
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.
Applications
The Trust offers an open application with two submission deadlines each year: February 1 and September 1. If those dates fall on a weekend or holiday, applications will be due the next business day. Organizations may submit one application per year.
All applications must be submitted via the CFCT Portal.
- CLICK HERE to view the current CFCT Grant Application. (If you do not have a portal account, you will be prompted to create one. If you are a current grantee, please contact the Trust for your portal access information).
- Preview a pdf of the CFCT Grant Application
- Download the CFCT Budget Form
Funding decisions are made in June and December. Applicants will be informed of the status of their requests by email.
Grant Reports
All grant reports must be submitted via the CFCT Portal. To access report guidelines and forms, log in to the CFCT Portal, navigate to the Active Grants section, click View Grant Details, and then click on the Reports tab. Click Open the Reports to access it. Please contact the Trust if you have any questions or need assistance with accessing your grant information.
- Preview a pdf of the CFCT Grant Report questions.
- Download the CFCT Expense Report Form which must accompany all reports.
Contact
The Cabot Family Charitable Trust
22 Batterymarch Street, 2nd Floor
Boston, MA 02109
Executive Director: Elizabeth M. Lynch
elynch@cabotfamilytrust.org
Trustees
Shoma Aditya
John R. Cabot
Laura Cabot Carrigan
Mary Schneider Enriquez
Greenfield Sluder
Hendrika Sluder