Free funder guide · Massachusetts · Last checked 27 September 2026
Which Massachusetts environmental funders actually accept applications
Most private foundations in Massachusetts have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 11 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in Massachusetts that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Most Massachusetts private foundations that take applications and made environmental grants also gave to a church, a YMCA or another religious charity in their latest filing, so they are not listed here. State land programs, regional water programs and a few conservation-minded family foundations make up the rest.
From my own read of IRS filings, September 2026
In Massachusetts, 1,151 of the 1,592 private foundations with $1 million or more in assets that I could check tick the box on their tax return saying they don't accept unsolicited requests. That is 72%.
That leaves 441 larger Massachusetts foundations that say they will read an application. It is a higher share of closed doors than in Virginia (71%, 586 of 820), and a lower share than in Maryland (76%, 559 of 739), counted the same way.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a Massachusetts address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (tax years 2022 to 2026, almost all 2024 or 2025). There are 1,596; 4 had no e-filed return I could find, so they are left out of the count. Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Virginia and Maryland. Counting them too gives 73% (1,271 of 1,745).
What the checkbox means
One small box on the tax return tells you whether to bother.
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
"Check here if the foundation only makes contributions to preselected charitable organizations and does not accept unsolicited requests for funds."Form 990-PF, Part XIV, line 2
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
11 funders
Open to applications, and funding environmental work in Massachusetts.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
Verified date on the funder's own site on 27 Sept 2026Expected based on last cycle; next not yet postedRolling applications any timeFiling only no website; from the tax return, confirm firstCheck site next date not posted; open their page
Statewide and regional public grantmakers
01
Massachusetts Division of Conservation Services: Conservation Partnership Grant
Boston · statewide
Reimbursement grants for 501(c)(3) organizations (municipalities cannot apply) to buy land or conservation restrictions, or to cover due diligence costs when land is donated.
Typical grant
Up to $425,000 for a land or conservation restriction purchase and up to $20,000 for due diligence on a gift, reimbursing up to 50% of eligible project costs (FY 27 bid package).
Next deadline
The FY 27 round closed July 13, 2026. Next round about summer 2027 Expected; dates not posted.
How to apply
Application form on Mass.gov; the rules are in each year's bid package.
Grants to owners of conserved land for habitat management projects. Nonprofits whose primary mission is land conservation and that own land in fee are eligible.
Typical grant
$5,000 to $75,000 per grant; work must be finished within the fiscal year (FY 2027 program page).
Next deadline
The FY 2027 round was posted May 26, 2026 and closed July 6, 2026. The next round is not posted Check site.
How to apply
Online application following the program's request for proposals.
Grants for recreational trail and shared-use path projects. Nonprofit organizations are eligible alongside municipalities, public entities and Native nations.
Typical grant
$5,000 to $500,000; generally up to $100,000 for recreational trails, with a 20% minimum match (2026 request for responses and program page).
Next deadline
The 2026 round closed February 2, 2026. Next round about early 2027 Expected; the 2027 dates are not posted.
How to apply
Online application during the annual window; guidelines in the request for responses.
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: Long Island Sound Futures Fund
Washington, DC · Massachusetts part of the Long Island Sound watershed (nitrogen projects only)
Restoration of Long Island Sound. Massachusetts groups qualify only for nitrogen and nutrient pollution prevention projects, which may be anywhere in the Sound's watershed, including the Massachusetts part of the Connecticut River basin.
Typical grant
Implementation projects $50,000 to $2 million; other categories have their own ranges (2026 request for proposals). Its filing for the year to September 2025, which does not name the program, includes Franklin Regional Council of Governments $220,676 for nitrogen prevention designs in the Long Island Sound watershed.
Next deadline
The 2026 round closed May 19, 2026. Next round about May 2027 Expected; the 2027 request for proposals is not posted.
Restore America's Estuaries: Southeast New England Program Grants
Arlington, VA · Southeastern Massachusetts, from Buzzards Bay and the Narragansett Bay watershed as far north as Worcester to the south shore of Cape Cod and the islands
EPA-funded grants for clean water, habitat restoration and resilient communities. Two tracks: Watershed Implementation Grants for larger restoration projects, and Restoration Capital Mini-Grants for tools, plants, monitoring equipment and other one-time purchases by land and water stewardship groups.
Typical grant
Watershed Implementation Grants up to $250,000; mini-grants $1,000 to $10,000 (its site). 2025 Massachusetts mini-grants include Rehoboth Land Trust $9,963, Wareham Land Trust $7,190 and Taunton River Watershed Alliance $5,307 (its site). Its 2024 filing lists Nantucket Conservation Foundation $255,000, Buzzards Bay Coalition $161,994, Sheriff's Meadow Foundation $112,782 and Harwich Conservation Trust $34,356.
Next deadline
Mini-grants: the 2026 round closed September 15, 2026; next round about September 2027 Expected. Watershed Implementation Grants: the 2026 round began with letters of intent in the spring and the 2027 call is not posted Check site.
