Following the legacy of Tom and Jean Yawkey, the Trustees of the Yawkey Foundations honor the Yawkeys' commitment to those in need, particularly children and families. They seek to emulate the commitments that Tom and Jean Yawkey made to Health Care, Education, Human Services, Youth and Amateur Athletics, Arts and Culture, and Conservation and Wildlife.

Since 2002, the Trustees have awarded more than $290 million to organizations large and small that continue the Yawkeys' efforts to improve the quality of life in the communities that they loved. The Trustees have been careful in their process of grantmaking in order to sustain the original vision and interests of the Yawkey legacy.