2024 Grant Program
The Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL), an endowed fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest, promotes a spirit of philanthropic giving to support organizations that are working to create solutions for current needs and that are implementing new ideas to improve Lexington for the future. We encourage grant applications that bring innovative thinking to issues big and small.
The Community Endowment of Lexington is thrilled to announce that, in celebration of our 10th Anniversary of giving, we are expanding our 2024 grant program. This year we will be awarding up to $100,000 total in grants. In addition, individual grants will be funded up to $15,000. We look forward to an exciting year of giving and to celebrating your extraordinary work throughout the Lexington Community.
Grant Guidelines
The Community Endowment of Lexington enhances the quality of life for Lexington citizens. CEL awards grants to nonprofits and town agencies working in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community building; provides ways for donors to give back and leave a legacy; and encourages innovative and collaborative solutions to issues facing Lexington, MA.
We were proud to present LexDoingGood, our first-ever event to connect the community with Lexington’s nonprofits and town agencies, October 22, 2022 at the Lexington Community Center.
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About the Program
The Community Endowment of Lexington enhances the quality of life for Lexington citizens.
CEL awards grants to nonprofits and town agencies working in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community building; provides ways for donors to give back and leave a legacy; and encourages innovative and collaborative solutions to issues facing Lexington, MA.
Grant Opportunities
Founders
- Angel Dance
- Ken and Jane Ansin
- Paula and Russ Antonevich
- Elaine M. Ashton and Jarkko J. Hietaniemi
- Pauline and Amos Benninga
- Jean and Neal Birnberg
- Lisa and Jeff Boehm
- Elizabeth and Roger Borghesani
- Elizabeth and Don Briggs
- Deborah and David Brown
- Suzanne and John Bruno
- Carl and Suzie Byers
- Alejandro Caro and Caroline Yang
- Saeeda Carrimjee and Riaz Adamjee
- Chinese American Association of Lexington
- Ciccolo Family Foundation
- Christina and Tim Cohen
- Constance and Lewis Counts
- Margaret Counts-Klebe and Skott Klebe
- Judith and David Craver
- Susan Culman
- Ke Fang and Evan Fang
- Finnegan Development
- Jane Chen Fulop and Ric Fulop
- Anne and Babak Ghayour
- Christine and John Gordon
- Kimberly and Michael Gruber
- Kimya and Mike Harris
- Shirley and Charles Hurwitz
- Beverly and Peter Kelley
- Trisha and Mike Kennealy
- Ron and Alison Kermisch
- Bob and Mary Etta King
- Florence Koplow
- Anne Kubik and Mike Krupka
- Stephanie and David Lawrence
- Lexx Restaurant (2004-2019)
- Xinwei (Christine) Lin and Jianxin Gao
- Kimberly Hensle Lowrance and Rob Lowrance
- Dr. Yuci Ma, Specialist in Orthodontics
- Stacey and David Mann
- Innessa Manning and Karthik Ramanathan
- Leslie and Colin Masson
- Joy and Duncan McCallum
- Roberta and Tony Messina
- Stephanie and Michael Mitzenmacher
- The Moodys
- George and Beth Murnaghan
- Corinne and Tim Noyes
- Allison Mnookin and Cory Olcott
- Evelyn and David Peterman
- Cecilia and Jeff Porter
- Sara and Greg Poulos
- Gretchen and Christopher Reisig
- Robert Rotberg
- Amar and Deepika Sawhney
- Susan Schiffer and James Barsoum
- The Sheth Family
- Mary Ann and Pierre Sorel
- Victoria and Don Sullivan
- Yike Tang
- Yolanda and Brooks Taylor
- Donna and Robert Vigoda
- The Walsh Family
- Nancy and Chris White
- Linda and Richard Wolk
- The Yan/Meng Family
- Judith and Albert Zabin
- Leslie and Sam Zales
- The Zhu Family
- Anonymous (3)
Grant Partners
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
CEL Community Board
A group of local Lexington residents form the CEL Community Board. These local residents represent the different demographics of our town, and together raise the funds for grantmaking in Lexington and decide on the most impactful grants for our community.
Ann Boese, PhD
Ann, and her husband, David Sheehan moved to Lexington in 1997, after Ann completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at Boston University. Professionally, Ann trained and worked in the Greater Boston area through Harvard Medical School and The Cambridge Hospital, concentrating in child and adolescent psychology, with an academic focus on the topic of resiliency. Over the past decade, she has been active in and on the board of numerous community non-profit organizations, including the Cary Library Foundation and the Lexington Education Foundation. Ann has also been involved with both local and state political campaigns, chairing and working in communications and strategy. An Atelier member at the Griffin Museum of Photography in Winchester, Massachusetts, Ann has exhibited her photography locally at Cary Memorial Library and the Lexington Arts and Crafts Society, as well as the DeCordova Museum School in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and the Atelier and other showcases at the Griffin.
