One Bead 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 Boston-based organization will receive $150,000 over three years. 

One Bead’s flagship program brings career and academic planning directly into Boston Public Schools (BPS) middle grade classrooms, ensuring every student—regardless of background—has access to structured guidance and resources year-round.

One Bead CEO & Founder Sara Kittle said the organization’s persistence, coupled with support from a Cummings coach, helped strengthen this year’s application and ultimately led to the grant.

“It took six tries to get here, and every one of those ‘no’s’ pushed us to get sharper about what we do and why it matters. This year, a Cummings coach sat down with our application and helped us say it better — and it worked. What means the most isn’t just the funding; it’s the timing: as the conversation around career-connected learning in the middle grades gains momentum nationally, this grant will help ensure Boston has a seat at that table,” said Kittle.

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.  

One Bead’s mission is to create clear pathways to postsecondary success, starting in the middle grades. Founded in 2012 as an after-school leadership program, One Bead has evolved over the last decade to address the critical need for career and academic planning services targeting the middle grades. Through conversations with professionals, hands-on learning opportunities, and exposure to secondary school pathways, our flagship program ensures every child enters high school with the clarity and confidence they need to plan for what’s next. In 2025, backed by a growing network of supporters, One Bead launched a bold plan to embed career and academic planning into the middle grade experience city-wide. Learn more at onebead.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.