Balloons, confetti, and joyful chatter set the scene at TradeCenter 128, in Woburn, where 375 nonprofit professionals, volunteers, and public officials recently gathered to honor those awarded funding through the 2025 Cummings $30 Million Grant Program.
Among the attendees were representatives from 14 North Shore nonprofits that will share in $3,130,000 through this latest round of Cummings grants. A total of 150 organizations were awarded grants ranging from $30,000 to $750,000 each.
Cummings awarded three-year grants to 125 organizations, including Beverly Chamber of Commerce, Beverly Children’s Learning Center, and Cabot Performing Arts Center; Lynn-based Gregg Neighborhood House, Lynn Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and Lynn Museum & Art Center; Housing Support, of Newburyport; Newhall Fields Community Farm, of Peabody; and Salem-based Essex National Heritage Commission and North Shore Community Health.
The remaining 25 nonprofits were pledged 10-year funding of $300,000 to $750,000 each, including Amirah and Harborlight Community Partners, of Beverly; Nourishing the North Shore, of Newburyport; and North Shore Alliance of Gay and Lesbian Youth, of Salem.
Guests at the Grant Winner Celebration were inspired by heartfelt remarks from Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, Joyce and Bill Cummings, and Stephen Chan, senior advisor to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.
“This is truly a celebration of what makes Massachusetts special,” Driscoll declared, “people coming together for a greater good.”
The Lieutenant Governor praised the community organizations and public servants in attendance, noting their meaningful frontline impact, before turning her recognition toward co-founders Joyce and Bill Cummings.
Driscoll commended the Cummings on their “all profits to nonprofits” business model, through which 100% of all rental profits from Cummings Properties’ commercial real estate supports hundreds of local nonprofits.
“To be able to turn your successful business into a legacy of giving that is going to help every community in every corner of this commonwealth is so meaningful,” said Driscoll.
In keeping with Cummings Foundation’s focus on local giving, the grantee organizations are based in and serve Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk, and Norfolk counties. They represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education and youth empowerment, workforce development, and mental health services.
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.
The Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $600 million to greater Boston nonprofits to date. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus about 1,200 previous recipients, is available at CummingsFoundation.org.
The Next Funding Opportunity
The close of the 2025 grant cycle heralds the launch of the next round of funding. Local nonprofits are encouraged to visit CummingsFoundation.org in mid-July to review the eligibility requirements and submit a letter of inquiry for the Cummings $30 Million Grant Program.