Massachusetts
COVID-19 Relief Fund

Massachusetts is our home. Thank you for helping to keep our neighbors well and safe.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on Massachusetts communities, especially on the most vulnerable populations and heroic essential workers. The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund raised and distributed $32.2 million to support our neighbors across the state. Nonetheless, the need will likely continue to be felt across many cities and towns in the coming months. Food insecurity has reached record highs and homeless, disabled, and immigrant populations will continue to need support.

The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed, but you can still make an impact.

Learn more and donate here.

We can all continue to help those impacted by COVID-19

Support Community Foundations who will continue to distribute funds to local nonprofits serving our neighbors across Massachusetts.

Click on an organization below to donate now, or learn more here.

View the Organizations +

Thanks to your support, 560 nonprofits received funding to serve their communities.

Dots represent towns with Fund grantees, size of dots is scaled to represent the number of grantees in that town. The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund provided grants to nonprofits throughout the state outside of the city of Boston; the Boston Resiliency Fund provided grants to nonprofits in the city of Boston.

Your generosity helped those most impacted by COVID-19 in Massachusetts.

$15.3 million to support vulnerable populations including frontline essential workers, immigrants, and those with disabilities

$11.3 million to address food insecurity

$5.6 million to address housing and homelessness

Make an Impact

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed. Please direct further donations to our Community Foundation and food bank partners.

Learn more about the continued work of these organizations to support communities across the state still feeling the impacts of COVID-19.

First Lady of Massachusetts, Lauren Baker

"I can’t thank the people of Massachusetts enough for stepping up to support their neighbors in every corner of the state during this trying time. We have been honored to work closely with the community foundations and food banks across Massachusetts that work day in and day out with their communities to understand the local needs and put donations to use quickly and effectively. We have made tremendous progress battling this horrible virus, but there is still more work to do. We must continue to help our neighbors in need to ensure that all of Massachusetts recovers from the devastating impact of COVID-19." First Lady of Massachusetts, Lauren Baker

About the Fund

Total impact: $32.2 million raised and awarded.

The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed. Please direct further donations to our community foundation and food bank partners who continue to fulfill the needs of those most impacted by COVID-19 in Massachusetts.
The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund supported those across the state most impacted by the COVID-19 health crisis, focusing on essential frontline workers and vulnerable populations including the homeless, immigrant populations, people with disabilities and those facing food insecurity. Launched in April 2020 by First Lady Lauren Baker and the One8 Foundation along with the support of generous donors, Eastern Bank, the Foundation for Business Equity, and The Boston Foundation, the Fund worked in concert with regional community foundations and nonprofit leaders who partner with local leaders to understand the response and relief landscape, strategically filling in where gaps are pronounced.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can i still make an impact now that the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed no longer accepting donations?

Please consider donating directly to the community foundations and food banks which are continuing this important humanitarian relief effort. Learn more here.

The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed and not accepting donations. The last day to donate to the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund was July 13, 2020.

What were the priorities of the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund?

Donations to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund supported high-quality Massachusetts nonprofits that serve those disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, with an emphasis on essential worker resources (including healthcare workers), individuals with disabilities, immigrants, food insecurity, and homelessness.

Who were the Fiscal Sponsor for this fund?

The Foundation for Business Equity, a charitable arm of Eastern Bank, acted as the Fiscal Sponsor for the Fund when individuals donated. The Boston Foundation also acted as a Fiscal Sponsor by creating a donor advised fund for donations by foundations and donor advised funds.

Who made grant decisions?

Grant decisions were made by an Advisory Committee made up of a diverse group of professionals who represent the regions across the state.

I work for a 501(c)(3) organization supporting those impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Can I apply to benefit from this Fund?

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund is now closed. The Fund worked with nonprofits and community foundations across the state to meet the greatest need. If you are an organization in need of assistance, please reach out to your local community foundation.

I am an individual impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Where can I seek assistance?

If you are an individual or family in need, please visit mass211.org.

How did community foundations use donations?

The MA COVID-19 Relief Fund worked closely with these community foundations to identify and vet high quality local nonprofits that could serve people in need during the COVID crisis. Over seven funding cycles, our community foundation partners distributed relief funds to these nonprofits. Community foundations will continue to provide humanitarian relief to their local communities across the state, and need your support. Learn more about how you can support continued COVID-19 relief efforts through community foundations here.

How long did the dollars given through the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund provide relief in the state?

Soon after launching on April 6, 2020, the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund began distributing funds to nonprofit organizations across the state. Funds were distributed without interruption to ensure local urgent needs were met expeditiously. The Fund raised a total of $32.2 million in relief funding that supported the needs of grantees through December 2020, providing a total of eight months of relief.

For more information, read our press release.

How much money did the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund raise?

The Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund raised a total of $32.2 million over six months.

How were the donations distributed?

The Fund granted the $32.2 million in donations over eight rounds of funding. Over 500 nonprofit organizations across Massachusetts received funding from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund through our partnerships with 13 community foundations and 5 food organizations. See a list of our grantees here.

