Rockland Trust Grants

The Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation focuses on enhancing community well-being through grants that prioritize low-to-moderate income populations. Key funding areas include affordable housing, children and youth programs, financial education, workforce development, and small business support. Organizations must be 501(c)(3) public charities located in Massachusetts or Rhode Island. Funding is directed towards initiatives that promote safety, education, and economic opportunity, ensuring a positive impact on the communities served.

Funding Priorities
The Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation prioritizes its grants to organizations and programs that serve a majority low-to-moderate income population in the following areas:

• Affordable Housing

Priority is given to programs that create and provide safe, affordable housing, or provide programs and services to provide shelter and/or foster homeownership or ensure that individuals and families stay in their current homes, thereby preventing homelessness. Typical programs funded are:

• Development of low-to-moderate income housing
• Emergency home repairs
• Rental assistance programs
• Homebuyer education programs
• Foreclosure prevention and homeowner counseling programs
• Domestic violence and homeless shelters
• Children & Youth

Priority is given to programs that are preventive in nature and that focus on providing children and youth equal access and opportunity to programs and services that foster health, wellness, education, and leadership skills to achieve their full potential. Typical programs funded are:

• Parenting education and training
• Early childhood education
• Social-emotional and mental health
• After-school enrichment/tutoring programs in sports, arts, leadership with an educational componentMentoring and literacy programs
• Access to summer camps for underserved youth
• Career/College exploration, preparation and support
• Financial Inclusion & Workforce Development

Priority is given to programs that provide consumers and individuals with financial education and build employment skills they will need to achieve their potential and become contributing members of society.
Typical programs funded are:
Financial literacy education, including money management, budgeting, banking, credit building and debt reductionAdult education, e.g., English as a Second Language
Small Business Support
Priority is given to programs that provide small business assistance programs that strengthen our communities. Typical programs funded are:

• Small business assistance
• Entrepreneurial support programs

Eligibility

The Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation requires that 501(c)(3) Public Charity non-profit organizations be located in, and serve individuals of, one of the following geographic areasMassachusetts: Barnstable County, Bristol County, Dukes County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Nantucket County, Norfolk County, Plymouth County, Suffolk County, Worcester County
Rhode IslandGrants will only be made to 501(c)(3) public charity organizations who are in corporate and good tax standing with the Internal Revenue Service and other governmental authorities. If you are an organization with a fiscal sponsorship relationship, please email the Trust to discuss with our staff prior to submission. Organization cannot discriminate on the basis of Age, Race, Sex, Religion, National Origin, Disability, Family Status, Receipt of Public Assistance, Sexual Orientation, or Gender Identity.

Ineligibility

Requests for programs that support local youth sports, PTO events, Scout troops, local education foundations and basic needs drives (holiday gifts, backpacks, clothing, etc.) should be submitted through Rockland Trust’s Donation application. Please do not submit a grant application for these types of requests.Due to the large number of requests we receive, Rockland Trust does not typically fund multiple applications (grant, sponsorship OR donation) from the same organization in a single calendar year.Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation does not make grants to the following:Religious organizations (activities for religious purposes)
Political activities, lobbying, or candidates for political office
Government Agencies, including Town or City departments or schools
Scholarship programs
Capital campaigns or capital requests (including the purchase of equipment, technology or vehicles)
Other grant-making foundations/organizations, such as United Ways, community foundations, private foundations, etc.
Organizations where the request will benefit a very limited number of individuals or a single family (such as Habitat for Humanity, Make-a-Wish, etc.)
Single-disease research and/or support organizations
Projects where Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation is the sole funder