Two Sudbury charities among 100 local nonprofits awarded $100,000 each

WOBURN – Cummings Foundation awarded grants of $100,000 each to 100 local nonprofits through its sixth annual “$100K for 100” program. Bridges Together and Corwin-Russell School, both based in Sudbury, are among this year’s winners.

The organizations were chosen from a total of 549 applicants, during a competitive review process.

More than 300 guests—including representatives from all 100 grant-winning organizations, Foundation staff and trustees, and volunteer Grant Selection Committee members—gathered at a lively June 8 reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate this $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.

The highlight of the event was when Cummings Foundation founders Joyce and Bill Cummings took the podium. Joyce Cummings received a loud ovation when introduced, but was quick to turn the focus back to the audience.

“Remember, tonight is not about Bill and Joyce, it’s about all of you you,” she began. “Without you, and the hundreds of other nonprofit organizations, we could not do much. You do the work; we simply provide you with financial help so you can continue to function, and in many cases, expand programs.”

The Cummings then recognized each grantee organization by name and invited them to “make some noise” when their names were called. All obliged, letting their presence be known by yelling their thanks and appreciation or waving sign or banners. One group tossed confetti and blew party horns.

Corwin-Russell School will receive $25,000 per year for four years to expand school programming to offer students a college-preparatory diploma with an additional concentration in STEM or the Arts.

Bridges Together will use its grant to hire a part-time grant writer in order to generate revenue, build capacity, increase sustainability, and expand work.

“Nonprofit organizations like Corwin-Russell School and Bridges Together 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.”

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 benefiting 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 Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of space that benefits the Foundation.

In Sudbury, the Cummings organization owns property at 142 and 144 North Road.

This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including education, violence prevention, food insecurity, and homelessness prevention and affordable housing. 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 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 two largest commitments to date were $50 million to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University and $15 million to Partners In Health. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.