c/o Verrill Dana LLP
One Federal Street, 20th Floor
Boston, MA 02110
Purpose and Overview:
The Tomfohrde Foundation may make grants “for charitable purposes or to charitable organizations, with particular focus on supporting the work of charitable institutions, organizations and agencies in the New England area and particularly in Greater Boston, which are dedicated to the cultural, social and civic betterment of the community and particularly which foster the advancement of higher education, the classic arts, scientific research in biomedicine and the improvement of community health.” (From The Declaration of the Trust of the John H. and H. Naomi Tomfohrde Foundation).
Funding Priorities:
Each year, the trustees determine what the funding priorities will be for the Foundation. The funding priorities for 2025 are similar to those of 2024, with the exception of the fourth bullet. The funding priorities are as follows:
- strengthening programs and offerings at Massachusetts vocational and technical schools and community colleges
- increasing and promoting access to community colleges
- strengthening comprehensive student support at community colleges to boost retention and completion rates
- increasing and supporting access to internships and other career exploration opportunities/pathways at both the middle school and high school levels
Geographic focus: Eastern Massachusetts, defined as areas east of, and including the city of Worcester.
General Guidelines and Policies:
The Trustees meet in March, June and October to review proposals.
The application deadlines are February 5th, May 5th and September 5th.
Applications must be submitted through our grant portal at https://webportalapp.com/sp/login/tomfohrde_foundation
Grants will be considered for the following purposes: capacity building, program support, capital campaigns, multi-year projects, start-up support and general operating support.
Grants will not be made to support endowment campaigns.
Grants generally range in amounts up to $20,000.
Proposals should be as concise and brief as possible and avoid jargon and acronyms that may not be familiar to the reader.
Applicant organizations that neglect to submit a final report on previous programs supported by the Trust should not expect to receive a favorable response on a current request.
The Trustees generally will not fund projects as the sole funder as it raises concerns about the sustainability of a program.
The Trustees will frequently require an applicant organization to seek funds to match a grant from the Trust. Such challenge grants have proven to be an incentive to organizations to develop other funding sources in the community and at the same time, to raise public awareness of their programs and activities.
The Trustees will pay particular attention to the composition of an organization’s governing board, which should include people from diverse backgrounds, professions and occupations and who are active and visible in the community served.
Applicants may be asked to submit, by email, a federal tax exemption letter and a financial statement signed by a CPA covering the most recently completed fiscal year. The tax exemption letter should state that the organization is not a private foundation. Further, the Tomfohrde Foundation will not fund any Type III non-functionally integrated Supporting Organizations.
Trustees:
Michael F. O’Connell, Esq., Verrill Dana LLP
Stacie Kosinski, Esq., Verrill Dana LLP
Grants Coordinator:
Susan Monahan
Verrill Dana LLP
smonahan@verrill-law.com
617-951-1108