Innovators for Purpose awarded $100,00 Cummings grant
Cambridge nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Cambridge, May 27, 2022 – Innovators for Purpose (iFp) 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 Cambridge-based organization was chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $100,000 over 3 years.
iFp is a BIPOC-led non-profit design and innovation studio and learning lab that’s reimagining the STEM / STEAM learning experience to build an inclusive, future-ready workforce. We empower young people to become innovators who create positive impact in the world.
“We are extremely excited to receive the Cummings grant. It’s a testament to our novel approach to building inclusive pathways into the innovation economy.” Michael K. Dawson, Co-Founder and CEO
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.
“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 Innovators for Purpose (iFp)
iFp is a BIPOC-led non-profit youth design and innovation studio and learning lab in Cambridge, MA. We empower young people, especially those from historically marginalized groups, to become innovators who create positive impact in the world. Our flagship program, iFp Studios (ages 14-18), brings together aspiring creatives, technologists, and change makers with professional designers, software developers, engineers, and others to work on real-world student-initiated and client-sponsored projects. iFp Teens use ethnographic research tools to deconstruct complex problems and creative technologies such as coding, augmented reality, web and app design, 2D/3D animation, and motion graphics to build products and experiences that challenge the status quo and spark positive change. As a result of our work, iFp broadens the pipeline of skilled young people pursuing high-impact career pathways. To learn more about iFp, please visit www.innovatorsforpurpose.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.
