Community Benefits Ordinance
The purpose of the Committee and its process, is to identify community benefits needs of the residents of Cambridge based on the priorities established by the City Council and to solicit and evaluate applications for the provision of said services by qualified applicants in order to make recommendations to the City Manager for the allocation of Community Benefits Funds for the award of grant agreements or contracts for the provision of said services. (Community Benefits Advisory Committee, City of Cambridge’s Code of Ordinances, Section 2.127)
Community Benefits Funds refer to monies offered to and received by the City, from developers from zoning amendments or agreements entered, to be expended for community benefits or related purposes. Between 2010 and 2018, mitigation funds designated for community benefits purposes were pledged to the City through these amendments and agreements. While over $20 million has been pledged to this fund, approximately $8.6 million has been received by the City to date. Upon completion of various stages of development, additional monies will be deposited into the Community Benefits Fund to further assist in the expansion of services to better meets the needs of Cambridge residents.
Guiding Principles for Funding
The guiding principles for prioritizing needs and resources, and appropriating funds for community benefits purposes, were first established by the ordinance. The Needs Assessment Advisory Committee endorsed and adopted these principles, then recommended additional principles for funding:
Frame Needs Thoughtfully
- Fund programs or services that directly benefit Cambridge residents.*
- Emphasize funding priorities established by the City Council informed by the outcomes of the Needs Assessment.*
- Prioritize support for vulnerable and undeserved populations.
- Consider neighborhood(s) impacted by development projects.*
Build on Existing Assets and Programs
- Consider other public resources allocated to a neighborhood in order to better understand unmet needs.*
- Promote awareness of and connection to existing programs and services.
- Prioritize approaches that leverage other private and public resources.
- Encourage an asset-based approach that recognizes and builds on the resilience of Cambridge residents and communities.
Promote Holistic Approaches, Innovation, and Collaboration
- Recognize the inter-connectedness among community needs.
- Emphasize holistic and creative ideas that promote prevention and coordination across systems and organizations.
- Remain open to bold and innovative approaches to challenging issues.
- Recognize that addressing community challenges takes time, and provide the latitude for longer term interventions.
- Prioritize funding for nonprofit applicants that promote collaboration, partnership, and collective impact.*
- Encourage and incorporate program evaluation to identify which strategies work best.
Simplify the Application Process
- Establish a transparent, inclusive, and collaborative process.*
- Provide support and technical assistance to nonprofits in the application process to ensure equal opportunity and access.*
- Provide opportunities for renewable grants to returning nonprofit providers that have an excellent performance evaluation record and programmatic success.*
*guiding principles established by the ordinance
Implementation Grants
March 2020
The City entered into Implementation Grant agreements with the following partnerships:
- Strengthening families Together Project: Cambridge Community Center (Lead Organization) – Agassiz Baldwin Community, East End House
- Port Arise Institute: Community Art Center (Lead Organization) – Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Tutoring Plus
- Family Stability Project: De Novo, Inc. (Lead Organization) – Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Inc., Transition House, Inc.
- Families Moving Forward: Just-A-Start Corporation (Lead Organization) – Cambridge Family & Children’s Service, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge Housing Authority, Institute for Health and Recovery
December 2019
Plans for Implementation
Each partnership submitted a Plan for Implementation describing how they intend to meet the needs of Cambridge residents over the three-year grant period.
Planning Grant Proposals
November 2019
The Community Benefits Partnerships submitted Planning Phase Progress Reports on Friday, November 1. The Committee checked in with each partnership to gain insight on their experience during the Planning Phase, and provided feedback intended to assist partnerships as they advanced towards successful Plans for Implementation. The check-ins were held on:
- Tuesday, November 12 - 10:30am-2pm – City Hall, Ackermann Room, 759 Massachusetts Avenue
- Thursday, November 14 - 1-3:30pm – City Hall, Ackermann Room, 759 Massachusetts Avenue
October 2019
The Committee hosted a second convening with Planning grant Awardees and Health Resources in Action to provide an update on key components of the Planning Phase of the Community Benefits Funding Process. The meeting was held on:
- Thursday, October 10 - 2-4pm - Cambridge Public Library, Main Branch, 499 Broadway, Lecture Hall
June 2019
Planning Grant Kickoff Event
The Committee convened a Planning Grant Kickoff with Planning Grant Awardees and Health Resources in Action to provide an overview and collectively articulate the vision and goals of the Planning Phase of the Community Benefits Funding Process.
- Thursday, June 20 - 2-4pm – City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, 2nd Floor
Planning Grant Agreements
The City entered into Planning Grant agreements with the following partnerships:
- Cambridge Community Center (Lead Organization) – Agassiz Baldwin Community, East End House
- Community Art Center (Lead Organization) – Margaret Fuller Neighborhood House, Tutoring Plus
- De Novo, Inc. (Lead Organization) – Cambridge Economic Opportunity Committee, Inc., Transition House, Inc.
