Cummings Foundation Inc

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $30 million (distributed annually through flagship grant program)
Total Assets: $4+ billion
Success Rate: 20% at LOI stage; 50% of full application stage
Decision Time: 9-10 months (July LOI to June announcement)
Grant Range: $30,000 - $1,000,000 (over 3 or 10 years)
Geographic Focus: Essex, Middlesex, Suffolk counties, and designated Norfolk County communities in Massachusetts

Contact Details

Cummings Foundation
200 West Cummings Park
Woburn, MA 01801

Joyce Vyriotes, Executive Director
Phone: 781-932-7072
Email: jkv@cummings.com

Andrew Bishop, Deputy Director
Phone: 781-569-2337
Email: aeb@cummings.com

Overview

Established in 1986 by Bill and Joyce Cummings of Winchester, Massachusetts, Cummings Foundation has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in New England, with assets exceeding $4 billion. The foundation's substantial asset base consists primarily of commercial real estate donated by the founders over time. To date, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $600 million to greater Boston nonprofits, with current annual giving of at least $50 million. The foundation's flagship program, the Cummings $30 Million Grant Program, annually awards 150 multi-year grants to Massachusetts nonprofits serving their local communities. Bill and Joyce Cummings were among the first in Massachusetts to sign the Giving Pledge, demonstrating their commitment to giving back: "We have all that we need and want. There is nothing more rewarding to us than knowing that we are advancing worthy organizations; it's the real measure of our wealth."

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Cummings $30 Million Grant Program
Annual installments: $10,000 - $100,000
Total grants: 150 awards annually

Three-year grants: 125 grants of up to $300,000 total ($10,000-$100,000 annually)
Ten-year grants: 25 grants of $300,000-$1,000,000 total ($30,000-$100,000 annually)

Application method: Annual cycle with online Letter of Inquiry (LOI) portal, opening mid-July and closing mid-September

Cummings Coaches Program
Small nonprofits requesting three-year grants with annual installments of $25,000 or less may be eligible for free assistance in developing their LOI.

Priority Areas

The foundation supports a wide variety of local causes, with recent emphasis on:

Housing and Food Security: Emergency food pantries, affordable housing construction, furniture assistance for low-income families
Education and Youth Development: K-12 programs, mentoring, out-of-school enrichment, Boys & Girls Clubs
Workforce Development: Employment training, vocational skills programs for people with disabilities
Healthcare: Community clinics, mental health services
Social Services: Support for seniors, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, foreign-born residents
Fairness and Justice Initiatives: Anti-poverty programs, wrap-around social services
Environmental Programs: Climate adaptation, accessibility initiatives

What They Don't Fund

Geographic restrictions: Organizations that maintain offices or provide services outside Massachusetts (exception: Merrimack Valley nonprofits also serving Southern New Hampshire)
Organizational type: Regional, national, or international organizations, even if based locally; religious, political, or lobbying organizations; organizations without separate 501(c)(3) status
Program areas not currently funded: Arts, athletics, animal welfare, land preservation, or religious endeavors
Specific prohibition: Use of grant funds for upgraded airline tickets, including upgrades achieved through mileage awards
Focus preference: The foundation prioritizes local organizations without access to the infrastructure and resource capacity of broader networks

Governance and Leadership

The Cummings Foundation board is composed of accomplished leaders with no trustee receiving compensation (though some trustees are employed and compensated by Cummings Properties). The board includes six college presidents plus leaders from finance, law, medicine, real estate, and other businesses.

