McCluskey Family Foundation: Scholarship Fund Grants

The Ramsey McCluskey Family Foundation offers grants to support arts and general education projects within a 50-mile radius of MetroWest Boston. Annually, they distribute approximately $300,000, funding 15-20 Single Year Grants up to $10,000, 3-4 Scholarship Fund Grants of $2,500, and Trilogy Grants totaling $35,000 over three years. Organizations seeking funds are encouraged to submit a Letter of Inquiry to initiate the application process.

NOTE: Scholarship Fund Grant seekers new to the foundation are strongly encouraged to begin the process by a letter of inquiry. This should be submitted before the deadline. Letters of inquiry should receive a response within two - three weeks of our receiving them in the Foundation Office (this time may be longer during the summer months). We will attempt to respond within two - three days during the month of September just prior to the October 1st deadline.
Areas of Interest
The Foundation has two areas of interest which often coincide.
Arts Education: The Foundation will consider proposals for projects in any area of pre-school through high school hands-on arts education. We are particularly interested in projects with sustained contact for students. In 2020, almost three quarters of our grant budget went to arts education projects.
General Education: The Foundation will consider proposals for projects in Pre-school through High School level education. We are committed to helping students become excited and engaged in learning, whether it is in the school environment, after-school, or in other settings. In 2020, approximately one-quarter of the grant budget targeted general education projects.
Our Grants
The Foundation awards three types of grants each yearly grant cycle.
The Foundation has a yearly grant making budget of approximately $300,000. Each year the Foundation awards fifteen to twenty Single Year Grants, three or four Scholarship Fund Grants and four Trilogy Grants. Single Year Grants may be up to $10,000. Scholarship Fund Grants are for $2500. Trilogy Grants are three-year grants totaling $35,000 over three years ($15,000 in year one and $10,000 in years two and three).
The Foundation will consider a small number of applications each year from arts education non-profits that would like to start or expand Scholarship Funds for their organization. Grants for Scholarship Funds are single year grants of up to $2500. Organizations applying for these funds are expected to have a process in place for identifying children/families who would benefit from financial assistance to participate in the organization's programs. Like the Single Year Grants, recipients of these Scholarship Fund Grants may receive grants for up to three years before taking a "year-off" from applying. Potential Scholarship Fund applicants are encouraged to begin the process by sending a Letter of Inquiry as described in the Single Year Grant section. Scholarship Fund Grants are NOT counted toward the three Single Year Grant requirement for applying for Trilogy Grants.

Eligibility

The Foundation is local in scope and limits new grantmaking to a fifty mile radius of our MetroWest Boston (Lincoln) location.
Grants are generally given for specific projects or programs that can show measurable results.

Ineligibility

This is not a program that awards scholarships to individuals for any purpose.Grants are usually not given for general operating expenses, endowments, sponsorship of performances, capital campaigns, or building funds.