The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your organisation is based in Worcester City or Worcester County, the foundation's focus on community self-reliance and girls aged 10–14 gives you a clear test of fit, and impact closer to Worcester City is more likely to receive careful consideration.
- Ask within the typical band of $3,000 to $40,000, since about 8 in 10 of its 177 grants to organisations fall in it and the median is $7,500, but the filing shows a largest grant of $160,000, so that band is not a ceiling.
- Choose the deadline that matches your request: the last day of January, April, July or October for Program and Operating Grants, January 1 to March 31 for Capital Grants, or October 31 or January 31 for Investing in Girls Strategic Grants.
- Repeat giving forms a large share of its grant dollars, with 73% going to organisations it had also funded in an earlier filing, so a relationship built over time may matter.
- Organisations outside Worcester City and Worcester County are not eligible, Capital Grants do not fund programme operations or programme improvements, and Investing in Girls Strategic Grants require 501(c)(3) status, all funds applied to the Worcester service area, and membership of the Investing in Girls Alliance.
Overview
The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation is a US private foundation based in Worcester, MA.
What they fund
Profile derived from the foundation's IRS Form 990-PF filings (TY2024, TY2023, TY2022) and its website, with every statement checked against those sources. Sources read on 7 October 2026.
Priority Areas
The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation supports sustainable, creative solutions to Worcester’s societal challenges through programmes and institutions that help people become more self-reliant in their lives and communities. It gives Program and Operating Grants for qualifying 501(c)(3) organisations’ general operations or specific one-time programme expenses, Capital Grants for building construction or improvements, and Investing in Girls Strategic Grants for programmes focused on girls aged 10–14. Its giving is centred on Worcester: applications from within Worcester City and Worcester County are eligible, with impact closer to Worcester City more likely to receive careful consideration. Strategic applicants must be recognised as a 501(c)(3), apply all funds to the Worcester service area and belong to the Investing in Girls Alliance. Capital applicants must be qualifying organisations located in the Worcester service area.
Themes
- Girls aged 10–14
- Community self-reliance
Geographic Focus
City of Worcester; Worcester County.
What They Don't Fund
- Capital Grants only: program operations or program improvements
How to apply
Applicants visit the programmes page, select Apply Now and submit or manage their application through the external grants-management portal.
Deadlines:
- Program and Operating Grant applications are due on the last day of January, April, July and October for quarterly grant cycles.
- Investing in Girls Strategic Grant applications have deadlines of October 31 for summer programmes and January 31 for school-year programming.
- Capital Grant applications are submitted during the window from January 1 to March 31.
Application success factors
- Repeat giving: In its TY2024 filing, 73% of its grant dollars to organisations went to organisations it had also funded in its TY2022 or TY2023 filing.
- Grant size: Across its TY2022, TY2023 and TY2024 filings, half of its 177 grants to organisations were $7,500 or less.
What the foundation says:
- Investing in Girls Strategic Grant applications should demonstrate evidence-based planning and organisational capability.
- Grant impact closer to Worcester City is more likely to receive careful consideration.
- The Foundation considers Worcester-area impact and organisational stability and sustainability when assessing requests.
Where grants go
From grants to organisations in the foundation’s filings for tax years 2022–2024.
Grant dollars by state
- The largest single recipient received 16% of grant dollars to organisations.
- In tax year 2024, 73% of grant dollars went to organisations The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation had funded in earlier filings.
- No grants were paid directly to organisations outside the US.
- 17% of grant dollars went to intermediaries that regrant to other organisations.
Grants
How much do they typically give?
Share of 65 grants in tax year 2024 by size
Median $7,500 (tax year 2024)
The largest grants to organisations in the foundation’s latest filing:
- United Way of Central Massachusetts · General support$160,0002024 tax year
- Worcester State University · General support$67,5002024 tax year
- YWCA Central Massachusetts · General support$60,0002024 tax year
- Worcester Rise for Health · General support$51,0002024 tax year
- Boys and Girls Club of Worcester · General support$50,0002024 tax year
- Community Harvest Project · Volunteer farming operations$50,0002024 tax year
- Girls Incorporated of Worcester · General support$40,0002024 tax year
- Girls on the Run Worcester County · General support$40,0002024 tax year
Grants to organisations listed in the foundation’s Form 990-PF filings. Grants to individuals are not shown.
Officers and directors
- Robert Pettit — Director
- Timothy Morse — Director
- Ashley Gabrenas — Director
- Dwight Cblake JR — Director
- Emily Daignault-Salvaggio — Director
- Barre Hardy — Treasurer
- Laura Rutkiewicz — Director
- Carlos La Hoz Daniels — Director
- Wendy Andrews — Director
- William O Pettit III — Director
- James T Morse — Clerk / Director
- Sarah D Morse — Director
- Fred H Daniels II — President
- David A Nicholson — Vice-President
From the latest Form 990-PF filing
3 years of tax filings
| Year | Total expenses | Grants paid | Assets | Filing document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 tax year | $1,240,668 | $923,250 | $17,248,670 | Filing for 2022 tax year |
| 2023 tax year | $1,297,336 | $978,250 | $19,514,737 | Filing for 2023 tax year |
| 2024 tax year | $1,299,920 | $1,015,500 | $20,545,256 | Filing for 2024 tax year |
Figures from the foundation’s IRS Form 990-PF filings. Assets are at fair market value at year end. The document icon links to each year’s filing on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
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At a glance
Applying to The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (857) 283-3364
- info@danielsfoundation.org
- INFO@DANIELSFOUNDATION.ORG
- Worcester, MA
- danielsfoundation.org
Applying to The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required
Contact
- (857) 283-3364
- info@danielsfoundation.org
- INFO@DANIELSFOUNDATION.ORG
- Worcester, MA
- danielsfoundation.org