On May 22, 2023, Nurtury Early Education was announced as one of the local nonprofits to receive a $750,000 grant over 10 years through Cummings Foundation’s major annual grants program.
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BOSTON – Nurtury Early Education, one of the region’s largest non-profit providers of early childhood education and care, announced today it will be one of 150 local nonprofits that will share in $30 million in grants from the Cummings Foundation. Nurtury was selected from a total of 630 applicants during a competitive review process and will receive $750,000 over the next 10 years.
“We know that an investment in early education and care pays dividends in the long run, and this significant grant from the Cummings Foundation ensures we can continue to deliver high-quality education and care for families,” said Laura Perille, Nurtury Early Education’s President and CEO. “One area this will positively impact is our ability to invest in our staff and allow us to attract and retain educators and staff who are the lifeblood of our organization.”
Nurtury Early Education is a mission-driven nonprofit providing early care and education to more than 1,000 of Greater Boston’s youngest children, including infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and their families. Nurtury operates three early learning centers in Boston and Cambridge and supports a network of 145 family child care home-based businesses throughout Greater Boston.
The Cummings Foundation funding will allow Nurtury to invest in program development and educational quality while still making workforce compensation a budgetary priority, enabling expanded access to equitable early education.
The Cummings $30 Million Grant Program primarily supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and 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.
“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.”
The majority of the grant decisions were made by about 90 volunteers who worked across a variety of committees to review and discuss the proposals and then, together, determine which requests would be funded. Among these community volunteers were business and nonprofit leaders, mayors, college presidents, and experts in areas such as finance and DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).
“It would not be possible for the Foundation to hire the diversity and depth of expertise and insights that our volunteers bring to the process,” said Vyriotes. “We so appreciate the substantial time and thought they dedicated toward ensuring that our democratized version of philanthropy results in equitable outcomes that will really move the needle on important issues in local communities.”
The Foundation and volunteers first identified 150 organizations to receive three-year grants of up to $225,000 each. The winners included first-time recipients as well as nonprofits that had previously received Cummings grants. Twenty-five of this latter group of repeat recipients were then selected by a volunteer panel to have their grants elevated to 10-year awards ranging from $300,000 to $1 million each.
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 Nurtury Early Education
Nurtury Early Education’s mission is to give Greater Boston’s youngest children in need the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families. At the heart of Nurtury’s mission is ensuring that all children enrolled in its center-based and family child care programs start school with the tools they need for kindergarten success.
Since opening their program in 1878, Nurtury became New England’s first early education and care agency. Since then, Nurtury has transformed child care to include high-quality educational programming and family support resources.
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.
One of Boston’s Largest Early Education Providers Receives Grant Aimed at Reducing Inequities for Underserved Communities
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$150,000 Grant Awarded to Nurtury Early Education from the Boston Children’s Collaboration for Community Health
BOSTON - Nurtury Early Education, the oldest early education and care agency in New England, announced today it has received a $150,000 grant from Boston Children’s Collaboration for Community Health. The grant award will support the well-being of the more than 1,000 parents and young children in greater Boston over the next three years. Through Nurtury’s “Family Partners” program the grant funds will be used to identify challenges, share resources, and deliver targeted assistance to those in need.
“Investing in the support of families is a proven approach to improving the outcomes for children who are challenged by poverty and inequities,” said Laura Perille, CEO of Nurtury Early Education. “Together we can work to identify and eliminate the barriers that prevent young children from receiving the services and resources they deserve. We know that high-quality early education and care is critical to a child’s long-term success.”
The grant to Nurtury is part of Boston Children’s Hospital’s total commitment of $53.4 million to support community organizations and agencies in their efforts to improve the health and well-being of children and families across Massachusetts. Boston Children’s is distributing these funds as part of an agreement with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health’s Determination of Need Program. This is in addition to the hospital’s ongoing support for programs and partnerships.
“We have long recognized that one of the best ways for Boston Children’s to make a difference is to partner with others in the community,” says Shari Nethersole, MD, Executive Director for Community Health. “The Collaboration provides organizations with funding so they can establish the infrastructure needed to grow and lead or strengthen their connections with partners to create more efficient systems of care and support.”
ABOUT NURTURY
Nurtury is a pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its more than 140-year history in shaping public early education policy to raise standards in the field of education nationally and in New England. Serving more than 1,000 young people annually, Nurtury’s mission is to help Greater Boston’s
youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development,
and strengthening families. Nurturyboston.org
Nurtury Announces Laura Perille as Chief Executive Officer
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Roxbury, MA December 2, 2019 – Nurtury, Greater Boston’s trusted provider of early education and care for over 140 years, announced today that Laura Perille has been named the organization’s new Chief Executive Officer. The former Interim Superintendent of Boston Public Schools will begin her new role at Nurtury on January 2, 2020.
