Cummings Foundation Give 140 Major Gifts to Massachusetts Nonprofits

Cummings Foundation Give 140 Major Gifts to Massachusetts Nonprofits celebrates one of the single largest acts of charitable giving in nonprofit history.

June 22, 2022 (BOSTON, Mass) – Scores of Massachusetts nonprofits are celebrating significant new grants through the annual Cummings $25 Million Grant Program. Emails proclaiming “You got it!” recently arrived at 140 charities to herald their receipt of $100,000 – $500,000 each.

In keeping with Cummings Foundation’s focus on local giving, these organizations are based in and serve Suffolk, Middlesex, and Essex counties. They largely represent causes related to social justice, human services, education, and healthcare.

One hundred of the nonprofits were each awarded $100,000, mostly payable over two to five years. The remaining 40 grantees, which have all previously received a Cummings grant, will receive 10-year funding totaling $200,000 – $500,000 each.

“This is a significant investment in our work advancing equity for Black, Brown, and Immigrant students through education and leadership development,” said Fatima Harvey, chief development officer at Freedom House.

The Dorchester-based nonprofit will use its $350,000 10-year award to fund educational and mentorship programs designed to set and keep students of color on the path to college graduation.

Harvey also noted the fringe benefits of receiving a Cummings grant.

“Commitments such as these unlock even greater opportunities for our organization to pursue less accessible funding opportunities, such as challenge grants, because we can leverage the reliability of funding from Cummings Foundation,” she said.

One of the largest private foundations in New England, the $3.4 billion Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $375 million to greater Boston nonprofits to date.

“Nonprofits are critical contributors to the greater Boston community,” said Dennis Clarke, trustee of Cummings Foundation and chairman and CEO of Cummings Properties. “Part of being a good neighbor is supporting their life-changing, community-enhancing work.”

The full list of new and past grant recipients can be found at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

A Democratic Approach to Philanthropy

With a staff of only three, Cummings Foundation leverages the diverse experience and expertise of more than 150 community volunteers throughout its grant-making process. A group of active and retired professionals pared down 580 letters of inquiry to 333 applications and ultimately selected the majority of the 140 grant winners.

“We are so fortunate to be able to rely on the varied backgrounds and perspectives our volunteers bring to the decision-making process,” said Joyce Vyriotes, executive director of Cummings Foundation. “‘Democratizing’ the Foundation’s giving in this way amplifies its impact and equity.”

Through its place-based charitable giving, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed on a pro bono basis by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings, the commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of suburban space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation directly operates its own related charitable entities, including its two New Horizons senior living communities, in Marlborough and Woburn. Its ongoing investment in educational equity recently culminated in the creation of Cummings’ “Affiliated Colleges,” a group of five unconnected post-secondary schools to which the Foundation has pledged at least $10 million each. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

Contact: Alison Harding
Phone: 781-932-7093
Email: [email protected]