Key Leadership:

Bill and Joyce Cummings - Founders (established 1986)
Joyce Vyriotes - Executive Director
Andrew Bishop - Deputy Director
Patricia Cummings, Psy.D. - Trustee, eldest daughter of Bill and Joyce Cummings
Aisha Francis, Ph.D. - Trustee, President and CEO, Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology
Jim Yong Kim, M.D., Ph.D. - Trustee, President (Retired), Dartmouth College and World Bank
Agnes Binagwaho, M.D., Ph.D. - Trustee, former Rwandan minister of health
Robert D. Keefe, JD - Trustee, WilmerHale senior counsel
Carol Fulp - Trustee, senior leadership roles with The Partnership, Inc. and John Hancock Financial

On Board Expertise:
The foundation expressed gratitude to trustees who serve as advisors and ambassadors, noting that "with six college presidents, plus leaders from the fields of finance, law, medicine, real estate, and other businesses, the board draws on an impressive breadth and depth of experience to help guide the Foundation's operation and strategy."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are accepted through an annual two-stage process:

Stage 1: Letter of Inquiry (LOI)

Online portal opens: Mid-July
Deadline: Mid-September, 5:00 PM (2025 deadline: September 17)
Organizations should submit no more than one LOI per grant cycle
All LOIs should be written with a three-year grant in mind
Includes a "Plan for Grant Funds" statement (1,000 words maximum) describing how the grant would address stated needs and demonstrating organizational qualifications

Stage 2: Full Application (by invitation only)

Invitation notifications: Early November (2026: week of November 3)
Full application deadline: Mid-January (2026: January 14, 5:00 PM)
Presentation days: Mid-May (2026: week of May 11)

Important Application Notes:

Nonprofits are strongly encouraged to plan ahead and submit well before the deadline, as extensions will not be granted
Foundation staff are available to answer questions up until the deadline
Applicants may prepare responses in a document outside the online system (e.g., Microsoft Word) and copy/paste text, being mindful of character limits
Formatting tools should be avoided as formatting likely will not transfer to the online system

Decision Timeline

Milestone	Typical Timing
LOI submission	July - September
LOI review by volunteer committee	September - November
Full application invitation	Early November
Full application due	Mid-January
Presentation days	Mid-May
Grant decisions announced	Early June
Winner celebration	Late June

Total timeline: Approximately 9-10 months from LOI submission to final decision

Notification methods: Email notifications for LOI decisions and full application invitations; public announcement of all 150 winners in early June

Success Rates

LOI to full application: Approximately 20% of LOI applicants are invited to submit full applications (in 2020, 738 LOIs were received for 150 ultimate awards)
Full application to award: Approximately 50% of organizations that complete full applications receive grants
Overall competitiveness: With 150 grants awarded annually and several hundred LOIs received, the program is highly competitive

Selection process: More than two-thirds of the 150 awards each year are determined completely by approximately 100 community volunteers with varying backgrounds who serve on four successive committees. The remaining awards are Early Decision grants determined by Cummings Foundation through an internal process.

Reapplication Policy

After unsuccessful LOI or application:

No waiting period required
Organizations may reapply in the next grant cycle
Review guidelines carefully before reapplying
Important note: "Volunteers reviewing proposals will most likely not have read past proposals and will not be familiar with prior Cummings grants, so applicants are welcome to submit the same or similar material from previous submissions"

After completing a three-year grant:

May reapply during the summer of the final installment year

After completing a ten-year grant:

Must wait one year after final payment before resubmitting

Important consideration: Prior grant receipt carries no automatic advantage—"Every application is evaluated on its merits"

Application Success Factors

The foundation explicitly outlines five core principles for competitive proposals:

1. Conciseness

"With several hundred requests received each year, the volunteer grant reviewers greatly appreciate clear, concise writing." Keep responses focused and to the point.

2. Distinctiveness

Highlight what makes your organization uniquely effective or address unmet community needs that competitors may overlook. Stand out by demonstrating your unique value proposition.

3. Fiscal Responsibility

"The Cummings organization was built on—and continues to operate with—a strong sense of fiscal responsibility." Demonstrate sound financial management and efficient use of resources. Requested grant amounts ideally should not exceed 20% of your organization's average annual revenue.

4. Accessible Language

Avoid jargon since reviewers have diverse backgrounds. Use plain language understandable to all committee members, regardless of their sector expertise.

5. Concrete Specifics

Provide measurable outcomes rather than vague claims. For example, "200 clients per year" resonates better than "transformative experiences." Quantify your impact wherever possible.

