Founded in 1979 by David Parmely Weatherhead, The Clipper Ship Foundation makes grants to federally tax-qualified nonprofit organizations offering critical services to people living in Greater Boston – cities and towns lying on or within Route 128 – and the cities of Lawrence and Brockton.
The Foundation focuses on supporting the following populations thru its grant making activities:
- Opportunity Youth – ages 16-24 who are
- Out of school and unemployed or underemployed
- Enrolled in school, but not progressing academically and at risk of dropping out
- Enrolled in post-secondary education part-time and either unemployed or underemployed
- Not enrolled in school and only working part-time without benefits
- Foster youth and young adults that have aged out of the foster care system
- Youth and young adults experiencing homelessness or in unstable housing
- Youth impacted by sex trafficking/exploitation
- Families impacted by domestic violence
- Youth impacted by the criminal justice system
- Youth with disabilities
The Foundation employs a single, annual grant making cycle. Applicants must first submit a Concept Paper, with a select group of applicants then invited to submit full proposals and, potentially, to host meetings/site visits to review their requests in more depth.
Our 2022-23 grant program opens on November 3, 2022. Applicants may submit a Concept Paper until December 5, 2022, at which point the Foundation will close its process to new applicants until November, 2023.
For more information, please review our Guidelines page.