STONEHAM | WAKEFIELD, MA, May, 23, 2022- The Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. The Stoneham and Wakefield based Clubs were chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $250,000 over 10 years.
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield is a proud affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the nation’s most effective youth development organization in the United States. After opening its doors on September 27, 1973, the organization has served generations of children and families alike. Today, the Clubs provide fun experiences and educational programming to thousands of members across two communities after school and throughout the summer.
Adam Rodgers, Chief Executive Officer, expressed gratitude for the Cummings grant. “We are honored and humbled that the Cummings Foundation has chosen our Clubs as a grant recipient for this transformative gift over the next ten years. This funding will allow us to continue to further develop, implement, and enhance our teen leadership programs, resulting in more positive outcomes for our youth. We appreciate your investment in the work we do to foster great futures for the children and families we serve.”
The Clubs plan to use the grant funds to develop more youth leadership programs for teens in both the Stoneham and Wakefield communities, including mentoring, youth job programs, and volunteer and community outreach opportunities.
The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk Counties.
Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back to the areas where it owns commercial property. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. This Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
“We are so fortunate in greater Boston to have such effective nonprofits, plus a wealth of talented, dedicated professionals and volunteers to run them, ” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “We are indebted to them for the work they do each day to provide for basic needs, break down barriers to education and health resources, and work toward a more equitable society.”
With the help of about 90 volunteers, the Foundation first identified 140 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each. Among the winners were first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings Foundation grants. Forty of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.
“Our volunteers bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which is so critical to our grant selection process,” said Vyriotes. “Through this democratized approach to philanthropy, they decide more than half the grants every year.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including food insecurity, immigrant and refugee services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 45 different cities and towns.
The complete list of 140 grant winners, plus more than 900 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $375 million to greater Boston nonprofits.
About the Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham & Wakefield has been building pillars in the local community and across Greater Boston for nearly 50 years. After opening its doors on September 27, 1973, the organization has served generations of children and families alike. Today, the Clubs provide fun experiences and educational programming to thousands of members across our two communities after school and throughout the summer. Visit bgcstoneham.org for more information on Boys & Girls Clubs programming.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities, in Marlborough and Woburn, and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org
