Bedford, MA nonprofit receives 10 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Nashoba Learning Group (NLG) is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. The Bedford/Billerica-based organization was chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. NLG will receive $500,000 over ten years.
Nashoba Learning Group provides outstanding services to children and adults affected by Autism, Intellectual Disability and with intensive clinical needs. NLG serves 130 students ages 3-21 in a School Program, and 52 Adults in an Adult Program.
Nashoba Learning Group student Anjan celebrating the Cummings Foundation grant award.
Liz Martineau, CEO and President of Nashoba Learning Group, expressed gratitude for the Cummings grant. “We are thrilled to receive this incredibly generous grant from the Cummings Foundation! These funds mean so much to our organization because they allow us to ensure that the individuals we serve can reach their potential. Thank you for this amazing grant!”
Nashoba Learning Group student Braeden celebrates Cummings Foundation’s generous support. come
The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts 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 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.
This grant provides funds to allow adults with Autism to access the community for activities of daily life, and volunteer and paid work. This is so critical to their wellbeing and continued progress! The continuity of funding means NLG can continue to grow and ensure that the adults we serve have the satisfaction of being contributing members of the community for many years to
“We are so fortunate in greater Boston to have such effective nonprofits, plus a wealth of talented, dedicated professionals and volunteers to run them,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “We are indebted to them for the work they do each day to provide for basic needs, break down barriers to education and health resources, and work toward a more equitable society.”
With the help of about 90 volunteers, the Foundation first identified 140 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each. Among the winners were first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings Foundation grants. Forty of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.
“Our volunteers bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which is so critical to our grant selection process,” said Vyriotes. “Through this democratized approach to philanthropy, they decide more than half the grants every year.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including food insecurity, immigrant and refugee services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 45 different cities and towns.
The complete list of 140 grant winners, plus more than 900 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $375 million to greater Boston nonprofits.
About Nashoba Learning Group
NLG was founded in 2002 to offer a different life trajectory for individuals with Autism. Today NLG’s School provides outstanding, individualized education, training and intervention services for students aged 3 to 22 with Autism Spectrum disorders. NLG’s rapidly growing Adult Program opened in 2013, providing ongoing support to adults with Autism. Additional information is available at https://www.nashobalearninggroup.org/.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings 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.
Contact: Sara Robbins, Nashoba Learning Group, 781-275-2500, sara.robbins@nashobalearninggroup.org
Contact: Alison Harding, Cummings Foundation,781-932-7093, aeh@cummings.com
