Beverly Nonprofit Awarded $75K Cummings Grant For Summer Literacy Program

Building a Better Beverly will receive $75,000 over three years to support its Summer Literacy Program.

By Scott Souza, Patch Staff

Jun 8, 2026 1:48 pm EDT

Lorigan Sudak, Director of Childcare & Educational Operations, Greater Beverly YMCA; Catherine Barrett, Director of Grants; Abigail Berger and Maggie Berger, Summer Literacy Program Co-Directors. (City of Beverly)

BEVERLY, MA — The Beverly nonprofit Building a Better Beverly, which runs a summer reading program for struggling elementary school students, has been selected for new grant funding from Cummings Foundation.

Building a Better Beverly will receive $75,000 over three years through the foundation's annual grant program. The Beverly-based organization was one of 150 nonprofits chosen in a competitive review process that drew a record 959 applicants. Cummings Foundation awarded $35 million this year.

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Building a Better Beverly operates the Summer Literacy Program, which serves up to 180 elementary-level students who are reading below grade level and need literacy supports to succeed academically.

The program will offer its 12th year in Summer 2026.

The Woburn-based Cummings foundation increased its annual grant program this year from $30 million to $35 million and shifted to fully unrestricted funding, allowing recipients to direct grant dollars where they are needed most.

The change comes as nonprofits across Greater Boston face rising costs, increased demand for services, and uncertainty around public funding.

"Nonprofit professionals are closest to the challenges facing their communities, making them best positioned to determine where and how new funds will drive the greatest impact," Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes said. "By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations' long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs."

This year’s grant recipients represent a range of causes, including education, housing and food insecurity, workforce development, healthcare, mental health and wellness services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming.

The annual grant program supports Massachusetts nonprofits based in and primarily serving Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

The Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits since its founding.