APPLICATION

1. Personnel/contact
   1. Name, address, and website of applicant. If using a fiscal sponsor, provide the information for the fiscal sponsor.
   2. Name, address, phone, and email of Executive Director and/or primary contact person
   3. Name and affiliation of your project supervisor if known at the time of your proposal
   4. Identify the specific architect, landscape architect, or other design professionals, artists, fabricators, or restoration specialists responsible for or involved in your project. Include resumes or bios if available.
2. Name of project for which support is requested, along with a one sentence summary of the project
3. Amount requested

2. Proposal Narrative: The proposal narrative will be submitted as a file upload named “Proposal Narrative – [name of applicant].” The narrative should include the following sections of the outline below (5 page maximum).

1. Project description including specifics of proposed project;
2. Description of entire project if requested portion is part of larger project;
3. Significance of proposed project to the community and the city of Boston;
4. Schedule
   1. Please include a detailed timeline, which includes the anticipated completion date of project overall, and/or specific project element for which funds are being requested;
   2. If you are awarded a grant, indicate how soon after an award you will begin to incur costs for your project.
5. Plan for maintenance and maintenance funding. Please submit a copy of the maintenance plan if available; it will not count towards the 5 page narrative limit.
6. Indicate how the contribution of the Henderson Foundation will be credited for the project, in media and other acknowledgements, both during the work phase and following project completion. Please include information about permanent recognition if applicable.
7. Indicate any public approvals your project has received or is pending. For public art projects on land owned by the City of Boston, you must demonstrate that you have secured final approval for the project from the Boston Art Commission. If you have secured preliminary approval from the Boston Art Commission, please contact the Henderson Foundation staff before submitting your application.
8. Please detail whether you own the property or building where the project is to take place. If you own the property or building, please supply a copy of the deed. If you do not own the building, please indicate whether you have site control for the project and if not, when control is expected. Please submit a copy of the lease or other agreement, as appropriate. Deed or lease will not count towards 5 page maximum.
9. Indicate any previous grants your organization or project has received from the Henderson Foundation.
10. The Designators have asked all applicants to address the following regarding their community process in the narrative:
    1. For public art and public space projects:
       1. Please share the process you undertook in the community where the project is sited.
       2. Why was this neighborhood and site selected?
       3. What is your organization’s relationship to the building, location, and/or community?
       4. What community process did you engage in to share and get feedback about your proposed project? (For example, attending community meetings, talking with abutters, etc.)
       5. How many meetings did you have with community members?
       6. What was the attendance at those meetings?
       7. Was community feedback incorporated into your final proposal? If so, please describe.
    2. For all project types:
       1. Please share examples of marketing and outreach that you do to attract a diverse range of visitors to your building, site, and programs.
       2. Do you have an attendance analysis that includes locational information of visitors (this may include zip codes, city, towns, etc.)? If yes, please share how that information is collected and used in program planning.
       3. Please address any challenges to the physical access of your building or site.

3. Budget: The program budget will be uploaded as a separate file and should include the following sections of the outline below. Please upload as a PDF (not Excel or Word) using the file name “Program Budget – [name of applicant].”

1. Expenses: Include a line item breakdown showing expense details of requested amount (and full project expenses if part of a larger project) and what specifically the George B. Henderson Foundation will be funding. Indicate expenses for fabrication, installation, restoration, as well as expenses for personnel to complete the work (architects, restorers, artists, contractors, etc.)
2. Revenue: Include a funding plan that outlines amount raised to date, all other funders who are reviewing your proposal at the time of submission to the Henderson Foundation, and the amount they are considering. Please also note contingencies if other pending funding is not approved (especially for pending CPA requests or other requests representing a large percentage of the revenue plan).

4. Proposal Exhibits: Exhibits must include visual representation of the proposed project and/or site, including but not limited to plans or other visual materials directly relevant to your project, sufficient to give reviewers an understanding of the current conditions at the site and what will be accomplished and changed through the proposed project.

1. Provide images of existing conditions at the project site, including its surroundings to show the site and explain the neighborhood context, including how the neighborhood will be affected by the project.
2. Provide plans, elevations, and renderings, or if these are not yet available, concept sketches showing what the project will look like. Include information on materials to be used.
3. Provide at least one but not more than three letters of support from community leaders, organizations, or affected individuals. Letters should address the specific benefits of the proposed project, not a general statement about the applicant organization.

In the online application, you may upload three proposal exhibits, and one document containing up to three letters of support. Proposal exhibit files are often large and should be compressed before uploading. Maximum file size is 15 MB. If your file size exceeds 15 MB, please contact us directly for other ways to submit very large documents. Please name file “Exhibit A (B, C) – [name of applicant]” for exhibits and “Letters of Support – [name of applicant]” for support letters.

5. Proposal Attachments: You may upload these attachments in the noted attachment section of the online application portal.

