Parker Foundation Regular Grants 2023
Health & Human Services
The Bike Connector
$10,000 in capacity building support to extend open hours at its shop.
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell
$100,000 in fifth- and final-year support for the Believe & Become capital campaign to upgrade and expand its facility.
Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Boston
$30,000 for Lowell Food Pantry’s operations and client assistance.
Christ Church United in Lowell
$15,000 for the Parish Relief program, which provides emergency financial assistance to Lowell residents.
Community Teamwork, Inc.
$100,000 in capital support to renovate a building for permanent supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Girls Incorporated of Greater Lowell
$50,000 in first year support to renovate a new building and refit its current space.
Health Law Advocates
$25,000 to provide free legal assistance through the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids (MHAP for Kids).
International Institute of New England
$50,000 for relocation assistance and permanent housing initiatives, such as providing first/last rent and security deposits, for Lowell residents.
Lowell Humane Society
$20,000 to renovate and create a multi-use room.
Lowell Youth Leadership Program
$15,000 for a four-week summer camp at Greater Lowell Technical High School.
Merrimack Valley Housing Partnership
$75,000 in second-year support to build the capacity of its affordable homeownership program.
Merrimack Valley Project
$20,000 for the Wheels of Hope program, which transports individuals with substance use disorder to treatment.
Veterans Legal Services
$20,000 to provide free legal aid services to Lowell veterans.
The Wish Project
$25,000 in general operating support to distribute basic needs items to Lowell children and families.
Women’s Money Matters
$20,000 to expand its financial wellness program to more low-income women from Lowell.
YWCA of Lowell f/b/o Lowell Alliance
$20,000 for Empower, a leadership development program, and the Lowell Diaper Bank, which offers free diapers directly to families and to local nonprofits for distribution.
Subtotal Human Services: $595,000
Percentage of total: 47.5%
Community and Economic Development
Entrepreneurship for All (EforAll)
$15,000 to expand inclusive entrepreneurship in Lowell.
Gaining Ground
$25,000 to expand to a new farming parcel, increasing food donations to Lowell.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation
$83,750 in second-year support of the Newell Flather Legacy Fund, which supports organizations focused on the arts, immigrant and refugee communities, and advancing equity and inclusion.
Lowell Parks & Conservation Trust
$125,000 in first-year capital support to establish the 20-acre Pawtucket Farm Wildlife Sanctuary.
Subtotal Community and Economic Development: $248,750
Percentage of total: 20%
Education
Discovery Museum
$10,000 for Traveling Science Workshops in Lowell schools.
Elevate New England
$50,000 to expand its youth leadership/mentoring program for students in Lowell.
Fortaleza
$50,000 in third-year start-up support to launch a Latino education advocacy organization in Lowell.
Project LEARN
$65,000 in fourth-year support to increase the Lowell Public School’s capacity to recruit and retain teachers who reflect the student population’s cultural, ethnic, and linguistic backgrounds.
University of Massachusetts Foundation f/b/o University of Massachusetts Lowell
$75,000 in first-year support to pilot an experiential learning program where UMass Lowell students serve as fundraising and technical assistance interns at local nonprofits.
Subtotal Education: $250,000
Percentage of total: 20%
Arts and Culture
2nd Act
$15,000 to underwrite the development and performance at seven Lowell schools of a new play aimed at substance use prevention.
Angkor Dance Troupe
$25,000 in capacity-building support to sustain and rebuild the organization.
Greater Lowell Community Foundation f/b/o Refuge Lowell
$50,000 to relocate its art studio for teens and refurbish the new space.
Groton Hill Music Center
$14,000 to provide music education to Lowell middle school students in grades 5-8.
Merrimack Repertory Theatre
$50,000 to launch a new program, Theatre for Young Audiences, for families with children in the Greater Merrimack Valley.
Subtotal Arts and Culture: $154,000
Percentage of total: 12%
Memberships
Philanthropy MA (Membership)
$6,400
Subtotal Memberships: $6,400
Percentage of total: 0.5%
Total Regular Grants 2023: $1,254,150
Parker Foundation Mini Grants 2023
Adolescent Consultation Services
$7,500 for education and/or employment re-entry assistance for Lowell citizens.
Challenge Unlimited
$7,500 to support equine assistance therapy for Lowell students.
Mission of Deeds
$4,715 to support the basic needs of Lowell families
Place of Promise
$7,000 to support an adolescent school attendance program for Lowell students.
Total Mini Grants 2023: $26,715
Total Grants 2023: $1,280,865