What were the guiding principles of the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund?

The guiding principles of the MA COVID-19 Relief Fund were:

  • 100% of all donations served people and families most in need
  • The Fund worked in partnership with community foundations and local non-profit organizations providing critical, essential services in local communities throughout Massachusetts
  • The Fund distributed dollars quickly
  • The Fund monitored progress and provided updates on needs
  • While we focused on critical services and basic needs, we recognized this crisis evolved quickly. We worked with our local community partners to continually assess needs.

What was the criteria of the Fund distribution?

Grant decisions have been made by the Fund's Advisory Committee, who were diverse leaders representing different regions across the state. Grant decisions were made based on criteria outlined below. The Advisory Committee strived to meet the most pressing humanitarian relief needs across the state using these criteria as a guide for selecting grant recipients.

  • Demonstrated ability to act quickly to support nonprofit organizations serving vulnerable residents, individuals with disabilities, immigrants, healthcare workers, first responders, and other essential service providers
  • Well informed by collaborative regional and local partnerships to identify nonprofits with the ability to serve those in need.
  • Local partners and grantees which had the ability to sustain services over the ensuing months
  • Ability to monitor progress to inform needs
  • Ability to provide data on how exactly the funds are used
  • Non-profit partners were required to be 501(c)(3) charitable organizations to receive funding

Thank you to all who have contributed to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund. Your generosity made a difference to vulnerable populations across the state.

Founding Contributors

One8 Foundation
Abrams Foundation
Advent International
Bank of America
The Baupost Group
Charlesbank Capital Partners
Chris and Lisa Collins
David and Marion Mussafer
Eastern Bank
The Edgerley Family Foundation
Ernie Boch, Jr.
The Frieze Family Foundation
Joshua and Anita Bekenstein Charitable Fund
Klarman Family Foundation
Liz and Phill Gross
Lynch Family Foundation
Mannion Family Foundation
Maurice and Luly Samuels
MFN Partners
Michael and Jill Stansky Family Foundation
Mickey and Bob Atchinson
The Mittelman Family
Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
Rob and Karen Hale
Stephanie and Brian Spector
TJX
William Helman

Leading Contributors

Abrams Capital
Amazon
Ameresco, Inc.
Ansin Foundation
Barbara and Ed Shapiro
Berkshire Partners LLC
Biogen Foundation
Bill and Kelly Kaiser
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Boston Bruins Charitable Foundation and the Boston Bruins
Boston Celtics Shamrock Foundation and the Boston Celtics
Bridgitt and Bruce Evans
Candice and Howard Wolk/Wolk Family Endowment for Individuals and Families in Distress at CJP
Carl Martignetti
Cisco
Cummings Foundation
Eaton Vance
Jennifer and Seth Stier
Jeremy & Kerry Sclar Family Fund
Joe and Lauren Mazella
Joseph W & Christiane K Alsop
Lisa and Tom Blumenthal
Mark and Donna Leventhal
Massachusetts Charter Public School Association
Nina and David Fialkow
The Milford Street Fund
Paul and Ann Sagan
Pfizer
Randi and Joel Cutler
Red Sox Foundation
Reynolds Family Foundation
Shippy Foundation
Sperling Family Charitable Foundation
State Street
Steward Health Care
Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Will and Amy Danoff
The Winn Family and the Curtis Family

Thank you to the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund Advisory Committee whose support of the Fund was invaluable.

Advisory Committee

The committee met each week to review, discuss and approve grants as well as to review reporting on how grant dollars were actually purposed. Each member contributed diverse experiences and perspectives, and represented a different region of the state.

Lauren Schadt Baker First Lady, Commonwealth of Massachusetts
Susanne Beaton Director of Special Initiatives, The Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation
Joanna Jacobson President & Trustee, One8 Foundation
Susan Coghlin Mailman Owner, Executive Chair and Treasurer, Coghlin Electrical Contractors, Inc., Coghlin Network Services, Inc.
Dana Mohler-Faria Past President, Bridgewater State University
James Morton President and Chief Executive Officer, YMCA of Greater Boston
Alexandra Nova Deputy Director, Lawrence Partnership
Christina Royal President, Holyoke Community College

MA COVID-19 Relief Fund Team

Elissa Flynn-Poppey MA COVID-19 Relief Fund Legal Counsel; Partner & Chair Government Law Practice, Mintz
Jeffrey Keyes Grants Manager
Jonathan Raymond Executive Director

The following One8 Foundation team members provided pro bono support to the Fund:

Alyssa Aren
Karyn Cohen
Andrea Kisiel
Austin Velte

Critical Supporters

Eastern Bank

In addition to its founding contribution to the Fund, Eastern Bank has provided its services at no cost to the Fund. The Foundation for Business Equity, a 501(c)(3), served as one of the fiscal sponsors for this initiative.

The Boston Foundation

The Boston Foundation is a public charity and served as a fiscal sponsor for this initiative. They provided their services at no cost to the Fund.