By Gage Vieno, Reporter Fellow
As nonprofits across Massachusetts confront growing demand for services while facing uncertainty over state and federal funding, several Dorchester organizations say this year’s Cummings Foundation grants have arrived at a critical moment.
The foundation recently announced $35 million in grants to 150 Massachusetts nonprofits through its annual grant program, which drew a record 959 applications. Unlike many traditional grants, these Cummings awards are unrestricted, allowing organizations to decide where the funding is needed most as they navigate changing financial conditions.
Among the recipients are three organizations deeply rooted in Dorchester: the Cape Verdean Association of Boston (CVAB), Level Ground Mixed Martial Arts, and Brookview House. Though their missions range from youth development and immigrant services to homelessness prevention, leaders at each organization described the funding as an opportunity to strengthen programs and maintain stability during a period of increasing uncertainty.
For Alexandra Mercer, executive director of Level Ground MMA, the unrestricted funding comes as nonprofits across Boston adjust to shrinking government resources.
“With federal budget cuts right now, that influences our state grants and also our city grants,” Mercer said. “The city of Boston has had to slash several grants. The state has had to slash several grants. Many organizations, including ours, have been affected.”
Level Ground, which has served Dorchester youth for more than 13 years, offers free martial arts instruction alongside mentorship, academic support, workforce development, and entrepreneurship training. While young people often arrive because of martial arts, Mercer said they remain because of the community they build.
“Our overall goal is to connect young people with various opportunities, both on and off the mat,” she said.
The organization’s signature Student Trainer Program currently serves about 50 high school students and 20 middle school students, teaching participants martial arts instruction, personal training, business development, and leadership skills.
Mercer said the organization has experienced significant growth in recent years. More than 300 students applied for roughly 50 openings in the Student Trainer Program this year — a 71 percent increase over the previous year.
The demand extends beyond structured programming. Evening martial arts classes have grown so full, Mercer said, that the organization is already discussing expanding its physical presence in Dorchester in the coming years.
“Martial arts is fantastic,” she said. “It provides discipline, perseverance, resilience — all of those incredible transferable skills. But it only goes so far. We need to provide opportunities so that our youth can succeed and flourish as it relates to things other than sports.”
Youth participants train together during a class at Level Ground Mixed Martial Arts in Dorchester. The nonprofit organization recently received a Cummings Foundation grant to expand its youth development and community programming through martial arts. Gage Vieno photo
Mercer said the Cummings Foundation’s decision to make the grants unrestricted reflects confidence in local nonprofits to respond to changing community needs.
“The vote of confidence and the vote of trust meant a lot to us,” she said. “It allows us to ensure that both programmatically and organizationally we’re able to sustain and grow.”
Brookview House, which has served families in Dorchester, Roxbury, and Mattapan for more than three decades, sees many of those same financial pressures through a different lens.
The nonprofit works primarily with families experiencing or at risk of homelessness, providing housing support, workforce development, youth programming and domestic violence services through what President and CEO Deborah Collins describes as a two-generation approach that supports parents and their children.
“We believe that children will help break the cycle of homelessness and poverty for their families,” Collins said. “So we put as much, if not more, investment and engagement with them.”
The organization’s work comes as Boston continues to face a severe housing affordability crisis, with rising rents placing increasing pressure on low-income families.
“We know that there will never be enough shelter for the families that need it,” Collins said. “One of our goals is to continue to support families living in the community, particularly those who are at risk of homelessness.”
Brookview House recently received a 10-year, $750,000 Cummings grant. Collins said the flexibility provided by unrestricted funding will allow the organization to respond as community needs evolve.
“This is an amazing gift,” she said. “The fact that the funding now will be unrestricted means we’re able to apply those funds where we need them most.”
She hopes other private foundations will follow Cummings Foundation’s example by placing similar trust in nonprofit organizations.
“They’ve put a lot of trust in us to use the funds as we see fit for the next 10 years,” Collins said. “Having that funding committed and that longevity will help us better plan for our future.”
The Cape Verdean Association of Boston also received support through this year’s grant program, earning $150,000 over three years.
Founded in 2000, the Dorchester-based organization provides services centered on immigrant integration, family stabilization, community engagement, housing assistance and food justice. The funding will help expand programming across those service areas while strengthening the organization’s long-term capacity.
“We have a vision and aspirations for our community in Boston,” said CVAB President Paulo Amado De Barros.
