News Release (6/8/21)

A generous $100,000 grant from the Cummings Foundation makes it possible for The House of the Seven Gables to continue its settlement work despite steep revenue losses caused by the pandemic.

“We are extremely grateful for the receipt of this grant,” says Kara McLaughlin, executive director at The Gables. “The grant committee recognized the value of our work and these funds will allow us to continue with the rebuilding and strengthening we have begun.”

Since its start in 1910, The Gables has executed a dual mission — preserve the historic structures on-site and create programs that help immigrants establish themselves here on the North Shore. Operations depend on the revenue from the house tours and programming, all of which came to a halt last spring.

“The Cummings Foundation saw that the work we normally do with the immigrant community was impossible to continue because our revenue had disappeared,” says McLaughlin. The very good news is that the position of community liaison and programming manager can now be filled.

This summer, with the help of the new manager, work to reinstate or strengthen the settlement’s signature programs — Community Conversations, programs for children, and ESL and citizenship classes — will begin.

“The hope,” says McLaughlin, “is that after two years, we’ll be earning revenue and can fund this position out of our operations.”

This grant, from the Cummings $25 Million Grant Program, supports Massachusetts nonprofits that are based in and primarily serve Middlesex, Essex and Suffolk counties. The Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Cummings real estate business, based in Woburn, that manages 10 million square feet of commercial space.

“We aim to help meet the needs of people in all segments of our local community,” says the foundation executive director Joe Swets. “It is the incredible organizations we fund, however, that do the actual daily work to empower our neighbors, educate our children, fight for equity, and so much more.”

The grant awarded to The Gables will be paid in two $50,000 installments over two years. The money will be used primarily to fund the new community liaison and programming manager position.

About The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association 

The mission of The House of the Seven Gables Settlement Association is to be a welcoming, thriving, historic site and community resource that engages people of all backgrounds in our inclusive American story. For more information visit www.7gables.org. 

Stories are at the core of what we do at The House of the Seven Gables. They are not just a part of our past, but also our present and future. In 2021, we look forward to exploring the lore of our historic site and surrounding community with a special series of lectures, programs and events.