Lawrence, May, 2020 – Fidelity House CRC is one of 130 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $20 Million Grant Program. The Lawrence-based organization was chosen from a total of 738 applicants during a competitive review process.

Fidelity House CRC (FHCRC) is a human services organization supporting adults and children with intellectual, developmental, and physical disabilities; brain injuries; and mental health diagnoses. In recent years, FHCRC has supported a growing population of adults with acquired brain injury, created new services for military veterans, and developed an innovative technology to provide respite for family members who care 24/7 for someone with disabilities or dementia. With more than 30 locations and 20 different service types, Fidelity House CRC, supports more than 1200 people across Massachusetts. FHCRC’s mission is to support people with disabilities and/or significant challenges to pursue goals and live fulfilled lives.

Brad Howell, President & CEO, had this to say upon receiving the news, “We are very proud to continue our partnership with the Cummings Foundation as a second time recipient of the $20 Million Grant Program. We look forward to supporting more Veterans to find work meaningful careers. Having the ability to partner with The Cummings Foundation, shows their commitment to invest in local organizations to improve the quality of life for all people. This is a highly effective partnership model.”

Fidelity House CRC will use the awarded funds to sustain and strengthen one-to-one job placement services for military veterans with disabilities and other barriers to employment.

The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 10 million square feet of debt-free space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“We have been impressed, but not surprised, by the myriad ways in which these 130 grant winners are serving their communities, despite the challenges presented by COVID-19,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “Their ability to adapt and work with their constituents in new and meaningful ways has an enormous impact in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work.”

Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $280 million to greater Boston nonprofits.

Social distancing requirements will prevent Foundation and grant winner representatives from convening for a reception at Trade Center 128 in Woburn, as planned, to celebrate the $20 million infusion into greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. Instead, Cummings Foundation expects hundreds of individuals to gather virtually for a modified celebration in mid-June.

The Cummings $20 Million Grant Program resulted from a merger of the Foundation’s two flagship grant programs, $100K for 100 and Sustaining Grants.

The Foundation and its volunteers first identified 130 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each. Among the winners are first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that have previously received Cummings Foundation grants. A limited number of this latter group of repeat recipients will be invited to make in-person presentations in the fall, when public health related circumstances allow, proposing that their grants be elevated to long-term awards. Thirty such requests will be granted in the form of 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.

This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. The nonprofits are spread across 40 different cities and towns, and most will receive their grants over two to five years.

The complete list of 130 grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

A great deal more information about Cummings Foundation is detailed in Bill Cummings’ self-written business book, “Starting Small and Making It Big: Hands-On Lessons in Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy.” The brand-new, and significantly updated, 6^th edition is available on Amazon or cummings.com/book.

About Fidelity House CRC

The mission of Fidelity House CRC is to support people with disabilities and those with significant challenges to pursue their goals and live a fulfilled life. The organization currently serves over 1,200 children, teens and adults in the Merrimack Valley and northeast Massachusetts. Information on services and recent initiatives can be found at fidelityhhs.org. 

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn, and Veterinary School at Tufts, LLC in North Grafton. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.