FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Salem Pantry Awarded $750,000 Cummings Grant
Salem based nonprofit receives 10 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Salem, MA (May 29, 2024) – The Salem Pantry is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The Salem Pantry was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $750,000 over 10 years.
The Salem Pantry is dedicated to providing convenient and reliable access to fresh, healthy food in Salem and neighboring communities. In 2023 the organization served over 20,000 individuals throughout Salem and the North Shore. The Salem Pantry was named as the Greater Boston Food Bank’s “Partner Organization of the Year” for 2024.
“With this grant, The Salem Pantry is positioned to continue innovating our efforts to provide fresh, nutritious food in the community to reach even more families and individuals in a manner that upholds dignity and fosters a sense of community,” states Executive Director, Robyn Burns. “This funding will allow us to make a bigger impact in Salem and throughout the North Shore.”
The funding from this grant will support programs like The Market, The Salem Pantry’s brick-and-mortar location designed to feel like a small grocery store, and The Truck, a mobile pantry vehicle that brings food directly into the community.
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 The Salem Pantry
The Salem Pantry, recently named the 2024 Greater Boston Food Bank Community Partner of the Year, provides the North Shore with convenient access to fresh, free, healthy food. Its innovative mobile pantries, home delivery program, food distribution hub, and The Market offer abundant produce, proteins, spices, and dairy products. They partner with local farmers and health organizations to serve over 3,500 households and distribute over 300,000 pounds of food per month.
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.
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Kia Fernandes, Marketing and Communications Manager