2025 Tufts Community Grant Recipients
May 12, 2025
The Tufts Community Grants Board awarded grants to 10 organizations in Boston, 5 organizations in Grafton, 10 organizations in Medford, 10 organizations in Somerville.
TCG collects donations from university employees throughout the year and then awards grants to community-based, charitable organizations that serve Tufts’ host communities (Somerville, Medford, Grafton and Boston) and that actively engage Tufts volunteers in their work.
A committee comprised of Tufts administrators, faculty and staff meets annually to review proposals and select grant recipients. There was a total of $105,000 available to award to the 2025 TCG applicants. More than 100 area non-profits applied for grants. 35 programs and projects were selected for grants. Members of the TCG committee base their decisions on a desire to address the most pressing needs in the communities and to encourage expanded involvement of Tufts volunteers.
All grants awarded were $3,000.
Boston Recipients:
Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD): Program materials for low-income immigrants participating in ABCD's citizenship and civics classes
Asian American Civic Association (AACA): Scholarships for immigrants in AACA’s beginner English language program
Boston Self Help Center: Safety and adaptive resources for athletes with disabilities to use power wheelchair soccer and volt hockey sports chairs while also providing a job for a Tufts University occupational therapy student or a Tufts University-trained volunteer to assist with the program
EVkids: Support for EVkids volunteer tutors during the 2025 fall semester, ensuring that tutors are supported as they mentor Boston students
Fenway Community Center at Viridian: Purchase of toys and rolling library carts, along with the creation of a window mural to provide a welcoming environment for local families and to expand opportunities for learning and play for children
Haley House: Purchase of kitchen and farm equipment to supply the new kitchen and outside pavilion at Haley House's Thornton Street Farm
Pao Arts Center: Support for the center's six-week youth mural project this summer that provides training to youth on the intersection of advocacy, art, and community history, and results in the creation of a public mural
St. Francis House: The purchase of warm winter coats for 50 adults experiencing homelessness
The English High School: The purchase of equipment and supplies to support the school’s robotic hand project and to adapt robots for students with disabilities enrolled in robotic classes
Wang YMCA Chinatown: The purchase of supplies for the Family Engagement Program for teens and families to use to create an space to foster creative art, artistic expression, relationship, and family bonding
Grafton
Grafton Recipients:
Bears On Board: Funding for stuffed animals that first responders and social workers can give to children as comfort items in a time of crisis or emotional trauma
Blackstone Valley Education Foundation: Funding to support STEM Talks, a student-led event that connects 7th and 8th-grade students with STEM professionals to inspire career exploration
Grafton Public Schools: Purchase of durable engineering materials and equipment to be used by Grafton High School students in a Project Lead the Way elective engineering course
Senior Connection Inc.: Funding to provide health screenings and other services to grandfamilies in Grafton via a mobile health and outreach clinic
Sustainable Grafton: The creation of a community native plant and pollinator garden that will provide hands-on experience for volunteers, community outreach opportunities, and allow for education about sustainable gardening methods
Medford Recipients:
All Court Enrichment (ACE): The purchase of canopy tents to provide shelter from rain and heat during ACE’s Summer Tennis and Writing Program
Arts Collaborative Medford: Funding to equip a new community makerspace with storage for personal and shared equipment and materials
Friends of Medford Recreation: Financial aid for families enrolling their children in the Medford Recreation Summer Park Program
Friends of Medford Rowing: The purchase of five news sets of sculling oars for Medford High School’s rowing teams to ensure ongoing access to the program
Medford High School (Fells Educational Program): Funding to support the 10th anniversary of Medford High School’s “Fells Day,” a day in which high school students engage in teacher-led outdoor edcuation activities in the Middlesex Fells Reservation to increase appreciation and respect for—and stewardship of—nature
Medford Senior Center: Purchase of supplies and ingredients for a cooking demonstration program at the senior center and for take-home meals for Medford senior citizens
Missituk Elementary School PTO: The purchase of clay and other materials for Missituk students to use in art class and for other school-based activities that support student learning
Mystic River Watershed Association: Purchase of supplies for Malden and Mystic River cleanups and funding for community education for trash pollution awareness and litter management in the Mystic Watershed area
The Community Family: Funding for therapeutic activities promoting joy, relaxation and healthy aging for program participants living with memory loss
West Medford Community Center: Renovation of the center’s computer lab with upgrades to five computer stations, the purchase of five mini-laptops, the purchase of a new computer, and other room renovations to expand access to technology
Somerville Recipients:
3LPlace: Funding will support the implementation of free group therapy sessions for parents of adult children with developmental disabilities
East Somerville Main Streets: Funding for a pilot program providing homeless individuals with food vouchers to local Somerville restaurants
Friends of the Community Growing Center: Materials to support community based Native Pollinator Container Garden workshops in collaboration with Somerville neighborhood partner groups and at the Growing Center in an effort to increase native plants and pollinators
Second Chances: Purchase of new clothing items that will supplement donated clothing, shoes, and accessories for homeless and low-income individuals
Somerville Museum: Purchase of equipment that will enable the recording and sharing stories of Somerville residents and the enhancement of audience experience in an upcoming exhibition
Somerville Public Schools - Second Grade (city-wide): Purchase of tickets and funding of transportation for 100 second-grade students from Somerville public schools to attend a live performance of Library Lion in Boston, enhancing literacy curriculum with an immersive theater experience
Somerville Youth Soccer: Financial assistance and scholarships for underrepresented youth to participate in Somerville Youth Soccer programming
SPELL - Argenziano School (Somerville Public Schools): Funding to provide immigrant students with hands-on environmental education learning experiences in the summer school program
The Center for Arts at the Armory: Purchase of two audio captioning devices for Arts at the Amory event attendees who are hard of hearing or deaf or who need translation services, expanding accessibility and inclusivity
The Welcome Project: Purchase of classroom textbooks for workplace-contextualized English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes to help teachers and students navigate workforce development skills