Grants for Churches in Massachusetts (2026 Guide)

For the national picture, including federal rules on what churches can and can't fund, start with our grants for churches guide. This page covers Massachusetts. For programs beyond churches, see the Massachusetts grants guide and Massachusetts nonprofit grants.

Foundation Grants to Massachusetts Churches by the Numbers

Massachusetts ranks 13th among states, with 3,621 foundation grants to churches and ministries, according to Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records. That's 2.6% of the 139,417 faith-related grants in the national dataset. Those grants went to 1,445 different recipients.

The median is the number to budget with. According to the same filings, the $3.75 million largest gift lifts the average to about $19,100 per grant, nearly four times the $5,000 median. A Massachusetts church asking a foundation for repair money should plan around a few thousand dollars unless the funder has already shown it gives larger gifts to congregations like yours.

Three in four funders don't publish a way in. Only 295 of the 1,222 foundations, 24%, name an application route on their filings. The rest give to preselected organizations or didn't say. That's the red flag for any plan that starts with sending proposals to every foundation on a list.

Community is the biggest purpose bucket. Purposes are mostly blank, so keyword buckets undercount, but Massachusetts differs from most states in what's written down. Among the 3,621 grants, 229 named community work, 125 named missions, 60 named building, repair, or capital work, 56 named youth, and 44 named schools. In most states in this dataset missions comes first. Massachusetts foundations that write a purpose often frame church grants as community support. According to the national dataset, 2,821 of 139,417 faith grants named building or repair, about 2%.

You can see how many foundations gave to churches in Massachusetts for free, with two named and one shown in full. The Grantsights church funder list costs $39 and covers Massachusetts and every other state. It names each foundation that reported church or ministry grants on its own IRS filings, with what it gave, to whom, for what, and a link to those filings. It's one payment, not a subscription, and you can get a refund within 30 days.

Where Massachusetts Church Grants Go

Six places hold 2,191 of Massachusetts' 3,621 church grants, about 60%, according to our analysis of the same filings. Cities are recipient addresses, and suburbs of one metro can overlap.

According to the same filings, Boston alone holds 782 grants, 22% of the state, and its $26.5 million total is more than a third of all Massachusetts dollars. Brookline shows figures identical to Chestnut Hill's 314, so treat them as one pool rather than two. Lynn's $7.4 million total from 273 grants is the highest dollar figure among the listed cities outside Boston.

The surprise is Worcester. The state's second-largest city has only 167 grants from 74 foundations and a $1.9 million total, fewer than Lowell's 401 and Lynn's 273. A small Worcester congregation, for example one in a neighborhood parish, should look harder at denominational and community routes. Island and Cape communities show a different pattern: Nantucket has 154 grants with a $2,873 median, the lowest among the cities listed here, and Hyannis has 124. Holyoke (167), Brockton (157), Hingham (200), and Westborough (174) round out the metro list.

Working the $39 List in Massachusetts

The list covers all 1,222 Massachusetts foundations above. Three ways to use it here:

1. Filter to the 295 that name an application route. A foundation that tells the IRS how to apply is the only kind worth a cold inquiry.
2. Stay in your region. Boston has 335 funders in the data. Worcester has 74 and Fall River 78. Local giving patterns beat statewide ones.
3. Check the preselected box. If the 990-PF says the foundation only gives to listed organizations, don't send a proposal. A short introduction through a member who knows a trustee is the realistic route.

Our guide to foundations that give grants to churches explains how to read a 990-PF and includes a sample inquiry letter.

What the Massachusetts Constitution Says About Public Money and Churches

Massachusetts has one of the strictest anti-aid clauses in the country, and it sits in the Amendments rather than the original text. Grantsights read the Massachusetts Constitution on the Legislature's site (opens in a new tab) on November 2, 2026. Article XLVI of the Amendments, which replaced Section 2 of Article XVIII, says that "no such grant, appropriation or use of public money or property or loan of public credit shall be made or authorized" "for the purpose of founding, maintaining or aiding any church, religious denomination or society." The restriction binds the commonwealth and its political subdivisions, so it reaches cities, towns, and Community Preservation Act committees.

What the court did with it. In Caplan v. Town of Acton (opens in a new tab), decided March 9, 2018, the Supreme Judicial Court reviewed two Community Preservation Act grants to the Acton Congregational Church: $49,500 for a historic preservation master plan covering the church and two houses it owned, and $51,237 to restore the main building's 1898 stained glass windows, a project that cost $56,930 in total. The dispute began in one town in Massachusetts, and the court held that grants to churches aren't categorically barred, and that a three-factor test applies. Courts ask about the grant's purpose, whether it substantially aids the church, and whether it avoids the risks the amendment targets, including entanglement of government and religion. Grants to an active church get "careful scrutiny."

The result split. The court found the stained glass grant likely violated the amendment, and ordered a preliminary injunction. It sent the master plan grant back for more fact-finding because the grant covered both worship space and two private residences.

