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Grantmaking

June 2020

Relief…and recovery: A letter from our president

2020-07-29T16:23:27+00:00June 26th, 2020|Civic Leadership, Cultural Richness, Grantmaking, Philanthropy, Press Release, Shared Prosperity, Social Equity|

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 [...]

May 2020

April 2020

Updates on our emergency grantmaking from our president

2020-06-29T18:24:27+00:00April 15th, 2020|Civic Leadership, Grantmaking, Press Release|

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 [...]

March 2020

The Cambridge Community Foundation fuels local nonprofit sector with $456,181 this spring

2021-02-19T19:47:09+00:00March 31st, 2020|Civic Leadership, Cultural Richness, Grantmaking, Press Release, Shared Prosperity, Social Equity|

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.

Nonprofit FAQs: Giving funds to individuals during COVID-19

2020-03-27T16:06:02+00:00March 27th, 2020|Grantmaking, Philanthropy, Press Release|

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 [...]

February 2020

Nonprofit partners promote artistic healing, wellness, and expression

2020-02-24T14:54:42+00:00February 24th, 2020|Cultural Richness, Grantmaking, Nonprofit Spotlight, Philanthropy, Press Release|

At the Cambridge Community Foundation, we are committed to fostering the arts in our community, both as an investment in our fascinating cultural landscape and as an outlet for enrichment, wellness, and healing for our neighbors. A city that champions equitable access to its thriving artistic and cultural infrastructure builds a community in which everyone can nurture their creative voice and gain healing and agency through artistic expression. This month, we’re featuring four of our nonprofit partners who are performing vital artistic ministries in our community, enabling those at risk to find wellness and healing through the power of the creative process: Tunefoolery, The Dance Complex, Shelter Music Boston, and Urbanity Dance. Since their founding in 1994, Tunefoolery has empowered musicians recovering from mental health issues to showcase their work at over 150 events each year. Under their organizational umbrella, Tunefoolery runs a youth Education Outreach Program about mental health issues, sponsors holistic retreats for working musicians, and provides jobs and professional recording space for artists. Powered by the Cambridge Community Foundation: Tunefoolery has been a partner of the Foundation since 2005. Most recently, a $2,000 grant in Fall 2019 helped fund Tunefoolery's Music Education [...]

January 2020

Three nonprofits empowering Cambridge youth through the arts

2020-01-27T21:57:51+00:00January 27th, 2020|Cultural Richness, Grantmaking, Nonprofit Spotlight, Press Release, Shared Prosperity|

At the Cambridge Community Foundation, we strive to uphold Cambridge as a beacon of cultural richness. We envision a city where diverse communities spark spiritual, social, and artistic exploration; where innovation thrives; and where connections between residents are deepened across neighborhoods, cultures, and backgrounds. We believe that supporting the arts and culture in Cambridge will ensure that the unique character of our city continues to flourish and evolve. Paramount to this goal is galvanizing younger generations to contribute to the vibrant theater and film scenes, street art, and music that make the city a wonderful place to live and work. Three of our nonprofit partners — Cambridge Community Television, the Loop Lab, and the Community Art Center — are doing just that. Cambridge Community Television's Youth Media Program Cambridge Community Television (CCTV) nurtures a strong, equitable, and diverse community. CCTV provides tools and training to foster free speech, civic engagement, and creative expression while connecting people to collaboratively produce media that is responsive, relevant, and effective in a fast-changing technological environment. With a Summer Media Institute and a School Year Production Program, CCTV’s Youth Media Program allows young people in Cambridge to work as paid media artists, building vital [...]

CHA Work Force invests in Cambridge youth

2020-01-24T15:20:38+00:00January 24th, 2020|Grantmaking, Nonprofit Spotlight, Press Release, Shared Prosperity|

Two high school juniors participate in Work Force's annual mock interview event. How do you break the cycle of intergenerational poverty? In Cambridge, there’s one program with proven results that takes the approach of investing in and partnering with individual, low-income students to help them graduate on time, establish fulfilling careers, and lift themselves out of public housing. The Cambridge Housing Authority (CHA) Work Force is a holistic, comprehensive, program that builds networks of learning and support for low-income students living in public housing. Work Force partners with 320 students through nine years of their education, from eighth grade through matriculating students’ post-secondary education. In Fall 2019, the Cambridge Community Foundation made a major investment in the shared prosperity of our city by committing funding of $150,000 over three years to support Work Force. The Work Force has been a nonprofit partner of the Foundation for over three decades, but this is the Foundation’s most significant investment in the program to date. Seeing students through high school and college success The program has four core components: weekly afterschool workshops (social, educational, and vocational); a system of personalized adult support and case management; paid work experiences with public and [...]

December 2019

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