Press Release

When TFC Financial launched the TFC Financial Charitable Foundation, advancing their commitment to promoting financial literacy and supporting the Greater Boston community, they turned to the Cambridge Community Foundation (CCF) for counsel on funding strategies and a deeper look at organizations that work in the community. Daniel Kern, TFC’s Chief Investment Officer and a CCF Board member, made the connection between Renée Kwok, TFC Financial CEO, Leann Sullivan, a TFC financial planner, and CCF staff. In February, 2019, following the review of several programs, the TFC Charitable Foundation offered grants to organizations supporting Cambridge and Boston-based families: Cambridge Housing Authority’s Work Force Program and uAspire.   There was immediate resonance with the Work Force and uAspire’s work in advancing social equity in distinct areas of people’s lives, specifically through workforce training and college preparation. For young people from low-income families, the opportunity to attend college can be transformational, launching them and their future families on a path to prosperity.  However, navigating the unchartered territories of a college environment, self-advocating, learning how to take leadership, managing tight budgets, and dealing with financial issues and paperwork around loans and financial aid are intimidating challenges, especially for first-generation college students.  For Renée Kwok, TFC’s new philanthropic organization was a move that was ‘on mission.’ “As a wealth management firm, we frequently counsel clients on charitable giving strategies. With the new Foundation, we are establishing our own philanthropic

The Cambridge Community Foundation, in partnership with Cambridge Mayor Marc C. McGovern and Somerville Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone, has expanded its immigrant legal defense fund to support individuals who live and work in the Somerville community, as well as Cambridge.  The expanded fund has been renamed the United Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants, reflecting the growing need for legal support for immigrants across city borders.  By unifying efforts to raise funds for the most vulnerable families in our community, we can help valued neighbors and stabilize families impacted by the stress and uncertainty of ongoing shifts in TPS and DACA status, and those seeking asylum.  CCF expects to distribute grants from the United Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants in the fall of 2019, to address this urgent need. The Cambridge Legal Defense Fund for Immigrants was launched in March 2018 with an ambitious goal of raising $500,000 to help immigrants get the legal services they need to stay, legally, in their community. Last year, the Cambridge Community Foundation distributed $255,000 in grants to four local non-profit legal assistance organizations—De Novo (formerly Community Legal Services and Counseling Center), Greater Boston Legal Services, Irish Immigrant Center (IIC), and Political Asylum Immigration

A group of FII families meet to support one another to achieve their goals. By Jessica Taubner As a society, we’ve come to view government and the social sector as the experts on the needs of people but the reality is that while government and funding priorities often shift, the industriousness and drive of families doesn’t waiver. What if we considered families the experts and allowed them to define their own success? We are conditioned to be a helper or a helpee in this country. Data shows that families know what they need, and the systems meant to help are getting in the way of their initiative and innovation. We are intentionally creating and practicing new ways of being in relationship with people, and that is what I love about being FII-Greater Boston’s Site Director. The Family Independence Initiative (FII) has been listening to families for the past 17 years. Instead of the client services model typically deployed in the social sector, FII, aided by a widening pool of philanthropic partners, is trusting and investing in families. This means investing direct dollars in the initiatives of families, giving them choice and control over their funds, and charting the incredible progress they

Cambridge’s growing housing crisis is putting a financial burden on many people in Cambridge, and renter households in particular. From low-income to moderate and middle-income families, everyone is feeling the squeeze. The cost of housing in Cambridge is staggering: The median market rate of a single-family home in Cambridge was $1,377,500 in 2017. A condominium in Cambridge cost on average $730,000 in 2017. The average rent for a Cambridge apartment was $2,337 for a one-bedroom unit, $2,689 for a two bedroom and $2,827 for a three-bedroom unit in October 2018, according to Zillow.com’s rent index. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, in Cambridgeport a renter must earn $44 dollars per hour in order to afford a two-bedroom apartment, more than three times the current Massachusetts minimum wage ($12/hr. as of 1/1/2019) Why is this happening? What does it mean for our families? And what can we do to address such a complex problem? CCF spoke with leaders in the local housing arena to gain insight. This is what we learned. Why is this happening? There was a time when Cambridge lost residents to suburban towns, but today, the desire for urban housing is on the rise. People

On Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 21, the values of Dr. King and Cambridge will be on display in our city. Every year since 2010, Many Helping Hands 365 has organized the Martin Luther King, Jr. Cambridge Day of Service, drawing thousands of volunteers together for an afternoon of service projects at Central Square locations. It has become one of the largest community service events in New England. Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds work on projects aimed to help people in need in our community. Neighbors work side by side to deliver donated food to local food pantries, make valentines for seniors, sort winter clothing for shelters, design and sew fleece blankets and scarves for the homeless children, teens and adults, and deliver them to shelters. Photo by Randy Goodman Last year the impact was incredible, reaching more than 10,000 people in need in our community: 400 bags of groceries were donated by neighbors in Huron Village, an effort that involves dozens of high school students from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School as collectors and deliverers to thirteen food pantries; 660 fleece blankets and scarfs were designed and sewn for homeless children and adults and then delivered; 1,700 toiletry kits were delivered to the homeless and those in shelters, thanks to donations from local hotels; 3,500 Valentine Cards were made and delivered to local seniors,