This Winter, Make Your Support Go Further

The Somerville Foundation is bringing together a half marathon, GivingTuesday, and a donor match to build momentum for community-led work across Somerville.

In less than a month, TSF Executive Director Sal Islam will run the B.A.A. Half Marathon and raise funds for TSF to kick off our winter fundraising campaign. Sal Runs for TSF turns a personal challenge of 13.1 miles into an invitation for our entire community to come together and invest in the people, programs, and partnerships moving Somerville forward.

You can join the campaign by sponsoring Sal’s run, making a GivingTuesday contribution, or helping us unlock our donor match. Whether you give $13.10, $131, or another amount meaningful to you, every donation helps TSF expand opportunity, strengthen local organizations, and provide community leaders with the resources they need to grow their impact.

Sal will run the miles. Together, we can build the momentum.

Why Give to TSF?

The Somerville Foundation is building community wealth by reinvesting resources directly into the people, programs, and partnerships shaping a more equitable Somerville.

We believe the strongest solutions come from the community itself. TSF exists to help grassroots leaders, educators, nonprofits, artists, and emerging initiatives access the funding, infrastructure, and support they need to grow sustainable impact.

Since 2019, TSF has stewarded more than $1 million supporting youth opportunity, workforce development, arts and culture, educational innovation, community partnerships, and neighborhood-based initiatives across Somerville.

Our work strengthens the local organizations and leaders already doing the work:
• Youth programs and mentorship initiatives
• Workforce development and career pathways
• Arts and cultural programming
• Fiscal sponsorship for emerging nonprofits and grassroots projects
• Educational innovation and classroom support

Through our Fiscal Sponsorship Program, TSF helps community-led initiatives access nonprofit infrastructure, financial management, grant opportunities, fundraising support, and operational guidance so leaders can focus on impact instead of bureaucracy.

Current fiscally sponsored initiatives include:
• Creative by Nature — free arts and outdoor retreats for Somerville youth
• Books of Hope / YouthStream — multilingual youth storytelling and leadership programming
• Somerville Mentorship Program — mentorship, apprenticeships, and workforce pathways for young adults
• Parkour Generations — movement and community-based physical activity programming
• Davis Square Main Streets / Down in Davis — arts, music, and neighborhood activation events

TSF also supports large-scale community initiatives and partnerships, including:
• Workforce development programs serving 30–50 young adults annually through partnerships with SCALE
• More than $50,000 distributed directly to educators through our Innovations in Education Grant Program
• Community-wide events like Food Nation Celebration and Stronger Together
• Operational grants helping local organizations stabilize staffing and continue serving residents

Every dollar donated strengthens local leadership, expands opportunity, and builds long-term community capacity.

When communities have the tools to invest in themselves, lasting change becomes possible.

Help us build a stronger Somerville, by Somerville, for Somerville.

TSF Winter Fundraiser