June kicked off on a high note for the 150 greater Boston nonprofits awarded multi-year funding through the annual Cummings $30 Million Grant Program. The awards range from $30,000 to $750,000 each.

Among the recipients of its its $30 Million Grant Program are:
TiE-Boston Foundation—$105,000
Saheli—$500,000

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.

“Cummings Foundation’s belief in our mission will give us the stability to sustain, grow, and continue empowering women with dignity and respect,” said Susan Kanoff, founder of Uncommon Threads, in Lawrence. “We’re thank to them for believing in our work.”

Founded in 2016, Uncommon Threads provides personal development coaching and individualized wardrobe styling to help women with low incomes build self-esteem and access new opportunities. Cummings awarded the organization a 10-year grant totaling $500,000.

A total of 125 organizations were awarded three-year grants of up to $225,000 each. The remaining 25 nonprofits were pledged 10-year funding of $300,000 to $750,000 each.

One of the largest private foundations in New England, 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 www.CummingsFoundation.org.

An Innovative Approach to Philanthropy

A substantial portion of Cummings Foundation’s more than $4 billion in assets consists of commercial real estate. This extensive portfolio was donated over time by Joyce and Bill Cummings and serves as a stable, ongoing source of revenue for the Foundation’s philanthropic initiatives.

All Foundation buildings are debt free and operated pro bono by Cummings Properties, the commercial real estate firm Bill Cummings founded more than 50 years ago. One hundred percent of all rental profits from all Cummings buildings supports community-based nonprofits.

“We are enormously appreciative of the 2,000-plus businesses that lease space with Cummings,” said Dennis Clarke, chairman and CEO at Cummings Properties. “Their tenancy fuels our ‘all profits to nonprofits’ model, enabling Cummings to invest in the impactful work of organizations serving the communities around us.” 

The Next Funding Opportunity

As the 2025 grant cycle concludes, Cummings Foundation is already preparing for 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.

Nearly all of Cummings Foundation’s grants provide multi-year funding. According to Executive Director Joyce Vyriotes, this model allows nonprofits to better plan for the future. Vyriotes noted that, although rare circumstances call for an early termination, more than 99 percent of its grant awards are paid in full.

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.

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