CCF will not stand on the sidelines: A letter from our president
A letter from our president Geeta Pradhan in support of the movement for racial justice and equity.
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.
Cash relief, resilience, and repositioning for recovery: A message from our president
An update from the Cambridge Community Foundation's Geeta Pradhan.
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.
Feeding Our Hometown Heroes: A message from Geeta Pradhan
Our new initiative, Feeding our Hometown Heroes, launched in partnership with the Boston-founded start-up Off Their Plate, will fund daily deliveries of local, nutritious restaurant meals in May to frontline hospital staff in three Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA) Hospitals (Cambridge, Somerville, Everett) and Mount Auburn Hospital.
Updates on our emergency grantmaking from our president
Dear friends, The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the fragility of our community. More people in Cambridge are struggling with food and housing insecurity. Families who previously made ends meet are now in crisis with no contingency funds to fall back on. This pandemic has also revealed the precariousness of our nonprofits. The very organizations that bridge the gaps and serve the most vulnerable are doing their work on shoe-string budgets and their future is uncertain. Less than a month ago, we created the Cambridge COVID-19 Emergency Fund and the Cambridge Artist Relief Fund in partnership with the City and our generous donors to provide swift relief to individuals and families in crisis. Funds are already in the hands of those who need them most and more applications are being reviewed each week. Here's a glance at our emergency grantmaking by the numbers: To date we’ve raised over $725,000 and counting for both funds combined. We're distributing one-time grants of $200 to $1,000. We’ve reviewed more than 300 applications from individuals, small businesses, and organizations so far. We’re sending out a total of just over $300,000 in grants, as quickly as we can. This is what we’re seeing: Taxi drivers who are primary breadwinners for their families have no income. Single mothers struggle to feed and home school their children while working reduced hours. Parents with large families depend on food pantries but
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.
Cambridge nonprofits step up in a time of crisis
We’ve seen first-hand how our community mobilizes to support those in need during times of crisis. Many of our nonprofit partners have already dug into the front lines, and this month, we’re spotlighting some of their critical work in these uncertain times.
Nonprofit FAQs: Giving funds to individuals during COVID-19
By Brad Bedingfield and Eleanor A. Evans The impact of COVID-19 on our communities is only just starting to come into focus. It's not just the health risks - millions are likely to find themselves unemployed, without health insurance or a means to make money. Those who must continue their work as this crisis balloons, health care workers in particular, have no safe place to leave their children. Nearly everyone is facing increased financial pressures. Local nonprofits, dealing with their own financial stresses, are still eager to bolster their support of the communities they serve during this crisis. For any Cambridge-based nonprofits thinking about how to directly give funds to individuals and families in the community, here are some considerations. Can my nonprofit make direct grants to individuals impacted by COVID-19? Many nonprofits that have not traditionally made grants to individuals are asking if they can do so, and how. They want to help specific people in their communities who are in danger of losing their homes or are already homeless, who do not have enough food for their children, or who have special health care expenses. Nonprofits without experience making grants to individuals may be nervous about doing
Two new funds launched in response to COVID-19
With support from generous donors and the City of Cambridge, the Cambridge Community Foundation launches the Cambridge COVID-19 Emergency Fund and the Cambridge Artist Relief Fund.
