Harold Whitworth Pierce lived in Milton Massachusetts, and was a partner at Tucker, Anthony & R.L. Day, a Boston investment banking and brokerage firm. When Mr. Pierce died in 1958, he left his estate to endow The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust.
The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust offers grants primarily for projects that will produce long-range benefits through leverage of the Trust's resources. Grants are made for specific programs, for “seed money”, and for capital projects, especially those which can reduce operating costs. Occasional grants are made for operating support. Grants are focused on institutions and programs in the Boston area.
The trustees invite concept letters in the areas listed below. From time to time grants are also made on the basis of specifically invited proposals or in response to inquiries about projects which might be of particular interest to the trustees.
Education
- Training programs for teachers in urban schools, primarily Boston.
- Innovative programs for high achieving/highly motivated students primarily in the Boston Public Schools.
- Grants made through EdVestors.
Green and Public Spaces
- Projects which support community gardens, community parks and other natural areas.
- Projects which enhance open space for active and/or passive recreation.
Capital Projects
- Projects which reduce the operating costs for an institution.
- Projects which improve and/or restore the physical heritage of Boston
Research
- Environmental research on issues affecting New England .
- Projects that make environmental research results available for public policy making.
Arts Education
- Occasional grants are made for education in the arts.
No grants are made for scholarships to individuals. In addition, no grants are made for fund raising events, films, videos, travel, or advocacy.
The application process consists of three steps:
First Step
Please call or email Elizabeth D. Nichols, Program Director, as the first step, even if you have received a previous grant . Betsy maybe reached on Tuesdays and Thursdays at (617) 523-8368.
Email: piercetrust@nichols-pratt.comSecond Step
The second step is a concept letter of no more than two pages, submitted with the Concept Letter Summary Form. Full proposals will not be accepted at this phase. Email submission is encouraged, but not required.The concept letter should be both concise and precise. It should briefly describe the applicant organization and its mission, and then describe the project as specifically as possible, including its goals, how they are to be met and how success is to be measured. It should also include the size of the grant requested, an indication of how any additional money needed would be raised, a preliminary budget and proof of Section 501 (c)(3) status. Please do not use binders or folders or send video tapes.
The trustees look particularly for the following characteristics in a concept letter:
- A clear definition of the task to be accomplished
- A clear description of how the proposed action addresses the task to be accomplished
- Indication of strong, proven management and low administrative overhead of the organization
- Timeliness of application
Proposal Invitation
The trustees will review the concept letters and invite full proposals from a limited number of applicants. If a proposal is invited, details for the proposal will be included with the invitation. At their meeting, the trustees will review each proposal and decide which ones to fund.
Concept Letter Submission Deadlines: March 1 and September 15
Early Submission is strongly encouraged. Late submissions will be held for the next round.
Submission of Concept Letters by email is encouraged and they should be sent to piercetrust@nichols-pratt.com. Submissions sent by email must have a postmark date on or before the deadline. In case of a weekend or holiday, the deadline is the next business day.
Invited Proposals are due in mid April and mid October.
Trustee meetings are in late May or early June and late November or early December.
For additional information please contact:
Elizabeth D. Nichols
50 Congress Street
Boston, MA 02109-4017
Phone: (617) 523-8368
Fax: (617) 523-8949
Email: piercetrust@nichols-pratt.com
