by Sonia Shah, Executive Director, The Sudbury Foundation | October 11, 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 10, 2024 (SUDBURY, Massachusetts)—The Sudbury Foundation  recently awarded over $1,322,000 in grant funding. Between June and September, the Foundation awarded grants through some of our largest programs, including Children, Youth & Families, Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, and Hunger Relief. A list of the most recent grants awarded can be found here.

“With the large breadth of issues our programs cover, we are able to provide funding to organizations of all sizes making incredible impact in their respective fields,” said Jill Stansky, Board Chair at the Sudbury Foundation. “We are excited to be able to support so many organizations

located in Sudbury, MetroWest, and across the Commonwealth. We are proud to contribute to their continued success.”

During this time, the Sudbury Program awarded six grants totaling $102,435. This program is designed to enhance the quality of community life in Sudbury. The program is open to Sudbury’s public and nonprofit institutions and to organizations located outside of Sudbury for projects that substantially benefit Sudbury residents.

Through the Children, Youth & Families Program, seven capacity-building grants totaling $125,000 and nine youth emotional well-being grants totaling $165,000 were awarded. The program is designed to help young people realize their full potential and become caring, productive citizens.

Through the Farm & Local Food Initiative, the Sudbury Foundation provides multi-year general operating support to nonprofits that support farmers running small-to-mid-sized farms, who are engaged in food waste and recovery, and who advocate for food policy. This year, five grants totaling $600,000, paid out over three years, were awarded to five returning grantees. World Farmers was added to the portfolio with a grant of $50,000, to be paid out over two years.

In the recently renamed equity grant program, Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI), 24 grants were awarded, totaling $120,000. The program is designed to advance equity and inclusion work in our communities through systemic change.

The Community Program aims to provide essential resources to local organizations and initiatives that are working tirelessly to address critical needs. Each year, general operating support is provided to local food pantries and hunger relief organizations. This year, 18 organizations in MetroWest received a total of $100,000 in hunger relief support, and four organizations were awarded general community grants totaling $60,000.

OARS Acknowledgement

OARS would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Sudbury Foundation for their generous $40,000 grant awarded under the Sudbury Program Grants. This funding will support the installation of a rain/pollinator garden along the Sudbury section of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, contributing to the beautification and ecological health of the area while promoting biodiversity and sustainable water management. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and the opportunity to further our mission of protecting and restoring the rivers and natural resources of the Sudbury, Assabet, and Concord watersheds.

The Sudbury Foundation is a private foundation working to transform lives and strengthen communities through grantmaking and scholarship programs in Sudbury, MA, and surrounding communities. In 2023, the Foundation distributed $1.7 million in grants and scholarships to students and organizations in Sudbury, to organizations in communities surrounding Sudbury focused on Children, Youth, and Families, and to organizations throughout the state of MA engaged in Farm and Local Food initiatives.

For more information about OARS and our programs or to learn how you can support efforts to restore our rivers, please contact Sarah Kwan, OARS Director of Communications and Development, at skwan@oars3rivers.org.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sonia Shah, Executive Director, The Sudbury Foundation | 978·443·0849 |shah@sudburyfoundation.org