Wellesley, MA, June, 2026 – The Elizabeth Seton Residence 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 Wellesley-based organization will receive $150,000 over three years.

“We are deeply grateful for this generous grant and excited about the meaningful difference it will make in the lives of our residents. Skilled nursing facilities operate within significant budget constraints, making opportunities like this especially impactful. These funds will allow us to enhance our resident dining and living spaces, creating more functional, comfortable, and welcoming environments that feel like home. Most importantly, these improvements support our commitment to providing care that promotes the comfort, dignity, and well-being of every resident we serve.”

Lori Ferrante – Executive Director & CEO, Elizabeth Seton Residence.

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.”

This year’s grant recipients represent a wide range of causes, including housing and food insecurity, education, workforce development, healthcare, mental health services, social justice, immigrant support, and youth programming.

The annual grant program supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex, and Suffolk counties, as well as Brookline, Dedham, Milton, Needham, Quincy, and Wellesley.

Through this place-based initiative, Cummings Foundation reinvests in the areas where it owns commercial real estate. Its buildings are all managed at no cost to the Foundation by its affiliate, Cummings Properties, a Woburn-based commercial developer that leases and manages 11 million square feet of debt-free space. All rental profits support the Foundation.

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.

About Elizabeth Seton Residence 

Open to all, the Elizabeth Seton Residence is a not-for-profit skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility offering short-term rehabilitation and long-term care in Wellesley, MA. They are deeply committed to delivering quality person-centered care in a welcoming environment that meets the physical, spiritual, psychological and cultural needs of their residents and families. The Elizabeth Seton Residence is proud of their 5-Star quality status, high satisfaction ratings and quality measures that consistently meet or exceed state and national standards. Additional information is available at elizabethseton.org.

About Cummings Foundation

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.

Contact: Judy Coogan, Elizabeth Seton Residence, 781-997-1351, jcoogan@schalifax.org

Contact: Alison Harding, Cummings Foundation, 781-932-7093, aeh@cummings.com