The Wonderfund Awarded $1,000,000 Cummings GrantMassachusetts nonprofit receives 10 years of funding from Cummings Foundation
Contact: Colleen Walsh, Wonderfund, 978-994-4018, [email protected]
Contact: Alison Harding, Cummings Foundation, 781-932-7093, [email protected]
Newton, MA June 2, 2026 – The Wonderfund has been selected as one of 150 nonprofits to receive funding through Cummings Foundation’s annual grant program, which awarded $35 million this year. Chosen through a competitive review process that drew a record 959 applicants, the Newton-based organization will receive $1,000,000 over 10 years.
The Wonderfund is committed to helping kids be kids. We are an ordinary group of people on an extraordinary mission to bring the magic and meaning of childhood into the lives of children who have been impacted by trauma, abuse and neglect.
“This grant represents a transformative investment in the future of children and youth involved with Massachusetts’ child welfare system,” said Wonderfund Founder and CEO Lauren Baker. “We are honored by the Cummings Foundation’s confidence in our work and beyond grateful for their partnership. This gift is a game changer for the Wonderfund, and will help us provide essential resources and enriching experiences that help children heal, grow, and thrive.”
This year, the Woburn-based Cummings Foundation increased its annual grant program from $30 million to $35 million and shifted to fully unrestricted funding, allowing recipients to direct grant dollars where they are needed most.
Foundation executive director and trustee Joyce Vyriotes noted that the changes reflect growing concerns among Greater Boston nonprofits about rising costs, increased demand for services, and sustained uncertainty around public funding.
“Nonprofit professionals are closest to the challenges facing their communities, making them best positioned to determine where and how new funds will drive the greatest impact,” said Vyriotes. “By providing increased, flexible funding, we hope to strengthen organizations’ long-term stability and help them respond to evolving community needs.”
This year’s grant recipients represent a wide range of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education, workforce development, healthcare, mental health services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming.
The annual grant program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.
Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation reinvests in the areas where it owns commercial real estate. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties, a Woburn-based commercial developer that leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space. All rental profits support the Foundation.
Since its founding, Cummings Foundation has awarded more than $650 million to Greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s grant recipients, along with additional information about the Foundation and its grant programs, is available at CummingsFoundation.org.
About The Wonderfund
The Wonderfund is a private nonprofit, 501(c)3 serving kids engaged with the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families. We provide comfort and dignity to 35,000 children who have been impacted by abuse and neglect. Our services include providing emergency essentials, enrichment opportunities, everyday essentials such as toiletries and school supplies, access to cultural experiences across the Commonwealth, holiday gifts and more! We believe that every child deserves to experience the wonder of being a kid.
About Cummings Foundation
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, Mass., and has grown to become one of the largest private foundations in New England. In addition to its annual grant program, the Foundation directly operates two not-for-profit retirement communities: New Horizons at Marlborough and New Horizons at Choate, in Woburn. Additional information is available at CummingsFoundation.org.
