The Northeast Arc has been selected as one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $100K for 100 program. The Danvers-based organization was chosen from more than 430 applicants during a very competitive review process.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have philanthropic leaders like Bill and Joyce Cummings making such a difference for so many charitable organizations in our community. They are our own Bill & Melinda Gates and I hope their example encourages other families to pledge their wealth to benefit those in need,” said retired Senate Majority Leader and Northeast Arc champion, Fred Berry.
The grant will allow the Northeast Arc to complete renovations at their ArcWorks Community Art Center, the site of several microbusinesses employing people with disabilities.
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“We are so thankful for Cummings Foundation’s extraordinary generosity. This gift will improve accessibility both for people with disabilities working at our Peabody Square Art Center and members of the public enjoying art classes and exhibits there,” said Susan Ring Brown, Director of Development for Northeast Arc.
Now in its third year, the $100K for 100 program awards $10 million in grants annually to nonprofits that are not only based in but also primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. This year, the program is awarding 38 grants in Middlesex County, 25 in Essex County, and 37 in Suffolk County.
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The community that will benefit from the greatest number of grants is Roxbury, which is home to nine nonprofits receiving awards. Six grants each will be distributed in Beverly, Lawrence, and Woburn.
Through this “place-based” grants program, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area 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 majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director, said, “Cummings Foundation is very committed to the local communities where the staff and clients of the Cummings organization live and work. We are delighted to support very worthy nonprofits like Northeast Arc that are working tirelessly for the benefit of the people they serve.”
This year’s very diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including underserved populations, education, healthcare, hunger relief, and homelessness prevention. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years.
Representatives from the recipient organizations attended an exclusive Grantee Reception on June 2 at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion of funding into greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. The complete list of 100 grant award winners is posted at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
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About Northeast Arc
Northeast Arc was created in the 1950s by parents of children with disabilities who rejected the assumption that their children should be institutionalized. Now serving over 7,000 people annually in more than 150 Massachusetts cities and towns, Northeast Arc is dedicated to helping people with disabilities become full participants in the community, choosing for themselves how to live, learn, work, socialize and play. The agency does this through a variety of programs, including Autism Services, Day Habilitation, Deaf Services, Early Intervention, Employment Services, Family Support, Personal Care Assistance, Recreation, Residential and Transition. The agency also runs the ArcWorks Community Art Center on Foster Street in Peabody. Northeast Arc is the largest Arc in the state of Massachusetts and the 4th largest Arc in the country. www.ne-arc.org.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA. With assets exceeding $1 billion, it is one of the largest grant-making 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 in North Grafton, MA. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
