Autism Housing Pathways awarded $100,000 Cummings grant

Winchester nonprofit receives 6 years of funding from Cummings Foundation

Winchester, June 6, 2022 – Autism Housing Pathways (AHP) is one of 140 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 to $500,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s $25 Million Grant Program. The Winchester-based organization was chosen from a total of 580 applicants during a competitive review process. It will receive $100,000 over six years.

Autism Housing Pathways’ mission is to enable Massachusetts residents with developmental disabilities and their families to find or create sustainable, supported, self-directed housing that meets their needs and contributes to their quality of life.

“The Cummings Foundation grant will be instrumental in allowing AHP to lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability,” said AHP President Catherine Boyle. “It will enable us to reach more families and individuals and broaden the services we offer.”

AHP plans to use the funds to increase the number of people receiving individualized housing counseling and application assistance. It will also launch regular housing “meet-ups” to enable families interested in specific housing models to connect with one another. Additionally, it will expand its library of living skills videos available on YouTube, aimed which are aimed at coaching adults with developmental disabilities through daily tasks.

The Cummings $25 Million Grant Program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and 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 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.

“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 Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “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.”

With the help of about 90 volunteers, the Foundation first identified 140 organizations to receive grants of at least $100,000 each. Among the winners were first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings Foundation grants. Forty of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $200,000 to $500,000 each.

“Our volunteers bring diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which is so critical to our grant selection process,” said Vyriotes. “Through this democratized approach to philanthropy, they decide more than half the grants every year.”

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 nonprofits are spread across 45 different cities and towns.

The complete list of 140 grant winners, plus more than 900 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.

Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $375 million to greater Boston nonprofits.

About Autism Housing Pathways

Autism Housing Pathways is a family-driven, membership-based organization serving individuals and families in Massachusetts impacted by autism and other developmental disabilities. It has the following core goals:

• Building the capacity of families to find or create housing solutions for their family members with disabilities;
• Building the capacity of individuals to maintain tenancy;
• Improving the professional development of direct support staff;
• Conducting research on the housing needs and resources of the Massachusetts autism community; and
• Building the capacity of the housing sector to meet the residential needs of individuals with autism.

About Cummings Foundation

Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings 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.

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