Adolescent Wellness, Inc.: A non-profit that was founded to simplify prevention of anxiety and depression along with the most 
tragic symptom, suicide. Prevention is achieved by addressing the protective factors of resilience, including the teaching of coping and problem solving skills.
Art in Giving: This organization, started by her parents after 8-year-old Rachel Molly Markoff of Wellesley died in October of 1992 following a brain tumor diagnosis, has raised millions in seed money for basic childhood cancer research through the sale of fine arts. Art in Giving was founded in 2009.
Art Wellesley: Connecting art to community.
Beyond the 11th: Mission is to offer “financial and emotional support to widows who have been affected by the horrors of war and terrorism.”
Charles River Regional Chamber: The Charles River Regional Chamber (formerly the Newton-Needham Regional Chamber) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization funded by memberships, sponsorships, programming revenue and advertising. The Chamber serves Newton, Needham, Watertown, and Wellesley. Its mission is to champion those communities’ economic and cultural vitality through education, advocacy and networking.
Community Investors: Non-profit established in 2014 that strives to plant the seeds for mental and physical wellness and strengthen the emotional and social fabric of adolescents at a vital time in their lives. Offers/manages after-school recreational programs, offers coaching/leadership development to students/teachers, provides consulting to community-based youth organizations, and more.
Friends of the Wellesley Free Library: The core mission of The Friends is to enhance Wellesley’s libraries by providing materials, services, and programming not funded by the library budget. The Friends provide museum passes, children’s
programming, musical events, author lectures and so much more for the community and library patrons.
Friends of Wellesley METCO: A group made up of parents and teachers in the Wellesley community and parents of METCO students from Boston committed to supporting METCO students during their time in the Wellesley school system.
Community Fund for Wellesley: The mission of the Community Fund for Wellesley is to promote the common good and to benefit all residents of the Town. The Community Fund for Wellesley is a permanent source of funding that fosters innovation and collaboration in support of community needs and opportunities. We seek to encourage a spirit of philanthropic giving to help make Wellesley a better place for its citizens in which to live, work and play. We provide ways for donors to give back and leave a legacy in their community.
Health Care Without Walls (formerly Women of Means): A non-profit organization that sends volunteer medical professionals into shelters and soup kitchens in the greater Boston area to provide free care to homeless women and their children.
The Human Relations Service (HRS) is the private, non-profit community mental health agency serving children and families in Wellesley since 1948. Our mission is to treat, reduce, and prevent mental illness. We offer a broad range of counseling and crisis services, as well as consultation to schools and agencies, educational programs for parents, and employee assistance services. For further information or to schedule an appointment, call 781-235-4950, or email us at info@hrshelps.org.
Kids Backing Kids
supplies kids in need with backpacks stuffed with food, health products, clothes, toys and holiday gifts. But that’s only the start: The program is also designed to support kids who are hungry, homeless, living in poverty, or suffering trauma by educating other kids about their plight and training them to speak publicly about these issues.
Massachusetts Horticultural Society’s mission is to help people of all ages and backgrounds learn about and appreciate plants, gardens, and the natural world. We are located at 900 Washington St., Wellesley, on 36-acres in the historic Elm Bank Reservation, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The site includes formal gardens, open fields and meadows, wooded areas, picnic tables, and our horticultural education center.
National Charity League, Wellesley Chapter: A national non-profit organization comprising mother and daughter members in chapters across the United States. NCL, Inc. was established in Los Angeles, California, in 1925 and incorporated in 1958. The outfit’s mission is to foster mother-daughter relationships in a philanthropic organization committed to community service, leadership development and cultural experiences.
Metrowest Women’s Fund: Invests in women and girls through community building, education, and grant-making. Their mission is to identify the needs of women and girls in the Metrowest area and raise resources to meet those needs. Over $245,000 in grants have been awarded since 2020. In 2023 the organization announced an Impact Grant for Girls’ Mental Health.
OUT MetroWest: Runs free programs for LGBTQ youth. Each month, OUT MetroWest runs more than a dozen educational, social, and supportive meetings for middle- and high school-aged youth from across the greater Boston area. Meetings are held in Framingham, Newton, and Wellesley.
A Path in the Woods Foundation: As high school graduates prepare for a fall in college, a new foundation offers support for young men and women who seeking a non-traditional path
Pan-Massachusetts Challenge: Organizes bike-a-thons to raise money and awareness to fight cancer. Bike-a-thons include several that finish or end in Wellesley.
Parents of Performing Students:The mission of POPS is to foster, encourage and support the many aspects of performing arts education in the Wellesley Public schools; to enrich the scope of student involvement; and to stimulate broad community interest in Performing Arts programs
Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation is a nonprofit organization that empowers young women and girls in Afghanistan through community-based education in the district of Deh’Subz. Founded on the knowledge that education is key to positive, peaceful change for current and future generations, the foundation’s K-12 school provides free education to 625 girls and is the #1 private school in the district. The adjacent post-secondary midwifery institute provides marketable skills while helping to improve maternal-fetal outcomes.
