GREATER GIVING.
GREATER IMPACT.
On September 18, 1975, Greater Worcester Community Foundation was founded by a small group of community-minded individuals. We are proud to celebrate 50 years of impact as we reflect on our history and look ahead to the future.
50 Years of Commitment to the Community
Our 50th anniversary insert in the Worcester Business Journal provides a snapshot of the past 50 years of the Foundation, from our founding to our current initiatives and focus areas.
Thank you to the many individuals that contributed to this publication!
THEN: Robert Cushman, the first president of the Foundation, established the Foundation's first discretionary fund. The fund was established in 1978 with a gift of $92,682 to support broad grantmaking.
Robert and his wife, Mary, hoped to set a precedent for donors to begin and add to their funds during their lifetime.
NOW: The Cushman's legacy continues on as the fund has reached $352,695 and has made grants back into the community for nearly 50 years. In 2016, the Foundation made outright grants of $25,000 to Worcester Art Museum and $25,000 to Naples Symphony, per the Cushman's wishes.
THEN: In 1985, the Foundation's tenth year, The Eliza Dr. and Cora J.D. Dodge Fund was established. This gift of nearly $3 million allowed the Foundation to reach the critical milestone of $5 million in assets.
This field of interest fund was established under the will of Thomas H. Dodge to improve conditions for Worcester area women and children in poverty.
NOW: Over the past 40 years, the Eliza D. and Cora J.D. Dodge Fund has now accumulated over $7 million and supports women and children in need every year through the Foundation's Community Grants program.
In the mid 1990s, newly arrived Hmong women in Fitchburg learned English and found community connections through classes made possible through the Dodge Fund (pictured).
THEN: Jay Sherwin created this scholarship in 2004 to honor his father's deep connection to Worcester and his strong belief in higher education. It is awarded to Worcester County students who have completed two years of community college and enrolled in a 4-year institution to complete their bachelor's degree.
NOW: Since 2004, this scholarship fund has awarded $100,000 to 17 students, supporting students like Pauline Farinacci, who is receiving her final $9,500 award this year.
This scholarship helped Pauline attend Mount Wachusett Community College and then transfer to Fitchburg State University, where she is completing a degree in film at no out-of-pocket cost. This consistent support allowed her to live on campus, fully engage in her creative work, and grow personally and professionally without the burden of debt
GREATER GIVING
First major gift in 1977
Total Foundation
Assets in 2024
Grants Awarded
in 2024
Our work would not be possible without the 600+ fundholders that have chosen Greater Worcester Community Foundation for their charitable giving. By establishing an endowment fund at the community foundation, you can make a positive impact in the Worcester County region now, and forever.
After months of study and planning by a small group of community leaders, the Foundation's Articles of Organization were approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on September 18, 1975.
The Foundation's founders include: John Adam Jr., Robert Massey, Henry B. Dewey, Robert G. Hess, Sumner B. Tilton Jr., Anne M. Morgan, Marion S. Fletcher, Robert Cushman as the first President and Jack Lund as the first volunteer Executive Director.
Robert W. Booth (pictured) makes the largest gift in the Foundation's history at the time and the nation's largest gift to any community foundation that year: $10 million to the Robert W. Booth Fund in honor of his father, George F. Booth.
This endowment fund supports Worcester area cultural, educational and human service programs. George Booth ("Mr. Worcester" to some) "always had the interests of the city at heart." He was instrumental in creating the city's parks and playground system, and helped establish the Community Chest (now the United Way).
In 1998, the Coalition for Not-for-Profit Management Assistance became an established project of the community foundation and changed its name to the Nonprofit Support Center (NSC), with the purpose to help area organizations govern themselves effectively. Youth for Community Improvement (YCI) was also created this year to provide young people with a hands-on experience of grantmaking.
Pictured: A NSC workshop in 2008.
Founding Foundation member Jack Lund (pictured) establishes the Renaissance Award through an endowment, which provides a cash prize of $5,000 to a local nonprofit leader, intended to be used for personal renewal or inspiration through recreation, travel, study, retreat, or other experiences.
The first Renaissance Award was given to Patsy Lewis, Worcester Community Action Council in 2005.
Within days of the pandemic shutdown in 2020, the Foundation worked together with the United Way of Central Massachusetts to bring relief to vulnerable populations within Worcester County. Recognizing that a single fund would streamline collecting gifts and distributing grants, the two joined forces to create the Worcester Together: Central Mass COVID-19 Fund, which raised $10.8 million in its first year.
THANK YOU!
A community foundation is only as strong as its community. Thank you to the hundreds of fundholders, volunteers, nonprofits, corporators, staff and board members that have supported the Foundation over the past 50 years.
50th Anniversary Kickoff at Worcester Art Museum
Click on a photo to view the full gallery!