Woburn-based property developer, Cummings Properties, has kicked off 2026 with another year of giving back to Massachusetts through its annual Cummings Community Giving initiative, which is celebrating its 14th year, according to Alison Harding, senior communications and marketing specialist for Cummings Properties.
Harding said that Cummings Properties has donated $520,000 to nonprofits across Massachusetts in this annual donation cycle, with $51,000 going to the North Shore communities of Lynn, Marblehead, Nahant, Peabody, Saugus, and Swampscott.
Each employee at Cummings Properties is granted $2,000 to be donated to any Massachusetts charity or nonprofit organization of their choosing. Donations can also be split among two organizations. Multiple employees can donate to the same organization at once.
Harding said employees may choose a specific cause “based on if it’s somewhere that’s local to them, that they feel like, ‘Oh, this is in my backyard, and this organization is doing amazing work.’ Or some people choose based on the cause in particular.”
Cummings Properties President Eric Anderson said, “This program is meaningful for so many of our team members. It puts philanthropy directly in their hands, allowing them to further support the causes that matter most to them.”
In Lynn, nonprofits in the city received a total of $11,000, with $6,000 going to My Brother’s Table, located at 98 Willow St.
My Brother’s Table is a social services organization that provides meals to any community member from noon-6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2-4:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
My Brother’s Table Executive Director Dianne Kuzia Hills said she believes Cummings Community Giving is “a lovely way for a business to allocate donations by letting their employees pick charities that they’re familiar with and think highly of, and that they can nominate. It’s really a nice way to decide who to give money to.”
She added that funds from the giving initiative will go toward the organization’s operations.
“I know that there have been a couple of employees over the years who have nominated us to receive a donation from Cummings properties, and we’re always super grateful for those folks,” Kuzia Hills said.
Also in Lynn, Beth Israel Lahey Health received $2,000, Centerboard Inc. received $2,000, Pathways Inc. received $2,000, Robert L. Ford Elementary received $2,000, and Beyond Walls received $1,000.
In Peabody, the city’s nonprofits received a total of $27,000 from Cummings Properties employee allocations.
Of the $27,000, $6,000 was given to the John E. Burke Elementary Parent Teacher Association.
Additionally, Bishop Fenwick High School received $3,000, Ella’s Army received $2,000, Kitty Cat Cafe and Adoption Lounge Inc. received $1,000, the Newhall Fields Community Farm received $2,000, and the Council on Aging received $2,000.
Among the other organizations in Peabody, the Public Schools received $1,000, Tanners Little League Softball received $2,000, Progeria Research Foundation received $2,000, the Revere Boxing Club Outreach received $3,000, The Friends of the North Shore Children’s Museum Inc. received $1,000, and the Thomas Carroll Elementary School PTO received $2,000.
In Marblehead, The Glen Doherty Memorial Foundation received a $2,000 donation, the only donation given to a nonprofit in Marblehead.
Erin Sweeney, the foundation’s finance manager, said any donation is always greatly appreciated by the foundation: “We can’t do what we do without donations from anyone. So whenever we hear that someone would like to donate to us, we’re always greatly appreciative of any type of donation, especially one like this.”
According to Erin Sweeney, the foundation supports veterans and their families by offering scholarships. Last year, the organization received more than 70 scholarship applications and was able to award 27 individuals scholarships.
Glen Doherty, the foundation’s namesake, was a former Navy SEAL who was one of four Americans killed in a terror attack at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, according to Sweeney.
In Saugus, the town received $8,000 in Cummings Community Giving donations, with $2,000 being donated to Healthy Students – Healthy Saugus.
Healthy Students – Healthy Saugus is an opt-in meal provider for students in Saugus, according to President Julie Cicolini. She said she was “happy and honored” to receive the donation, adding that it feels rewarding to be recognized by an employee at Cummings Properties.
“I like to sit back and be sort of a silent volunteer. I don’t look for recognition, as well as all the other volunteers that worked with me; we’re very silent, under the radar, just making sure that our students feel that they have a safe place, something to eat. It helps with their behavior in school. It helps with their concentration, and it helps ease the burden off their families,” Cicolini said.
Also in Saugus, the Massachusetts Center for Native American Awareness received $2,000, the Saugus United Parish Food Pantry received $2,000, and the YMCA of Metro North received $2,000.
In Swampscott, the Military Friends Foundation received a $1,000 donation from Cummings Properties, the only allocation to the town.
Executive Director Sarah Sweeney said the donation was a “lifeline of support to the military and military families we serve throughout the Commonwealth.”
The Military Friends Foundation offers monthly Hero Meal markets, where the military community can receive a bag of groceries at no cost. Additionally, the foundation provides more than 50,000 meals to veterans, service members, and their families, according to Sarah Sweeney.
In Nahant, the Nahant Garden Club received a $1,000 donation from Cummings Properties, which was the only donation given to a Nahant organization.
Cummings Properties was founded in 1970 by Winchester residents Bill and Joyce Cummings. Currently, Cummings Properties has a portfolio of approximately 11 million square feet among 12 communities in the Boston suburbs, Harding said.
Funds to support the giving initiative are generated by the revenue of rental properties owned and operated by Cummings Properties, which supports the Cummings Foundation.
“The vast majority of all real estate managed by Cummings Properties is owned by — and operated for the sole benefit of — Cummings Foundation, with 100% of rental profits going to nonprofits,” Harding said.
