Sudbury Nonprofit Receives Cummings Foundation Grant
Posted On: Friday, June 7, 2019
SMILE Mass is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. The Sudbury-based organization was chosen from a total of 574 applicants during a competitive review process.
SMILE Mass is a non-profit based in Sudbury, MA with the mission of helping families raising children or adults with disabilities enjoy happy, healthy memories through vacation and recreation experiences.
Representing SMILE Mass, President Lotte Diomede and Vice-President Susan Brown joined approximately 300 other guests at a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $260 million to Greater Boston nonprofits alone.
“SMILE Mass is honored to receive a $100,000 grant from Cummings Foundation to help create accessible recreational opportunities in our local cities and towns.” – Lotte Diomede, President SMILE Mass
Funds from the Cummings Foundation grant will be used to lease space in the Framingham, MA area to create an inclusive gym. The SMILE Mass Gym will have adapted workout equipment right alongside typical workout equipment, allowing everyone from the community to work out together, despite disability.
The $100K for 100 program supports nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings of Winchester, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 10 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
“By having such a local focus, we aim to make a meaningful positive difference in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Executive Director of the Cummings Foundation. “We are most grateful for the nonprofit organizations that assist and empower our neighbors, and we are proud to support their efforts.”
This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years.
The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Cummings Foundation announced an additional $15 million in early May through its Sustaining Grants program. Through these awards, 50 local nonprofits will receive ongoing funding of $20,000 – $50,000 for 10 years.
The history behind Cummings Properties and Cummings Foundation is detailed in Bill Cummings’ self-written memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philantropist.” It is available on Cummings.com/book.
About SMILE Mass
Small Miracles in Life Exist (SMILE Mass) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping families raising children or adults with disabilities enjoy happy, healthy memories through vacation and recreation experiences. Over the past 9 years SMILE Mass has donated over 130 floating beach wheelchairs to public beaches in Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont. In addition, SMILE Mass has a fully accessible vacation rental in Truro, MA, an Equipment Loaner Program that allows families to borrow recreational equipment, a running team. www.smilemass.org
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Bill Cummings released his self-written memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist,” in March 2018. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org and cummings.com/book
