Cambridge School Volunteers Awarded $75,000 Cummings Grant

Cambridge nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation

CAMBRIDGE, MA (June 11, 2026) Cambridge School Volunteers (CSV) has been selected as one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $35 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. Chosen through a competitive review process that drew a record 959 applicants, the Cambridge-based organization will receive $75,000 over three years.

CSV engages people from across Cambridge in meaningful volunteerism to ensure all students feel seen, supported, and successful. The organization offers free tutoring, mentoring, and classroom programs on-site before, during, and after school to promote equity and access. CSV collaborates with educators to respond to emerging needs and achieve district goals. 

CSV’s programs served 1,500 students through screening, training, matching, and coaching volunteer mentors, tutors, and other academic volunteers in the 2025-26 school year. 

The Cambridge Public School District serves approximately 7,000 students, of whom 35 percent are from low-income households and 52 percent are designated as high-needs. 

Executive Director Meg Ramsdell is grateful for the Cummings Foundation’s commitment to enhancing their impact on nonprofits and the community. “The Foundation’s shift to general operation support enables organizations like ours to address emerging needs.” She cites the expansion of two of CSV’s signature programs, Reading Buddies and KeyPals, as examples. These programs pair students in the Cambridge Public Schools with local volunteers to build communication skills and spark joy in literacy and STEM, improving outcomes for early learners and strengthening community ties.  

This year, the Woburn-based Cummings Foundation increased its annual grant program from $30 million to $35 million and shifted to fully unrestricted funding, allowing recipients to direct grant dollars where they are needed most.

Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes noted that the changes reflect growing concerns among Greater Boston nonprofits about rising costs, increased demand for services, and sustained uncertainty around public funding.

“Nonprofit professionals are closest to the challenges facing their communities, making them best positioned to determine where and how new funds will drive the greatest impact,” said Vyriotes. “By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations’ long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs.”

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide range of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education, workforce development, healthcare, mental health services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming. The nonprofits are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation reinvests in the areas where it owns commercial real estate. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties, a Woburn-based commercial developer that leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space. All rental profits support the Foundation.

Since its founding, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s grant recipients, along with additional information about the Foundation and its grant programs, is available at CummingsFoundation.org.