Community Empowerment Fund Grant

The Community Empowerment Fund Grant aims to support community-based organizations in Boston working to empower Black men and boys. With a total of $500,000 available, grants of up to $20,000 will be awarded to programs focusing on areas such as mentoring, housing mobility, and economic inclusion. This initiative seeks to enhance opportunities for historically marginalized communities, particularly in Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Hyde Park, while emphasizing the importance of measurable outcomes.

The Office of Black Male Advancement works to empower Black men and boys. As part of our work, we focus on policies, programs, resources, and local and national partnerships.
Grant Program Description:
The Community Empowerment Fund grants are awarded to community based organizations to scale up their work and deepen their impact. This year, a total of $500,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations throughout Boston's neighborhoods.
Through the FY26 Community Empowerment Small Grants, the Office of Black Male Advancement will award grants of up to $20,000 to support programs that expand one of the following seven focus areas:
Mentoring and Out-of-School Time:Providing quality mentoring, literacy and out-of-school time programs when and where they are needed, offering developmentally appropriate learning environments that support social emotional and physical wellbeing. Youth and Young Adult Pathways: Providing educational and career pathways for youth and young adults navigating their own course to economic prosperity.Housing Mobility: Providing a continuum of housing opportunities, resources, and supports that are effectively resulting in pathways to affordable housing and homeownership.Economic Inclusion and Wealth Building: Supporting individuals to experience financial empowerment and economic mobility.Workforce Training and Development: Helping unemployed and underemployed individuals attain livable wage jobs and helping businesses with training for employees to support a pipeline of skilled workers.Fatherhood Engagement: Supporting fatherhood education, case management, and peer-to-peer support to strengthen positive father-child interaction, improve social and economic outcomes for fathers and their families and improve healthy relationships.Mental Health and Wellness: Helping support and improve the mental health and wellbeing of men.

Eligibility

Recipients must be a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit or a community-based organization partnering with a fiscal sponsor (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit).Recipients must be located in Boston.Recipients must be working to metrically advance the well-being of residents of historically marginalized communities with a focus on Roxbury, Dorchester, Mattapan and Hyde Park neighborhoods of Boston.Recipients can demonstrate a need for funding for existing programs to scale up their work and deepen their impact.Recipients have been in operation for at least 2 years.Recipients should explain their experience (or interest in) working with residents of the historically marginalized neighborhoods identified above or similar neighborhoods within or outside of Boston.Applicants who have not historically received grant funding from the City are encouraged to apply.Grant Requirements:Grant recipients must commit to track metrics and submit interim and final-project overview reports and expense reports to be submitted by March 1st, 2026 and August 1st, 2026 and attend a capacity-building seminar.The program must operate on an ongoing basis throughout the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

Ineligibility

No grants can be awarded to individuals, for-profit businesses or City of Boston departments.Awardees of the FY25 Community Empowerment Grant who did not complete a grant reporting form may not be considered for the FY26 grant.One-time or one-off events will not be considered for funding.