Flexible Funding 2027

An Overview of Our Flexible Funding Opportunity

Our Flexible Funding process is designed to be thoughtful, transparent, and grounded in trust while ensuring responsible stewardship of philanthropic resources. We begin by confirming that organizations meet the eligibility requirements outlined in our Eligibility Quiz. Applications then undergo an administrative and organizational review to ensure that all required materials have been submitted and that organizations meet program eligibility and compliance requirements.

Eligible applications are reviewed by a panel of Community Foundation staff, committee members, and community volunteers using a rubric that is directly aligned with the application questions. Final funding decisions are informed by reviewer assessments and are made in consideration of available funding, the number and strength of applications received within each focus area, geographic representation across Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin counties, and our commitment to supporting a diverse range of organizations serving communities throughout Western Massachusetts. Because demand often exceeds available resources, not all strong applications can be funded. 

Equity is central to all our efforts. We especially welcome applications from smaller, newer, non-traditional, or fiscally sponsored organizations that have not yet received substantial institutional philanthropy. We also prioritize organizations deeply rooted in their communities. 

In March 2024, we were excited to launch a partnership with the MassMutual Foundation to expand Flexible Funding grants for organizations serving Springfield residents. Since then, this collaboration has continued to grow, providing additional resources to support nonprofits working to strengthen Springfield communities. 

We are proud to continue this partnership as the MassMutual Foundation has committed $1 million to support Springfield-serving organizations through the Flexible Funding program in 2027. Together, we are investing in organizations that are addressing critical community needs, expanding opportunity, and improving quality of life for Springfield residents. 

In addition, we continue to steward a donor partnership in Franklin County that supports organizations advancing family economic resiliency. Through this funding, nonprofits are helping families meet basic needs, strengthen financial stability, and access opportunities that contribute to long-term economic well-being.  

With a single application, organizations can apply for funding; our staff will decide which of the criteria your organization best meets.  

Organizations in the Community Foundation’s strategic focus areas can serve Franklin, Hampden, and/or Hampshire Counties. Organizations working in our additional focus areas are limited to Springfield or Franklin County as outlined below.

Program Details 

Flexible Funding grants provide general operating support to local organizations aligned with our strategic focus areas. More details on these areas are available here, helping you determine if your organization qualifies.

Grants of up to $40,000 are available. Funds must be spent by December 31, 2027.  CFWM plans to award approximately $3.5 million in total.

Eligibility 

Organizations will begin with an eligibility quiz before proceeding to the full application. Organizations that complete the eligibility quiz by August 28, 2026, can request feedback and guidance on whether Flexible Funding is likely to be a good fit based on the program’s eligibility criteria.

A PDF of the eligibility quiz is available for your review here.

Eligible organizations must have IRS designated 501(c)(3) status or an existing fiscal sponsorship.   

Organizations should be located and/or actively serving residents in Franklin, Hampden and/or Hampshire counties. If you also have locations outside of the region, you must demonstrate local presence through indicators such as having locally based staff, regional offices, or programs significantly serving our region’s residents. 

Additional eligibility criteria includes:

An operating budget less than $10 million. Organizations with operating budgets larger than $10 million are not eligible. There is a strong preference for organizations with an operating budget of less than $5 million.

The Community Foundation’s ValleyCreates Program prioritizes arts organizations with operating budgets under $500,000. We are especially interested in supporting arts organizations whose work is intentionally designed to strengthen the broader arts and creativity ecosystem. These organizations may support artists and teaching artists, create opportunities for collaboration and connection, share resources and knowledge, advocate for the arts sector, and generate benefits that help to build a stronger and more connected creative community.

Funding cannot support the following:  

• Endowments or capital campaigns  
• Sectarian or religious organizations unless as a fiscal sponsor for a broad community benefit  
• Institutions of higher education—including for scholarships  
• Academic research  
• K-12 schools—public, private, or charter schools 
• Organizations whose mission is to support municipalities/government agencies such as friends of libraries or school districts 
• Start-ups or organizations that do not have a year of financial data as of September 1, 2026.  

Preference will be given to organizations with BIPOC leadership and where leadership is reflective of the communities they serve. 

We encourage organizations who haven’t applied with CFWM to apply and connect with us if you have questions. 

Priority Focus Areas

Decisions about whether an organization falls into the outlined focus areas will be determined by Foundation staff, based on information provided by the organization, as well as other publicly available information.

Please note that while the Community Foundation’s new strategic plan will launch this summer, the priority focus areas for Flexible Funding 2027 will remain the same as in 2026. You can attend any of our Nonprofit Gatherings in August to learn more about the strategic plan and how it will impact our priority focus areas. In particular, President and CEO Megan Burke will share a presentation on the strategic plan at the first gathering in Holyoke on Thursday, August 6.

Information on the Nonprofit Gatherings, as well as virtual information sessions, can be found below. 

