Women’s Money Matters Awarded $750,000 Cummings Grant
Massachusetts nonprofit receives 10 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Boston– Women’s Money Matters is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Boston-based organization was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $750,000 over 10 years.
Women’s Money Matters is committed to empowering women and girls living on low incomes through financial wellness workshops and individual mentorship.
“This grant will significantly enhance our ability to meet the needs of our participants,” said Danielle Piskadlo, Executive Director at Women’s Money Matters. “With this funding, we can expand our program offerings and financial topics, increasing our capacity to benefit more women and girls who want to join. It allows us to provide more comprehensive support and reach a greater number of individuals striving for financial independence.”
Your support funds Women’s Money Matters core financial wellness programs: Financial Futures and Life Launch. This funding will help 1,465 women and girls living on low incomes in Essex, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County: Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley. With this support, we can continue our mission to empower women and girls on their financial journeys, allowing us to address the specific needs and aspirations of our community and participants. Additionally, this long-term funding enables us to plan for the future and scale our programs over the next decade. This is Women’s Money Matters’ fourth grant from Cummings Foundation and our first 10-year grant. We are beyond grateful for this long-term partnership.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program 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 DEI (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.
About Women’s Money Matters:
Women’s Money Matters builds the financial wellness, confidence, and security of women living on low incomes through a unique program that combines instructional workshops and personal, one-to-one coaching. For more information about Women’s Money Matters and its programs, please visit https://womensmoneymatters.org/
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA 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.