- Just-A-Start Corporation (Lead Organization) – Cambridge Family & Children’s Service, Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge Housing Authority, Institute for Health and Recovery
April 2019
The Committee reviewed the Planning Grant Proposals and interviewed each partnership, followed by recommendations to the City Manager for the approval of grant awards with nonprofit organizations.
The following organizations submitted proposals to the Committee on behalf of their partnerships:
The submitted proposals for the Planning Phase were evaluated on the Selection Criteria:
The Planning Grant Request for Proposals (RFP)
February 2019
Planning Grant RFP Closed on February 15th
Per the Community Benefits Ordinance, the Committee solicited proposals from non-profit organizations to provide services consistent with the Guiding Principles for Community Benefits Funding, adopted by Cambridge City Council. The Committee evaluated the submitted proposals and made recommendations to the City Manager for the approval of grant awards for nonprofit organizations to deliver services that benefit Cambridge residents and help address their unmet needs.
January 2019
Informational Sessions for Potential Applicants
The Committee hosted a data presentation and Q&A session, followed by a networking opportunity for interested organizations, on:
- Wednesday, November 28 - 3-5pm – Cambridge Public Library, Main Branch, 449 Broadway, Lecture Hall
- Wednesday, January 16 - 9-11am – City Hall Annex, 344 Broadway, 2nd Floor Conference Room
November 2018
Planning Grant Request for Proposals Opens
The committee announced the Planning Grant Request for Proposals. Applications were due on Friday, February 15th, 2019.
City Council Meeting
The Committee appeared before the Cambridge City Council on Monday, November 5th to request that funds in the Community Benefits Stabilization Fund be made available to be used for grant agreements with nonprofit organizations to address the city's most pressing needs, and to contract with a Project Evaluator to work with grantees and the Committee. Please visit the City Council's Open Meeting Portal for the agenda and supporting documents.
Developing a Funding Framework
August 2018
CNC/CCF Networking Event
The Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition and the Cambridge Community Foundation hosted a joint network event for nonprofit organizations interested in applying for Community Benefits Funds. This informal gathering was an opportunity to get an update on the City's process to release the Request for Proposals, and for nonprofit leaders to engage with their peers and build on existing partnerships, or form new partnerships.
This event was held on Wednesday, August 1 from 4:30-6:30pm at the Cambridge Community Foundation, 99 Bishop Allen Drive.
June 2018
Implementation Grants Funding Framework
The Committee developed a framework for distributing Community Benefits Funds to address the unmet needs of Cambridge residents, and welcomes feedback from service providers and the nonprofit community on this approach:
May 2018
Listening Sessions
The Committee hosted listening sessions to solicit feedback on its Framework for Community Benefits Funding on the following dates:
-
Wednesday, May 16 - 10am-12pm – Cambridge Public Library, Main Branch, 449 Broadway, Lecture Hall
The Cambridge Community Needs Assessment and its findings are essential to the work of the Community Benefits Advisory Committee. The report is provided below.
For more information on the process, please visit the Cambridge Needs Assessment webpage.
Tiered Needs
As part of the Community Needs Assessment, a framework was developed and refined to prioritize needs and inform future funding. This approach does not suggest that certain needs are more important than others, but recognizes that needs may vary based on breadth (the amount of individuals/neighborhoods affected), impact (the degree of challenges imposed on individuals/neighborhoods), and urgency (the combination of severity and time). This analysis resulted in the following:
Top Tier Needs
- Affordable Housing and Homelessness
- Financial Security
- Mental Health: Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse
Middle Tier Needs
- Food
- Civic Engagement and Social Capital
- Education
- Employment
Lower Tier Needs
- Safety
- Transportation
- Arts, Culture, and Recreation
- Health
- Built and Natural Environment
Additionally, according to the Community Needs Assessment, knowledge about the service context in the City can inform thinking about feasibility (the extent to which Cambridge nonprofits have the capacity to address the relevant needs with additional resources), and synergy (the extent to which directing resources to these needs has the potential to address other needs as well).
The Community Benefits Advisory Committee consists of the following members (May 2025):
City Staff Appointed by the City Manager
- Ellen Semonoff, Assistant City Manager for Department Human Services Programs (Committee Chair)
- Sandra Clarke, Deputy Director/Chief of Administration, Community Development Department
- Taha Jennings, Budget Director, Finance Department
Representatives of the Local Nonprofit Community
- Elizabeth Aguilo, Executive Director, Paine Senior Services
- Erin Muirhead McCarty, Executive Director, Community Art Center
- Elena Sokolow-Kaufman,Executive Director, Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition
Cambridge Community Foundation Representative
- Christina Turner, Vice president, Programs and Grantmaking, Cambridge Community Foundation
Business/Property Development Representative
- Michelle Lower, Vice President, Real Estate Development & Community Relations, Alexandria Real Estate
University Representative
- Anya Alexandra Bear, Community Engagement Administrator, MIT
Residents
- Amal Mohamed
- Rowan Murphy
- Anna Spier