Greater Worcester Community Foundation has completed its 2024 Community Grants round by making 94 general operating grants to Worcester County nonprofits, totaling $1.11 million.
These grants will support organizations that align with the Foundation’s five strategic focus areas: arts and creativity, basic needs, economic opportunity, health and wellbeing, and youth and families. An additional $1.17 million in community grants were made earlier this year to 100 organizations for specific projects related to these focus areas, for a total investment of $2.28 million in 2024.
In a continued effort to reduce the barriers nonprofits often face with cumbersome grant applications, the Foundation used an expedited renewal process this year for the 74 nonprofits that received an operating grant in 2023. In addition, 20 nonprofits received new operating grants this year.
Basic Needs
Of the new grants, the Foundation saw an increase in requests from organizations supporting basic needs, particularly those functioning as food pantries or food security organizations. Organizations cited inflation and increase in demand as reasons for seeking support from the Foundation and are based across the county.
These grantees include:
- Ginny’s Helping Hand - $7,500 (Leominster)
- Oxford Ecumenical Food Shelf - $7,000 (Oxford)
- Webster Dudley Food Share - $7,000 (Webster)
- Wachusett Food Pantry - $5,000 (Sterling)
Other nonprofits receiving a new operating grant from the Foundation include:
Arts & Creativity
- New Dawn Arts Center - $10,000 (Ashburnham)
- Love Your Labels - $12,000 (Worcester)
Economic Opportunity
- Worcester Roots - $5,000 (Worcester)
- Empower Children for Success - $7,500 (Fitchburg)
Health & Wellbeing
- The HeartWell Institute - $12,500 (Worcester)
- Westborough Connects - $10,000 (Westborough)
- Worcester RISE for Health - $7,500 (Worcester)
Youth & Families
- Boys & Girls Club of Webster Dudley - $10,000 (Dudley)
- 508 Forever Young, Inc. - $7,500 (Worcester)
- Wendell P. Clark YMCA - $7,500 (Winchendon)
A number of considerations go into deciding grant awards and amounts, including the size of the organization and the overall operating budget. This year, 30 nonprofits received both project and operating grants from the Foundation.
We are grateful to have a wide variety of funds at the Foundation that support the Community Grants program. This gives us the flexibility to provide much-needed general operating support to nonprofits while also investing in specific projects that address the community’s most pressing needs.
- Pete Dunn, President & CEO, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
The Community Grants program is made possible by people who have set up discretionary and field of interest funds with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and makes up approximately a quarter of the Foundation’s annual granting budget.
For more information about this year’s project and operating grants, download the 2024 Community Grants Summary.
