Kids & Family
Foundation for MetroWest Awards $275,000
Annual awards event hosted at Weston Community Recreation Center.
The Foundation for MetroWest distributed grants totaling $275,000 to thirty-eight nonprofits serving MetroWest on Monday night. The annual event, awarding grants from the Foundation’s competitive grant program, was hosted at the Weston Community Recreation Center. These grants focus on arts and culture, family support and environmental causes.
Recipients will use the funding to strengthen the MetroWest region by supporting a variety of activities including, job creation and workforce development, low-cost mediation assistance, support and resources for the elderly and victims of domestic abuse, college-readiness programs for at-risk young adults, recreational programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, health and wellness education, language and literacy programs, orchestra and theater performances, and environment preservation training.
The Foundation’s Distribution Committee reviewed and carefully considered over ninety grant applications from nonprofits serving MetroWest, a twenty-six percent increase in applications from last year.
Judith Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest said, “At first glance, there is the perception this is an affluent region without needs. But there are significant needs in our own backyard. As our region develops and government funding continues to dissipate, the number of nonprofit programs requiring assistance is growing.”
The Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the thirty-three cities and towns of the region. By awarding these annual grants, the Foundation is doing its part to enhance the quality of life for all MetroWest residents, Salerno added.
2014 Grant Recipients:
Arts & Culture:
Claflin Hill Music Performance Foundation, Milford
deCordova Sculpture Park & Museum, Lincoln
Fruitlands Museum, Harvard
Hopkinton Center for the Arts
Medway Friends of Elders
Mother Brook Arts & Community Center, Dedham
Museum of World War II, Natick
Music Access Group, Dedham School of Music
New Repertory Theatre, Inc., Watertown
Plugged In Teen Band Program, Needham
Environment:
Massachusetts Association of Conservation Commissions, Belmont
Massachusetts Audubon Society, Drumlin Farm, Lincoln
Nashua River Watershed Association, Groton
Family Support:
Autism Alliance of MetroWest, Advocates, Inc., Framingham
Bethany Hill School, Framingham
Charles River Center, Needham
COMPASS for kids, Lexington
Employment Options, Inc., Marlborough
English At Large, Woburn
Family ACCESS of Newton
Family Promise MetroWest, Natick
Friends of the Waltham Family School
Greater Marlboro Programs, Inc.
Italian Home for Children, Jamaica Plain
Jeff’s Place Children’s Bereavement Center, Framingham
Jewish Family & Children’s Service, Waltham
Jewish Family Service of MetroWest, Framingham
LVM Literacy Unlimited, Framingham
MetroWest Legal Services, Framingham
MetroWest Mediation Services, Framingham
Michael Lisnow Respite Center, Hopkinton
Minuteman Senior Services, Bedford
Natick Service Council
Neighbors Who Care, Waltham
REACH Beyond Domestic Violence, Waltham
Voices Against Violence, South Middlesex Opportunity Council (SMOC),Framingham
Watch CDC, Waltham
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network, Framingham
Established in 1995, the Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the thirty-three cities and towns in the region, connecting the philanthropic interests of donors with demonstrated needs, promoting local philanthropy and helping nonprofits increase the impact of their work. The Foundation enters its 20th anniversary year celebrating a $10 million grantmaking milestone since inception, and currently stewards more than $15 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact. To learn more, please visit www.foundationformetrowest.org or call 508-647-2260.
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