Local Nonprofits Invited to Apply for Tufts Community Grants

Grant applications available now through February 28

Tufts University is now accepting Tufts Community Grants (TCG) applications from local nonprofit organizations located in its four host communities of Boston, Grafton, Medford, and Somerville. The TCG program is funded by donations from Tufts faculty and staff during the Tufts Community Appeal, the university’s annual internal fundraising campaign and from a generous matching gift from Cummings Foundation.

Generous donations this fiscal year from Tufts faculty and staff to the Tufts Community Grants program, combined with a Cummings Foundation matching gift, will allow the TCG board to award $105,000 this cycle. One hundred percent of donations made to TCG during the Tufts Community Appeal go directly to nonprofits as grants.

Since TCG was founded in 1995, over 150 nonprofit organizations have benefited from the program’s grants.

Grant applications will be accepted from February 1 through February 28, 2025. To be eligible to receive a grant, an organization must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, based in one of Tufts University’s host communities, and have had a Tufts student, faculty, or staff volunteer in the last year.

"Through the Tufts Community Grants program, we are able to meaningfully support the important work that local nonprofits are doing every day in our host communities,” said Rocco DiRico, executive director of the office of Government and Community Relations. “We are so grateful for Cummings Foundation’s continued commitment to the Tufts Community Grants program, which, once again this  year, allows us to amplify the impact of each grant award made.”

The program has been able to grow over the past few years thanks to Bill Cummings, A58, H06, J97P, M97P, founder of Cummings Properties, co-founder of Cummings Foundation, and a major supporter of the Tufts Community Grants program. Cummings is a business leader, philanthropist, and trustee emeritus who grew up in Medford.

“The building block of our communities—local nonprofit organizations—are doing incredible work to help our neighbors when they need it most,” Cummings said. “With the Tufts Community Grants program, we can strengthen our commitment to these organizations as they deliver essential services and programming to local residents. Joyce and I are so delighted to support the Tufts Community Grant program once again.”

Last year, the Tufts Community Grants board awarded 35 $3,000 grants to organizations in Tufts’ host communities, including nine first-time TCG recipients. The grants supported a wide range of programs and projects addressing community needs. For example:

Two young students from Touchstone community School

Two students participate in the stewardship programming at Touchstone Community School, a pre-K through grade 8 school in Grafton. In 2023, Touchstone received a grant to support their programming with purchase of supplies that allowed students to have a hand in taking care of their school grounds.

  • In Grafton, the Touchstone Community School received a grant to support their sustainability and stewardship program for youth that will provide opportunities to engage with farm animals and the gardens.
  • A grant to Boston's Asian Community Development Corporation supported their Chinatown Backyard program, as part of which Chinatown residents can access gardening and green space, engage with climate resiliency efforts, and build relationships with neighbors and Tufts students, faculty, and staff.
  • In Medford, TCG funding supported the Medford Farmers Market, allowing SNAP/EBT eligible customers to purchase fresh, healthy, and local food at the weekly market and for senior citizens to receive weekly deliveries of fresh produce.
  • The Mystic Learning Center in Somerville received a grant for the purchase of “Summer Success Starter Backpacks,” a backpack that included bathing suits, towels, socks, water bottles, and lunch bags so all students could participate in weekly excursions.

The TCG program is just one of the numerous ways in which the university supports campus neighbors. The Government and Community Relations team provides event sponsorships for local organizations, hosts community events on campus, and, in collaboration with other offices at Tufts, helps over 1,000 student, faculty, and staff volunteers with their community engagement work each year.

Applications can be found on the Government and Community Relations website.

Questions regarding TCG can be directed to Government and Community Relations at communityrelations@tufts.edu or 617-627-3780.

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