Four Woburn organizations awarded $100,000 each

Four Woburn organizations have received grants of $100,000 each from Cummings Foundation, Inc. through its “$100K for 100” program. The Woburn grantees are Woburn Fire Department, Organization of Nurse Leaders, Woburn Council of Social Concern, and Youth Villages.

Seventeen other Woburn organizations continue to receive installments of grants made during the past few years, and will be eligible to reapply when their current grants have been fulfilled.

Representatives from all four Woburn organizations, as well as Woburn Police Chief Robert Ferullo, Woburn Fire Chief Timothy Ring, Mayor Scott Galvin, State Representative James Dwyer, and City Council President Richard Haggerty, were among the approximately 300 people who attended the annual $100K for 100 Grantee Reception June 4 at TradeCenter 128.

The event celebrated Cummings Foundation’s latest $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector, as well as a significant milestone–the Foundation has now awarded more than $100 million in grants to Greater Boston nonprofits alone.

The elated attendees accepted their official award certificates, posed for photos with Foundation representatives, and networked with their peers. Cummings Foundation founders Joyce and Bill Cummings greeted many grant winners individually and briefly addressed the crowd.

“We make the donation, but it’s all of you who do the work. We thank you and applaud you for all you have done and will continue to do for many years,” said Joyce Cummings.

Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages more than 10 million square feet of commercial space, the large majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

This year’s $100K winners were chosen through a competitive review process of more than 350 applicants. The diverse group represents a wide variety of causes, including underserved populations, education, healthcare, hunger relief, and homelessness prevention. The program provides funding to nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program benefited 41 different communities within the Commonwealth.

Although a handful of large institutions are represented in the list of grant recipients, $100K for 100 primarily funds smaller organizations. Depending on the size and needs of the charity, most grants are paid in installments over two to five years.

“A word we have heard from many of this year’s grant winners in reference to their awards is ‘transformative,’” said Joel Swets, the Foundation’s executive director. “That’s exactly what we want – to provide the support necessary for hands-on grassroots organizations to get to the next level and make an even larger impact on the community.”

Although the full list of grant recipients was not made public until June 4, Cummings Foundation notified grant winners in mid-May with a colorful award package that encouraged participation in a photo-based social media campaign.

“Past grant winners have told us that receiving this grant is like getting a ‘Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval,’ so we hope grantees will be able to leverage this distinction to attract new donors and volunteers,” said Swets.

Upon receipt of their packages, dozens of grant recipients took to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to announce their awards. To view the pictures, visit Cummings Foundation’s Facebook page or search social media for #100Kfor100. A complete list of 2015 grant recipients along with descriptions of the programs to be funded 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, who were the first Massachusetts couple to sign the Giving Pledge. With assets exceeding $1 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.

PHOTO: Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin, Joyce Cummings, and State Representative James Dwyer

PHOTO: Members of Woburn Fire Department pose with the “$100K for 100” poster

PHOTO: Left to right: Cummings Properties Operations Manager Erica Wright, Dean Solomon of the Woburn Council of Social Concern, and Bill Cummings