Application Guidelines

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Eligibility Requirements

  • Any organization applying to the Stevens Foundations must be a Massachusetts charitable corporation. The trustees focus their giving to organizations serving the residents of the Greater Lawrence/Merrimack Valley area.
  • An organization must have been determined tax-exempt under Section 501 (c ) ( 3) of the Internal Revenue Code and received a permanent or advance I.R.S. Determination Letter that describes the agency as a publicly supported charity as defined in Sections 170 (b) (1) (A) (6) or (a) (6).
  • No grants are made to individuals.
  • Applications will be considered for pilot projects, program expansion, evaluation, renovations, new construction projects, and capital funding.
  • The trustees will not consider a proposal from an organization previously funded until a full report of a previous grant to the organization has been submitted outlining expenditure.
  • The trustees will not consider more than one application from an agency in the same calendar year, except for summer youth programs.
  • No grants will be made to national organizations or “annual giving” campaigns.
  • Grants may be made to a 501 (c ) (3) organization for the benefit of another organization awaiting its own tax-exempt status.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of projects does the Foundation typically fund? Operating and program support, occasional capital funding.
What is the funding range that most grants fall within?
Typical operating and programming grants are $5,000 to $15,000. Capital grants are based on the scope and budget of the project.
How long between the submission of a proposal and a decision? Usually within a month of submission, with the exceptions of July & August.
Will we be contacted if more information is needed?
Yes, please include in your proposal the e-mail address of whom you would like to be contacted.
Might our program be visited by a Foundation representative? If our trustees or Executive Director wish to make a site visit to your organization, we will reach out to you to set up an appointment.
If our proposal is rejected, will we be able to reapply? If so, what is the time frame? The trustees accept one proposal per calendar year whether the request is granted or denied.
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