The Henderson Foundation’s grants provide support for projects focused on the enhancement of the appearance and preservation of outdoor elements in the city of Boston. The Foundation encourages applications for projects in all neighborhoods of the city of Boston that concerns parks, city streets, buildings, monuments, and architectural and sculptural works.
Through past grants, the Foundation has supported capital projects such as the restoration of historic buildings; creation of new public sculpture and gardens; restoration of historic monuments; and other projects that enhance quality of life and sense of place, while demonstrating design excellence. Grants are made only for projects within Boston city limits and to projects that are accessible and visible to the public. Grants are not made to individuals. Grants are made for restoration and preservation activities, but not for routine care or maintenance (as defined by National Park Service technical standards.)
In 2021, the Designators are particularly interested in requests for support of permanent public art projects, projects focused on outdoor spaces, and historic preservation projects. In addition, the Designators are seeking proposals from projects in neighborhoods that have not been well represented in previous grants, including but not limited to East Boston, South Boston, Mission Hill, Allston/Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, Mattapan, and Roslindale.
The Designators will hold two grant rounds in 2021.
Most grants awarded will not exceed $40,000, with many grants in the $20,000-$40,000 range, but the Designators will consider all projects that fulfill the Foundation’s goals and offer outstanding benefit to the community. Grants larger than $40,000 are more rare exceptions. If you are requesting more than $40,000, please provide justification for a larger request.
The Designators will host an applicant forum before each grant round. Potential applicants are invited to attend to learn more about the review process and the Foundation’s current priorities. Pre-registration is required and open to all applicants. The forum will be held on Zoom, and all registrants will receive a link in advance of the meeting.
Please register here.
Spring Forum, Tuesday, April 6 1:00-3:00 pm on Zoom
Please pre-register using the link above and you will be sent the link in advance of the meeting.
Fall Forum, Thursday, September 9 1:00-3:00 pm on Zoom
Please pre-register using the link above and you will be sent the link in advance of the meeting.
Applicants, unless a municipal agency, must be an exempt organization under IRS Sec. 501(c)(3) and must submit a copy of a determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service. Projects must be within the city of Boston.
Grants are not made for general fund drives, endowments, operating or staffing costs, planning or design studies, or construction of playgrounds or tot lots.
PRESERVATION IS DEFINED AS the act or process of applying measures necessary to sustain the existing form, integrity, and materials of an historic property. Protection, maintenance, and repair are emphasized while replacement is minimized.
RESTORATION IS DEFINED AS the act or process of accurately depicting the form, features, and character of a property as it appeared at a particular period of time by means of the removal of features from other periods in its history and reconstruction of missing features from the restoration period.
The Designators meet at least once per year to review and award grants. The schedule for grant deadlines is set in the first quarter of each year. Funding decisions are usually made six to eight weeks after deadlines. The Designators will hold two grant rounds in 2021.
All applications should be submitted through the Hemenway & Barnes eGrants portal at https://hembar.egrant.net/. The online application form includes a brief cover sheet and requires a series of attachments as noted below.
1. Proposal Narrative and Budget – 5 page maximum
Please note in the online application, you will fill out the cover form for sections a-c of the outline below. The proposal narrative file upload should include sections d-h and k-n of the outline below. The program budget may be uploaded as a separate file and include sections i and j of the outline below.
2. 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.
In the online application, you may upload three proposal exhibits, and one document containing up to three letters of support.
3. Proposal Attachments
You may upload these attachments in the noted attachment section of the online application portal.
Applications must be received electronically by 5 pm on the day of the proposal deadline.
Please direct any questions to Ms. Gioia Perugini, Foundation Administrator, at GPerugini@hembar.com or at 617.557.9777.
A carefully prepared grant application that adheres to the printed guidelines and tips for grant applications is critical. Please review the full guidelines carefully before submitting your proposal. Below are some frequently asked questions to help guide you.
What’s the best way to tell you about our organization or project?
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. If there is a specific or noteworthy history to your building or facility, please share that history in your application.
Do you need information about my community or constituency?
The need for the project should be clearly stated, and the case for how the proposed project will meet community needs or aspirations should be succinctly presented. In order to better understand neighborhood context, illustrations or renderings that show the project from the pedestrian point of view are welcome.
Does the size of my organization matter?
The Foundation welcomes applications from nonprofits of all sizes and grant sizes range from small (under $5,000) to a maximum of $40,000. The Designators will hold an Applicant Forum each year 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 (www.philanthropyma.org) and the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (www.massnonprofitnet.org).
Does it matter who does the preservation or restoration work?
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.
What information should I include about other funders?
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. If your organization or project has been previously supported by the Foundation, please discuss your efforts to expand your fundraising from other sources.
What information do you require regarding maintenance?
Maintenance of the project after completion is a key component of proposal evaluation. State who will maintain the project, how annual and long term maintenance and repairs will be funded, and whether any endowment will exist for the care of the project.
What are the Foundation’s expectations for recognition?
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.
How do you define public access?
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.
What part of the project will the Henderson Foundation support?
The Designators prefer that their funds support hard costs (construction, fabrication, materials), but will consider a portion of soft costs (architects, planners, contractors) as needed and on a case-by-case basis.