Shoppers’ Corner at Schofield Elementary School: Parent-run second-hand clothing store run inside the school, with all proceeds going to the school. Pretty much open every Wednesday and every first Saturday of the month, except during school vacations. Twice a year, there’s a two-day half price sale, followed by a very popular “bag sale”.
Stray Pets in Need (SPIN): Helps find homes for pets in need.
Sustainable Wellesley: The volunteer group engages residents, businesses, and the Town of Wellesley in actions to protect the climate.
Wellesley A Better Chance: Wellesley’s arm of an organization that provides services to academically talented students in underserved communities. Wellesley ABC houses students and sends them to Wellesley High.
The Wellesley Club: “To promote literary and social culture among the members and especially to consider and discuss questions relating to the welfare of the Town of Wellesley.”
The Wellesley Conservation Land Trust is a private land trust; all its properties are open to the public. The council’s mission includes protecting and preserving Wellesley’s natural environment and maintaining its sanctuaries through the contributions and participation of residents. The nonprofit provides free programs every spring and fall.
The mission of the Wellesley Council on Aging is to serve as the primary resource for residents over the age of 60; to empower individuals to reach their goals; to offer comprehensive programs, services, and assistance that optimize quality of life; and to enable meaningful connections and collaborations that inspire a spirit of community across the generations in Wellesley. There are many ways to enrich your life and the lives of others by volunteering with the COA.
Wellesley Education Foundation: Devoted to enhancing, enriching and maintaining excellence in the Wellesley Public Schools. Organizes fundraisers, including annual spelling bee, and provides grants.
Wellesley Food Pantry: The Food Pantry’s mission is to provide supplemental and emergency food assistance to Wellesley residents in need.
Wellesley Free Library Foundation: a private, 501(c)(3) corporation supporting the mission of the Wellesley Free Library. Its goal is to enrich, not replace, traditional tax-based support for the Library through gifts, grants, and bequests from individuals and organizations, while reinforcing the need for continued and increased public support for the Library. THe Foundation spearheads major fundraising efforts to bridge the gap between the community’s aspirations for its library and assets available from municipal budgets.
Wellesley Friends of Recycling: The Wellesley Friends of Recycling has general meetings during the year and participate in a number of activities and events to increase awareness of the the three “Rs” of environmentally friendly waste management. They are Reduction, Reuse and Recycling in that order. A major activity is providing support to the town’s recycling facility by organizing and staffing the “Take and Leave” section of the facility.
Wellesley Friendly Aid Association: Wellesley Friendly Aid works to meet the needs of Wellesley residents, offering many forms of assistance to individuals and families of all incomes and ages. Our programs include: financial aid for children to attend day camp and or summer educational enrichment programs; medical equipment loans, holiday food vouchers; emergency and hardship financial assistance; Wellesley Helping Hands for temporary, non-medical assistance during a crisis; assistance with applying for fuel assistance and SNAP benefits; partnering with Cradles to Crayons to provide clothing and other essentials to children through age 12; and support for ESL classes.
Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club: Donations and scholarships are made to groups and individuals in the Wellesley area via major fundraisers such as Marketplace, a popular craft fair, and the Kitchen and Home Tour, a spring event that is widely anticipated by the community. Through these fundraising activities, WHJWC donates nearly $200,000 annually to scholarship recipients and local charities.
Wellesley Centennial Lions Club: Local chapter of international service organization. Focus areas include fighting blindness, caring for the environment, feeding the hungry, and aiding seniors and the disabled.
Wellesley Neighbors: a nonprofit organization with the mission of enabling its members to remain independent and continue living at home. It provides access to practical, reliable services and social support, while fostering a sense of community within the town. Members enjoy peace of mind, independence, a personal safety net and many social activities and connections.
Wellesley Parent Advisory Council (PAC): volunteer organization dedicated to serving parents and families of children with special needs throughout the school system.
Wellesley Rotary Club: Mission: to serve others with a focus on strengthening communities in the areas of health, education and sustainable living. One of Wellesley’s oldest community service groups.
Wellesley Scholarship Foundation: WSF is a community organization founded in 1951 to recognize and support academic pursuits by awarding need-based scholarships. Donations are solicited through our fall annual appeal. WSF also facilitates scholarship aid on behalf of many town organizations.
Wellesley Service League: WSL’s partnerships include Barton Road Girls and Boys; Wellesley Friendly Aid Camp Fund; Men’s Group program, and more. Membership is open to any woman 25 or older who has lived in Wellesley for at least one year, and who is sponsored by a current or former member. Members commit to 65 volunteer hours per year (averaging 6-7 hours monthly, September through June) for a period of five years. It’s a unique opportunity to support the Wellesley community while getting to know women from all over town.
World of Wellesley: WOW’s vision is an inclusive Wellesley for all. The 401(c)(3) organization works collaboratively with other institutions and organizations to host events, projects and programs that will foster an anti-racist and anti-bias community where diversity, equity and inclusion are fully embraced.
