About Dcu for Kids
A defining feature of DCU for Kids is its repeated use of general support for children-serving nonprofits, with several organizations appearing across multiple years in the recent-grants list. The largest awards in the file are $250,000 grants to the Boomer Esiason Foundation in 2023, 2024, and 2025, all marked general support. Other sizable grants go to major health and children’s organizations such as Boston Medical Center Corporation, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital, indicating that the foundation backs both medical and community-based support for children in need. Their stated purpose is to improve quality of life for children through support services, enrichment, development activities, mentoring, education programs, medical research, and scholarships. The recent-grants data also shows a strong operating pattern: awards are frequently described as general support rather than project-restricted funding. Within youth services, the foundation has supported Boys & Girls Club affiliates in multiple Massachusetts cities, including Worcester, Greater Lowell, Lawrence, Waltham, and MetroWest, suggesting a broad local network of recurring grantees rather than one-off relationships.
What Dcu for Kids Funds
In child health and medical research, DCU for Kids funded Boston Medical Center Corporation with $225,000 in 2023 and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute with $200,000 in 2023 and $150,000 in 2024, both as general support. The grants list also includes Massachusetts General Hospital at $150,000 in 2023. For youth development, the foundation backed Boys & Girls Club of Worcester with $100,000 in 2023, $80,000 in 2024, and $60,000 in 2025, alongside support for Boys & Girls Club affiliates in Greater Lowell, Lawrence, Waltham, MetroWest, Manchester, and Greater Nashua. In mental wellness and autism-related support, Autism Speaks Inc received $100,000 in 2023 and $50,000 in 2025. The file also shows support for family stability through Family Reach Foundation at $50,000 in 2023 and The Home for Little Wanderers at $50,000 in 2024.
How Dcu for Kids Gives
Typical grant size centers on $10,000, with the 25th percentile also at $10,000 and the 75th percentile at $25,000. The recent-grants list, however, includes much larger general-support awards, showing that the foundation makes both standard grants and larger strategic commitments. Recipients appear across multiple years, including the same organizations receiving support in 2023, 2024, and 2025. DCU for Kids is a regular funder rather than a DAF or program-related-investment vehicle, and it funds both general support and scholarships. Its grant programs accept unsolicited applications through an online process.
