Avangrid Foundation Awards $10,000 Grant to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center to Expand Access and Engage Latino Communities

Grant expected to benefit over 6,000 Western Massachusetts residents

GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass., October 15, 2026--The Avangrid Foundation, the philanthropic arm of leading energy company Avangrid Inc., a member of the Iberdrola Group, today announced a $10,000 grant to the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center to strengthen the organization's engagement with Latino communities and expand access to performances and cultural programming for residents in the Berkshires.

"Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to celebrate the people, cultures and organizations that make our communities stronger," said Pablo Colón, Director of Corporate Citizenship and Executive Director of the Avangrid Foundation. "We're proud to continue our partnership with the Mahaiwe and support its year-round work to expand access to the arts and create programming that reflects and reaches the communities it serves."

The grant reflects Avangrid's ongoing commitment to serving as a partner to local organizations that create opportunities for more people to participate in their communities and advance arts, heritage, and culture. Funding from the Avangrid Foundation will support the Mahaiwe's Partnering with Latinx Communities Program ($7,500) and its Community Access Program ($2,500). Together, the two programs are expected to reach more than 6,000 residents across the Berkshires through cultural programming, community partnerships, free events, and reduced-cost access to performances.

"It is only through partnerships with generous donors like the Avangrid Foundation, that the Mahaiwe can keep reaching deep into local communities," said the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center Executive Director Janis Martinson. "For decades, the Mahaiwe has been contributing to local quality of life, through educational offerings, family programs, and affordable ticket prices. It is core to our mission. Likewise, our efforts to provide programming and create belonging for the Spanish-language community are long-standing, and that enduring effort allows the program to build trust, broadening and adapting from year to year. We are deeply grateful to Avangrid for making that possible."

Announced during Hispanic Heritage Month, the grant will support the Mahaiwe's year-round work to partner with Latino communities through live performances, films, storytelling and other cultural programs. The Mahaiwe expects approximately 2,000 people to participate in events supported by the program in 2026.

Support from the Avangrid Foundation also helps to cover the cost of subsidizing community programming, free events, and ticket discounts through the Mahaiwe's Community Access Program, helping more people participate in the Mahaiwe events. The Foundation's grant is expected to help pay for 6,000 free or deeply discounted tickets in 2026.