BOSTON SHAKESPEARE PROJECT awarded $100,000

MEDFORD, June 15, 2017 – Boston Shakespeare Project is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. The Medford-based organization was chosen from a total of 549 applicants during a competitive review process.

Boston Shakespeare Project brings mentorship and arts-integrated literacy programs to Greater Boston’s under-resourced youth and builds bridges between local schools and universities. Through an affiliation with the The Center for Humanities at Tufts (CHAT) and the support of CHAT Director Lisa Lowe, the organization currently teams with Tufts University students, professors, and local teachers to deliver humanities outreach programs to the community.

Representing Boston Shakespeare Project, Kerri Bowen, executive director, and Kevin Dunn, board member, recently joined approximately 300 other guests at a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $170 million to local nonprofits alone.

“This is a high-impact grant for our organization and we are honored that Cummings Foundation will be supporting our work in Medford, Somerville, and Boston,” said Kerri Bowen, executive director of Boston Shakespeare Project. The grant award will enable the organization to increase weekly program hours for existing partner schools and to replicate theater arts and writing programs in eight new community schools over the next four years.

The $100K for 100 program supports nonprofits that are not only based in but also primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program is benefitting 35 different cities and towns within the Commonwealth.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cumming Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages more than 10 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“Nonprofit organizations like Boston Shakespeare Project are vital to the local communities where our colleagues and clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are delighted to invest in their efforts.”

This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention and affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years.

The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org

About Boston Shakespeare Project

Boston Shakespeare Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, provides arts-integrated literacy programs to Greater Boston’s youth. The organization strives to promote a spirit of community and collaboration between local schools and universities, using Shakespeare as a bridge to connect young students with undergraduate teaching artists and mentors. Programs are designed to develop 21st-century skills such as creativity, critical thinking, communication, and collaboration; to enrich language arts learning and promote literacy; and to foster mentoring relationships that inspire young students on the path to higher education. Boston Shakespeare Project currently delivers programming to schools in Medford, Somerville, Lawrence, Dorchester, Charlestown, Roslindale, and Lynn. Additional information is available at www.bostonshakespeareproject.org.

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester. With assets exceeding $1.4 billion, it is one of the largest foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including two New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date was $50 million to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

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PHOTO: From left: Kerri Bowen (BSP, Executive Director), Laurie Gabriel (Cummings Foundation, Trustee), and Kevin Dunn (BSP, Board Member) at the “100K for 100” grant award celebration.