FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MassINC awarded a $350,000 Cummings grant

Nonprofit serving Gateway Cities receives 10 years of funding from Cummings Foundation

Boston, May 31, 2022 – MassINC 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 Boston-based organization was chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $350,000 over ten years.

“We are thrilled to be a recipient of Cummings’ $25 Million Grant Program,” said Maeve Duggan, Interim COO of MassINC. “This grant not only represents our alignment on issues like equity, criminal justice, and education, but a long-term investment in our organization that is crucial to ensuring our impact lasts for years to come.”

These grant funds will support MassINC’s continued work in areas including criminal justice, education, and primarily equitable inclusive procurement. Among the many challenges that entrepreneurs of color in Massachusetts face, difficulty obtaining public and private contracts figures prominently among them. This issue is especially relevant in Gateway Cities where more minority-owned businesses are concentrated. To make the most of federal recovery grants, MassINC aims to carefully unpack and rigorously document barriers to inclusive procurement at the state and local levels and demonstrate changes in both policy and practice that will make a meaningful difference.

The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties.

“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 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. 40 of this latter group of repeat recipients, including MassINC, were selected to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.

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.

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About MassINC

Founded in 1996, MassINC’s mission is to pursue public policy that provides equitable pathways to opportunity for the people of Massachusetts and equips them with the information they need to participate fully in our democracy. MassINC is a nonpartisan 501c3 that achieves impact through independent research, nonprofit journalism, and civic engagement.

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.