South Boston nonprofit receives Cummings Foundation grant
South Boston Neighborhood House is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. The Boston-based organization was chosen from a total of 574 applicants during a competitive review process.
The Mission of the South Boston Neighborhood House, affectionately known as “The Ollie”, is to support family and neighborhood life in South Boston. Originally founded as a settlement house, the Ollie looks to meet the needs of the community and offer programs for everyone in South Boston: infants, children, teens, families, and seniors.
Representing South Boston Neighborhood House, Kathy Lafferty, Executive Director and Kevin Benedix, Board President 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.
“We are truly grateful to the Cummings Foundation for their generous commitment to the South Boston community through this grant,” said Kathy Lafferty, Executive Director of South Boston Neighborhood House. “Smaller non-profit organizations, like South Boston Neighborhood House, work really hard to secure this kind of long-term funding. This $100,000.00 grant will allow us to continue our important work in supporting children and impacting some of our most isolated families.” – Kathy Lafferty, Executive Director
“I know I speak for the entire SBNH Board when I say that we are extremely excited to have The Ollie welcomed into the Cummings Foundation family of great organizations with this very generous grant. I’d like to personally thank Bill and Joyce Cummings and their entire team at the Cummings Foundation and Cummings Properties for their consideration and generosity.” – Kevin Benedix, Board President
South Boston Neighborhood House will be using the funds to support their Family Engagement Program, specifically Welcome Baby. Welcome Baby includes an initial home visit for new Moms by our social worker and a Parent Partner, both bilingual Moms from the community. The home visitors bring a welcome basket of essential supplies for the newborn, store coupons, a small gift for Mom and information about other resources and Family Engagement programs.
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, 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, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “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 Philanthropist.” It is available on Amazon or cummings.com/book.
