A new report looks back at the short-lived implementation of a performance-based funding formula for community colleges, and the lessons we could take away and apply to new efforts to ensure colleges are supported and rewarded as they grow and improve outcomes.

The 2018 annual report, titled "Better Together," focuses on the key roles partnerships among the Boston Foundation, donors, philanthropies, nonprofits, advisors and others play in solving our most challenging problems.

The new report from Boston Indicators examines the political and economic importance of accurate Census data for Massachusetts, and notes the challenges that limit the count and in many cases, have a large impact on counts in Massachusetts communities.

How can Boston raise the profile of its world-class cultural offerings? This new report, created from two years of interviews and discussions, suggests branding a new creative district "The Avenues to the Arts," and bringing together civic, commercial and cultural assets to create a powerful arts partnership

In a highly engaging Understanding Boston forum, community college funding took center stage. The Boston Foundation and Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation presented an examination of the fate of the Massachusetts' community college performace funding formula, and college presidents and the audience joined in a vibrant discussion of funding, private support and the opportunities and challenges facing the 15-campus system.

An October 24 forum for the release of the new Boston Indicators report "Census 2020, Explained" highlighted the critical importance of an accurate Census for Massachusetts, and featured an interesting conversation with the regional director for the US Census.

Boston as a whole is enjoying an era of growth, but the prosperity isn't distributed equally among various ethnic and socioeconomic groups, according to a new Boston Indicators report that was the focus of an October 10 event at the Edgerley Center for Civic Leadership

At this forum, the Boston Foundation released "The Work of Leisure: Behind the Scenes of Massachusetts' Leisure, Hospitality and Tourism Industry" - the first such study in 27 years - which is a detailed report that reveals how ubiquitous this industry really is and how much influence it has. The forum included a presentation of the report and a panel discussion about the implications of its findings.

The Boston Foundation welcomed community college leaders and staff to the Foundation on June 5th where it was announced that Holyoke Community College has been selected as the winner of the 2018 Deval Patrick Prize for Community Colleges.