Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce
Foundation Awarded $225,000 Grant from Cummings Foundation
3-year grant from Cummings Foundation will fund the Chamber Foundation’s Massachusetts Apprentice Network
Boston, MA – The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Foundation (the “Chamber
Foundation”) is excited to announce a significant $225,000 3-year grant from
Cummings Foundation. This funding from Cummings Foundation will support the
growth and impact of the Chamber Foundation’s Massachusetts Apprentice Network, a signature initiative
in the Chamber Foundation’s Transformative Talent Pathways pillar.
Founded in 1984, the
Chamber Foundation boldly invests in the success of people by providing
solutions to the region’s challenges. The Commonwealth urgently needs
solutions to attract and retain people and families as employers struggle to
hire and retain workers. The Massachusetts Apprentice Network is designed to
serve as a workforce solution for employers to train and retain their workers,
with the commitment to collectively hire 1,000 apprentices by 2027. Since
launching in 2022, the Network’s 353 apprentices have been placed in tech,
healthcare, financial services, hospitality, and early childhood education, and
employers hired 92% of apprentices into meaningful careers after their
apprenticeships.
“We are grateful to
Cummings Foundation for this significant investment in the future of the
Massachusetts Apprentice Network. Our competitive edge depends on a dynamic and
successful workforce, and our Massachusetts Apprentice Network champions
transformative careers for apprentices and a successful workforce strategy for
employers. Throughout the Commonwealth, individuals are seeking career pathways
and economic mobility, and we are proud that our Apprentice Network ensures
access, opportunities, and success for individuals, employers, and
communities,” said James E. Rooney, President of the Greater Boston Chamber of
Commerce Foundation.
The Chamber Foundation is
one of 150 local nonprofits selected for Cummings $30 Million Grant Program,
which primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve
Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County:
Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.
Through this place-based
initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns
commercial property. Its buildings are all managed, at no cost to the
Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. This Woburn-based commercial
real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space,
the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
“Greater Boston is
fortunate to have a robust, dedicated, and highly capable nonprofit sector that
supports and enhances the community in myriad ways,” said Cummings Foundation
executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes. “The entire Cummings organization
is thankful for their daily work to help all our neighbors thrive.”
The majority of the grant
decisions were made by nearly 100 community volunteers. They worked across a
variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together,
determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were
business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in
areas such as finance and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We believe strongly that
grant decisions will be more equitable when made by a diverse group of
community members,” said Vyriotes. “We’re incredibly grateful to the dozens of
individuals who participated in our democratized philanthropic process.”
The Foundation and
volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of
up to $300,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as
nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this
latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a panel of community
volunteers to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from
$300,000 to $1 million each.
This year’s grant
recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food
insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice,
education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 49
different cities and towns.
Cummings Foundation has
now awarded $500 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of
this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 2,000 previous recipients, is
available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
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