The Cummings Foundation has awarded funding to 140 local NGOs for the $25 million programs. Its award ranges from $100,000 to $500,000. The Andover-based institution was selected from 580 applicants during a competitive evaluation process. The institution will receive half the funding immediately, and the rest next year.
The Massachusetts School of Law in Andover received a $100,000 grant. The Massachusetts School of Law’s mission is to provide a high-quality and affordable legal education that emphasizes advocacy, ethics, leadership, professionalism, and leadership. MSLAW provides affordable legal education for tomorrow’s business, law, and technology leaders.
The Cummings Foundation’s sponsorship of New England’s best-known and most affordable law school contributes to our goal to ensure that everyone has equal access to justice. Michael L. Coyne (Dean and Professor of Law, Massachusetts School of Law) stated that “we owe them our gratitude, respect and appreciation for their efforts in furthering the cause of social justice.”
The Massachusetts School of Law will use this funding to offer workshops, seminars, courses, and other educational activities that help people understand the effects of law on business decisions. The school will prepare and teach many topics, including basic contract and business formation, finance, and regulatory challenges. We believe grant funding will be a great way to meet the legal needs of businesses.
Cummings’ $25 million grant program assists Massachusetts-based organizations that primarily serve Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk.
Through this project, Cummings Foundation aims to give back to communities in which it has commercial property. Cummings Properties, a Foundation subsidiary manages all facilities of the Foundation at no cost to the Foundation. The Woburn-based commercial realty corporation rents out and manages 11 million square footage of space that is debt-free. Most of the proceeds go to the Foundation.
Joyce Vyriotes (executive director of the Cummings Foundation) stated that it was a blessing to have such efficient organizations in Greater Boston and a vast number of skilled, dedicated professionals to manage them. We owe them a debt for the hard work they do every day to provide basic necessities, eliminate barriers to education, improve health care, and fight for a better society.
With the assistance of approximately 90 volunteers, 140 groups were initially selected by the Foundation to receive awards worth at least $100,000 each. The recipients included both first-time recipients and NGOs that have previously received Cummings Foundation funding. Forty of the repeat recipients were awarded 10-year grants ranging in value from $200,000 to $500,000.
Vyriotes said that volunteers bring a broad range of backgrounds and opinions to the grant selection process. This democratized charity method determines more than half the annual donations.
This year’s grant recipients include immigrant and refugee aid, food hunger, social justice, education, and mental health services. These NGOs can be found in 45 cities and towns across the United States.
The full list of 140 grant recipients and over 900 past grantees can be found at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Greater Boston charities have received over $375 million from The Cummings Foundation.