Nurtury is a true pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its 140-year history in shaping public policy to raise standards in the field of early education nationally and locally. The $20M nonprofit organization operates six early education centers serving infants, toddlers, and preschoolers in the Boston neighborhoods of Roxbury, Mission Hill, Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, and in Cambridge. It also supports a network of 130 family child care providers across Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Revere, Somerville, Milton, and Dedham. Together, Nurtury serves more than 1,200 children and families annually.
With over 30 years of experience across the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors, Perille will lead Nurtury in providing Greater Boston's youngest children in need - from birth to age five - the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development and strengthening families.
As the founding and longtime CEO of EdVestors, a Boston-based education nonprofit that partners with philanthropic donors and education leaders, Perille helped lead its growth to a respected and high-impact organization within Boston’s education landscape. She and her team served as the driving force behind mu ltiple reform initiatives in urban public schools to level the playing field of opportunity and achievement for Boston's students, notably in arts education and middle grades math instruction.
Prior to joining Nurtury, Perille served as Interim Superintendent of Boston Public Schools during its recent leadership transition. For over a year, she led the $1.3B city agency with nearly 10,000 employees serving 55,000 students, and advised the Boston School Committee and Mayor Martin J. Walsh on district management and long-term strategy. “Laura is an extraordinary civic leader and problem-solver who has always stepped up on behalf of this city’s most vulnerable children, from the earliest days of EdVestors to her time leading the Boston Public Schools,” said Mayor Walsh. “She will do that once again for Nurtury, and that is good for children and families in Boston and beyond.”
“Laura’s experience makes her an invaluable resource to Nurtury as the new CEO at a pivotal point in this organization’s history,” said Harriet Tolpin, chair of Nurtury’s Board of Directors. “Laura will guide Nurtury on a strategic path for continued growth while ensuring the families of the 1,200 children served each year have the resources they need to succeed.”
Mike Durkin, longstanding President & CEO for United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley, in a statement said, “Since 1952, United Way has been a proud partner and funder of Nurtury. Now more than ever, access to quality early education is vital for the health and wellbeing of the families in Boston and surrounding neighborhoods. I am confident that Nurtury is in excellent hands with a strong leader like Laura helping to ensure the children served receive the foundation needed for their future educational success.”
Jeri Robinson, an early childhood expert and member of the Boston School Committee, added: “Early education is a complicated landscape, and it is urgent that we get it right for children, families, and communities. Laura is a fierce advocate for children, but she is also a listener and thoughtful collaborator. I am thrilled to see her leading an important organization like Nurtury.”
>In previous roles, Perille oversaw a wide array of programs including early childhood education, alternative high school education, job training, and school-based case management. At Crittenton Hastings House, now known as EMPath, she led an NAEYC-accredited early education center and a childcare teacher training program that boasted an 80% job placement rate.
“It is an honor and privilege to become the new CEO of Nurtury,” said Laura Perille “I am inspired by the organization’s commitment to our youngest and most vulnerable children and families in Greater Boston. I am excited to support the work of our educators, staff, and family providers. Together we will help the families and children we serve build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.”
Laura Perille succeeds Mary Kay Leonard, who has served as interim CEO since Wayne Ysaguirre left Nurtury in 2018 following a 30-year tenure.
About Nurtury
Nurtury is a pioneer in early childhood education and has played an integral role during its 140-year history in shaping public early education policy to raise standards in the field of education nationally and in New England. Nurtury’s mission is to help Greater Boston’s youngest children reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development, and strengthening families.
MEDIA CONTACT
Bonnie Taylor for Nurtury
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(781) 559-0447
Nurtury Receives $10,000 Grant for Enriching Early Childhood Development
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Roxbury, MA – Nurtury, New England's first early education and care agency for Greater Boston's youngest children in need from birth to age five announced today that it has received a $10,000 Grant for Good from Eastern Bank, America’s oldest and largest mutual bank. The grant is part of a $1 million commitment Eastern has made to local nonprofit organizations strengthening options for children and families across Eastern’s New England footprint. The grant provided by Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation will support Nurtury’s Family Engagement Program by establishing kiosks at six Nurtury early learning centers in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Cambridge. The kiosks will include tablets loaded with specialized tracking software for families to input data. Data gathered through the Kiosks will support Family Engagement staff efforts to provide referrals for services, identify and address barriers to accessing services, strengthen communication, and monitor family progress.
“Nurtury recognizes parents and caregivers as first teacher, breadwinner, and advocate. This grant allows us to create private spaces for families to complete the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) and make requests for resource referrals. The ASQ is a wonderful tool to help parents and caregivers answer questions teachers might have about how their child is learning and growing. The more we know about a child’s growth and development, the better we can support learning in the classroom and their future success!” said Mary Kay Leonard, Nurtury’s Interim CEO.
Persistent gaps in the quality of and access to early childhood development programs, as well as in parent engagement, are known to cause disparities in opportunities to succeed throughout life. Without engaging, safe, and stable environments during the first three years of life, children are likely to enter school already behind. Students who cannot read at grade level by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school before high school graduation. And lacking a high school diploma significantly impacts future employment and earnings opportunities. Eastern is awarding grants to organizations focused on strengthening socioemotional and cognitive skills development among children in the communities it serves. Grants are intended to ensure children and their families have more equitable access to the resources needed early in life for healthy development, while funding a sector that receives a staggeringly small proportion of all philanthropy.
