About Us

Your Community Foundation

The Foundation for MetroWest was founded in 1995 with a simple philosophy: You can make a world of difference in your own backyard. Where many donors, nonprofits and businesses join together to make the region they love a better place, today and for future generations.

What is a Community Foundation?

Our Mission

Foundation for MetroWest connects philanthropic opportunity with demonstrated need. We promote philanthropy in the region, help donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serve as a resource for local nonprofit organizations, and improve the quality of life for all of our residents.

What Does That Mean?

It means that we are stronger together; that we can make a bigger difference when we work collectively. As a Community Foundation, we not only give out grants, we foster community.

We are here to help anyone that is looking to do something good for their community, by:

Connecting people with common interests and common goals to one another and showing them where donations can do the most good.
Working with the nonprofits in the area – making connections, encouraging partnerships, and building relationships.
Offering trainings and workshops for anyone connected to the organizations serving our region to help everyone work more efficiently and effectively – together.

We are more powerful and more impactful when we work together as a community.

How Do We Help?

We help donors plan and carry out their charitable giving, whether they already know where they want to give or need assistance identifying local needs.
We partner with others across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, bringing a consistent and knowledgeable voice to critical civic issues.
We manage funds and for both donors and nonprofits, reducing administrative costs while increasing tax advantages.
We provide resources and information to the public to help shine a light on the strengths and challenges that face our communities in MetroWest.
We offer programs for youth and nonprofits to learn, grow and build skills to better serve our communities.

Impact and Initiatives

Our philosophy is simple: you can make a world of difference in your own backyard. The Foundation for MetroWest is designed to make giving easy and effective. Your gift helps create better lives in your community, and we can help make it happen. Like you, we are committed to strengthening our community. We understand the unique needs of our region and are dedicated to addressing these needs and challenges.

We are improving and enhancing our region through our Regional Competitive Grant Program, Impact MetroWest website, and our Youth In Philanthropy Program.

Since 1995, we have distributed nearly $19 million back into our MetroWest communities.

Communities We Serve

What is considered MetroWest? We serve 33 towns loosely bound by Routes 128 and 495 on the east and west, Route 2 on the north and Route 109 on the south.

Acton

Ashland

Boxborough

Carlisle

Concord

Dedham

Dover

Framingham

Harvard

Holliston

Hopkinton

Hudson

Lexington

Lincoln

Marlborough

Maynard

Medfield

Medway

Milford

Millis

Natick

Needham

Sherborn

Southborough

Stow

Sudbury

Walpole

Waltham

Wayland

Wellesley

Westborough

Weston

Westwood

For Donors and Fundholders

Regardless of what issue moves you to take action, we can help you find or create a resource for transforming your charitable dream into a meaningful reality that evolves with you, your family, and your needs.

We understand that every individual, family, and corporate donor has unique interests, assets, and circumstances, and we are dedicated to maximizing the impact of their generous gifts. That is why our services are highly tailored and flexible – from assistance identifying a cause, to researching nonprofits and making site visits. We meet you wherever you are on your journey. We are a single source of information about the needs of the community, the organizations that can most effectively meet those needs, and where charitable contributions can have the greatest impact and provide you with the most tax advantages.

For Nonprofit Organizations

We provide grants to organizations focused on five key areas – family support, arts and culture, hunger relief, environment, and youth development. Beyond that, we also work closely with any MetroWest nonprofit to build the visibility, connections, and expertise they need to deliver their missions through capacity-building trainings and seminars free of charge for their board and staff members.

For Professional Advisors

We consider attorneys, accountants, financial planners, and other professional advisors to be our partners in the charitable giving process. We are a resource for advisors to help their clients understand the many ways they can support the community they love and meet their philanthropic goals. Because we are a local organization with 25 years of community knowledge, we have a unique understanding of our region’s needs and the many ways donors can make an impact. We are well-positioned to ensure that every gift a donor makes is not only the right gift at the right time, but also personal, meaningful, and fulfilling.

For the MetroWest Community

Our business is building a community. In addition to building a permanent source of funding, we are invested in the long-term success of the MetroWest region. Acting as a connector and an educator, funder, and ally, coordinating resources across communities and among nonprofits to build collaboration, foster shared learning, and reduce redundancies. This is one of the reasons is why we have launched an initiative called Impact MetroWest. We bring people and organizations together; diverse voices to address local issues and opportunities.