Everyone has something to offer, and if what you have to contribute is money instead of time, you’re in the right place! For other ways of contributing time, money, or physical resources, check out the Get Involved page.
We accept one-time and recurring donations through our fiscal sponsor, Common Good, a 501(c)(3):
Why donate to MAMAS:
Without neighbors sharing their financial resources, we would be unable to redistribute wealth and support community members. For example, when SNAP benefits were threatened recently, our neighbors contributed thousands of dollars to our community pool to help support grocery gift cards and other assistance for our neighbors.
Since March 2020, we’ve redistributed over $1 million. That’s an impressive number (if we do say so ourselves), and it has helped support our neighbors in times of critical need. And we know that so many of our neighbors still need help. (If that’s you, here’s a link to our hotline.)
Here’s a breakdown of how contributions to our community pool get spent:
[✨pretty ynab graphs go here✨]
also maybe a link to an updated “about Common Good” doc that explains why they ask for the amount of personal information they do (ie, third-party payment processor, similar to venmo / paypal / zelle)
Ways to support
Recurring + One-time Donations
Got a little bit of cash? Recurring donations of any size help us support more neighbors! Just 5 people making a monthly donation of $20 adds up to a household getting consistent support for a year.
No really, just a tiny bit of cash? One-time and recurring donations of all sizes are appreciated – 20 people making $5 donations supports a household just as well as one person contributing $100!
Sponsor a Grocery Pair!
Got plenty of cash? Sponsor a grocery pair for the year. A recurring donation of $100 per month lets our grocery team provide consistent support to a Medford or Somerville household of 1-2; $200 per month supports a household of 3-5; and $300 per month supports a household of 6 or more people. (If you set up an account with our fiscal sponsor, Common Good, you can pay via ACH and help MAMAS save on credit card fees!)
Local Businesses
Got a local business? Consider hosting MAMAS for a fundraising event, or if you’ve got a matching donation program, consider encouraging your employees to donate to MAMAS and submit for your matching donations. (Shoutout to local businesses who’ve helped raise money for MAMAS in the last year, including Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Remnant Brewing in Somerville, and American Flatbread in Somerville!) Reach out to askyourmamas@gmail.com to learn more.
Donor Advised Funds + Foundations
Got a foundation? MAMAS is grateful to the James B. Boskey Memorial Foundation for their support of our grocery sweeps program and welcomes the opportunity to apply for additional values-aligned funding. Email mamasmoneyteam@gmail.com with any questions.
Got a donor advised fund or want to send a physical check? We’ll need to notify our fiscal sponsor of a DAF or check contribution in advance – otherwise, the donation will go towards their general fund, rather than MAMAS. If you’re considering a DAF or check donation to MAMAS, please email the information below to askyourmamsas@gmail.com:
Using the account that the check will come from, we’ll need to know:
- First + last name on the account
- Name of the bank / community foundation / issuing institution
- Anticipated transaction amount ($)
After we’ve got the basics, we can send you information on:
- how to fill out the check (including a memo line and who to address it to)
- where to mail the check
- (if your DAF requires it:) Common Good’s tax ID number
We’ll ask for confirmation once you do send it out, and then you’re done!