What happened next. According to CommonWealth Beacon's August 2023 report (opens in a new tab), the Acton master plan grant was withdrawn and the case dismissed, and no churches have sought Acton Community Preservation Act money since the ruling. The report said the Community Preservation Act is in 195 cities and towns, that Massachusetts has about 2,000 places of worship, and that almost 250 are on historic registers or designated as landmarks. It quoted the court calling the line between eligible and ineligible projects "subtle and even elusive," and it said the statewide coalition advises case-by-case legal review. It also said Americans United had considered suing over state Historical Commission funding but had "no plans for litigation at this time."

Live cases. Grantsights didn't find a pending Massachusetts court case on grants to churches on November 2, 2026. A church shouldn't read that as clearance. Town counsel decides whether a Community Preservation Committee will take an application, and the Beacon found that some communities decline to discuss their process out of fear of a lawsuit.

What the federal cases mean. Trinity Lutheran Church v. Comer (opens in a new tab) (2017) held that a state can't exclude a church from a generally available grant solely because it's a church. Becket's amicus brief in Caplan argued that principle should protect Acton's churches, and the Supreme Judicial Court's opinion did not treat the amendment as a categorical ban. Federal money that Massachusetts agencies pass through, including NSGP, TEFAP, and EFSP, still bars spending on worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing. Our government grants for churches guide explains those limits.

Massachusetts Security Grants for Churches

The Massachusetts Office of Grants and Research administers the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, and a January 2026 notice set a February 2, 2026 deadline at 4 p.m. According to a January 13, 2026 notice on massnonprofit.org (opens in a new tab), 501(c)(3) nonprofits at heightened risk of a terrorist or extremist attack are eligible, and "this includes faith-based" organizations. That window has closed.

FEMA's NSGP page (opens in a new tab) lists $300 million for FY2026, split $150 million for the urban-area track and $150 million for the state track, and names places of worship among the target groups.

Massachusetts also pays for security from its own budget, and both state programs are open right now. Grantsights checked the Office of Grants and Research pages on November 2, 2026:

The physical security program gives priority to applicants that show the greatest need, propose cost-effective fixes and haven't had CNSGP or related federal money before. That last point favors a congregation that has never applied. The common mistake is starting the OGR risk assessment form the week of the deadline; it takes longer than the application itself. Our church security grants guide covers how to prepare the package.

Historic Preservation: MPPF, the Community Preservation Act, and Tax Credits

The Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund awards development grants from $7,500 to $100,000 on a 50% cash match, but it excludes much of what a church wants fixed. According to the Massachusetts Historical Commission's Round 31 instructions (opens in a new tab), nonprofit organizations and municipalities that own or hold a long-term interest in a State Register property are eligible, and the Commission anticipated about $1,000,000 for the round.

Rules that matter for a church:

• The exclusion. For buildings actively used for religious purposes, projects involving the interior of buildings, stained glass windows, or other religious symbols are generally not considered eligible. Exterior envelope work is the realistic scope.
• Match. Applicants provide 50% in cash, dollar for dollar. Community Preservation Act funds can serve as match, but other state funds and in-kind or volunteer time can't, and uncollected pledges aren't counted.
• Amounts. Pre-development requests run $5,000 to $30,000. Development and acquisition requests run $7,500 to $100,000.
• Not allowed. Routine maintenance, upgrading heating, electrical, or plumbing systems, renovating non-historic spaces, and additions.
• Timing. Round 31 applications were due March 14, 2025. Grantsights couldn't open the Commission's current-round page, so confirm the next deadline before planning.

A common mistake is budgeting a gift for the sanctuary's windows and finding out at scoping that the program won't pay for them. A church that wants to use state money should plan around the roof, masonry, and structure, and pay for glass from other sources.

The Community Preservation Act. Given Caplan, a church application to a town's Community Preservation Committee is a legal question first and a grant question second. Under CommonWealth Beacon's reporting, Great Barrington's First Congregational Church used $240,859 in Community Preservation Act funds alongside $50,000 in state money and $276,141 in private money for stone and masonry repairs to its manse, the pastor's residence. That's an example of a project scoped away from worship space. A church should ask the committee and town counsel what they'll accept before commissioning drawings.

Two Massachusetts congregations won in the national round. Second Church in Dorchester and St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Newburyport were among the 30 awardees in the National Fund for Sacred Places' October 2026 round (opens in a new tab), which funded 30 of 466 applicants. For national building funders, see our church building repair grants guide.

The state tax credit. Preservation Massachusetts (opens in a new tab) says the state credit returns up to 20% of certified rehabilitation expenditures, with $110 million in credits available each year, and that it applies to income-producing property. A sanctuary used only for worship doesn't fit. A church that leases part of its building for rent should ask the Massachusetts Historical Commission and a tax adviser before counting on anything.

Food: TEFAP, MEFAP, and EFSP

Massachusetts runs TEFAP through four food banks and sets household eligibility at 250% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is the TEFAP state agency, and its state plan (opens in a new tab) says it contracts with The Greater Boston Food Bank, Merrimack Valley Food Bank, Worcester County Food Bank, and the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Each food bank must sign an agreement with eligible sub-recipient agencies, which include food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters. The plan says the state doesn't require independent income verification, and that agencies collect an attestation instead. A church pantry joins by becoming a partner agency of its regional food bank.

