Press Release: Bikes Not Bombs Awarded Cummings Grant
Bikes Not Bombs Awarded $225,000 Cummings Grant
Boston nonprofit receives 3 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Jamaica Plain, May 24, 2024 – Bikes Not Bombs is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. The City-based organization was selected from a total of 715 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $225,000 over three years.
Bikes Not Bombs (BNB) uses the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to achieve economic mobility for Black and other marginalized people in Boston and the Global South. BNB engages hundreds of Boston youth in foundational bike mechanics classes, employs teenagers and young adults in their mission-driven bike shop, offers free bike repair events to local families, runs community rides, and provides thousands of free bikes to neighbors in need and international partners.
Bikes Not Bombs CEO Elijah Evans says, “This generous award will empower us to expand our impactful Youth Pathways model by introducing our first ever Youth Fieldworker Fellowship program. Through this initiative, Boston-area youth will gain invaluable practical skills and career development opportunities in sustainable international development. Moreover, this program will deepen our longstanding partnership with Learn Work Develop (LWD) in Rwanda, a bicycle-based social enterprise committed to creating a brighter future for children, youth, and women in the community.”
“Thanks to the support of the Cummings Foundation, we are excited to enhance our collaboration with LWD, fostering economic mobility and cross-cultural connections. Together, we are building bridges that transcend borders and empower individuals to lead secure, healthy, and fulfilling lives worldwide. This grant is a testament to our shared vision of creating positive change and making a lasting impact on communities both locally and globally.”
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve 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, the majority 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.”
The majority of the grant decisions were made by nearly 100 community volunteers. They worked across a variety of 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 areas such as 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 first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $300,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients, as well as 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.
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.
About Bikes Not Bombs
At the BNB, Black and other marginalized young people develop critical workplace skills, advance transportation equity, and establish post-secondary plans that set the stage for long-term economic mobility. For 40 years, BNB has partnered with community organizations across the Global South, to advance bicycle-based social enterprises and environmental sustainability initiatives. BNB envisions a more just, equitable, and sustainable world powered by bicycles and led by Black and other marginalized people. Additional information about community events, bike recycling, the bike shop, and international partnerships is available at www.BikesNotBombs.org.
About Cummings Foundation
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.