Mabel Louise Riley Foundation: Riley Foundation Grants

The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation provides grants to support low-income children and youth in Boston. With a focus on education, human services, and neighborhood revitalization, the foundation funds projects that demonstrate sustainability and community impact. Grants typically range from $50,000 to $100,000 and are available to Massachusetts-based 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Exclusions include multi-year support and unrestricted operating funds. The foundation aims to enhance the lives of vulnerable families through targeted assistance.

Background
Mabel Louise Riley, the Foundation’s donor, was born in 1883 in Boston. Miss Riley was an active patron of the arts and especially enjoyed the beautiful gardens at her homes in Newton and Cotuit on Cape Cod. Generous and concerned for the needs of others throughout her lifetime, she gave regularly to numerous charities in the Boston area.
In establishing a general purpose foundation, Miss Riley’s only suggestion to her trustees was that particular consideration be given to the needs of children and youth. The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation began operation as an active member of Boston’s philanthropic community in May 1972.
Program Interests
The Mabel Louise Riley Foundation is a general-purpose foundation with a special interest in supporting the needs of low-income children and youth and their families.  The foundation supports a broad range of programs, particularly in the areas of education and human services, and neighborhood revitalization.
Current more specialized areas of interest include:
Arts access programs for underserved communitiesSupport for foster care children and those aging out of the systemVocational Education and job trainingAffordable housing and shelter for vulnerable families
Types of Support and Grant Size
Grants are made in support of new projects and organizations, program expansion, and for capital projects.  The trustees are interested in leveraging their grants by funding programs that can become self-sufficient or may serve as a model in other geographic areas.
One-year grants normally fall in the range of $50,000 to $100,000.

Eligibility

The Foundation supports nonprofit organizations headquartered in, and most constituents served in the City of Boston and its neighborhoods.Requests are considered only from 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations incorporated under the laws of Massachusetts and operating exclusively for charitable purposes.  The registered address of the organization must be in Massachusetts and, if not, a fiscal agent must be obtained.Applicants whose formal grant requests have been denied must wait one full year before reapplying.Grant recipients must wait two full years before submitting a new letter of intent.

Ineligibility

Normal ExclusionsMulti-year supportUnrestricted operating supportSupport to defray annual deficits or to build endowmentsSupport for governmental agencies other than schools, for political purposes, or for individualsSupport for organizations incorporated outside of MassachusettsSmaller programs for which the Foundation would be the sole source for a project support (this restriction does not apply to the Small Grants Program)Sponsorships