The George B. Henderson Foundation is solely devoted to the enhancement of the physical appearance of the City of Boston and immensely contributes to preserving local culture and historic values.
The Henderson Foundation’s grant program supports projects aimed at the enhancement and preservation of outdoor elements within the city limits of Boston. It supports a wide range of endeavors including the restoration of historic buildings, creation of new public sculptures and gardens, and restoration of historic monuments. The key goals are to enhance the city’s appearance, improve the sense of place, and ensure the projects demonstrate design excellence. These projects must be accessible and visible to the public, and the grants typically range from $20,000 to $50,000, with larger grants considered in exceptional cases. The Foundation stresses that grants are for capital improvements and preservation activities that go beyond routine care, aligning with the National Park Service technical standards for such work. Funded projects must be visible to the public and, if interior projects, the building should be open to the public several days each year.
The Foundation welcomes proposals for initiatives across all areas of Boston focused on parks, urban roads, structures, monuments, and works of architecture and sculpture.