Elizabeth Brach, PhD
Elizabeth Brach, Ph.D. and her husband Jose Marcal moved to Lexington in 1983 and have had 4 children go through the Lexington Public Schools, for all or part of their educations. Elizabeth is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and holds a Ph.D. in Child Development from Tufts University.
Following years of clinical practice, she started her own company as a federally certified woman owned small business, Brach Evaluation and Consulting, LLC. She worked as a grant-writer, project developer, and evaluation consultant to universities and non-profits to support federal or state reporting requirements on their funded projects. Most projects that she worked with addressed educational equity issues relating to gender, race, and ethnicity in school districts and state educational agencies. Clients also included federally funded magnet schools, statewide mentoring initiatives, and family support programs.
Serving on the Outreach Committee for the past 3 years has been a wonderful opportunity to learn about and support local initiatives that benefit the Lexington Community.
Yifang Gong
Yifang Gong has been a Lexington resident for 20 years. He raised two children, both going through Lexington public schools. In March 2021, He became a town meeting member and joined the Town Celebration Committee in April. From the beginning of 2022, he joined the board of CAAL. He came to the US 30 years ago as a student studying jet propulsion. He has worked in academia and industry for over 20 years and co-founded a company in China more than ten years ago.He became a member of the outreach committee of CEL in fall 2021. He is active in the grant review process and reaching out to Chinese and other Asian communities. In his leisure time, he enjoys cooking and gardening.
Erta Hysenbegasi
Erta Hysenbegasi is a sales and marketing executive with twenty years of experience in the healthcare space. With a focus on health equity and improving access to mental health resources, Erta has held leadership positions at Aetna, Tufts Health Plan and Boston Medical Center. Prior to that, Erta was the Director of Major Gifts for the Susan G. Komen foundation, the world’s largest foundation dedicated to finding a cure for breast cancer. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Erta has a passion for languages is fluent in Italian, Spanish, French and Albanian. She has been active in many non-profit boards including as a former Board of the Mary Christie Institute and the Advisory Board of the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership. Erta moved to Lexington two years ago and is thrilled to support the town’s vibrant non-profit community.
Elizabeth Kochi
Elizabeth Kochi has been a resident of Lexington since 2012. She and her husband Stefan have two children who have attended Bridge School, Clarke Middle School, and Lexington High School. Since moving to Lexington, she has become an active member of the community, including volunteering with the local PTO. Both of her children have been part of the William Diamond Jr. Fife and Drum Corps, where she oversees membership recruitment and assists with fund raising. She has been an active parent of Boy Scout Troop 160, where she helps with the planning of the annual Patriot’s Day Pancake Breakfast. She has also been a Board Member of the Lexington Historical Society since 2020 where she has served on the Fund Development Committee, Executive Committee and most recently became Second Vice President of the Historical Society. Elizabeth recently joined the Lex250 Music & Arts Committee which is planning events for the Lexington Semiquincentennial celebration. She joined the Community Endowment of Lexington in 2018 and has served as a Board member since 2020 as well as serving on the Advancement Committee, Outreach Committee, and the Grant Review Committee.
Elizabeth has a master’s degree in education. She taught History and Social Studies at Southington High School in CT where she also served on the Legislative Commission of the Connecticut Education Association. Currently, she works as a Donor Relations Ambassador at THD, Inc. in Lincoln, MA. As part of this position, she supports large nonprofit clients where she helps the clients develop meaningful engagement strategies to increase donors’ revenue and deepen their relationship with the organization and mission.
Roberta Messina
Roberta grew up in Lexington and has been a Lexington resident most all her life. She has been on the Board of the Community Endowment of Lexington since 2016 where she has led both CEL’s Outreach Committee and grant review process. She holds a Masters Degree in Educational Counseling and Career Development from the University of California and is a certified coach, having received her certification from the Hudson Institute of California. Her professional experience includes a career in public education, Corporate Human Resources and founder of her own consulting practice – ICS – Individualized Coaching and Consulting Services, where she provided organizational development, team and leadership consulting and coaching to CEO’s, individual leaders and leadership teams. She has served on a number of Boards including the North Suburban YMCA, where she led the strategic planning process, and PEER Servants, where she served on the Executive Committee. She currently serves on the board of Special Needs Arts Program, Inc. (SNAP). She has been a volunteer ombudsman for Minuteman Services and is currently a docent for Mount Auburn
Cemetery.
Elena Murphy
Elena Murphy, M.A., M.Ed., is a freelance writer and editor who has lived in Lexington for 20 years. With a background in business journalism and English Language Learner education, she has a focused interest in connecting nonprofit resources with those who need them. This journey has enabled her to contribute her communications skills to organizations, including those supporting immigrants, local journalism, local agriculture, and community education for adults. She is a graduate of Boston College, with three children who have gone through the Lexington Public Schools.
