Grants

Grants

The Lend A Hand Society (LAH) provides grants to help meet the basic emergency needs of low-income individuals and families. Our three programs – emergency assistance, camperships for children, and the book mission — work in partnership with social service agencies in the greater Boston area. The book mission also makes grants anywhere in the United States.

Lend A Hand Society works through qualified, tax-exempt, nonprofit human service agencies in greater Boston to provide emergency grants to individuals. Grants are made on a one-time basis per family or individual. LAH doesn’t make grants directly to individuals, nor do we make grants to social service agencies to help pay operating expenses.

Lend A Hand makes grants to social service agencies for camperships to help provide children with an educational/growth experience. Through the Book Mission, grants are made so that educational institutions and libraries can purchase books to lend to low-income individuals.

Application Procedures

Emergency Assistance Grants:

Non-profit social service agencies can apply for grants from Lend A Hand Society at any time. Agencies can apply on behalf of their clients online by completing an Agency Grant Application. Please include an uploaded cover letter on agency letter head. The letter should clearly state the purpose of the grant and all other pertinent information.

Agencies should submit no more than three requests each month. Please only apply through the above link; no faxed, emailed or mailed requests will be considered. If your request is approved, a check, made out to the payee listed on application, is sent to the referring case manager. These checks should then be sent on to the payee directly. Checks cannot be made out to clients.

Example: ABC Agency is approved by Lend A Hand to receive a grant to help an individual pay a utility bill. LAH will send the referring case manager a check made payable to the utility company, not to the individual receiving assistance.

Referral Criteria:

  • Clients must live in greater Boston area (inside route 128). This includes neighborhoods in: Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Brookline, Cambridge, Chelsea, Chestnut Hill, Dedham, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Lexington, Lynn, Malden, Melrose, Milton, Nahant, Newton, Readville, Revere, Roslindale, Saugus, Somerville, South Boston, Stoneham, Wakefield, Waltham, Watertown, Winchester, Winthrop, and Woburn
  • Clients can only be referred to Lend A Hand once in a lifetime
  • Clients must be in low-income

Agency Grant Application

Campership Grants:

Nonprofit camping agencies can apply for grants for summer camp scholarships for low-income children and teens from the Greater Boston area.  The application deadline is April 1.  Please follow the LAH website Campership grant application guidelines.

Campership Proposal Submission Guidelines

Book Mission Grants:

Nonprofit educational organizations or agencies with educational programs can apply for grants for the purchase of books for lending to low-income people.  The application deadline is October 15.  Please follow the Book Mission Proposal Submission Guidelines.

Book Mission Proposal Submission Guidelines

Campership and Book Mission proposals should be sent by mail to:

Lend A Hand Society
89 South Street
Suite 203
Boston, MA 02111