Boston nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Boston-based organization was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $150,000 over three years.
ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston is a volunteer-driven organization that introduces high school students to the professions of architecture, construction management, engineering and the trades. Its flagship program is a free, collaborative after-school program that convenes students from various schools at six worksites in and around Boston and one virtual site. Additionally, ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston raises money for scholarships to high school seniors pursuing degrees in the design, engineering, and construction fields.
“It is an honor to be recognized and awarded a generous grant from the Cummings Foundation – a testament to the hard work over the years from our staff, volunteers, sponsors and partners,” said Ngan Han, Board President of ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston. “The grant will not only support the continued growth of the organization as a whole, but will also allow us to focus on expanding our program reach to more schools in nearby cities and towns, invest in activity kits for students, and build our internship program.”
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County: Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.
Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in 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.
“Greater Boston is fortunate to have a robust, dedicated, and highly capable nonprofit sector that supports and enhances the community in myriad ways,” said Cummings Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes. “The entire Cummings organization is thankful for their daily work to help all our neighbors thrive.”
The majority of the grant decisions were made by nearly 100 community volunteers. They worked across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
“We believe strongly that grant decisions will be more equitable when made by a diverse group of community members,” said Vyriotes. “We’re incredibly grateful to the dozens of individuals who participated in our democratized philanthropic process.”
The Foundation and volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $300,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a panel of community volunteers to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 49 different cities and towns.
Cummings Foundation has now awarded $500 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 2,000 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
About ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston:
ACE Mentor Program of Greater Boston (ACE) is an affiliate of the ACE Mentor Program of America. Since its founding in 2007, more than 700 Boston-area students have participated in the free, after-school design program to learn about architecture, construction management, and engineering. Seventy-five per cent of the students are people of color, and 49% are young women. ACE has awarded $1,288,500 in college scholarships to 214 high school seniors over the years. ACE’s alumni have been hired in full-time roles at Turner Construction, SGH Engineering, Gilbane Building Company, Schneider Electric, Shawmut Construction, and more. For more information, please visit www.acegreaterboston.org.
About Cummings Foundation:
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA 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.
