$100K in Community Connection Grants awarded to 10 nonprofits

GLCF

$100K in Community Connection Grants awarded to 10 nonprofits

LOWELL >> The Greater Lowell Community Foundation recently announced the recipients of its Community Connection Grant program, awarding $10,000 each of 10 nonprofit organizations serving the Greater Lowell community. The $100,000 in total funding will support organizations working to advance equity and strengthen community connections during a critical time for the nonprofit sector.

The Community Connection Grant program builds upon the strong foundation established through GLCF’s Discretionary Grant Cycle, recognizing organizations that have proven their commitment to community impact and partnership excellence. Recipients were selected by a community committee and approved by the GLCF board based on their 501(c)3 status in good standing, demonstrated impact in improving lives in Greater Lowell, and track record of meeting all grant requirements as past grant recipients.

“At a time when federal funding cuts threaten vital services for our most vulnerable community members, local support has never been more important,” said Jennifer Aradhya, vice president of marketing, programs and strategy at GLCF. “These 10 organizations are on the front lines every day, serving those who need it most. We are honored to provide this flexible funding to support their critical work and strengthen the connections that make our community resilient.”

The 2025 Community Connection Grant recipients are:

• Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell Inc.

• Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell Inc.

• Coalition for a Better Acre Inc.

• Latinx Community Center for Empowerment

• Merrimack Repertory Theatre Inc.

• Mill City Grows

• Project LEARN Inc.

• The Center for Hope and Healing Inc.

• Women’s Money Matters

• YWCA of Lowell

These organizations represent a diverse spectrum of community needs, from youth development and cultural support to food security, education, healing services, and economic empowerment. Their collective work touches thousands of Greater Lowell residents annually.

Among the 10 grant recipients, Project LEARN in Lowell received a grant to advance equity and strengthen community connections. “We’re thrilled with the opportunity to receive this GLCF Community Connections grant. It will help us increase access to career-readiness programming for Lowell students, and better enable our team to connect students with local employers for experiential learning opportunities, such as paid internships and externships, work-based credentials, mentoring and career speaker panels.”

The $10,000 grants provide flexible funding that organizations can use to advance equity and strengthen community connections according to their unique missions and the needs of those they serve.