A Letter to Our Supporters

Announced on September 4, 2025

Dear Friends of WillPower,

We are proud to announce the next chapter in the WillPower Foundation’s story of hope, help, and heart. Beginning this October, WillPower Foundation will team up with Multicultural Community Services to officially become The WillPower Fund at MCS.

Why now?

Since 2008, WillPower Foundation has provided nearly half a million dollars in direct grants to families and individuals with different abilities living in Western Massachusetts, made possible by the generosity of our donors, the dedication of our volunteers, board members, and founders, and the inspiration of the families we serve.  But after 20 years of empowering Western Mass families through our unique and accessible grantmaking, the pandemic forced us to reduce our operational costs just to stay afloat. Thanks to our loyal donors and hardworking volunteers, we persevered with a very lean staffing model, and even grew our impact. But running WillPower with such minimal staff left us worried about sustainability. So, over the past three years, the WillPower Board has worked diligently to plan for the future and find a more efficient way to ensure that more donor dollars are directed to families, thereby maintaining a strong mission for years to come.

Why MCS? 

MCS (Multicultural Community Services) has served Western and Central Massachusetts since 1979, supporting more than 3,000 individuals with developmental disabilities and their families every year.  MCS shares our target population, as well as our values of dignity, inclusion, and empowerment. As a large established nonprofit with a staff of over 580, MCS has the infrastructure to manage the operational responsibilities of running the WillPower Fund, and the clinical expertise to do so in a way that best meets the unique needs of our applicant families.  This partnership is not only a win for the individuals and families we serve, but for our donors who support them, as reduced operational costs means more donations will now be converted directly into WillPower Fund grants.

What will change?

Starting in October, rather than existing as a separate non-profit organization, WillPower will operate as a grant-making fund hosted and managed by MCS.  The grant application will be hosted on MCS’s website;  their staff will oversee the grants application and review process, and all grant-related communication going forward.  Fundraising will be managed outside of MCS by a team of volunteers who will host annual benefit events and donate all proceeds to the WillPower Fund.

What stays the same? 

Everything else.   Families from Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin, and Berkshire Counties can still apply for up to $750 per year through our simple online application process, which will continue to be accessible through several grant cycles each year.. The process will remains low-barrier, requiring only a clear explanation of need and a letter of support.   Donors can still support WillPower through its annual events, Power Partner Club, and online donations.  Most importantly, our mission remains unchanged:  empowering families with direct grants to help them meet their loved ones’ needs when insurance falls short.

We honor and thank our founders, Maria and Craig Burke, our namesake Will Burke, our dedicated Board of Directors, and the countless volunteers and donors who have sustained us.  And we extend our deepest gratitude to our partners at MCS, for their investment in this collaboration.  Together, we have built something extraordinary that will have a lasting impact on individuals and families with disabilities in our community for years to come.

Read more about the WillPower Fund at MCS here.  And stay tuned!  Over the next couple of months, we’ll be sharing more information about the next WillPower Fund grant cycle (applications accepted starting in October), as well as volunteer opportunities, our Power Partners donor program, and our new home online. 

With deep gratitude,

The WillPower Foundation Board of Directors