Watertown, MA nonprofit receives Cummings Foundation grant
Watertown, MA, June 6, 2019 – The Armenian Museum of America is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. The Watertown-based organization was selected from a total of 574 applications during a competitive review process.
Representing the Armenian Museum, Stuart Green and Berj Chekijian joined the approximately 300 other guests at a reception at the 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’s nonprofits alone.
“The Armenian Genocide is an essential story for our Museum to tell. Our collection objects tell the tragedy of the Genocide, while often also serving as objects of survival and witness. We are extremely grateful to the Cummings Foundation and Bill and Joyce Cummings for their generosity and vision that will allow us to continue our mission to share the art, culture and history of a proud and enduring people.”
Michele Kolligian
President
The funding will be used to strengthen the Museum’s visitor experience, particularly as it relates to exhibitions exploring the Armenian genocide and resultant diaspora community. Dispersed over a four-year period, the grant award will allow the Museum to expand its current display that focuses on the Armenian Genocide. By showcasing unique family histories entrusted to the Museum’s care, renewed interpretation and exhibition design will articulate these histories through deeply personal objects that tell this important historical narrative.
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, but 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 communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cumming 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 represent a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food security. Most of the grants will be paid for over 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 Cumming’s self-written memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to a Billion-Dollar Philanthropist.” It is available on Amazon or cummings.com/book
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. Its largest single commitment to date has been to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org