MISSION & PURPOSE

The Summer Fund is a model donor collaborative that provides funders with a strategic coordinated approach to support and strengthen the out-of-school time field in a much deeper and broader way than grant making organizations could achieve individually. The SF leverages resources from the philanthropic sector to provide underserved youth with safe quality summer program opportunities.

The Summer Fund provides for collaboration and learning among leading grant makers. Donors are encouraged to participate in a variety of ways, from attending site visits and annual donor events, to joining the Summer Fund committee. The SF addresses the unique needs of urban summer camps and programs because that is its core competency—supporting and strengthening summer programming for Greater Boston youth. The collaboration and leveraged capital of the Summer Fund donor community ensures that resources are available to support, strengthen, and sustain an exceptional network of summer programs serving disadvantaged and at-risk youth in Greater Boston.

The Summer Fund directs resources to quality summer camps and programs for youth, ages 6-18, of all races, ethnic backgrounds and abilities, from low to moderate income households in Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, and Somerville. The SF provides operational support grants to summer camps and programs that focus on academic and social skill development, personal growth, and providing safe structured settings for youth. The SF offers a wealth of summer programming that reflects the diversity of Greater Boston and the youth we serve.

The Summer Fund Donor Collaborative was created to address issues of racial, ethnic, and socio-economic disparities by recognizing the need for summer programming for urban youth, particularly those who are at-risk and disadvantaged, and to ensure the fair and equitable distribution of resources to provide those opportunities. Current research in the out-of-school time field continues to underscore the impact of summer learning loss, particularly, for minorities and youth from lower socio-economic means, and that disparities continue to exist that must be addressed. The mission of the Summer Fund remains the same today as access for all children to quality out-of-school time programming remains an issue of equity.