Additional Strategic Considerations

Grant amount strategy: Round numbers are preferred for annual installment requests

Submission timing: Submit early rather than last-minute to differentiate your proposal

Geographic alignment: Special consideration is given to nonprofits based in the 11 cities and towns where the Cummings organization operates commercial real estate, especially Woburn

Mission alignment: The foundation's primary goal is to help meet the most basic needs of people in all segments of society, seeking to "aid the furthest behind first" and promote social and economic inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or other status

Examples of Recently Funded Projects

2025 Ten-Year Grant Recipients:

Uncommon Threads (Lawrence) - $500,000 for providing personal development coaching and wardrobe styling to help women with low incomes
Boston Harbor Now - $750,000 to support accessibility and climate adaptation work
Daily Table - $400,000 for nonprofit grocery stores
L'Arche Boston North (Haverhill) - $500,000 to help open a community cafe where adults with intellectual disabilities can learn vocational skills

2024 Grant Recipients:

Esperanza Academy (Lawrence) - $500,000 to hire teachers and enrich education
Bread & Roses Community Kitchen - $750,000 for emergency food pantry program
Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts - $150,000 to build affordable, accessible homes
Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee - $750,000 to provide wrap-around social services
Project Home Again (Andover) - $350,000 to provide furniture to low-income families

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Plan for the long application cycle: With a 9-10 month timeline from LOI to decision, start planning well in advance of the July opening
Focus on local impact: Demonstrate clear service to Essex, Middlesex, or Suffolk counties; special consideration for Woburn-based programming
Write concisely for volunteers: Remember that diverse community volunteers review applications—avoid jargon and use concrete, measurable outcomes
Demonstrate fiscal responsibility: Keep grant requests reasonable (ideally ≤20% of annual revenue) and show sound financial management
Be distinctive: Clearly articulate what makes your organization uniquely positioned to address community needs
Don't be discouraged by rejection: With a 50% success rate at the full application stage and no disadvantage to reapplying, unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to try again—reviewers won't remember previous applications
Consider the Cummings Coaches program: If requesting small grants ($25,000 or less annually), take advantage of free application assistance
Align with foundation values: Emphasize how your work helps meet basic needs and serves those "furthest behind first" in the community

References

Cummings Foundation. "Cummings $30 Million Grant Program." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/grants/
Cummings Foundation. "FAQs." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/grants/faqs.html
Cummings Foundation. "Foundation News." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/about/news.html
Cummings Foundation. "Trustees." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/about/trustees.html
Cummings Foundation. "Trustee Profiles." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/about/trustee-profiles.html
Cummings Foundation. "Our Principles." https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/about/our-principles.html
Instrumentl. "Cummings Foundation Inc. | Woburn, MA | 990 Report." https://www.instrumentl.com/990-report/cummings-foundation-inc
ProPublica. "Cummings Foundation Inc - Nonprofit Explorer." https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43073023
Inside Philanthropy. "Cummings Foundation Inc./One World Boston Inc." https://www.insidephilanthropy.com/find-a-grant-places/massachusetts-grants/cummings-foundation-incone-world-boston-inc
The Boston Foundation. "Bill and Joyce Cummings: The First in Massachusetts to Sign the Bill Gates Giving Pledge." https://www.tbf.org/donors/donor-stories/cummings
Philanthropy Roundtable. "Interview with Bill Cummings." https://www.philanthropyroundtable.org/magazine/interview-with-bill-cummings/
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network. "ICYMI: Here are Cummings Foundation's 150 grant recipients for its 2024 program." https://www.massnonprofit.org/news/icymi-here-are-cummings-foundation-s-150-grant-recipients-for-its-2024-program/
ABCD. "Cummings announces 150 recipients of its 2025 $30 Million Grant Program." https://bostonabcd.org/2025/07/09/cummings-announces-150-recipients-of-its-2025-30-million-grant-program/

All sources accessed December 2025.