How to apply
Online portal; Watershed Implementation Grants start with a letter of intent, and full proposals are by invitation.
Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Crane Family Fund and Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund
Sheffield · Berkshire County; the Crane fund also covers the foundation's New York and Connecticut counties
One application is considered for both funds. The Crane Family Fund backs projects at "the intersection of environmental quality and community health and well-being", with special interest in connecting low-income and at-risk youth to the environment. The Berkshire Environmental Endowment Fund supports Berkshire County projects on water quality and related land issues, with a preference for water-related education for young people.
Typical grant
Crane $1,000 to $4,000; Berkshire Environmental Endowment amounts vary and need a 1:1 cash or in-kind match (its site). Environmental grants in its 2024 filing include Berkshire Natural Resources Council $50,187, Sheffield Land Trust $34,501, Berkshire Community Land Trust $32,396 and Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation $14,700 (the filing does not say which fund paid them).
Next deadline
February 15, 2027 Verified.
How to apply
Online application portal, linked from each fund's page.
Cape Cod Foundation: Sears Land Acquisition Grants
South Yarmouth · Cape Cod
Grants from the Priscilla Alden Sears Memorial Fund to land trusts and Tribal entities buying specific parcels for permanent conservation on Cape Cod, with a plan to close within 18 months. Its Town Fund grants for nonprofits in Chatham, Falmouth, Harwich and Sandwich run separately each fall.
Typical grant
Up to $50,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its 2025 filing include Dennis Conservation Land Trust $65,250, Provincetown Conservation Trust $50,000, Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries $47,257 and Barnstable Land Trust $30,250 (the filing does not separate these from donor-advised gifts).
Next deadline
The 2026 round closed March 26, 2026. Next round about March 2027 Expected; dates not posted.
How to apply
Download the guidelines, then apply through the foundation's online grant portal.
Community Foundation of North Central Massachusetts: Environmental Preservation & Animal Welfare
Fitchburg · 33 communities in North Central Massachusetts
An endowed fund whose priorities include land and water preservation, habitat restoration, public access to natural places and local climate action, alongside animal welfare.
Typical grant
Grants have tended to fall between $2,000 and $10,000 (its site). Environmental grants in its filing for the year to June 2025 include North County Land Trust $78,602 and Groton Conservation Trust $51,200 (the filing does not separate competitive from donor-advised grants).
Next deadline
Once a year: its page lists an application window of February 23 to March 13, with awards on April 17. Next round about February to March 2027 Expected.
How to apply
Online grant portal; one application per organization per program.
Community-based nature and land conservation groups: land protection, trails and public access, and projects that involve local residents in conservation. It is unlikely to fund routine operating budgets or deficits.
Typical grant
$500 to $25,000, most $2,000 to $15,000 (its site). Massachusetts grants in its 2024 filing include Mount Grace Land Conservation Trust $25,000, Harwich Conservation Trust $25,000 and $15,000, Kestrel Land Trust $15,000 and Essex County Greenbelt Association $15,000 and $10,000.
Next deadline
Any time; the directors meet regularly through the year Rolling.
How to apply
Email a full proposal of three or four pages plus attachments (the Philanthropy Massachusetts Common Grant Application is accepted), or start with a one-page outline.
Boston · mostly New England (grantees in its filing)
Projects that "directly promote the conservation, study, and appreciation of nature". Usually one-time grants; larger multi-year grants are possible for important land acquisitions. Public charities and government units only; no construction or overhead, per its filing.
Typical grant
Up to $15,000 (its filing). Its 14 grants for the year to September 2025 include Kestrel Land Trust $15,000, Sudbury Valley Trustees $15,000 and Franklin Land Trust $14,300.
Next deadline
Preliminary applications are due March 15 and September 15 at 5 p.m. ET (its standing schedule); next March 15, 2027 Expected. Trustees decide in May and November.
How to apply
Request access to the online preliminary application from its instructions page or by email to [email protected]; final applications by invitation.
Boston · New England, most recently Nantucket and the South Shore
No website; everything here comes from its 2024 tax filing. It funds public charities that protect domestic animals and wildlife, conserve "areas of natural habitat & beauty" or preserve historic architecture in New England.
Typical grant
Six grants in 2024, $10,000 to $150,000. Examples: New England Wildlife Center $150,000, Sconset Trust $50,000, Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket $35,000.
Next deadline
None stated Filing only.
How to apply
The filing names Wendy S. Holding, 230 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02110, and gives no form or deadline.
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
The full version
Want this done for your own organization?
A Funding Roadmap ($1,200, flat fee) gives you ten to fifteen funders matched to your mission, place and size, the grants each one paid to groups like yours, how to apply, and a 12-month grant calendar. Every deadline is labeled the same way as on this page.
Email me your organization's name, rough budget and what you'd like funded. You'll get a written reply within two business days.
You fill in a short intake questionnaire, then answer one round of written follow-up questions.
About three weeks later you get the roadmap, a two-page note on how to use it, and 14 days of email questions.
Everything happens in writing. There are no calls or meetings.