Sudbury Foundation Spring Newsletter | | |
Dear Sonia,
At this critical moment, the Sudbury Foundation reaffirms our commitment to strengthening our nonprofit partners who are working to solve some of our community's most pressing social issues. We have been in contact with many of our grantees over the past few months to understand the impact of all the recent changes on both the organizations and their clients.
Since January, we have awarded our first round of grants, selected 15 students for our Atkinson Scholarship program, welcomed a new Trustee, and held the first Sudbury Doing Good Coffee of the year.
Read on for more information and upcoming grant deadlines.
Sincerely,
Sonia Shah
Executive Director
| | Over $500,000 in Grants Awarded | |
The Sudbury Foundation has awarded over $500,000 in its first round of grants in 2025. We are pleased to be continuing multi-year support through our Children, Youth & Families Invitation grant program and maintaining our commitment to hunger relief through grants to local nonprofit farms. In addition, we are thrilled to be supporting the Sudbury Community Food Pantry with renovation costs to get their new home at 534 Boston Post Road, Wayland, ready for occupancy.
Sudbury Program Grants
- The Sudbury Community Food Pantry Capital Campaign: $60,000
Hunger Relief Grants
- Gaining Ground: $16,500
- Aurelia's Garden: $3,500
- Mass Audubon - Drumlin Farm: $3,500
Children, Youth, and Families Invitation Grants
(Multi-Year General Operating Support)
- Boys & Girls Clubs of MetroWest: $300,000 over 3 years
- Gem @ the Arts: $75,000 over 3 years
- SMILE Mass: $50,000 over 2 years
| | Congratulations to our 2025 Atkinson Scholars! | | The Sudbury Foundation recently awarded Atkinson Scholarships to 15 outstanding high school seniors. They will be honored at a breakfast reception on May 2nd. | | |
Top Row: Molly Bevan, Timmy Beverly, Jenny Chen, Atiana Gonzalez, Lani Hoilett.
Middle row: Remy Jang, Emilia Johnston, Isabella Magalhaes, Gabby Martinelli, Cole Moffat.
Bottom Row: Jasmine Rice, Hannah Robinson, Sarah Sallese, Zalen Stason, Matthew Sudnick.
| Twelve of the recipients will graduate from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School. Timmy Beverly will graduate from Framingham High School, Emilia Johnston attends Assabet Valley Regional Technical High School, and Cole Moffat will graduate from Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School | |
The Atkinson Scholarship Program was established 30 years ago to recognize local students with financial need, academic promise and the capacity to make a meaningful contribution to society.
2025 Atkinson Scholarship recipients have been awarded $7,500 in scholarship assistance and can reapply for support each year of their undergraduate academic career for a total of $30,000 in financial support.
These students were selected because they embody the qualities valued by former Sudbury residents Herbert and Esther Atkinson, who established the Foundation in 1952 and for whom the scholarship is named.
“The Atkinsons were a modest couple who believed in private giving for the public good,” explained Operations Manager Tricia Brunner. “They were particularly interested in helping young people in the community. This year’s recipients were selected because of their enormous potential. We are delighted to welcome them into the Atkinson Scholarship program and are pleased to entrust them with the Atkinsons’ legacy.”
“It is always challenging to narrow down the pool of applicants to the final 15 because there are so many outstanding and deserving students who apply. It was particularly difficult this year due to the record number of applications we received," Brunner said.
“All of our recipients are driven, dedicated and inspiring students who are deeply committed to their academic and extracurricular pursuits. But beyond that, they are caring, resilient and passionate individuals who are focused on personal growth and have a strong desire to give back to their community. They're poised to make a positive difference in the world and we look forward to following their progress throughout their college years and beyond.”
| | Welcome to Brendan Mahoney! | | |
The Sudbury Foundation is excited to announce that Brendan Mahoney has joined our Board of Trustees.
Brendan Mahoney is a respected leader in the asset management and retirement plan industry, known for driving innovation and strategic growth in the industry. With over 30 years of experience, he has held pivotal roles at leading companies, most recently serving as a senior executive at American Funds, part of the Capital Group.
Beyond his corporate leadership, Brendan has made a lasting impact on his hometown of Sudbury through youth athletics and veteran support initiatives. He served on the LS Youth Baseball Board, the Sudbury Youth Soccer Board, and was an age group commissioner for baseball and soccer for many years. As president and co-founder of Sudbury for Wounded Warriors, Brendan has led multiple successful fundraising initiatives, generating significant support for veterans and fostering strong community connections. He is also a board member of the Play4Peace Initiative, an endeavor to create positive community relationships between youth and law enforcement.
He grew up in Sudbury, attended the Sudbury Public Schools, graduated from Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, and holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Dartmouth College. Brendan was also a recipient of a Sudbury Foundation Atkinson Scholarship!
Brendan enjoys skiing and hiking, especially with his wife, Lauren, and their son, Michael, both of whom are also LS graduates.
| | Sudbury Doing Good Nonprofit Coffee | |
On Thursday, April 10, Sudbury Doing Good hosted our first of two Nonprofit Coffees of the year for local nonprofit and community groups to gather and share. We had a robust discussion about fundraising events including both successes and challenges. Please reach out via email if you have topic ideas for our next Sudbury Doing Good Coffee, tentatively scheduled for Thursday October 16, 2025.
| |
National Volunteer Week - April 20-26 | |
We are thankful to all volunteers! As volunteers are so vital to the operation of nonprofits, the Mass Nonprofit News is offering to publish and share nonprofit volunteer opportunities on an ongoing basis. If you’re interested, please send your volunteer opportunities to george@massnonprofit.org - include a few sentences about the nature and commitment of the opportunity, along with contact information for your organization.
| | Sudbury Program 2025 Grant Calendar | | As a reminder, applications for the Sudbury program will only be open twice a year. The last chance to apply this year will be this summer. The application will be due on Friday, July 11th at 5:00 pm. We encourage all organizations to talk with staff about ideas prior to applying. | | The Sudbury 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. If your nonprofit is based outside of Sudbury, you must speak to staff before applying for a Sudbury Program Grant. | | Rent the Grange Meeting Room | | |
Are you looking for a place to hold a meeting?
We are pleased to offer the 2nd floor Meeting Room of The Grange Hall for rental. The room holds 60 people seated or 100 standing. The facility includes a kitchen, elevator, Wi-Fi, easels, a projector and screen, and a podium and microphone.
Sudbury nonprofit organizations and community groups, Sudbury Town Departments, as well as Sudbury Foundation grant recipients are eligible to rent the space for educational, charitable, or civic purposes.
The Meeting Room is not available for private or social functions, for-profit organizations, political organizations, or fundraising events.
The easiest way to request the room is to use our online form. For more information, including policies and fees, click here.
| | The Sudbury Foundation is a private foundation working to transform lives and strengthen communities, both human and natural, through grant-making and scholarship programs in Sudbury, MA and surrounding communities. | | | | |
