BOSTON, MA — The Steppingstone Foundation is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 through Cummings Foundation “$100k for 100” program. The Boston-based organization was chosen from nearly 600 applicants during a competitive review process.
Founded in 1990, The Steppingstone Foundation is a non-profit organization that develops and implements programs that prepare under-served students for educational opportunities that lead to college success. Each year, Steppingstone provides 12+ years of academic and social-emotional support to nearly 1,600 Boston students from traditionally marginalized communities to help them get into and through college. Steppingstone is also a partner of Boston Public Schools. The program currently serves 169 students from East Boston.
“We are thrilled to be the recipient of a Cummings Foundation $100K for 100 grant and grateful for the consistent support it will provide us over the next several years,” said Steppingstone President Kelly Glew. The $100K for 100 grant will benefit Steppingstone’s College Services program, which works to help Steppingstone Scholars successfully enroll in college, persist, and graduate by providing support during the college application and enrollment process, financial aid counseling, and one-on-one advising during the college years.
The $100K for 100 program supports nonprofits based in and serving Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, all areas where Cummings Foundation owns commercial buildings. “By having such a local focus, we aim to make a meaningful positive difference in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are most grateful for the nonprofit organizations that assist and empower our neighbors, and we are proud to support their efforts.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of initiatives, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, educational equity, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grants will be paid over two to five years. Steppingstone’s President Kelly Glew and Chief Advancement Officer Kate Wood recently joined approximately 300 other guests at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million inflow into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector.
The complete list of 100 grant winners is available at CummingsFoundation.org.
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