IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Alden Trust has changed grantmaking software providers. We no longer use Cybergrants.
Here is the link to our new application portal:
John W. Alden Grant Application Submission Portal
We are asking organizations that received a grant after October 1, 2023, or have a payment due on a previous award, to log into our new portal to create a “profile”.
Shortly after you submit a profile, your previous proposal and grant award will be attached to your profile, which will then enable you to log back in to submit a grant report or a future grant request.
If you have a report due on a grant received prior to October 1, 2023, Please email Susan Monahan (susan.t.monahan@gmail.com) for the report form.
Purpose and Overview:
The John W. Alden Trust was established under the will of Priscilla Alden in honor of her father. In her will, Miss Alden specified that grant support should be directed toward “organizations providing care and administering to the needs of children who are blind, retarded, disabled or who are either mentally or physically ill … or organizations engaged in medical and scientific research directed toward the prevention or cure of diseases and disabilities particularly affecting children.”
The Alden Trust provides support to organizations serving children and youth (ages 0-24) with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities; and to organizations engaged in research focused on the prevention or cure of diseases and disabilities affecting children.
Organizations serving high-risk youth who are high risk by social or environmental factors and/or are engaged in behaviors that increase the likelihood of adverse health outcomes may meet the Trust’s criteria if the youth they serve are experiencing measurable effects from at least two of the following recognized risk factors:
- living at or below the poverty level
- experiencing school failure (having dropped out of high school)
- living in a foster home or group home
- living in a homeless shelter or motel
- having involvement with the juvenile justice system
- are pregnant or parenting
- having known involvement with drugs or alcohol
General Guidelines and Policies:
Grants are limited to organizations serving youth in Eastern Massachusetts (defined as east of Worcester).
The Trustees meet on a quarterly basis in February, May, August and November. Applications should be received by the 5th day of the prior month in order to be considered at the Trustees quarterly meeting.
Grants will be considered for the following purposes: capacity building, program support, capital campaigns, multi-year projects, start-up support and general operating support. (Note: Grants for general operating support will only be considered if the entire organization is focused on serving disabled or high-risk youth, as defined above. Organizations where a service/program for disabled or high-risk youth is only one component of several services will not be considered for general operating grants; those organizations should request support for their specific programs/projects.)
Grants will not be made to support endowment campaigns.
Grants generally range in amounts up to $20,000.
Proposals should be as concise and brief as possible and avoid jargon and acronyms that may not be familiar to the reader.
Applicant organizations that neglect to submit a final report on previous programs supported by the Trust should not expect to receive a favorable response on a current request.
The Trustees generally will not fund projects as the sole funder as it raises concerns about the sustainability of a program.
The Trustees will frequently require an applicant organization to seek funds to match a grant from the Trust. Such challenge grants have proven to be an incentive to organizations to develop other funding sources in the community and at the same time, to raise public awareness of their programs and activities.
The Trustees will pay particular attention to the composition of an organization’s governing board, which should include people from diverse backgrounds, professions and occupations and who are active and visible in the community served.
Applicants may be asked to submit, by email, a federal tax exemption letter and a financial statement signed by a CPA covering the most recently completed fiscal year. The tax exemption letter should state that the organization is not a private foundation. Further, the Alden Trust will not fund any Type III non-functionally integrated Supporting Organizations.
Trustees:
Susan T. Monahan
Trustee and Grants Coordinator
6 Wainwright Street
Ipswich, MA 01938
Phone: 978-500-0786
Email: Susan.t.monahan@gmail.com
Emma M. Greene
Managing Director
Philanthropic Solutions
Bank of America Private Bank
100 Federal Street
MA5-100-10-22
Boston, MA 02110