 - December 5, 2025
  • Proposal deadline: February 16, 2026
  • Funding decisions: By April 30, 2026

Decision Timeline

  • LOI decisions are conveyed at least one month before the proposal deadline
  • Full grant decisions typically communicated within 2-3 months of proposal submission
  • Applications reviewed twice yearly (typically)

Reapplication Policy

If a proposal is denied, applicants must wait one year from the date of the original proposal application before submitting a new request.

Application Success Factors

NEBF-Specific Guidance

Demonstrate Strong Geographic and Thematic Alignment

  • NEBF explicitly states they "cannot reply to inquiries outside of our stated funding priorities and geographic focus"
  • Before applying, ensure your project falls within their specific target landscapes—not just the country, but the specific regions within each country

Focus on Biocultural Diversity

  • NEBF emphasizes the inextricable link between natural and cultural values
  • Projects should demonstrate how conservation efforts integrate with and support Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Start Small as a First-Time Applicant

  • The foundation explicitly notes that "first-time applicants are unlikely to be considered for the maximum amount"
  • Request a modest amount ($3,000-$8,000) for initial engagement, with potential for larger grants as the relationship develops

Demonstrate Measurable Community and Environmental Impact

  • Focus on outcomes that show both environmental conservation and community benefit
  • Articulate how your project sustains biodiversity or cultural practices

Examples of Recently Funded Projects (2023)

  • Creative Action Institute: $205,000 for core operating support and capacity building
  • Cultural Survival: $100,000 for supporting Indigenous-led grantmaking
  • Land is Life: $45,000 for advancing Indigenous-led grantmaking to promote agroecology in Sub-Saharan Africa
  • Boston University: $40,000 for restoring eelgrass in the Great Marsh, Massachusetts
  • Amazon Watch: For "Women Defenders of the Amazon"

For Local Massachusetts Applicants

  • Projects supporting artistic expression should clearly demonstrate how they raise environmental awareness, catalyze action, or foster community diversity, equity, and inclusion

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Geographic specificity is crucial - NEBF funds only in very specific landscapes within their focus countries. Verify your project location aligns with their target areas before applying.

  2. Start with modest requests - First-time applicants should request amounts in the $3,000-$8,000 range, as maximum grants are reserved for established grantees.

  3. Two-stage process is mandatory - Never submit a full proposal without an invitation; always begin with the LOI through their online system.

  4. Biocultural approach is essential - Projects must demonstrate the connection between conservation and community/cultural preservation; this is core to NEBF's mission.

  5. Limited staff capacity - The foundation cannot respond to inquiries outside their priorities, so self-assess fit carefully before applying.

  6. One-year wait after rejection - Plan accordingly; you cannot reapply for 12 months if declined.

  7. Capacity building opportunities exist - Beyond grants, NEBF offers training workshops and networking through their partnership with Creative Action Institute, which can strengthen your organization's work.

References

← Back to US Funders Directory