“Providing every child with an equal opportunity for a bright future is a basic right,” said Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “By supporting organizations that assist parents and caregivers and prepare children to be ready to learn and succeed, we are helping to create the foundation children need to thrive. On behalf of everyone at Eastern, we congratulate the grant recipients and thank them for their dedication to the children in our communities.”
As part of Eastern’s $1 million commitment to support enriching early childhood development, Nurtury is among 50 organizations that provide leading early childhood development programs across Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island and are each receiving a $10,000 Grant for Good. These grants are focused on providing support in four critical areas: achieving early learning quality standards, strengthening parent engagement, supporting professional development for educators, and upgrading early learning facilities and supplies.
About Eastern Bank
Founded in 1818, Boston-based Eastern Bank is America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, with over $11 billion in assets and more than 115 locations serving communities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Eastern provides exceptional access to fairly priced banking, investment and insurance products and services for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Eastern Bank, which includes Eastern Wealth Management and Eastern Insurance, is known for its outspoken advocacy and community support that has exceeded more than $140 million in charitable giving since 1999. An inclusive company, Eastern employs 1,900+ deeply committed professionals who value relationships with their customers, colleagues, and communities. Join us for good at www.easternbank.com and follow Eastern on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.
About Nurtury
Nurtury gives Greater Boston's youngest children in need, from birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development and strengthening families. For over a century, Nurtury has been one of Boston's largest providers of early education and care, currently impacting over 1,200 children in the Greater Boston area. Learn more by visiting: www.nurturyboston.org.
MEDIA CONTACT
Contact: Jaye Smith
617.603.4666
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Nurtury Awarded $100,000 from Cummings Foundation Grant
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Boston, MA (June 7, 2019) – Nurtury is one of 100 local nonprofits to receive grants of $100,000 each through Cummings Foundation’s “$100K for 100” program. Nurtury gives Greater Boston's youngest children in need, from birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development and strengthening families.
Representing Nurtury, Chief Advancement Officer, Jaye Smith and Vice President of Programs, Carol Campbell joined approximately 300 other guests at a reception at TradeCenter 128 in Woburn to celebrate the $10 million infusion into Greater Boston’s nonprofit sector. With the conclusion of this grant cycle, Cummings Foundation has now awarded more than $260 million to Greater Boston nonprofits alone.
“Sustaining our workforce is a critical component to early education and care. This grant will help us to fully launch our workforce strategy which includes hiring a Professional Development Specialist,” said Mary Kay Leonard, Nurtury’s Interim CEO.
With funding from the Cummings Foundation, Nurtury will address the existing early education workforce crisis by preparing teachers with the skills they need to provide a high-quality learning experience; supporting educators in the workforce with a positive and empowering place of employment; and helping to build the economic security of the early education workforce through professional development and increased compensation.
The $100K for 100 program supports 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 area where it owns commercial buildings, all of which are managed, at no cost to the Foundation, by its affiliate Cummings Properties. Founded in 1970 by Bill Cummings, the Woburn-based commercial real estate firm leases and manages 10 million square feet of space, the majority of which exclusively benefits the Foundation.
“By having such a local focus, we aim to make a meaningful positive difference in the communities where our colleagues and leasing clients live and work,” said Joel Swets, Cummings Foundation’s executive director. “We are most grateful for the nonprofit organizations that assist and empower our neighbors, and we are proud to support their efforts.”
This year’s diverse group of grant recipients represents a wide variety of causes, including homelessness prevention, affordable housing, education, violence prevention, and food insecurity. Most of the grant will be paid over two to five years. The complete list of grant winners is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.
Cummings Foundation announced an additional $15 million in early May through its Sustaining Grants program. Through these awards, 50 local nonprofits will receive ongoing funding of $20,000 - $50,000 for 10 years.
The history behind Cummings Properties and Cummings Foundation is detailed in Bill Cummings’ selfwritten memoir, “Starting Small and Making It Big: An Entrepreneur’s Journey to Billion-Dollar Philanthropist.” It is available on Amazon or cummings.com/book.
ABOUT NURTURY
Nurtury gives Greater Boston's youngest children in need, from birth to age five, the opportunity to reach their full potential by investing in school readiness, promoting healthy development and strengthening families. For over a century, Nurtury has been one of Boston's largest providers of early education and care, currently impacting over 1,200 children in the Greater Boston area. Learn more by visiting: www.nurturyboston.org.
ABOUT CUMMINGS FOUNDATION
Woburn-based Cummings Foundation, Inc. was established in 1986 by Joyce and Bill Cummings. The Foundation directly operates its own charitable subsidiaries, including New Horizons retirement communities in Marlborough and Woburn. Its largest single commitment to date has been to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University. Additional information is available at www.CummingsFoundation.org.