1. The most recent audited financial statement for the applicant organization (or fiscal sponsor), including that of any parent organization if the applicant is a subsidiary or support group of a larger nonprofit. If the organization does not conduct an audit or financial review, please submit a copy of the organization’s IRS Form 990 and a Profit & Loss statement from your most recently completed fiscal year. Please name the file “Financials – [name of applicant].”
2. The most recent organizational budget with year-to-date financials. Please name the file “Organizational Budget – [name of applicant].”
3. List of Board of Directors including affiliations and city of residence. If using a fiscal sponsor please include the Board list of the fiscal sponsor. You may also include a listing of any informal Advisory Boards. Please name the file “Board List – [name of applicant].”
4. Philanthropy Massachusetts Demographic Data Form (click here for a copy of the form). Please name the file “Demographic Data Form – [name of applicant]” if your organization does not collect demographic data, please include in the narrative and explanation of how the organization knows who is in their community.

---

Mini-Grants Program Application

For the Mini-Grants Program, the Designators have designed a streamlined application process. Applicants interested in a mini-grant should complete an initial application with the following information. The Designators will review initial application and concept outline and may request detailed documentation before awarding funds. The mini-grant application process should include the following:

1. Cover Form: Please note in the online application, you will fill out the cover form which asks for the following information:

1. Personnel/contact
   1. Name, address, and website of applicant. If using a fiscal sponsor, provide the information for the fiscal sponsor.
   2. Name, address, phone, and email of Executive Director and/or primary contact person
   3. Name and affiliation of your project supervisor if known at the time of your proposal
   4. Identify the specific architect, landscape architect, or other design professionals, artists, fabricators, or restoration specialists responsible for or involved in your project.
2. Name of project for which support is requested, along with a one-sentence summary of the project; and
3. Amount requested.

2. Proposal Narrative: The proposal narrative file upload should be named “Proposal Narrative – [name of applicant]” and include the following of the outline below, with a maximum of 5 pages.

1. Project description including specifics of proposed project;
2. Description of entire project if requested portion is part of larger project;
3. Significance of proposed project to the community and the city of Boston;
4. Please share the process you undertook in the community where the project is sited, discussing why this neighborhood and site was selected; your organization’s relationship to the building, location, and/or community; and the community process you engaged in to share and get feedback about your proposed project and whether that feedback was incorporated into your project in any way.
5. Schedule - note all projects seeking mini-grants should be able to be completed by December 30, 2026 in Round 1 and June 30, 2027 in Round II..
   1. Timeline for the project, including anticipated completion date of project overall, and/or specific project element for which funds are being requested;
   2. If you are awarded a grant, indicate how soon after an award you will begin to incur costs for your project. Indicate if the project would require up-front funding (as opposed to reimbursement funding);
6. How will the project be maintained and/or who will be responsible for upkeep and funding for maintenance? (A maintenance plan may be required before a final grant is made.)
7. Indicate how the Henderson Foundation will be credited for funding the project, in media and other acknowledgements, both during the work phase and following project completion. Please include information about permanent recognition if applicable.
8. Indicate any public approvals your project has received or is pending. For public art projects on land owned by the City of Boston, you must demonstrate that you have secured final approval for the project from the Boston Art Commission. If you have secured preliminary approval from the Boston Art Commission, please contact the Henderson Foundation staff before submitting your application.
9. Please detail whether you own the property or building where the project is to take place. If you do not own the building, please indicate whether you have site control for the project and if not, when control is expected. If your concept is approved, you may need to supply a copy of the lease, deed, or other site agreement.
10. Indicate any previous grants your organization or project has received from the Henderson Foundation.

3. Budget: The program budget may be uploaded as a separate file named “Program Budget – [name of applicant]” and include the following sections of the outline below:

1. Expenses: Include a line item breakdown showing expense details of requested amount (and full project expenses if part of a larger project) and what specifically the George B. Henderson Foundation will be funding. Indicate expenses for fabrication, installation, restoration, as well as expenses for personnel to complete the work (architects, restorers, artists, contractors, etc.).
2. Revenue: Include a funding plan that notes the amount raised to date and other funders who are reviewing your proposal at the time of submission to the Henderson Foundation and the amount they are considering. Please also note contingencies if other pending funding is not approved (especially for pending CPA requests or other requests representing a large percentage of the revenue plan).

4. Proposal Exhibits: Please include a visual representation of the proposed project and/or site, including but not limited to photos, plans, or other visual materials directly relevant to your project, sufficient to give reviewers an understanding of the current conditions at the site and what will be accomplished and changed through the proposed project.

1. Provide images of existing conditions at the project site, including its surroundings to show the site and explain the neighborhood context, including how the neighborhood will be affected by the project.
2. Provide plans, elevations, and renderings, or if these are not yet available, concept sketches showing what the project will look like. Include information on materials to be used.
3. Provide at least one but not more than three letters of support from community leaders, organizations, or affected individuals. Letters should address the specific benefits of the proposed project, not a general statement about the applicant organization.

In the online application, you may upload three proposal exhibits, and one document containing up to three letters of support or individual letters of support, as needed. Proposal exhibit files are often large and should be compressed before uploading. Maximum file size is 15 MB. If your file size exceeds 15 MB, please contact us directly for other ways to submit very large documents. Please name file “Exhibit A (B, C) – [name of applicant]” for exhibits and “Letters of Support – [name of applicant]” for support letters.

