The Yawkey Foundation supports 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit organizations (fiscal sponsors acceptable) making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals, families and communities through direct programs and services in its six priority Areas of Giving: Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife.
The Foundation prioritizes established nonprofit organizations with demonstrated organizational capacity, financial stability, a track record of impact, and meaningful scale of direct service. As part of its review, the Foundation considers an organization’s annual operating budget, the reach and scale of its direct services, its history of impact, and the size of the proposed request relative to the organization’s overall operations. Organizations new to the Yawkey Foundation generally should have an annual operating budget of at least $500,000 to be considered for funding.
Currently, the Yawkey Foundation’s primary geographic focus is on Eastern Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina. For the purposes of the Foundation’s grantmaking, the Eastern Massachusetts region encompasses nonprofits that provide direct programs and services in cities and towns within the following counties: Suffolk, Norfolk, Bristol, Plymouth, Barnstable, Middlesex, and Essex.
Nonprofit organizations seeking to be considered for Yawkey Foundation funding will be required to complete an online Eligibility Quiz designed to help organizations assess their potential alignment with the Foundation’s grantmaking priorities and requirements before investing time in the application process. Upon completion, organizations may submit an Initial Proposal for a specific Type of Grant.
Given the high volume of requests each year, meeting the Foundation’s eligibility requirements does not necessarily mean an organization or request will be competitive for funding. In addition to alignment with the Foundation’s Areas of Giving and geographic priorities, the Foundation considers organizational capacity and scale, demonstrated impact, the strength and appropriateness of the proposed request, and alignment with current grantmaking priorities.
Please note that nonprofits may submit only one Initial Proposal to the Yawkey Foundation during a calendar year, irrespective of the Type of Grant being requested for consideration.
Ineligible Requests:
Ineligible requests include, but are not limited to:
- Organizations that are not 501(c)(3) public charities, including private operating foundations and 509(a)(3) Type III non-functionally integrated organizations
- Public entities (e.g., school districts, charter/public schools, libraries, government agencies) and nonprofits/quasi-public nonprofits whose core programming relies on access to or partnership with these entities
- Funding for specific staff positions, stipends, consultants, or recruitment efforts
- Emergency response efforts, events, conferences, sponsorships, advertisements, films, travel, or individual benefit requests
- Intermediaries, pass-through organizations, funder collaboratives, private foundations, or general endowments
- Sectarian activities of faith-based organizations
- Athletic and sports programs not primarily focused on baseball or softball
- Scholarships
- Early education, preschool, or elementary school programs
- Organizations whose direct services primarily benefit individuals or communities outside the United States
The Yawkey Foundation reviews Initial Proposals for three Types of Grants through a highly competitive two-step process. Organizations that have not been previously funded by the Foundations in recent years are encouraged to submit Initial Proposals for Program & Small Capital Grants to familiarize the Foundation with its work before submitting an Initial Proposal for Strategic Investment or Transformational Capital.
Program & Small Capital Grant Initial Proposals
There are four submission periods for Initial Proposals for Program & Small Capital Grants divided between six Areas of Giving categories:
- Youth & Amateur Athletics (January 2, 2026 – January 23, 2026)
- Education (March 2, 2026 – March 20, 2026)
- Conservation & Wildlife (March 2, 2026 – March 20, 2026)
- Human Services (June 1, 2026 – June 19, 2026)
- Arts & Culture (September 1, 2026 – September 18, 2026)
- Health Care (September 1, 2026 – September 18, 2026)
Strategic Investment Grant Initial Proposals
There are two submission periods for Initial Proposals for Strategic Investment Grants, applicable to all Yawkey Foundation Area of Giving categories:
- January 2, 2026 – January 23, 2026
- June 1, 2026 – June 19, 2026
Transformational Capital Grant Initial Proposals
Initial Proposals for Transformational Capital Grant funding are open on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year for all nonprofits with missions aligned to any of the Yawkey Foundation’s Areas of Giving categories.