Tufts Employees Give Grants to Local Groups

The Columbus Elementary School is one of several places to receive grant money from Tufts. Photo courtesy Medford Public Schools.

The Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund (TNSF) committee recently awarded grants to five organizations in Medford. TNSF collects donations from university employees throughout the year and then awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations that serve Tufts host communities of Somerville, Medford, Grafton and Boston’s Chinatown and that actively engage Tufts volunteers in their work.

A committee comprised of Tufts faculty and administrators meet annually to review proposals and select grant recipients. In 2011 there was a total of $19,500 available to distribute through TNSF. The committee received 49 proposals, representing more than $75,000 in requests, and selected 29 programs and projects for awards. Members of the TNSF committee base their decisions on a desire to address the most pressing needs in the communities and to encourage expanded involvement of Tufts volunteers.

The Medford grant recipients for 2011 are:

– Boys and Girls Clubs of Middlesex County – Gene Mack Clubhouse — $1,000 to enhance its STEM program

– Columbus Elementary School — $250 to support its end of the year celebration and art show

– Community Cupboard Food Pantry of the Unitarian Universalist Church — $2,000 to help stock the pantry

– Medford Family Resource Coalition — $500 for supplies to help families in need

– Outside the Lines Studio — $500 for materials to equip its Zen Room Project for autistic clients

“It’s a sign of the times when we receive grant applications from food banks in all four of our host communities,” said Director of Community Relations Barbara Rubel. “The TNSF committee spent a lot of time considering the proposals and deliberating about distribution of the funds and made it a point to allocate the grants where the most need was demonstrated. Employee contributions make the grants possible and we thank the faculty and staff who donate to the TNSF. We are considering new ways to engage employee contributors and other fundraising so that more requests can be funded in the future.”

TNSF is a giving option of the annual Tufts Community Appeal (TCA), in which the university encourages its employees from all campuses to contribute to charitable organizations at the local, regional, national and international levels. The TCA reflects the university community’s belief that individual action can make a difference in the world.

Questions regarding the Tufts Neighborhood Service Fund can be directed to the Community Relations Office at Tufts University, 617-627-3780.

– Information from Tufts University