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The Sudbury Foundation

Annual Giving
$1.9M
Grant Range
$1K - $0.3M
Decision Time
3mo

The Sudbury Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $1.89 million (2024)
  • Total Assets: $35.5 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $300,000
  • Geographic Focus: Sudbury, MA and surrounding communities (Acton, Concord, Framingham, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Stow, Wayland); Massachusetts statewide for Farm & Local Food Initiative
  • Decision Time: Varies by program (Trustees meet quarterly)
  • Application Method: Mixed (rolling for some programs, fixed deadlines for others; some invitation-only)

Contact Details

Overview

The Sudbury Foundation was established in 1952 by Herbert and Esther Atkinson, long-time residents of Sudbury, Massachusetts who operated a successful small business specializing in soil testing kits. Having no children, they left their entire estate to the Foundation upon their deaths to continue their charitable work. What began with an initial $20,000 contribution has grown to over $35.5 million in assets. In 2024, the Foundation distributed $1.89 million in grants and scholarships. The Foundation operates as a private foundation working to transform lives and strengthen communities through grant making and scholarship programs. Their approach emphasizes strengthening nonprofit partners who are working to solve pressing social issues while encouraging local youth through their college scholarship program.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

1. The Sudbury Program

  • Grant Range: $1,000 - $200,000+ (depending on project scope)
  • Focus: Enhancing the quality of community life in Sudbury
  • Categories: Youth Development and Opportunity, Preserving Community Character and Assets, Community Building/Town Betterment, Underserved Populations
  • Application Method: Online portal; applications accepted twice a year (January and July deadlines)

2. Children, Youth & Families (CYF) Program

  • Grant Range: Up to $20,000
  • Focus: Helping young people realize their full potential, focusing on underserved youth facing economic and/or personal barriers to success
  • Tracks: Capacity Building OR Youth Emotional Well-Being
  • Application Method: Online portal with mandatory 30-minute pre-application Zoom call with staff
  • Timeline: Opens February, deadline end of March, decisions in June

3. Farm & Local Food Initiative

  • Grant Range: $50,000 - $120,000 (typically multi-year)
  • Focus: Sustainable agriculture and local food systems in Massachusetts
  • Application Method: Invitation only - Foundation not adding new organizations to portfolio at this time

4. Community Grants (including JEDI)

  • Grant Range: $5,000 - $50,000
  • Focus: Hunger relief, crisis response, climate impact, foundational organizations, and Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion
  • Application Method: Invitation only

5. Atkinson Scholarship Program

  • Award: Up to $7,500 per year (renewable for up to $20,000 total)
  • Eligibility: High school seniors who are Sudbury residents, Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School students, or dependents of Town of Sudbury/Lincoln-Sudbury employees

Priority Areas

  • Youth development, leadership skills, civic engagement, and academic enrichment
  • Historic preservation and environmental protection
  • Community participation, diversity, and volunteerism
  • Support for seniors, low-income residents, and those facing health challenges
  • Sustainable agriculture and local food access
  • Emergency hunger relief
  • Organizational capacity building

What They Don't Fund

  • Loans or grants to individuals
  • Ongoing operating support (with exceptions for established Farm & Local Food grantees)
  • Deficit reduction
  • General appeals or benefit tickets/sponsorships
  • Efforts understood to be the responsibility of government
  • Religious activities

Governance and Leadership

Board of Trustees

  • Tracy L. Stewart (Chair)
  • Brendan Mahoney
  • Tory Oak (Bank of America trustee)
  • Bill Spencer
  • Jill M. Stansky

Staff

  • Sonia Shah - Executive Director
  • Tricia Brunner - Operations Manager
  • Jean Nam - Administrative Assistant

The Foundation is governed by a five-member board of trustees, with Bank of America serving as corporate trustee. A Finance Committee monitors assets and investment returns alongside Bank of America's investment manager.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Sudbury Program:

