ZUMIX 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 East Boston-based organization will receive a total of $240,000 over three years to support its award-winning creative youth development programs.
Rooted in the East Boston community for 35 years, ZUMIX offers programs for young people ages 7-18 in songwriting and performance, creative media and technology, musical theater, private instrumental music instruction, and instrumental ensembles. Welcoming the community to its LEED-certified renovated Firehouse in East Boston, ZUMIX has created a space where creativity, belonging, and opportunity thrive.
“We’re grateful to the Cummings Foundation for their support,” said Madeleine Steczynski, co-founder and executive director of ZUMIX. “Our work serving young people and empowering them to build successful futures for themselves has never been more critical. As we celebrate 35 years of ZUMIX, we’re excited to build on the work we have done and continue giving young people the tools they need to navigate a complex and challenging world.”
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.”
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.
ZUMIX’s mission is to empower young people to build successful futures for themselves – transforming lives and community through music, technology, and creative employment. ZUMIX works with more than 900 young people ages 7-18 each year. Free and low-cost programs are offered out-of-school in instrumental music, songwriting, performance, radio, audio engineering, and audio and video storytelling. ZUMIX also partners with local schools to bring arts education opportunities to Boston’s youth. In addition to youth programs, ZUMIX offers free concerts and events for all ages. For more information, visit www.zumix.org.
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.