Cambridge Community Foundation names new board leadership and senior staff
After 11 years as chair of the board, Rick Harriman steps down as Phil Johnson, CEO of PJA Advertising + Marketing, steps into the role July 1.
June 2021
May 2021
Welcome to our newest team members.
Adrienne Wallace comes aboard as Director of Grantmaking and Programs and Geoff O'Connell joins as Chief Financial Officer.
Join us May 19 & 20: Two-part forum addressing racial opportunity gaps in our schools
We've teamed up with My Brother's Keeper Cambridge Task Force to host two conversations, on May 19 and 20, to help our city take action on opportunity gaps for Black and Brown students in Cambridge schools.
April 2021
Cambridge is first city in New England to launch mayor-championed guaranteed income pilot initiative for single caretaker households
April 15, 2021 | Cambridge, MA—Cambridge Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui announced today plans to launch a new Guaranteed Income Pilot Initiative, providing much-needed support for Cambridge’s most vulnerable residents. The initiative will offer $500 no-strings-attached monthly payments to 120 eligible single caretaker households over an 18-month period beginning in August. Participants will be chosen by lottery. The Cambridge RISE (Recurring Income for Success and Empowerment) project is spearheaded by Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, Vice-Mayor Alanna Mallon, Councillor Marc McGovern and a wide consortium of nonprofit partners throughout the City, including the Cambridge Community Foundation, Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Just-A-Start, and the Cambridge Housing Authority. The payments will be handled/managed through UpTogether (formerly called the Family Independence Initiative), the distribution partner for Cambridge RISE. In Cambridge, one out of every 10 families with children under the age of 18 live below the poverty line, while one in three female-headed households with minor children live below the poverty line. Cambridge residents who are Black or African American and those who are of Hispanic or Latinx origin are twice as likely to live under the poverty line, with the pandemic exacerbating the health and wealth gaps amongst race and gender. According to a new research
Powerful insights to help move from conversation to community action
On the occasion of the launch of our new research report, local speakers shared insights that can inform follow-on conversations and help move us to collective action.
New research report shows a widening income gap in Cambridge
A new research report by the Foundation confirms Cambridge is a leader among the nation’s innovation cities, and through a decade of data, tells the story of how the city’s unprecedented prosperity has benefitted some residents, while others, primarily Black and low-income residents, are being left behind.
The Cambridge Community Foundation awards $533,000 in grants to local nonprofits this spring
In response to sustained demands on nonprofits in Cambridge, the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) increased allocated funds for its spring grantmaking by 50%, supporting nonprofits involved in youth programs and education, housing, hunger, homelessness, elder services, the arts, COVID-19 relief, and racial justice.
March 2021
Equity and innovation in Cambridge
We're soon launching a report entitled Equity and Innovation Cities: The Case of Cambridge. All community members are invited to join us in a conversation on its findings, April 7, 8:30am.
A letter from our president: Let’s raise our voices for tolerance and respect.
Dear neighbors, Last week, the voices of eight citizens, including six Asian women, were silenced by a white man with a gun. This devastating act changed the lives of their loved ones, raised fear among Asian Americans in communities across the nation, and elevated, yet again, the ugly face of racism in the United States. In Cambridge, a city that cherishes its diversity, we respect all cultures, religions, ethnicities, and racial groups and honor each for how they enrich our community. We stand with all communities that experience fear and prejudice. We speak out against injustice when we see it. It matters how we treat each other and how we value one another because we are not separate from our community; we are part of its voice and protectors of its values. So, as we move into another week, without those eight voices in Georgia, let’s raise ours through words and deeds. Let’s embrace tolerance and respect for one another. Let’s learn from those with lived experiences and a story to tell. Let’s do the work necessary to combat racism and expand equity in our community. We’re incredibly fortunate to have a community that is digging into this work now. Tomorrow, the Cambridge Public Library Foundation will host
January 2021
As racial injustices weigh on our nation, Cambridge acts in honor of MLK.
A spotlight on Cambridge's 2021 MLK Week of Service and Learning, led by our nonprofit partners Many Helping Hands 365 and My Brother's Keeper Cambridge.
