Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.
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82 OCTOBER 2022 I N D E P T H the School of Nursing, including a new School of Nursing and Health Sciencesbuilding that will open in the fall of 2023. "For a place like Endicott, a $20 million grant was transformative," says Steven DiSalvo, Endicott's president. "It was by far the largest gift this institution has ever received. These kinds of things get people very excited, and now I have other people who have stepped up with grants of $6 million and $2 million, in part because the Cummings Foundation stepped up first. These sorts of things have a way of inspiring others." DiSalvo, who recently joined the foundation's board, describes Bill and Joyce Cummings as "the most humble couple" that he's met. "I've been around philanthropists who are driven by ego and name, and by how big the letters are on the building," he says. "There's none of that with Bill and Joyce Cummings." Indeed, Cummings seems to see philanthropy as a group project of sorts. Talk to him for more than a few minutes, and he may offer you a spot on one of the foundation's grant-making committees. Past recipients dot the organization's board, and Cummings Properties gives its employees cash to dole out to charities of their choice during the holidays. Committee and board members fall in love with institutions that apply for grants, and then, if those organizations are not selected, some of those people end up donating their own money. "We call it democratizing philanthropy," Cummings says. "I've got a relatively short runway left. The foundation, however, has no sort of sunset to it. I expect its runway will be a lot longer than mine. One way to do that is to start early and get people involved who aren't part of the organization, but who really love doing that work." CONTACT cummingsfoundation.org "I've been around philanthropists who are driven by ego and name, and by how big the letters are on the building. There's none of that with Bill and Joyce Cummings." – Steven DiSalvo, Endicott's president POOLS • HOT TUBS • SAUNAS 978 - 887 - 2424 Route One, Topsfield Route One, Topsfield BUY NOW, PAY LATER! DON'T WAIT, DO IT NOW BEFORE THE FALL PRICE INCREASE!