  • Applications are accepted twice a year (January and July deadlines)
  • Applicants must use the online Grant Program Portal
  • Organizations outside Sudbury must speak to staff before applying
  • Pre-application discussion with staff is strongly encouraged

Children, Youth & Families Program:

  • Mandatory 30-minute Zoom call with staff before submitting a full proposal
  • No concept papers required
  • Questions and discussion topics provided in advance
  • Timeline: Opens February → Deadline end of March → Decisions in June

Farm & Local Food Initiative:

  • Invitation only - contact Executive Director with introductory materials if interested

Community Grants & JEDI:

  • Invitation only

Decision Timeline

  • Foundation Trustees meet four times a year to review proposals for the Sudbury Program
  • CYF decisions announced in June for March deadline
  • Grant reports due upon completion of project or within one year of award

Reapplication Policy

  • Applicants who have received prior funding must submit their final grant report (or interim report) before applying for additional support
  • In most cases, nonprofit organizations can only receive one grant per calendar year (with exceptions; e.g., CYF grant and Racial Equity grant can be received in same year)
  • Multi-year grant requests are accepted but require prior staff consultation

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Guidance

Pre-Application Engagement is Critical: The Foundation strongly encourages applicants to "discuss their needs with Foundation staff prior to submitting a full proposal. Telephone inquiries and concept papers are welcome." For the CYF program, a pre-application Zoom call is mandatory.

Positive Youth Development Framework: For youth-focused grants, the Foundation explicitly "supports the concept of Positive Youth Development, an approach that emphasizes building the positive attributes and support systems young people need to be successful." The Foundation encourages grantees to "enhance their programming through a positive youth development lens" and prioritizes approaches that "nurture young people's strengths rather than focus on negative behaviors."

Collaboration and School Partnerships: "Any organization submitting an application which would include working in collaboration with a school must submit a letter of support from the school."

Geographic Fit: For the Sudbury Program, organizations outside Sudbury must demonstrate their projects "substantially benefit Sudbury residents" and must speak with staff before applying. For CYF, programs must serve youth in the specific catchment area (Acton, Concord, Framingham, Hudson, Lincoln, Marlborough, Maynard, Natick, Stow, Sudbury, and Wayland).

Recent Funded Projects (Examples):

  • Sudbury Historical Society: $50,000 for digitizing and making photo collections publicly available
  • Boys and Girls Club of MetroWest: $300,000 over 3 years
  • Sudbury Youth Soccer: $11,500 for adaptive soccer programming
  • MetroWest Free Medical Program: $25,000 for general operating support
  • SMILE Mass: $25,000 for after-school services to children and adults with severe disabilities
  • Boston Area Gleaners: $120,000 for general operating support

Preference for Underserved Populations: The Foundation explicitly states "Preference is given to organizations whose primary mission is youth development. Preference is for underserved populations."

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  1. Contact staff before applying - This is strongly encouraged for all programs and mandatory for CYF grants. Executive Director Sonia Shah is the primary contact (shah@sudburyfoundation.org or 978-443-0849).

  2. Geographic eligibility is strictly defined - For Sudbury Program, projects must substantially benefit Sudbury residents. For CYF, the catchment area includes 11 specific communities. Farm & Local Food covers Massachusetts outside Greater Boston.

  3. Most programs have limited access - Farm & Local Food and Community/JEDI grants are invitation-only. Only the Sudbury Program and CYF have open application processes.

  4. Application windows are limited - Sudbury Program accepts applications only twice a year (January and July). CYF has a single annual cycle (February open, March deadline, June decisions).

  5. Frame youth work through Positive Youth Development - For any youth-focused project, emphasize building strengths and support systems rather than addressing deficits or negative behaviors.

  6. Complete prior grant reports first - Organizations with outstanding grant reports cannot apply for new funding.

  7. Consider collaboration - The Foundation views collaboration favorably, particularly for CYF grants, but school partnerships require documented letters of support.

References

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