Open for the 2027 Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks round. Applications due November 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; no time zone is specified on the funder site. Successful applicants are expected to be announced in January 2027. Check the live application for any changes before submitting.
Massachusetts Boston Henry Lee Fund for Parks 2027 Grants (Up to $5,000; November 4, 2026 Deadline)
FundingMaximum expected individual applicant award: $5,000; no stated minimum. Aggregate board grant allocation: $40,000 for this 2027 grant cycle, not an individual applicant award. No general match requirement stated; applicant explains any additional project funds required.
DeadlineNovember 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. (funder does not explicitly state time zone). Official current funder webpage correctly identifies Wednesday; current live application incorrectly says Monday for November 4, but agrees on the date and cutoff time.
Last verified2026-11-04
Required next actionSubmit the 2027 Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks application at https://near.tl/sm/v3twDvXGI by November 4, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; use the current live form, not the outdated 2024 practice worksheet. Confirm publicly accessible Boston park or greenspace and project fit. Prepare applicant details, proposed work and maintenance narrative, request and total budget, organization or fiscal agent information, board or volunteer list, and project photos or site plan. If project is selected, obtain written property-owner approval and contractor agreement or cost estimate before grant funds are released. Complete online application in one session.
Broad Eligibility
Formal or informal community advocates, neighborhood and park groups, and residents proposing public greenspace improvements in Boston that benefit Boston residents. IRS 501(c)(3) status is not mandatory; fiscal agent arrangements may be discussed. Eligible projects improve physical condition and use of publicly accessible Boston parks/greenspaces through tree, turf, soil, planting, sculpture, benches and other park features, or volunteer improvement days. Event sponsorship excluded. Projects generally completed within one year, with final reporting and potential property-owner approval.
Atlas Analysis
Current official funder instructions and live 2027 application checked November 4, 2026. Community park-improvement financial-assistance grant offering an anticipated maximum of $5,000 per recipient; the $40,000 total is the overall allocation, not an individual award. Formal or informal Boston neighborhood groups can apply, including groups without independent 501(c)(3) status. Projects must improve publicly accessible Boston greenspace, such as tree, turf, planting, site furnishing, or sculpture improvements, and generally finish within one year. The grant excludes event sponsorship. Applicants should submit the project description, cost estimate and budget, organization or fiscal agent information, and board or volunteer list through the current live application in one session. Funder announcement and current form agree on November 4, 2026 at 5 p.m.; the form misidentifies the weekday as Monday but the announcement correctly identifies Wednesday. The older practice worksheet links to the 2024 application cycle and is not authoritative for the present round. A property-owner permission letter and supporting contractor documentation may be required prior to award. No formal general cash-match requirement was published.
2027 Henry Lee Fund for Boston Parks
Funder: Friends of the Public Garden, Boston, Massachusetts. Applications for the 2027 round are open through November 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. The official funder does not state a deadline time zone; applicants should submit early. This is a real community greenspace grant, not a government procurement opportunity.
Applicant awards
The Friends Board expects to award grants of up to $5,000 each, with no applicant minimum. The stated $40,000 refers to the aggregate grants to be distributed and is not an individual applicant award. No general matching-funds requirement is stated; applicants must explain other funding if grant request is less than the project budget. Funding is conditional on a contractor agreement or project cost estimate.
Who and what qualifies
Formal or informal local groups and residents advocating improvement of a publicly accessible Boston park or greenspace may apply. A 501(c)(3) determination is not required; applicants without nonprofit status can describe a fiscal agent, and Friends may discuss alternative assistance. Projects must take place in Boston, benefit Boston residents, and improve public greenspace, such as planting and tree work, turf and soil care, public park features or benches, sculpture conservation, or coordinated volunteer cleanups. Event sponsorship is excluded. Work should finish within one year of award, subject to funder exceptions.
Application and conditions
Use the official online application form, which requests applicant and project contact details, project location, property ownership, proposed activity and impact, plans for maintenance, the requested grant and total project budget, other funding sources, and supporting documents. Upload a detailed project budget, proof of organization or fiscal agent where applicable, and a board or volunteer list; the live application also requests photos or a site plan. The applicant must obtain written property-owner approval before an award if the project is recommended. The form must be submitted in one session. Grantees must provide a brief project expenditure report, accommodate a site visit if requested, and help acknowledge the funded project. Awards are expected January 2027.
Current primary sources: Friends of the Public Garden 2027 grant guidelines and live 2027 application, checked November 4, 2026. The linked older practice PDF contains 2024 and 2025 dates and is not controlling for the current 2027 cycle. The live application page incorrectly labels November 4 as Monday; the funder announcement correctly says Wednesday, November 4, 2026. The calendar date and 5:00 p.m. cutoff agree across both current official sources.
Source verificationReferenced source · friendsofthepublicgarden.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-11-04. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
