A tribute to Frank Duehay, “Mr. Cambridge”
We remember Frank Duehay, a civic leader who dedicated his life to one goal: making Cambridge a better place for everyone.
January 2021
October 2020
Cambridge Community Foundation Recognizes Five Groups with Second Annual Imagined in Cambridge Social Innovation Award
Photo of blackyard, 2020 Imagined in Cambridge Award winner, by Philip Keith for The New York Times. Supporting Grassroots Projects Tackling Pressing Social Issues October 8, 2020—Cambridge, MA At a virtual celebration on October 8, 2020, the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) named the recipients of its second annual Imagined in Cambridge Social Innovation Award, recognizing five grassroots projects that nurture strong communities and tackle systemic barriers to equity and opportunity. Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui announced blackyard, a co-op for Black and multi-racial youth and teenagers that in the words of its founder: “dismantles white supremacy within and lifts up the brilliance of Black, Indigenous, and Brown people,” through homeschooling, arts activities, conversations around equity for youth and teenagers, and supports for youth organizers, as the first prize winner. The program, founded by veteran teacher and Cambridge resident Ashley Herring, was awarded $5,000, and joined by four runners-up—Friday Night Hype, Kids Fete, Our Fire Collective, and Women of Cambridge Cards—each receiving $1,000. The five award winners offer innovative solutions to big social needs, such as supporting Black and Brown youth, promoting social justice and cultural pride, offering mental health supports for youth and teachers, and elevating female leaders. Watch our short [...]
July 2020
The Cambridge Community Foundation distributes $200,000 in grants to nonprofits through MA COVID-19 Relief Fund
The Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) has distributed $200,000 in new grants to nine nonprofits providing support for basic needs and mental health to vulnerable individuals and families in Cambridge, Somerville, and Medford.
June 2020
The Cambridge Community Foundation distributes $265,000 in grants to nonprofits through Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund
Thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, this round of nonprofit grantmaking builds on the Foundation’s COVID-19 relief and recovery response.
Relief…and recovery: A letter from our president
June 26, 2020 | Cambridge, MA Relief...and recovery Three months ago, we couldn’t have predicted how widespread the pandemic’s impact would be, but we, like so many of you, knew we needed to respond quickly. For an organization that does its work squarely within the nonprofit sector, that meant stepping outside the box. We began awarding cash grants directly to individuals, families, and artists in crisis, while continuing to partner with nonprofits to give small grants to people in their circles. We also provided grants to arts organizations who took an enormous hit with the loss of audiences and early closures. The results are eye-opening. A new point of view The process has given us a fresh, first-hand view of our community and its needs. One of the biggest privileges of our COVID-19 relief work has been connecting with people from all corners of the city and hearing from them directly. We've also witnessed the incredible creativity and tenacity of our nonprofits, who met community needs despite their own financial pressures. By the numbers As of June 25, we allocated 1,162 cash grants to individuals, families, artists, and small businesses. We’ve also helped hundreds more through our support [...]
Racial justice resources, organizations, and ideas for action
Find here: resources from books and articles to film and podcasts to educate ourselves about antiracism; organizations to support, follow, and donate to as they lead critical efforts for racial justice and equity; and, ideas for local action we can each take. This is an evolving list.
May 2020
Cash relief, resilience, and repositioning for recovery: A message from our president
An update from the Cambridge Community Foundation's Geeta Pradhan.
April 2020
Feeding Our Hometown Heroes funds meals for hospital workers, supports restaurants
How our Feeding Our Hometown Heroes initiative came to be, starting with inspiration from our board member Marla Felcher and turning into a whole community effort.
March 2020
The Cambridge Community Foundation fuels local nonprofit sector with $456,181 this spring
This April, the Cambridge Community Foundation will infuse $456,181 into the nonprofit sector in Cambridge through its annual spring grantmaking cycle, which is allocating funds on schedule despite the COVID-19 crisis. The Foundation is allowing Community Fund grant recipients to use their programmatic funding flexibly so that, at a time of great uncertainty, nonprofits can allocate the money where it’s needed the most.
February 2020
Don’t call us a bubble: We are Cambridge
Photo of HONK! parade passing through Porter Square in October 2019 The LA Times recently ran an article called “Wealth and struggle in a liberal bubble that Elizabeth Warren calls home.” The article captured the strengths and weaknesses of our city, which is experiencing stresses similar to San Francisco and other innovation cities. These complex issues of income inequality, housing and homelessness, and traffic gridlock are taxing urban innovation centers to the breaking point. We need national, regional, and local solutions. And Cambridge isn’t sitting on its laurels waiting for the bubble to burst, nor is it losing its soul. Cambridge is a responsive, compassionate city, fiercely protective of its shared values of kindness, diversity, inclusion, and creativity. Yes, our economy is booming, and with that comes unintended consequences. Our rapidly rising real estate values and a shortage of low- and middle-income housing mean more than half of our residents struggle to find affordable homes. One in seven residents lives in poverty. One-third of our public school students of color are unprepared to pursue the jobs our city offers. One out of 10 Black and Latinx households has no internet yet every major tech company has a presence in [...]