Salem Academy is awarded $225,000 Cummings Grant

SALEM, MA, May 30, 2023 — Salem Academy Charter School (SACS) is one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program. SACS was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process. We are excited to announce that we will receive $225,000 over three years to establish a College Success Program. 

Salem Academy is committed to ensuring our alumni are prepared for and empowered to succeed in a global workforce and society. The ultimate goal of our College Success Program is to improve postsecondary outcomes for our alumni, especially college completion. Funding from the Cummings Foundation will be used to establish this program to provide the support and coaching our alumni need to persist in graduating from college. 

The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties. 

“The way the local nonprofit sector perseveres, steps up, and pivots to meet the shifting needs of the community is most impressive,” said Cummings Foundation executive director Joyce Vyriotes. “We are incredibly grateful for these tireless efforts to support people in the community and to increase equity and access to opportunities.”

“We extend our sincerest thanks to the Cummings Foundation for their commitment to educational equity and their generous support” stated Stephanie Callahan, Executive Director. “This investment will make a tangible difference in the lives of our alumni by enabling us to develop and implement a comprehensive College Success Program that addresses the unique challenges students face as they transition into higher education.”

Melissa Lassen, Director of College Counseling, added “This program will provide in-house wrap-around services to all Salem Academy Alumni to ensure individual post-secondary goals are achieved. Our alumni will have one point of contact along with the support of the College Counseling department to persist to and through college and beyond.”

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide variety of causes, including housing and food insecurity, workforce development, immigrant services, social justice, education, and mental health services. The nonprofits are spread across 46 different cities and towns. Cummings Foundation has now awarded $480 million to greater Boston nonprofits. The complete list of this year’s 150 grant winners, plus nearly 1,500 previous recipients, is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org. 

ABOUT SALEM ACADEMY: Salem Academy Charter School opened its doors to sixth and seventh graders in September 2004 with the promise to serve the diverse population of Salem. Through a unique integration of college preparatory classes with service to the community, Salem Academy’s mission is to graduate informed, articulate, and proactive individuals of strong character. Today, Salem Academy has over 480 students in grades six through twelve. For more information, please visit salemacademycs.org.

ABOUT CUMMINGS FOUNDATION: Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings of Winchester, MA, 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.