I. Overview
Jane’s Trust began its full grantmaking program in 2004. For the past two years the Trust has made a wide range of capital, endowment, project and operating grants to organizations across Massachusetts, northern New England and Florida. Recognizing the difficult social and economic climate facing many nonprofits, the Trustees have established a broad set of guidelines. While the Trust does not allocate specific dollar amounts for program areas or geographic regions, the Trustees will endeavor to make sure there is diversity in the grantmaking program.
The Trustees look at a number of factors in evaluating grants in all four areas of interest. They are particularly interested in programs that address the needs of underserved communities, meaning communities that have traditionally not had access to a particular program or service, for economic, geographic or other reasons. They are looking to make grants that will have a significant impact on an organization or its constituency. They look for strong leadership and are favorably inclined toward collaborations and partnerships. The Trustees also carefully assess the timing of their grants, reviewing whether an organization is poised for growth or whether the project in question will help an organization achieve long-term financial and organizational health. The Trust has approved a number of multi-year grants and has also issued a number of challenge grants, as a way to encourage additional philanthropy and to help attract new and diverse sources of support. Finally, the Trustees have closely examined plans for sustainability at the conclusion of support from Jane’s Trust.
Below you will find listings of the Trust’s grants over the last two years, along with a program summary for each area of interest. We hope this information, together with the Frequently Asked Questions and the Guidelines, will assist you in learning more about Jane’s Trust. Please feel free to contact any of our program staff with specific questions. We look forward to working with our grantees and the nonprofit community on areas of common interest.
A. Arts & Culture
Jane’s Trust supports efforts to increase access to the arts, especially in communities that are economically underserved or underserved in their access to the arts. To date, Jane’s Trust’s grants have supported a wide range of artistic disciplines across the geographical areas covered by the Trust, including addressing the impact of the arts on communities, and protection of historically significant buildings, objects and landscapes. In 2004, the Trust made 18 single and multi-year grants totaling just over $3.4 million for a range of capital, operating, endowment and project support. Recognizing the significant need for capital funding among arts organizations, six of those grants were for capital support for building expansion, renovation or construction projects. The Trustees made two endowment grants, one focused on building organizational stability and the other to support programs for at-risk youth. The Trust made six operating support grants in 2004 to assist cultural organizations in their planning for long term sustainability, based on strong strategic plans, management and plans to create a diversified, sustainable funding base. The four project grants focused specifically on improving access to the arts for underserved constituencies and communities. In 2005, Jane’s Trust made 10 single and multi-year grants totaling just under $2 million. Jane’s Trust awarded four capital grants in 2005, to support expanded and renovated facilities for youth arts programs, to promote access to historically significant landscapes and to renovate performing arts facilities for community needs. Jane’s Trust awarded one operating grant focused on organizational sustainability, long term planning and education and outreach programs. Finally, four project grants focused on historic preservation in northern New England, the creative economy and the arts and healing.
B. Education
Jane’s Trust’s education grants help increase access and equity of educational opportunities to underserved communities. In 2004, the Trust awarded 18 grants in the education program, totaling just over $3 million, and in 2005 awarded 8 grants, totaling $1.4 million. Grants have been made to provide services to both traditional and nontraditional students in both urban and rural areas. Most of the education grants were for project support, although there was some funding of endowment, capital and general operating support. Education program grants to date have included efforts to help level the playing field for low-income students of color of all ages, support of educational advocacy efforts for disenfranchised immigrants, funding of programs to improve college counseling and access for low-income students and support for educational opportunities for girls. The Trust also supported selected educational advocacy efforts throughout its geographic areas of interest.
C. Environment
Jane’s Trust’s environmental grants support the protection of the natural environment and the conservation of natural resources. Jane’s Trust’s grants will help to protect critical or historically significant rural and urban natural resources and to make an impact on the quality of life of underserved populations. In 2004, the Trust awarded 15 capital, operating, and program grants in the environment program, totaling nearly $2 million and in 2005 awarded 10 grants totaling nearly $1.2 million. Grants focused on a number of issues critical to the environment, including land use, conservation and urban environmental issues. The Trust supported large scale conservation efforts in the Northern Forest through a capital grant to the Open Space Institute’s Northern Forest Protection Fund. In New Hampshire, western Massachusetts and coastal Maine the Trust focused on collaboration between regional conservation partners, local land trusts and community groups. In addition, it supported coastal and water protection issues, from Lake Champlain to Casco Bay and Boston Harbor, as well as local community efforts to improve environmental conditions in Boston and Chelsea. Preservation of historic landscapes, youth training and promotion of clean energy round out the issues covered by the Trust’s grants during this period.
D. Health & Welfare
Jane’s Trust supports health and welfare by addressing health and human service challenges that affect society’s most underserved and vulnerable people. The Trust also has an interest in the links between human and animal welfare. In 2004, Jane’s Trust awarded 19 capital, operating, and program grants in the health and welfare program, totaling $2.9 million. In 2005, the Trust awarded 7 endowment, operating and program grants totaling nearly $1.7 million. In northern New England, grants focused on community development on year-round island communities, quality care and jobs in home services and nursing home care, innovative residential care for disabled children and adults, nursing training in end-of-life/palliative care, child and animal abuse prevention, and a regional university-community policy leadership initiative. In Massachusetts and Florida, Jane’s Trust supported efforts to end family homelessness, improve foster and adoptive care for children, improve health and social service delivery for older adults, improve access to public benefits and support reproductive health services.