CommonWealth GrantWorks Foundation
Established in 2021, the CommonWealth GrantWorks Foundation, Inc. makes contributions to individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities to enable their employment and productive activity in their communities. Some support is also provided to refugees or immigrants. Priority is given to residents of Western Massachusetts.
CommonWealth GrantWorks Foundation’s mission is to assist under-resourced individuals obtain meaningful and productive work.
We do this by providing eligible awardees with seed funding to launch a business, access needed resources to become employed, and in other ways that make productivity possible. We accomplish this mission by:
- Generating revenue for redistribution of wealth via our foundation
- Making investments in social and financial capital
- Assessing our progress toward reaching our goals.
There are two types of grant-making programs at CommonWealth GrantWorks that provide support for individuals who are 1) unemployed; and 2) intellectually and/or developmentally disabled (I/DD). For example, data on employment statistics reveal that employment rates for individuals with disabilities lag far behind those for individuals without disabilities. Thirty-three percent of individuals with disabilities in Massachusetts are employed, which is nearly 5% lower than the national average (Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission, 2017). CommonWealth GrantWorks aims to change these statistics.
An Investment in Quality of Life
By joining our family of foundation donors, you are investing in employment and an improved quality of life. You are empowering folks to find work and be productive. For your contribution, you will be recognized on our website, social media platforms, quarterly newsletter, and annual report.
Foundation Leadership
Founder and Board Chair of the foundation is Dr. Jennifer Higgins, a graduate of the Gerontology Ph.D. Program at the University of Massachusetts. Dr. Higgins has spent more than 25 years in the nonprofit sector, in roles ranging from direct support to executive positions. She also has extensive experience writing successful grants for nonprofits. While launching her small business in the fall of 2019, she was awarded several multi-million-dollar awards from state agencies for one of her clients. At present, she provides consulting and grant-writing services for nonprofits across the Commonwealth.