Rafael Vieira (second on left) with the Somerville High School Media interns.

By Petra Wolf

As Federal relief funding dries up for Somerville nonprofits, the Somerville Foundation looks to fill some of the void. Formerly the Somerville Education Foundation, the grantmaking organization works to become a community foundation for Somerville. This means helping nonprofits and programs involved with getting jobs, green technology, and journalism. Now, two months after the name change, the organization is starting to help fund and draw attention to new programs.

“We recognize that one of the things the Somerville Foundation has done well is acting as fiscal sponsor with other groups,” Somerville Foundation President Greg Nadeau explains. They have been able to apply for American Rescue Plan Act funding in the past but this year when applying for $1.7 million they only received $250,000.

As the Foundation looks to help with job security and employment programs, the Foundation can apply for other federal funds, such as from the Department of Labor. Ideally, the Somerville Foundation hopes that more nonprofits turn to them for funding more often in the future.

Somerville Foundation hired Rafael Vieira as program manager in July. Recently Vieira helped the Somerville Center for Adult Learning Experiences apply for larger grants to pay for more materials for their adult learning courses.

Somerville Foundation helps nonprofits with grant application writing and reporting. The Foundation also helps provide training like legal aid to struggling organizations. “What we want to do is allow passionate people to do the things that they’re passionate about,” said Vieira. “And provide that backroom boost to some organizations that are already worn so thin.”

Vieira also created an intern program back in January which allows high schoolers to get media experience early on. Recruited by Foundation vice president Wilbert Pineda, a Somerville High alum, the students would create interviews, posters, and videos. They would go around Somerville, interviewing other nonprofits. They can also cover YouthStream, an afterschool gaming tournament program Somerville Foundation helped fund. They get paid and what they create will go up on a new Somerville Foundation website.

The nine current students find the program refreshing, they get go to new places around the city and learn the history. They’re telling their own friends about the program and getting them to join as well. Vieira remains thankful for Somerville High School for letting the program gather after school and use their classrooms. The Foundation aims to continue the program throughout the year and provide a summer internship for students outside the school yeah.

The students also hope the program helps with jobs, as does Vieira and the Foundation. Youth support and employment are key areas for the Somerville Foundation. Some advisors and stakeholders want the Foundation to quickly move away from the youth focus. But Nadeau feels there is still insufficient resources for the high school population.

“The school population [in Somerville] has become much poorer and smaller. Young people tend to graduate from high school at pretty high rates but drop out before graduating college” says Nadeau. Somerville is a young city, with 40 percent of the population at ages 25-35. Many have needs like food security, housing, parent support, and employment. The Foundation is working to get the media program interns employed to give back to the community which Somerville nonprofits can benefit from as well. But that isn’t the only program giving back.

The Foundation brought two organizations, Groundwork Somerville, and Somerville Bike Kitchen together and helped create the Green Team Biking Division. This program pays high school students to repair recycled bikes and give them back to the community. Groundwork and Bike Kitchen also host weekly bike repair workshops at the Somernova Dojo, which itself is trying to become a nonprofit and host place for nonprofit meetings.

Vieira says the Foundation tries to get groups to work together. Groundwork had a large number of employees but were tight on resources while Bike Kitchen had resources but less employees as volunteer co-op. Program Manager Kenzie Ballard confirmed Groundwork and other local youth organizations feel the ARPA funds drying up. Groundwork is concerned about how long they can continue the program.

“The reality is there’s a lot of organizations that are doing these kinds of things in Somerville already, but they’re struggling,” said Vieira. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. This central community foundation that can just provide widespread support.”