Who We Support

How We Award Our Grants

Focus Areas

The Foundation awards grants based on the following Focus Areas specifically related to the support of children:

• Health and Wellness
• Education
• Human Services (Food, Water and Shelter)

Additionally, the Foundation’s principal focus is to make grants to benefit children up to the age of 18. The Foundation’s preference is to support projects ranging from start-up/pilot programs to the renewal of existing programs. The Foundation will also provide grants for general operating support to organizations whose mission is in alignment with the Foundation’s Focus Areas.

The Foundation makes grants to charitable organizations that support children in need both in the United States and abroad. All of our international grants are made exclusively to nonprofits who are registered 501(c)(3) organizations based in the United States.

Eligibility

• Individuals
• Endowments
• Political campaigns
• Organizations that discriminate on the basis of religion, gender, race, ethnicity, disabilities or political beliefs

General Funding Priorities

The Foundation generally seeks out and chooses to support smaller nonprofit organizations whose gross annual revenues are $5M per year or less and whose work aligns with the mission of the Foundation. While occasional exceptions are made to this approach, the substantial majority of our grants are made to support organizations that fit this description.

The Foundation believes in active engagement with the organizations that we support, including site visits to our nonprofit partners to see their work firsthand. Due to this approach, the majority of our domestic grants are made to support organizations that are located in the greater New England region within the United States.

Funding Cycles

The Foundation has two grant cycles each year.

The Fall grant cycle is made up of exclusively Foundation-Initiated grants which are awarded to organizations that are identified by the Trustees of the Foundation. These grants are typically somewhat larger in size and may also be multi-year grants. Applications for Foundation-Initiated grants are accepted only at the invitation of the Trustees.

The Spring grant cycle is made up of Competitive grants that will be awarded following the application period in March of each year. The Spring grant cycle is the only grant cycle where a nonprofit organization that is new to the Foundation may be awarded a grant. Beginning in the Spring of 2027 the Foundation’s Spring Competitive grant cycle will accept grant applications by Invitation Only.

The foundation will contact all organizations that we will invite to submit a grant application for our Spring Competitive grant cycle by email and provide them with a new link to our grant application. The IRS Determination Letter identifying your organization as having 501(c)(3) status must also be submitted with your grant application along with your most recent audited Financial Report and any supplemental documentation or supporting materials that pertain to your application. All Spring Competitive grant applications must be received by 3/31 to be considered by the board.

Nonprofit organizations whose work aligns with the Foundation’s mission of benefiting children in need may contact the Foundation at info@eskebarrettfoundation.org to discuss the possibility of being invited to submit a grant application. The Spring grant cycle is extremely competitive and not all applications can be approved for awards.

Grantee Reporting

The Trustees of the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation maintain an ongoing interest in both the organizations and projects that we support. All grant recipients are required to submit a written report to the Foundation between six and eight months after receiving the grant to provide an update on the impact that the grant has made. This information is vital to the Trustees and allows the Foundation to evaluate the effectiveness of each grant.

Following the award of a grant from the Foundation, recipients are encouraged to publicize the grant award via press releases to traditional media outlets, social media posts as well as articles or announcements within their own organizations. We believe that this publicity will create a greater understanding of the Evelyn S. and K.E. Barrett Foundation’s Focus Areas and the organizations with whom we work.

Grant Size and Duration

Grant amounts will vary in size. Fall grants tend to be larger in size, as the foundation makes fewer grants within this cycle. Fall grants may also be multi-year grants. Spring grants have historically ranged from $2,500 to $30,000 in size, and may also be multi-year grants.