Application Tips

General

• If any of these materials are challenging to develop, please contact the Henderson Foundation’s administrator to discuss. If completing the grant application via the online portal presents a barrier, please contact the Foundation’s administrator for alternative arrangements.
• Application materials need not be elaborately formatted.
• The Foundation expects that professional planning for the project will have taken place prior to the application. The professional expertise of those responsible for the project is an important consideration that will be evaluated. For example, a preservation project is expected to involve a qualified preservation architect; a conservation project is expected to involve a well-qualified conservator; a landscape project is expected to be designed by a qualified landscape architect; contractors performing the work should have prior experience with similar professional projects of recognized high quality.
• The Foundation welcomes applications from nonprofits of all sizes. The Designators will hold an Applicant Forum before each grant cycle so that applicants may meet with the Foundation and learn more about its giving priorities. Should you need assistance with proposal writing, there are many resources available in Boston, including but not limited to Philanthropy Massachusetts (philanthropyma.org) and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (massnonprofitnet.org).

Narrative

• The need for the project should be clearly stated, and the case for how the proposed project will meet the community needs or aspirations should be succinctly presented.
• If there is a specific or noteworthy history to your building or facility, please share that history in your application.
• Do not assume that your organization, the project, or project location are known to reviewers. All requested information and attachments should be provided, even for repeat applicants.
• The Foundation requires projects to be “visible to the public, preferably from a public way.” Applicants should provide detail as to the level of public access to both the building in question as well as to the specific project component. If the building is open limited hours, please specify the times it is open to the public. Please also specify whether there is an admission cost for your building.
• If your organization or project has been previously supported by the Foundation, please discuss your efforts to expand your fundraising from other sources.
• In order to better understand the project and its neighborhood context, illustrations or renderings that show the project from the pedestrian point of view are welcome.
• Recognition of the Foundation’s contribution may be made in newsletters, press releases, media announcements, annual reports, on the organization’s web site, or through social media channels; by invitation of the Board of Designators to attend project events; and on plaques or other long term recognition if those are planned for the project. The level of recognition is expected to be proportionate to the scale of the Foundation’s contribution to the full project budget. Grant expectations and guidelines will be sent with the award letter.

Supporting Materials

• In order to better understand the project and its neighborhood context, illustrations or renderings that show the project from the pedestrian point of view are welcome.
• Project funding sources must be identified, whether received or proposed. Reviewers will consider whether the funding plan is thorough and realistic given the Foundation’s knowledge of funding sources, the applicant’s budget and resources, and the history of fundraising by the applicant.
• Project expenses should be clearly delineated in the project budget. A contractor’s estimate does not substitute for a line-item budget.
• The project budget should indicate both hard costs for construction, fabrication, and materials, as well as soft costs for architects, planners, artists, contractors, etc. It should also clearly indicate the portion of expenses you are requesting from the Henderson Foundation. The Designators strongly prefer that their funds support hard costs. Soft costs will be considered only if they are integral to the installed, final product (such as artist’s fees or contractor installation). Please reach out to Henderson Foundation staff if you are unsure about how to present soft costs.

Submissions/Portal

• Requests must be submitted by 5:00 P.M. Eastern Time on the posted deadline date. Late submissions are not accepted unless pre-approved. If you encounter a problem and it is close to the deadline, please email us and we can correct the error the following business day. We encourage all applicants to start their applications early in the day, even if you have written the responses offline and just need to upload to the site. Build in extra time for troubleshooting if necessary and avoid end-of-day urgency.
• To submit an application using the online portal, you must register as an organization, not an individual. Please visit the application site and select “Registar a new account.” Choose “Organization” and provide your institution’s name, department, and contact details.
• If you cannot see the grant opportunity after logging into the portal, go to the “Opportunities” tab and click the “View” button next to the Henderson Foundation listing. Do NOT click the Guidelines link—it will redirect you to the website. If you still do not see “Opportunities,” your account may be pending approval or incorrectly set up.
• Required Fields: Make sure all required fields (marked with an asterisk *) are completed and any necessary files are uploaded.
• Correct Format: Ensure that any number-based or data-based fields follow the correct format. All numbers and dollar amounts must be entered as whole numbers—no decimals or special characters.
• Plain Text Only: if you’re pasting content from another source, please paste it as "plain text." Special formatting may cause incompatibility issues.
• File Upload Issues
  • Avoid uploading encrypted or password-protected files.
  • Extremely large files may fail—try resizing or re-saving before uploading again.
  • The total size of all attachments combined must not exceed 20 MB.
  • PDF files are preferred.
  • Visual materials should be optimized for on-screen viewing—high resolution is not necessary.
  • Excel spreadsheets must contain only one tab. If you upload a multi-tab file, only the first will be visible.

Please direct any questions to Ms. Gioia Perugini, Foundation Administrator, at GPerugini@hembar.com or at 617.557.9777.

Technical questions on the grant application portal should be directed to Rita Goldberg, Senior Grants Manager, at RGoldberg@hembar.com or 617.557.9774.