(BOSTON, MA, 6/10/2022) – The Massachusetts chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MA) is delighted to announce that it has been awarded a $250,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation, to be paid over the next 10 years. CAIR-MA was one of 140 nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. CAIR-MA was chosen from a total of 580 organizations during a competitive review process.
Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, CAIR-MA Executive Director and Chief Legal Officer, issued this statement in response to the grant award: ”This generous grant from Cummings Foundation comes at a critical time in our growth. It will allow us to expand our legal team and strategically increase our Muslim youth leadership work.”
Joyce Vyriotes, Cummings Foundation Executive Director, added, “We are so fortunate in greater Boston to have such effective nonprofits, plus a wealth of talented, dedicated professionals and volunteers to run them,” said. “We are indebted to them for the work they do each day to provide for basic needs, break down barriers to education and health resources, and work toward a more equitable society.”
According to Cummings Foundation, this year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including food insecurity, immigrant and refugee services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The complete list of 2022’s 140 grant winners can be found here: https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/grants/grant-recipients.html. Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $375 million to greater Boston nonprofits.
The Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in or primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation aims to give back in the areas where it owns commercial properties. 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.
CAIR’s mission is to protect civil rights, enhance understanding of Islam, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
La misión de CAIR es proteger las libertades civiles, mejorar la comprensión del Islam, promover la justicia, y empoderar a los musulmanes en los Estados Unidos.
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CONTACT: Tahirah Amatul-Wadud, CAIR-MA Executive Director, 413-478-7825, [email protected]; Alison Harding, Cummings Foundation, 781-932-7093, [email protected]