Mary Ann Sorel
Co-Chair
Mary Ann is a lawyer, with expertise in corporate finance and corporate governance. She has previously worked as Junior Partner at Hale & Dorr (now WilmerHale), and as an associate at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, both in New York City, and as special US counsel at Ashurst, London, England. Mary Ann holds a B.A. from Brown University and earned her law degree at the University of Michigan Law School, and she is a member of the New York State bar. She currently serves as a Member of the Board of Trustees of the International School of Boston in Cambridge, where her children have attended. She has served on the ISB Board for over 10 years and has held many positions there. Mary Ann also previously served as President of the Lexington Newcomers’ Club. Mary Ann enjoys essay writing and is aiming to get published someday. Mary Ann and her husband Pierre have been residents of Lexington since 2008, and they really enjoy the community and the rich history of Lexington. She and Pierre, who grew up in France, are also heavily involved in the French community in the Boston area. They have raised three bilingual children in Lexington, two of whom are now in college.
Jillian Tung, M.D., M.P.H.
Jillian Tung, M.D., M.P.H. has extensive nonprofit and volunteer experience, including: Lexington Semiquincentennial Commission (Lex250) – Music & Arts Representative; Lexington Council for the Arts, Co-chair; Boston Symphony Orchestra, including the Board of Advisors, Culture Assessment Steering Group, Steering Committee, Advisors Experience Council, Co-chair, and Boston Individual Giving Council; Lexington Symphony, Board of Directors; Friends of Lexington Music, Art & Drama Students (FoLMADS), including President, Board member, and Publicity Coordinator; and Lexington Field & Garden Club.
LexDoingGood
We were proud to present LexDoingGood, our first-ever event to connect the community with Lexington’s nonprofits and town agencies, October 22, 2022 at the Lexington Community Center.
Learn More about the Event
CEL Makes Life in Lexington Better
Since 2013, CEL has awarded over $400,000 to 44 nonprofits and town agencies serving Lexington.
Where Our Funding Goes
Community Building
27%
Environment
18%
Arts and Culture
25%
Health and Human Services
30%
Annual Competitive Grant Program
CEL’s 2023 grant application process opens in January 2023 and applications will be due in March 2023.
2022 Grant Guidelines
Discretionary Grant Funding
In times of need CEL responds by providing discretionary funding.
2022
In 2022, CEL funded grants from its discretionary fund to two organizations: CALex received a grant to help underwrite a series of banners, featuring notable Asian Americans in celebration of AAPI Heritage Month that hung in the town center and Cary Memorial Library. CAAL received funding to support A Bridge Across: Celebration and Promotion of Asian Culture and History, a series of events focused on Asian culture through activities related to art, food, and history during the AAPI Heritage Month and beyond.
2021
In 2021, CEL offered emergency assistance to three organizations. Supportive Living, Inc. received a grant to provide mental health counseling and education to staff and residents in their long-term care facilities. The Munroe Center for the Arts received funds to build structurally-sound tents for outdoor visual arts programming. Food Link also received a grant for food rescue and delivery in Lexington.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Community Endowment of Lexington?
The Community Endowment of Lexington (CEL) was established in 2013 by Lexington residents as an initiative to build a permanent endowment to strengthen our community. CEL enhances the quality of life for Lexington citizens. CEL awards grants to nonprofits and town agencies working in the areas of health and human services, arts and culture, the environment, and community building; provides ways for donors to give back and leave a legacy; and encourages innovative and collaborative solutions to issues facing Lexington, MA.
CEL is an endowed fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest. As such, it is a permanent, steady source of funding for the town of Lexington. Each year, spending is limited to a designated percentage of the endowment, leaving the rest to build for the future.
How will we make a difference in Lexington?
The Community Endowment of Lexington supports nonprofits and town agencies working to create solutions for current needs and implementing new ideas that will improve Lexington now and in the future.
How can I make a contribution?
You may make a gift to the Community Endowment of Lexington by check, stock, mutual fund or real estate, or through a donor advised fund or private foundation. The staff at Community Foundation for MetroWest can work with you and your financial adviser to review various planned giving options. All gifts qualify for the maximum tax benefit offered.
Donate to Lexington
The Community Endowment of Lexington is an endowed fund of the Community Foundation for MetroWest, which is a 501(c)(3) public charity and is fully tax-exempt. The tax ID is 04-3266789. There are a number of ways you can make a donation
Mail a Check
Please make check payable to Community Foundation for MetroWest and note Community Endowment of Lexington on the memo line.
Community Endowment of Lexington
c/o Community Foundation for MetroWest
3 Eliot Street
Natick, MA 01760
Transfer Securities
Please contact Mary Crowley via email or (508) 647-2260 if you are interested in transferring assets to the Foundation.
Thank you! We appreciate your support.
Inquire About Securities Transfers
Donate to Lexington
