We will strive to improve the quality of life for children in need.
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.
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.
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.
$1.4M
$5.4M
$2.1M
$2M
Most grants fall between $10K and $25K, with a median of $10K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$10K
75th Percentile
$25K
Laurie LaChapelle
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Giving is highly concentrated in Massachusetts: 85% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s top state by count. Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Waltham, and Marlborough all appear in the recent-grants list, showing a strong cluster around eastern and central Massachusetts. Outside Massachusetts, the recent list also includes Garden City Park, New York; Princeton, New Jersey; Manchester and Nashua, New Hampshire; and Washington, DC. The recipient-country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 248 grants in the United States.
The foundation supports nonprofit organizations serving children in need, especially youth community programs, mentoring and education programs, medical research, support services for basic needs, scholarships, school readiness, STEAM and STEM, financial literacy, child health and wellness, and special needs programs.
Yes. The active grant programs listed here, including DCU for Kids General Grants and the Community Grants Program, accept unsolicited applications and use an online application process.
The typical grant size is $10,000. The distribution shows a p25 of $10,000, a median of $10,000, and a p75 of $25,000.
The recent-grants list shows recurring support for several organizations across multiple years. Examples include the Boomer Esiason Foundation receiving $250,000 in 2023, 2024, and 2025, and Boys & Girls Club affiliates appearing repeatedly in different years.
Grantmaking is local, with 85% of grants going to recipients in Massachusetts. Recent recipients include organizations in Boston, Worcester, Lowell, Lawrence, Waltham, and Marlborough.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boomer Esiason Foundation | Garden City Park, NY | $250,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Worcester | Worcester, MA | $60,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence | Lawrence, MA | $60,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest | Marlborough, MA | $55,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell | Lowell, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Manchester | Manchester, NH | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Autism Speaks Inc | Washington, DC | $50,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Nashua | Nashua, NH | $40,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Waltham | Waltham, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Home for Little Wanderers | Boston, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Wily Network | Newton, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Catie's Closet | Dracut, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Jumpstart for Young Children Inc | Boston, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Family Reach Foundation | Boston, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Mass Insight Education & Research | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Groundwork Lawrence | Lawrence, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Greater Lowell Family YMCA | Lowell, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center | Boston, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Special Olympics Massachusetts Inc | Marlborough, MA | $20,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Marguerite's Place Inc | Nashua, NH | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Rise Above Foundation Inc | Northbridge, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Carroll Center for the Blind | Newton, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange Inc | Newton, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Horace Mann Educational Associates Inc (HMEA) | Franklin, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Assabet Valley | Maynard, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Lynn | Lynn, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Haverhill | Haverhill, MA | $15,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| ADA Forsyth Institute | Cambridge, MA | $12,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Billerica | Billerica, MA | $12,500 | 2025 | General Support |
| Jewish Federation of Central MA dba Rachel's Table | Worcester, MA | $12,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Hope and Comfort Inc | Needham, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| RAR-MA Inc (dba Raising A Reader MA) | Boston, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Cradles to Crayons | Newton, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| UTEC Inc | Lowell, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Club of Greater Derry Inc | East Derry, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| DetecTogether | Westborough, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| The Wish Project | Lowell, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Harbor Homes Inc dba Harbor Care | Nashua, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire | Nashua, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester | Dorchester, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Lucy's Love Bus | Amesbury, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| YMCA of Greater Nashua | Nashua, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| CASA New Hampshire | Manchester, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| New Life Home Ministries of NE Inc | Manchester, NH | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Discovery Museums Inc | Acton, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Youth Opportunities Upheld Inc | Worcester, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Cambridge Camping Association | Cambridge, MA | $10,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Mission of Deeds Inc | Reading, MA | $9,585 | 2025 | General Support |
| Council for Economic Education | New York, NY | $8,000 | 2025 | General Support |
| Advocates | Framingham, MA | $7,500 | 2025 | General Support |
The Home for Little Wanderers
$30,000General Support
Greater Lowell Family YMCA
$20,000General Support
Floating Hospital for Children at Tufts Medical Center
$20,000General Support
Marguerite's Place Inc
$15,000General Support
Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange Inc
$15,000General Support
Horace Mann Educational Associates Inc (HMEA)
$15,000General Support
Jewish Federation of Central MA dba Rachel's Table
$12,000General Support
The Wish Project
$10,000General Support
Harbor Homes Inc dba Harbor Care
$10,000General Support
Family Promise of Southern New Hampshire
$10,000General Support
New Life Home Ministries of NE Inc
$10,000General Support
Youth Opportunities Upheld Inc
$10,000General Support
Advocates
$7,500General Support