FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Nahigian, Nativity Prep Boston, 857-273-0244, lnahigian@nativityboston.org

Contact: Alison Harding, Cummings Foundation, 781-932-7093, aeh@cummings.com

NATIVITY PREP BOSTON Awarded $120,000 Cummings Grant

Jamaica Plain nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation

Jamaica Plain, May 24, 2024 – Nativity Preparatory School Boston is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. he Jamaica Plain-based middle school was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. They will receive $120,000 over three years.

Nativity Prep is a tuition-free Jesuit independent middle school serving boys of all faiths in grades five through eight. They empower young men from underserved communities to understand and fulfill their purpose through a robust educational program and life-long, comprehensive support.

“We are very grateful for this generous grant from the Cummings Foundation, which enables Nativity Prep to greatly enhance our science education program,” said Brian Nativity Prep President Brian Maher. “With the support of the Cummings Foundation, we can ensure that our students have equitable access to the high-quality education that can transform their lives.

The funding from the Cummings Foundation will allow Nativity Prep to take the first steps toward launching a STEM program by upgrading and reimagining the current science room. With a goal to adapt the program, the purchase of an appropriate curriculum, technology, and materials integrating multiple subject areas with real-world applications will be necessary. Establishing this program gives them the ability to create an after-school program, a cornerstone of the Nativity Prep model.

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 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.