The Jennie & Samuel J Costa Education Fund
The organization is a private foundation focused on supporting educational initiatives. Its mission centers on enhancing access to education through grants primarily awarded to colleges and universities. The foundation serves a variety of educational institutions, demonstrating a strong commitment to higher education. Its funding is concentrated in the New England region, particularly in Massachusetts, with additional support extending to institutions in Connecticut and New Hampshire.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
Ideal Applicant
A higher-education institution, college, or university in New England seeking small awards (around $2,000) for students or program-level support and that can be nominated or introduced through local networks.
Good Fit
- • Located in Massachusetts or the surrounding New England states (CT, NH, ME).
- • Is a college, university, or community college with a clear scholarship or student-award line item.
- • Seeks relatively small, one-time awards in the ~$2K range.
- • Has local connections or nominators who could put the organization or a student forward.
Geography
Grants are concentrated in New England: the foundation’s state receives the largest share (about 60% in 2024) but recipients also appear in CT, NH and ME, indicating a regional rather than strictly local footprint.
Recipient Variety
Each observed year funded about ten distinct educational institutions and there were no repeat grantees across the three-year record, indicating a broad and changing set of independent recipients despite the mission narrowness toward education.
New Applicants
Direct evidence of open solicitations is absent and the foundation states it funds only preselected recipients, but behavioral data show many new grantees each year, so unfamiliar organizations can appear in the portfolio yet are likely brought in via nomination or outreach rather than a public application.
Source: Zeffy Agent · Mar 2026
