About Massachusetts Service Alliance
The Massachusetts Service Alliance builds the organizational capacity of Massachusetts nonprofits, schools, and agencies through funding, training, and resources centered on volunteerism and service; as the state's official State Service Commission, it administers AmeriCorps, Commonwealth Corps, and volunteerism initiatives.
Focus Areas
EducationWorkforce DevelopmentHealth & NutritionYouth DevelopmentVeterans SupportVolunteer MobilizationEnvironmental Conservation
Who They Fund
nonprofit or community-based subgranteeslocal communities served by CNCS programsservice participants / volunteers
Funding Style
federal pass-through/subgrant
About Massachusetts Service Alliance
Massachusetts Service Alliance Inc channels most of its grantmaking through federally funded service programs that place AmeriCorps members with Massachusetts organizations and support volunteer infrastructure across the state. As Massachusetts’ State Service Commission, it combines subgrants, training, and operational support to help nonprofits, schools, and public agencies expand service capacity. The largest recent awards show the scale of that work. City Year Boston received $5,056,859 in 2023 and $2,545,524 in 2024 as subgrants of CNCS federal funding, while Jumpstart for Young Children received $1,674,018 in 2024 and $1,362,080 in 2023 for the same funding stream. Other large awards went to The Literacy Lab, Terracorps Inc, and Boston University, all through CNCS federal funding passed on by the alliance. Beyond AmeriCorps placements, the foundation also supports volunteer generation and service-learning. Its active programs include the Youth Career Pathway Initiative, the Youth Development Volunteer Initiative, Connect Science: Service-Learning Training Program, and the Service Enterprise Initiative. Across these efforts, the common thread is program implementation support for organizations working in education, youth development, workforce development, health, and environmental stewardship.
What Massachusetts Service Alliance Funds
In education and youth development, Massachusetts Service Alliance Inc funded Boston University with $748,359 in 2024 and Clark University with $555,226 in 2024 as subgrants of CNCS federal funding. Those awards fit a model that strengthens service programs inside higher education and community settings rather than making unrestricted grants. Workforce and career pathways appear in the Youth Career Pathway Initiative, which offers $20,000 grants to nonprofits supporting youth career pathways, workforce development, and volunteer engagement. The Youth Development Volunteer Initiative provides $10,000 grants to nonprofits that want to engage volunteers in youth programming. Service-learning is another distinct lane. Connect Science: Service-Learning Training Program combines a project-based learning unit on energy and natural resources with training, materials, support, and follow-up virtual sessions for schools and out-of-school-time programs. Volunteer management is also built into the model through the Service Enterprise Initiative, which offers training, coaching, and certification to improve volunteer program operations.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$16M
Total Assets
$6.5M
Total Revenue
$19.3M
Total Expenses
$19.3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $16K and $424K, with a median of $227K.
25th Percentile
$16K
Median
$227K
75th Percentile
$424K
Geographic Reach
Local6 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
ELIZABETH MCGUINNESS
Accepts unsolicited proposals
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