The Cabot Family Charitable Trust concentrates on Greater Boston community-building and direct-service organizations, favoring neighborhood-level nonprofits that address basic needs, youth opportunity, and civic infrastructure. They regularly fund food security and home-based support programs, youth mentoring/STEM and out-of-school-time initiatives, and organizations focused on reentry/violence-prevention and immigrant services. Grants are often program support and repeated over multiple years to familiar Boston-area partners, with occasional investments in cultural and environmental institutions.
The Cabot Family Charitable Trust’s recent grantmaking shows a consistent pattern of $50,000 awards to Greater Boston organizations serving neighborhood needs, youth, and community infrastructure. In 2025, the trust gave $50,000 to Roca Inc in Chelsea for exempt purposes, and it also supported Action for Boston Community Development Inc, Bridge Over Troubled Waters Inc, and Community Servings with grants at the same level in Boston-area communities. Those awards sit alongside repeated support for local nonprofits working on food access, family stability, and youth opportunity. The trust appears to favor organizations with a strong place-based role in Boston and nearby cities, including direct-service groups and civic institutions. Its recent grants include WGBH Educational Foundation, East Boston Community Council, Freedom House Inc, and Food for Free Committee Inc, suggesting attention to both basic needs and broader community systems. The organization’s grant size profile is tightly clustered, with many awards at the same amount, which points to a relatively standardized approach to annual support. Across the recent record, the pattern is local, repeatable, and centered on nonprofits rooted in Massachusetts communities.
A major thread in the trust’s giving is food security and basic needs. It gave $50,000 to Community Servings in Jamaica Plain for exempt purposes, and it also backed Food for Free Committee Inc in Cambridge and Haley House Inc in Boston. Youth development and educational opportunity are another clear area. Grants include $50,000 to The Young Peoples Project in Cambridge for exempt purposes and $50,000 to Nextgen Talent in Dorchester for exempt purposes, alongside support for Boston Arts Academy Foundation Inc. The trust also funds reentry, violence prevention, and wraparound support. Recent examples include $50,000 to Roca Inc in Chelsea, $50,000 to Freedom House Inc in Boston, and $50,000 to Bridge Over Troubled Waters Inc in Boston. Its recent grants also extend to immigrant-serving groups such as Immigrant Family Services Institute in Mattapan and East Boston Community Council.
Typical grant size is tightly grouped around $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile, even though many recent awards in the sample are $50,000. The record suggests recurring support rather than one-off gifts: several grantees appear across multiple years, including WGBH Educational Foundation, Community Servings, Catie's Closet Inc, Freedom House Inc, and Roca Inc. The trust is a regular funder rather than a DAF and does not fund individuals or make program-related investments. Its grantmaking appears to use exempt-purpose awards, with a strong pattern of repeat support to the same Massachusetts nonprofits.
$2.2M
$55.8M
$2.7M
$2.9M
Most grants fall between $20K and $30K, with a median of $25K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$25K
75th Percentile
$30K
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Geographically concentrated in Boston/Central Massachusetts with many repeat grantees; funding tends toward mid-size, multi-year or recurring program support rather than one-off large capital gifts, spread across numerous neighborhood nonprofits rather than a few major national recipients.
Notable grantees: WGBH Educational Foundation, Community Servings, Freedom House, Inc., Found in Translation, Mass Mentoring Partnership
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly Massachusetts-based: 99% of grants go to recipients in the state, and the remaining distribution in the provided data is entirely U.S.-based. Boston appears often, with grants to organizations in Boston, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, East Boston, and Mattapan. Outside Boston, recent grants also land in Chelsea, Cambridge, West Newton, Brockton, Dracut, and Worcester. The pattern reflects a local portfolio centered on Greater Boston and nearby Massachusetts communities.
Its recent grants center on neighborhood-based basic needs, food security, youth development, reentry and violence-prevention services, immigrant-family support, and Boston civic and cultural institutions. Named recipients in the recent record include Community Servings, Freedom House Inc, Immigrant Family Services Institute, WGBH Educational Foundation, and The Young Peoples Project.
The typical grant size is $20,000 at the 25th percentile, $25,000 at the median, and $30,000 at the 75th percentile. In the recent grants list, many awards are $50,000, so the sample shows several grants above the typical distribution.
Yes. Ninety-nine percent of grants go to recipients in Massachusetts, and the overall geographic scope is local. Recent recipient locations include Boston, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, East Boston, Mattapan, Chelsea, Cambridge, West Newton, Brockton, Dracut, and Worcester.
