Cambridge nonprofit receives Cummings Foundation grant
Cambridge, May 21, 2020 – Tutoring Plus of Cambridge is one of 130 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 throughCummings Foundation’s $20 Million Grant Program. The Cambridge-based organization was chosen from a total of 738 applicants during a competitive review process.
Tutoring Plus is a local nonprofit that provides after school tutoring, mentoring and enrichment programs to students in grades 4-12. All programs are offered free of charge within trusted community spaces as part of the organization’s work to advance educational equity.
“We are so grateful to receive this level of multiyear funding from the Cummings Foundation. COVID-19 has exacerbated the existing inequalities within our community and within our school system, leaving families of color, immigrants and low-income households to bear the brunt of the pandemic. We know that the coming 12-24 months of recovery will be critical for our students and families. This support from the Cummings Foundation will be instrumental as we work to provide our families with holistic support,” said Kathryn Fenneman, Executive Director of Tutoring Plus.
“We have been impressed, but not surprised, by the myriad ways in which these 130 grant winners are serving their communities, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation executive director. “Their ability to adapt and work with their constituents in new and meaningful ways has an enormous impact in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work.”
Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $280 million to greater Boston nonprofits.
Social distancing requirements will prevent Foundation and grant winner representatives from convening for a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn, as planned, to celebrate the $20 million infusion into greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. Instead, Cummings Foundation expects hundreds of individuals to gather virtually for a modified celebration in mid-June.
The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program resulted from a merger of the Foundation’s two flagship grant programs, $100K for 100 and Sustaining Grants.
The Foundation and its volunteers first identified 130 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each. Among the winners are first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that have previously received Cummings Foundation grants. A limited number of this latter group of repeat recipients will be invited to make in-person presentations in the fall, when public health related circumstances allow, proposing that their grants be elevated to long-term awards. Thirty such requests will be granted in the form of 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.
This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 40 different cities and towns, and most will receive their grants over two to five years.
The complete list of 130 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org
A great deal more information about Cummings Foundation is detailed in Bill Cummings’ self-written business book, “Starting Small and Making It Big: Hands-On Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy.” The brand-new, and significantly updated, 6th edition is available on Amazon or www.cummings.com/book
About Tutoring Plus
Tutoring Plus advances educational equity by supporting youth in their academic, personal and social growth through free, individualized programs. By providing a structured environment for volunteers and a highly personalized approach to working with students, Tutoring Plus supports over 180 students and volunteers each year and serves as an important resource for our students and families. Additional information about Tutoring Plus and ways to get involved can be found at www.tutoringplus.org
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn, and Veterinary School at Tufts, LLC in North Grafton. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org