State money. The Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program, MEFAP, buys food for the same network. In a December 4, 2025 budget request letter (opens in a new tab), the Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts said MEFAP supports over 1,000 local pantries, meal programs, and shelters, which get on average more than a quarter of their food from it. The letter thanked the administration for advancing $4 million and asked for $58 million in the fiscal 2027 budget. That ask is a request, not an appropriation.

EFSP. Massachusetts' Emergency Food and Shelter Program allocation for Phase 43 (FY2025) totals $2,824,724, according to the EFSP National Board's Phase 43 allocation table (opens in a new tab).

The red flag is the bottom row. Massachusetts' State Set-Aside Committee got $0 in Phase 43, so a county that doesn't qualify on its own has no set-aside pool to draw from. Small counties on the list, such as Barnstable ($97,289), Berkshire ($45,968), and Franklin ($24,505), have much less to compete for than Middlesex. Local boards, usually convened by the United Way, choose recipients. Our church food pantry grants guide covers the records food banks and EFSP boards ask for.

Community Foundations and Denominational Funds in Massachusetts

Two of the Episcopal programs below are closed to new requests or being retired. Grantsights checked each on its own site on November 2, 2026.

Grantsights didn't verify the religious-organization rules of individual Massachusetts community foundations, which vary widely. Many fund churches only for community programs that don't require religious participation. Read each foundation's exclusions before writing a request, and ask whether a congregation can apply directly or needs a fiscal sponsor.

What Massachusetts Church Grant Lists Don't Tell You

Most Massachusetts church grant lists stop at national foundations. Five things they miss:

1. Public money has a constitutional filter. The anti-aid amendment, as applied in Caplan, makes a town grant to an active church a legal question before it's a funding question.
2. State preservation money skips the sanctuary. The Round 31 instructions generally exclude interiors and stained glass for actively used religious buildings.
3. The Set-Aside is empty. EFSP's State Set-Aside for Massachusetts was $0 in Phase 43.
4. Three in four funders don't publish a way in. Only 295 of 1,222 name an application route.
5. Worcester is thin. The second-largest city has 167 grants, fewer than Lowell's 401.

A 90-Day Plan for a Massachusetts Church

1. Now, before November 20: the state security grants. Both Commonwealth programs close November 20, 2026 at 4 p.m. Download the OGR risk assessment form this week, and pick the physical security program, the personnel program, or both.
2. Weeks 1 to 3: documents. Pull together IRS status evidence (a group exemption letter usually works), incorporation papers, a board list, and a financial statement. Confirm whether your building is on the State Register.
3. Weeks 4 to 8: foundations. Use the funder list to find the foundations in your region that name an application route, and send short inquiry letters.
4. Weeks 9 to 12: preservation and food. If you plan exterior work, get a conditions assessment scoped away from interiors and glass, and ask the Historical Commission about the next round. If you run a pantry, call your regional food bank about partner agency status.

Weighing a particular project? The free eligibility checker matches an organization to open programs, and the church grant path index groups options by what you're trying to fund. For small congregations, our grants for small churches guide and how to apply for church grants cover the paperwork.

Limits of This Data

Read every foundation figure here as a minimum. The counts cover only filers in the Grantsights dataset, and 990-PF filings arrive a year or more after grants are paid. Purpose lines are often vague, so the community, missions, and building counts undercount. Name matching misses churches recorded under other names, and city counts follow recipient addresses, which can overlap for suburbs of one metro. Grantsights couldn't confirm the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program's deadline and amounts, the date of the next Massachusetts Preservation Projects Fund round, how the Historical Commission treats exterior work on active churches beyond what its instructions say, or the individual religious-organization rules of Massachusetts community foundations.

Sources Checked

All sources were checked on November 2, 2026:

• Massachusetts Constitution on the Legislature's site (opens in a new tab), Articles of Amendment XVIII and XLVI; Caplan v. Town of Acton (opens in a new tab), 479 Mass. 69 (2018); CommonWealth Beacon, August 20, 2023 (opens in a new tab); Becket Caplan amicus summary (opens in a new tab); Trinity Lutheran (opens in a new tab)
• Massachusetts Historical Commission, MPPF Round 31 instructions (opens in a new tab); Preservation Massachusetts (opens in a new tab) on the state credit
• massnonprofit.org NSGP notice (opens in a new tab); FEMA NSGP page (opens in a new tab)
• Department of Elementary and Secondary Education TEFAP state plan (opens in a new tab); Food Bank Coalition of Massachusetts MEFAP request (opens in a new tab); EFSP National Board Phase 43 allocations (opens in a new tab)
• Funder pages: Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts grants and loans (opens in a new tab), National Trust grants (opens in a new tab), National Fund for Sacred Places 2026 awards (opens in a new tab)
• Grantsights analysis of Form 990-PF grant records, tax years 2019 to 2025, pulled October 29, 2026