The Cabot Family Charitable Trust

In 1942, Godfrey Lowell Cabot created a trust that eventually became known as the Cabot Family Charitable Trust.  His intention was to establish an instrument of giving for his descendants and to continue to promote the good works he started with his wife, Maria Moors Cabot.

The Trust makes grant awards twice a year to nonprofit organizations in the city of Boston and contiguous communities, as well as to organizations in which Cabot family members maintain philanthropic interest.

Awards are put to work in the areas of arts and culture, education and youth development, environment and conservation, health and human services, and for civic and public benefit. Please note that applications may fall within more than one of these fields.

Within these fields, as appropriate, the trustees prefer programs mainly serving youth and young adults, with a special interest in programs focused on ensuring the healthy growth and development of infants and young children, as a foundation for their future success.

Grant Program Guidelines & Policies

The Cabot Family Charitable Trust funds nonprofit organizations working to make life better for children and families in Boston and contiguous communities (Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Milton, Needham, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Watertown, and Winthrop).

The Trust will consider grant requests for specific programs and activities, general operations, and capital campaigns in the areas of arts and culture, education and youth development, environment and conservation, health and human services, and civic and public benefit. Capital campaign requests are only considered in the Spring (February 1 application deadline). The trustees are unlikely to fund policy advocacy unless it is part of a larger program that has direct service components. Organizations may submit one funding request per year. 

While most grant awards are for one year, the trustees may award multi-year funding for capital campaigns and, in limited circumstances, for a period of up to three years where a longer-term commitment can be shown to accelerate positive outcomes for a program or project. 

Grant awards range from $5,000-$50,000 for a one-year period.

Eligibility

To be considered for funding, organizations must meet the following criteria:

• Be a nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status.
• Benefit the city Boston and/or contiguous communities of Brookline, Cambridge, Canton, Chelsea, Dedham, Everett, Milton, Needham, Newton, Quincy, Revere, Somerville, Watertown, and/or Winthrop.
• Advance arts and culture, education and youth development, environment and conservation, health and human services, and civic and public benefit.
• Not have submitted an application to the CFCT within the last 12 months.
• If a current grantee, must submit a report on their current grant by the time of application submission.

Please note that The Trust does not fund the following:

• Organizations located outside of our geographic focus area
• Sectarian programs of religious institutions
• Fraternal organizations
• Event sponsorships
• Matching gift programs
• Grants to individuals
• Summer camp programs (Our support for summer camp programs is channeled through the Summer Fund sponsored by Philanthropy Massachusetts.)

Review Process & Criteria

Organizations may submit a funding request for one of the two deadlines (Feb. 1 or Sept. 1). After The Cabot Family Charitable Trust staff researches and reviews grant applications, the trustees make the final decision on all grant awards and recommendations. Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their request in the June or December following submission of their application.

Competitive applications will meet the following criteria:

• Reflect Cabot family interests and provide benefits to communities and organizations that have been supported by family philanthropy.
• Extend important services to individuals and groups not served adequately through other programs and institutions.
• Manage change by assessing community needs and developing programs to meet emerging needs.
• Promote productive cooperation and full use of resources by nonprofit organizations and community groups.
• Test new approaches to problems or adapt solutions that have been successful elsewhere.

Trustees

Shoma Aditya
John R. Cabot
Laura Cabot Carrigan
Mary Schneider Enriquez
Greenfield Sluder
Hendrika Sluder

Recent Annual Reports

• Annual Report 2023
• Annual Report 2022
• Annual Report 2021
• Annual Report 2020