$800,000 Cummings Grant to Fuel Project Bread's Fight Against Hunger Statewide

EAST BOSTON – As hunger reaches new heights across Massachusetts, Project Bread has secured a major investment to connect households with food. The leading statewide food security organization has been selected as one of 150 nonprofits to receive funding through Cummings Foundation's annual grant program, which awarded $35 million this year. Chosen through a competitive review process that drew a record 959 applicants, the East Boston-based organization will receive $800,000 over 10 years. Investment from the Cummings Foundation will support Project Bread’s Summer Eats program, which helps meal providers throughout the state to deliver millions of healthy meals to children all summer long.

Project Bread works to drive systemic change through the levers of policy, prevention, and partnerships to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. In 2025, 40% of Massachusetts households experienced food insecurity, with the burden falling disproportionately on communities of color with approximately 1 in 2 Black and Latino/a households struggling with enough to eat.

"Food insecurity is affecting nearly half of all households in Massachusetts, and the need is only growing," says Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer. "This investment from Cummings Foundation gives us the long-term stability to keep doing the work to end hunger across the Commonwealth.”

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

Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes noted that the changes reflect growing concerns among Greater Boston nonprofits about rising costs, increased demand for services, and sustained 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,” says Vyriotes. “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 wide range of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education, workforce development, healthcare, mental health services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming. The annual grant program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation reinvests in the areas where it owns commercial real estate. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties, a Woburn-based commercial developer that leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space. All rental profits support the Foundation.

Since its founding, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s grant recipients, along with additional information about the Foundation and its grant programs are available at CummingsFoundation.org.

People experiencing food insecurity should call Project Bread’s FoodSource Hotline (1-800-645-8333), which provides confidential, free assistance getting connected to a variety of food resources in 180 languages and for the hearing impaired. Counselors can pre-screen families and help them to apply for SNAP. Learn more at projectbread.org/get-help.

About Project Bread

Project Bread is the leading statewide food security organization in Massachusetts. Beginning in 1969 with the first Walk for Hunger, the nonprofit focuses on driving systemic change to ensure people of all ages have reliable access to healthy food. Project Bread works collaboratively across sectors to create innovative solutions to end hunger and improve lives across the Commonwealth. For more information, visit: www.projectbread.org.

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, Mass., and has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in New England. In addition to its annual grant program, the Foundation directly operates two not-for- profit retirement communities: New Horizons at Marlborough and New Horizons at Choate, in Woburn. Additional information is available at CummingsFoundation.org.

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