Three Woburn charities among 100 local nonprofits awarded $100,000 each

WOBURN, June 13, 2016 – Cummings Foundation awarded 100 local nonprofits grants of $100,000 each last week through its “$100K for 100” program. Woburn organizations The Dwelling Place, Grameen Research, and Woburn Community Educational Foundation were among this year’s winners.

The organizations were chosen from a total of 479 applicants, during a competitive review process. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $140 million to local nonprofits.

Approximately 300 guests gathered at a festive June 9 reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate this $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. The attendees included representatives from all 100 grant-winning organizations, Foundation staff and trustees, local public officials, and community leaders who volunteered on the Foundation’s Grant Selection Committees.

Cummings Foundation founders Joyce and Bill Cummings addressed the crowd, recognizing each grantee organization by name and inviting them to shout out when their names were called. One organization shouted its thanks, followed by “Joyce for president!” which garnered hearty applause.

Bill Cummings received two long ovations when speaking about the current contentious climate in the United States.

“Never forget, my friends… Never forget that when prejudice and INtolerance of any sort are tolerated, those evils are as well condoned and encouraged,” said Cummings.

Woburn Community Educational Foundation will receive $20,000 per year for five years to expand a kindergarten through grade 3 reading program it piloted at Hurld Elementary School. With the new funding, the program will serve 450 Woburn students annually.

“Although Woburn Community Educational Foundation is a young organization, it has already made a meaningful difference in local schools,” said Joyce Vyriotes, associate executive director of Cummings Foundation. “We’re delighted to help it grow this proven program so it can help more Woburn children be successful in school and life.”

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 41 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, 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. In Woburn, the Cummings organization owns several properties, including the landmark TradeCenter 128 and West Cummings Park on Washington Street.

This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including education, homelessness prevention, elder services, healthcare, 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 Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester. 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.

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PHOTO: Joyce and Bill Cummings address the crowd at the $100K for 100 reception at TradeCenter 128 on June 9.

PHOTO: Cummings Foundation founder Joyce Cummings (middle) poses with executive director Maureen Willis and board member Sue Ellen Holland from Woburn Community Educational Foundation.

PHOTO: (left to right) Cummings Foundation associate executive director Joyce Vyriotes poses with secretary Beth Hamilton and director Jennifer Sullivan of The Dwelling Place.