Danny Vargas banner

Now is the time to move equity.

Now is the time to move Boston.

Powering Up Together background image

Powering Up Together calls for partnership to design plans for climate-friendly retrofits of Boston's small buildings

The new report looks at the slow progress of getting new climate technology into Boston's small buildings, and looks to philanthropists and other partners to accelerate adoption.

Read and download the report
Staircase Banner

New report advocates for modernizing building code to allow multifamily “single-stair” construction

Boston Indicators, in partnership with the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the Boston-based design firm Utile, call for bringing outdated codes in line with global standards to increase housing diversity and livability while using space more efficiently.

Read more about the report here

TBF and the Rennie Center release Investment in Early Education and Child Care in MA

How can we best use increased funding in early education and child care to improve access, affordability, quality, and workforce strength? This new report examines this question by assessing recent investments in the sector and considering fundamental questions about the future.

Read the report here
Boston Business Journal 2024 Power 50. Headshot photos of Lee Pelton, Danielle Kim,  Vanessa Calderón-Rosado and Elyse Cherry

Boston Business Journal unveils 2024 Power 50, members of TBF Staff and Board honored

We're thrilled to celebrate the current staff and board members who are being recognized among BBJ's Power 50 - TBF President and CEO Lee Pelton, executive director for the Asian Community Fund at TBF Danielle Kim, and board members Vanessa Calderón-Rosado and Elyse Cherry.

Read about all the 2024 honorees
Signing ceremony for the Future Beacon Joint Admissions Program, a new joint admissions program of UMass Boston and Bunker Hill Community College.

Future Beacon Pathway Agreement ceremony kicks off event on postsecondary pathways

On September 25, TBF hosted a formal signing ceremony for the Future Beacon Pathway Agreement, a joint admission agreement between Bunker Hill Community College and UMass Boston. Following the ceremony, TBF, Boston Opportunity Agenda and EdVestors hosted the first in a series of discussions on college and career pathways for Boston students.

Read more about the Pathways to Opportunity event
LAB Orientation group photo

TBF, Barr Foundation announce the thirty artists in Live Arts Boston's 2024-2025 cohort

The newly-revised 18-month program will provide over $1 million in grants and support to the artists, focusing on issues of broader well-being and sustainability, in addition to nurturing and developing the artists' creative practice.

Read about the artists and LAB program

Our Work

We believe that closing the gap on the region’s greatest disparities opens pathways to opportunity, prosperity and equitable outcomes. This complex, challenging and critical goal requires tackling the individual-, systems- and root-level causes of inequity. Here's where we are digging in.

What We Do
Pathways Venn Diagram - Child Well Being, Economic Opportunity, Community Wealth, Community Leadership
LGBT Pride flag couple

You by our side. Equity at the center.

The systemic and structural inequities at the core of our region’s disparities cannot be dismantled without extraordinary perseverance and collaboration among visionary and courageous partners, donors and leaders. Together we can improve lives and strengthen communities.

Our Work with Donors

Upcoming Events

Visit our Events page for even more upcoming opportunities.

 

The Latino Factor: Road to Prosperity. Flyer advertising the hybrid event on October 22 with an in-person reception at 6pm and hybrid conversation at 7pm with photos of panelists
Vitas mori. Albus orexiss ducunt ad gabalium. Ubi est altus nomen? Liberi de castus bubo, pugna species! Persuadere diligenter ducunt ad bi-color barcas.

The Latino Factor: Road to Prosperity

In partnership with Conexion and GBH, this community forum will feature a keynote by renowned author/journalist Ray Suarez and panel with local experts to discuss the socioeconomic impact Latinos have on our home state. If you're joining in-person, the event will kick off from 6-7 p.m. with a reception featuring delicious food and the chance to connect with fellow attendees. The conversation from 7-8:45 p.m. will be hybrid, with attendees in-person and the option to livestream.

Learn more and register here
A Brazilian woman dances outside in a park with a crowd of people behind her
Vitas mori. Albus orexiss ducunt ad gabalium. Ubi est altus nomen? Liberi de castus bubo, pugna species! Persuadere diligenter ducunt ad bi-color barcas.

¡Para Frente! Brazilians in Massachusetts

In partnership with Instituto Diaspora Brasil, the Latino Equity Fund at TBF is thrilled to launch of a special report that commemorates 50 years of the vibrant Brazilian community in MA. Join us for this report release and forum for an in-depth analysis of the demographics of MA's Brazilian population, along with rich insights from interviews and focus groups with second-generation Brazilians, community organizations, entrepreneurs, religious leaders, and artists. Join us in honoring this remarkable community and exploring the dynamic landscape of Brazilian life in Boston and beyond!

Register for this in-person event
Valuing our nonprofit workforce
Vitas mori. Albus orexiss ducunt ad gabalium. Ubi est altus nomen? Liberi de castus bubo, pugna species! Persuadere diligenter ducunt ad bi-color barcas.

Valuing Our Nonprofit Workforce

Anchored by Third Sector New England, Inc. (TSNE)’s latest compensation report, Valuing Our Nonprofit Workforce, this event will delve into trends in nonprofit compensation and benefits and examine key workforce shifts shaping the sector. Presenters will examine data trends from the research and offer insights on how nonprofits are navigating wage disparities, the challenges of implementing pay equity at the board level, and best practices for making the case for fair compensation. Join us to take away actionable insights to strengthen your organization’s compensation and equity strategies.

Register for this in-person event

Current Grant Opportunities

A card is standing up on a table at the Latino Equity Fund's 10 year celebration at Bow Market. The card is black and in white text reads the Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation

Latino Equity Fund

For its FY25 grantmaking cycle, LEF seeks applications from community nonprofits within TBF’s catchment area who are working towards the advancement of Latinos by creating economic prosperity opportunities, addressing health disparities, and supporting community well-being. Click the deadline button below to learn more.

Deadline: October 21
An adult man holds a young boy with his arms around the man's neck.

Safety Net Grants

The Safety Net Grants program is designed to support social service organizations that respond to essential needs for marginalized communities and vulnerable residents in Greater Boston. Click the deadline button to learn more.

Deadline: October 21
Next Steps for Boston Dance

Next Steps for Boston Dance

With a mission to strengthen the field of dance in Greater Boston, Next Steps for Boston Dance provides multi-layered support for Greater Boston’s choreographers and Circus Artists. Click the deadline button to learn more.

Deadline: October 25

Fueling change through civic leadership

Working beyond grantmaking, we collect data, commission research and share knowledge to inform public policy and catalyze conversations on issues with the greatest impact on the people of Greater Boston. 

Pathways to Equity

The Boston Foundation's 2023 annual report, organized around our four pathways to equity, tells some profoundly personal stories about how our donors and our nonprofit partners have the capacity to change lives. We offer deep thanks to our nonprofit partners who collaborated with us on this report and especially to those who shared their personal and inspiring stories with us.

We are a hub of partnerships and networks that work with and answer to the communities we serve. We collect data, commission research, share knowledge, develop programs, and fuel new ideas.