Community Foundation’s Focus Areas

The foundation’s strategic vision serves as the cornerstone for establishing the priority support areas for Flexible Funding.  

Our aim is to fund organizations working to increase equity and opportunity while demonstrating a strong mission in the following areas:  

1. Racial Justice: Recognizing the urgent need to address systematic racism, we are seeking applications from organizations whose primary mission and activities are dedicated to this cause.  

We believe that working toward dismantling systems of racial inequality provides a framework for dismantling all other forms of oppression. We seek organizations explicitly working to combat racial disparities, promoting equity and justice, and creating pathways for marginalized communities. This grant opportunity is intended to support your efforts in fostering inclusive communities, eliminating systemic barriers, and advancing social change.

2. Accessible and more affordable post-secondary education and training: Education and skills training are critical components for individuals seeking economic mobility. We are seeking applications from organizations that provide access to learning opportunities for post-secondary learners, including trade, vocational, and skills-based programs. This grant opportunity aims to support efforts in equipping individuals with the tools and knowledge necessary to meaningfully access the workforce.  

3. A strong start for all children: From birth to age five, children develop more rapidly than at any other time in their lives. A strong start for children helps to set the foundation for their future success, health, and well-being. We seek to fund nonprofit organizations that that provide early childhood education and care as a core part of their mission, professional development for early childhood education providers, and direct cohort-based support related to parenting knowledge and skills. This grant opportunity is intended to strengthen the bandwidth, skills, and resiliency of those who provide care to children before kindergarten. 

4. A vibrant local arts and creativity ecosystem: Art and creativity bring people together, create community dialogue, and inspire imaginative approaches to community challenges.  ValleyCreates aims to support a vibrant arts and creativity sector that is interconnected, collaborative, and actively engages the full and diverse community with programs and artistic expression opportunities. Our goal is to support the arts and creativity sector and those organizations whose primary mission leads with the arts. This grant opportunity is intended to support your efforts in promoting creativity and fostering community engagement.  

This focus area does not include humanities or historical societies, but we encourage those organizations to connect with Mass Cultural Council or Mass Humanities. While we also appreciate the creativity many organizations bring to their work, we will not consider non-arts organizations as part of our strategic priority area. 

Additional Focus Areas for springfield-serving organizations working to build financial resilience in their communities

Supported through funding from

1. Building Networks: Connecting people builds social capital, which creates a financially strong community where people can support each other. We seek to fund organizations that take collaborative approaches to break down silos, coordinate among systems, and connect people to critical resources and each other so everyone can meet their basic needs and achieve their goals.

2. Fostering Financial Health: When people experience less debt, more savings, and improved credit, they are able to take advantage of future opportunities. We seek to fund organizations that expand financial capabilities (e.g., financial coaching, building credit, debt management) and increase access to affordable financial products that help build financial resilience and long-term wealth.

3. Fulfilling Basic Financial Needs: When people’s most basic needs are met, they can focus on things that make their lives better. We seek to fund organizations that help people meet the following critical needs: reliable childcare that accommodates work schedules, increased food security, and safe & affordable housing (rent or own).

4. Expanding Employment Opportunities: Building skills, knowledge, and expertise helps people find a career or start their own business – creating long-term change in the process. We seek to fund organizations that work to expand entrepreneurship and small business growth, or provide post-secondary education, skills and training that drives employment and increased income.

Additional Focus Areas for Franklin County

Thanks to the generosity of our partners, additional funding is available for organizations serving Franklin County with a focus on family economic resiliency. This includes:

1. Food security: This funding opportunity is intended to support organizations that increase food security in Franklin County.

2. Housing security: We seek to fund organizations that provide and expand housing security in Franklin County.

3. Basic service needs: For organizations that increase access to basic service needs such as health, transportation, and other human services.

Apply Now

The link to apply will be available here on August 3, 2026.

Information Sessions for Flexible Funding 2027 (Virtual) 

CFWM Staff will hold virtual information sessions about the Flexible Funding 2027 grant opportunity. Information sessions will include a presentation to review the grant process, the application and criteria. They are as follows: 

• August 4, 2026 | 10am – 12pm
  Register to join
  
  
• August 17, 2026 | 11am – 12pm  
  Register to join

Open office hours (Virtual Drop in) for Flexible Funding 2027

Please feel free to drop in via Zoom at any time during the session to speak with us. The schedule is as follows:

• August 31, 2026 | 10am – 12pm
  Drop In
  
  
• September 2, 2026 | 1pm – 3pm
  Drop In
  
  
• September 4, 2026 | 10am – 11am
  Drop In

Deadline

Applications are due Friday, September 4, 2026, at noon (12 PM) EDT.

Questions? Comments? 

Please reach out to Community Impact and Partnerships at grants@communityfoundation.org.

Frequently Asked Questions