ACCELERATED COLLEGE EXPERIENCES AWARDED $75,000 CUMMINGS GRANT

BOSTON, MA, USA, July 24, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Accelerated College Experiences (ACE) is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation's major annual grants program. Established in 2012, Accelerated College Experiences is a not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization based in Boston, MA. The Boston-based organization was selected from 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $75,000 over three years.

ACE's mission is to teach students how to take ownership of their academic experience by setting a high standard of personal and academic excellence as measured by achieving a CUM GPA of 3.0 or higher while learning how to navigate educational and personal challenges. Students evolve from being managed to self-managing, from being directed to self-directing, from being told what to do to self-correcting, and knowing how and when to ask for help--by self-advocating.

Over 350 Boston Public School students from marginalized communities have completed an Onboarding Program. Over 80% of students coached by ACE graduated with a 3.0 CUM GPA or higher. Consistent with the research literature, many students are unprepared to meet the academic and social challenges of postsecondary education.

"My goal was to develop an onboarding program to prepare first-generation students like me to succeed in college and provide the necessary wrap-around support services to help them excel and thrive. With a grant from the Cummings Foundation, ACE can extend its reach to support more students. "I look forward to collaborating with organizations and institutions invested in ensuring students have the opportunity to excel and thrive academically," says Lorita Williams, Founder and CEO of Accelerated College Experiences.

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits based in and serving Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, plus six communities in Norfolk County: Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial property. Its buildings are all managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate, Cummings Properties. This Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space, most of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.

“Greater Boston is fortunate to have a robust, dedicated, and highly capable nonprofit sector that supports and enhances the community in myriad ways,” said Cummings Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes. “The entire Cummings organization is thankful for their daily work to help all our neighbors thrive.”

Nearly 100 community volunteers made the majority of the grant decisions. They worked across various committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).

“We believe strongly that grant decisions will be more equitable when made by a diverse group of community members,” said Vyriotes. “We’re incredibly grateful to the dozens of individuals who participated in our democratized philanthropic process.”

The Foundation and volunteers identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $300,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients and nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a panel of community volunteers to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 49 different cities and towns.

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA, and has grown to be one of the largest private foundations in New England. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn and Cummings Health Sciences, LLC. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded $500 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 2,000 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

Lorita B Williams
Accelerated College Experiences
+1 617-835-2973
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