Yes. The recent list shows multiple recipients appearing in more than one year, including WGBH Educational Foundation, Community Servings, Catie's Closet Inc, Freedom House Inc, and Roca Inc. That pattern points to recurring support for established local partners.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROCA INC | CHELSEA, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS INC | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| IMMIGRANT FAMILY SERVICES INSTITUTE | MATTAPAN, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| HARVARD STREET NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER | DORCHESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FAMILY ACCESS OF NEWTON | WEST NEWTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMMUNITY SERVINGS | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WORCESTER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY DBA ECOTARIUM | WORCESTER, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION | BOSTON, MA | $50,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CODMAN SQUARE HEALTH CENTER | DORCHESTER, MA | $48,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATRE | BROOKLINE, MA | $44,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL | DORCHESTER, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGES | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| WBUR (TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY) | BOSTON, MA | $40,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MASS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PHILANTHROPY MASSACHUSETTS | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NURTURY INC | ROXBURY, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THE LOOP LAB INC | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MOUNT WASHINGTON OBSERVATORY | NORTH CONWAY, NH | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CAMPUS WITHOUT WALLS | BOSTON, MA | $35,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ARTS FOR LEARNING MASS INC | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ABOUT FRESH FRESH TRUCK | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| TEACH FOR AMERICA - MASSACHUSETTS | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ST FRANCIS HOUSE | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| LEVEL GROUND MIXED MARTIAL ARTS | BOSTON, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| OCEAN ALLIANCE | GLOUCESTER, MA | $30,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ELLIS EARLY LEARNING | BOSTON, MA | $26,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| EDVESTORS | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| USS CONSTITUTION MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| THEATREZONE DBA APOLLINAIRE THEATRE COMPANY | CHELSEA, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| COMMONWEALTH ZOOLOGICAL CORPORATION DBA ZOO NEW ENGLAND | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| OLD NORTH FOUNDATION OF BOSTON DBA OLD NORTH ILLUMINATED | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| DE NOVO (FORMERLY CLSACC) | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| NEW ENGLAND INNOCENCE PROJECT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MASS INSIGHT EDUCATION & RESEARCH | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTON INC | MATTAPAN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| APPRENTICE LEARNING | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SAMARITANS INC | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SOCIEDAD LATINA | ROXBURY, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| MUJERES UNIDAS AVANZANDO | DORCHESTER, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY INC | SOUTH BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| PRISON BOOK PROGRAM INC | QUINCY, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| JUST A START | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ROXBURY STONE HOUSE | JAMAICA PLAIN, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| FOUND IN TRANSLATION | DORCHESTER, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER OF SUFFOLK COUNTY | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT | CAMBRIDGE, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| CIRCLE OF HOPE INC | NEEDHAM, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| ONE CAN HELP | NEWTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
| SMART FROM THE START INC | BOSTON, MA | $25,000 | 2025 | EXEMPT PURPOSE |
ROCA INC
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS INC
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
IMMIGRANT FAMILY SERVICES INSTITUTE
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
HARVARD STREET NEIGHBORHOOD HEALTH CENTER
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
FAMILY ACCESS OF NEWTON
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
COMMUNITY SERVINGS
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
Current and upcoming funding from Cabot Family Charitable Trust that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicant must be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status; benefit Boston and/or contiguous communities; advance one of the Trust's funding areas; not have submitted an application within the last 12 months; current grantees must submit required reports by the time of application.
WORCESTER NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY DBA ECOTARIUM
EXEMPT PURPOSE
WGBH EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
$50,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CODMAN SQUARE HEALTH CENTER
$48,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
PUPPET SHOWPLACE THEATRE
$44,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE CHARTER SCHOOL
$40,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEIGHBORHOOD VILLAGES
$40,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
WBUR (TRUSTEES OF BOSTON UNIVERSITY)
$40,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
MASS MENTORING PARTNERSHIP
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
PHILANTHROPY MASSACHUSETTS
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NURTURY INC
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
THE LOOP LAB INC
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
MOUNT WASHINGTON OBSERVATORY
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CAMPUS WITHOUT WALLS
$35,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ARTS FOR LEARNING MASS INC
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
BOSTON CHILDREN'S CHORUS
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ABOUT FRESH FRESH TRUCK
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
TEACH FOR AMERICA - MASSACHUSETTS
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ST FRANCIS HOUSE
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
LEVEL GROUND MIXED MARTIAL ARTS
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
OCEAN ALLIANCE
$30,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ELLIS EARLY LEARNING
$26,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
EDVESTORS
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
USS CONSTITUTION MUSEUM FOUNDATION INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
THEATREZONE DBA APOLLINAIRE THEATRE COMPANY
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
COMMONWEALTH ZOOLOGICAL CORPORATION DBA ZOO NEW ENGLAND
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
OLD NORTH FOUNDATION OF BOSTON DBA OLD NORTH ILLUMINATED
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
DE NOVO (FORMERLY CLSACC)
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
NEW ENGLAND INNOCENCE PROJECT
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
MASS INSIGHT EDUCATION & RESEARCH
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
URBAN FARMING INSTITUTE OF BOSTON INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
APPRENTICE LEARNING
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
SAMARITANS INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
SOCIEDAD LATINA
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
MUJERES UNIDAS AVANZANDO
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ARTISTS FOR HUMANITY INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
PRISON BOOK PROGRAM INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
JUST A START
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ROXBURY STONE HOUSE
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
FOUND IN TRANSLATION
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER OF SUFFOLK COUNTY
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
YOUNG PEOPLE'S PROJECT
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
CIRCLE OF HOPE INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
ONE CAN HELP
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
SMART FROM THE START INC
$25,000EXEMPT PURPOSE
Deadline: February 1 and September 1 each year; funding decisions made in June and December.
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