Foundation’s support has helped dozens of local nonprofits provide food assistance, childcare, senior services and mental health services
July 31, 2020 (Natick, MA) – The Foundation for MetroWest, the only community foundation serving the MetroWest region of Greater Boston, announced today it has granted over $3.3 million in emergency relief funding to community organizations since the outbreak of COVID-19. This level of giving is six times greater than the Foundation’s typical grantmaking, reflecting the urgency and breadth of the pandemic’s impact. This funding has been directed to nonprofits providing essential support to MetroWest’s most vulnerable residents during a time of unprecedented demand for critical services.
“COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on MetroWest’s many communities and populations,” said Judy Salerno, executive director of the Foundation for MetroWest. “From the closure of schools and child care programs to the impact on our elderly neighbors, the pandemic created an array of significant needs. We are determined to ensure the community organizations supporting residents and families have the resources they need to carry out their critical work.”
The Foundation has directed its emergency funding to nonprofit organizations focused on food assistance, childcare, senior services, mental health, rental and utility assistance, and the provision of basic needs. This support has benefited seniors, immigrants, individuals with disabilities, homeless persons, and frontline workers, in addition to the general public, and has spanned 26 different communities. Impact MetroWest, the Foundation’s data-driven community indicator project which revealed facts about the region that have historically gone unnoticed, has helped guide the Foundation’s work since the public health emergency began.
“COVID-19 presented a challenge unlike any other previously faced by the nonprofit and philanthropic communities,” said Caroline Murphy, the Foundation’s director of programs. “We’re grateful to our donors and partners whose support and collaboration have made tangible differences in the lives of MetroWest residents and families who need their neighbors’ support to navigate the pandemic’s many obstacles.”
The Foundation has distributed $2.1 million from the Massachusetts COVID-19 Relief Fund, a combined $421,000 from the MetroWest Emergency Relief Fund and Feed Framingham COVID-19 Fund, nearly $100,000 from the Community Fund for Wellesley Covid-19 Relief and $285,000 from its own revised 25th Anniversary Grant Program. A full list of grantees from each fund and more information on the Foundation’s emergency relief efforts can be found here.
About Foundation for MetroWest
Established in 1995, the Foundation for MetroWest is the only community foundation serving the cities and towns in the region, encompassing 700,000 residents from Westborough to Waltham and Acton to Walpole. The Foundation promotes philanthropy across the area, helps donors maximize the impact of their local giving, serves as a resource for local nonprofits and enhances the quality of life for all our residents. The Foundation is supported by a wide range of businesses, individuals, community groups and other philanthropic organizations. Since inception, the Foundation has granted $19 million to its nonprofit partners and currently stewards more than $26 million in charitable assets for current needs and future impact. To learn more, please call 508-647-2260.
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