Three Things to Know about the East Boston Foundation

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Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 5/10/2021.

The East Boston Foundation is a very locally focused funder that has been on the grantmaking scene for quite a few years now. It doesn’t have a traditional staff to consult, but EBF does have a couple of attorneys at the lead and a group of trustees on the board making decisions.

If your nonprofit serves the area around the airport, here are three things you should know about this funder.

It’s All About the Airport

EBF was founded on a $9.6 million Massachusetts Port Authority commitment to update Logan International Airport back in 1998. And if you read through the foundation’s guidelines, you’ll learn that its grants go toward East Boston residents and “mitigation purposes” associated with the impact of Logan Airport.

“The money we contribute to the East Boston Foundation is based on projects we do at the airport,” explained Massport’s Jose Masso III, when a $30 million project was announced this summer. “We have met with local officials and they expressed their desire for Massport to continue supporting the foundation. We saw the Terminal E project as the perfect opportunity to continue to support the foundation. This project will translate into an additional $2.5 million in mitigation funds for the East Boston community over the next five years.”

Grant Spending is Pretty Evenly Split

Also according to the guidelines, the funds budgeted for any one grant program cannot exceed 40 percent and cannot be less than 10 percent of the total allocation. This results in a fairy even split of funding among grant priorities. These are the funding categories that EFB supports:

  • Youth/senior recreation

  • Education, training and child care support

  • Community activity support

  • Sports and athletic support

  • Community improvement initiative

  • Business enhancement support

Athletics, Camps, Equipment & Transportation

These have been some of the top causes funded by EBF in recent years, and it’s important to note that this is a funder of program support, not general operating support. EBF regularly funds athletic banquets, annual festivals, after school and summer programs for kids, and transportation costs for senior engagement.

Here are some examples of EBF grantees:

  • Columbus Day Parade Committee—$30,000: Bi-Annual Columbus Day Parade held in East Boston

  • East Boston APAC—$25,000: Support for Summer Works Youth Jobs Program 

  • Nantucket Lightship—$25,000: Various programming to be held on the Nantucket Lightship Museum

  • YMCA Seniors—$15,000: Support for Senior Citizen Recreation Programs at the Y 

  • Harborside Summer Program—$12,500: Support for Summer day camp for East Boston children

To learn more about this Boston-based grantmaker, check out IP's full profile of the East Boston Foundation.