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Now is the time to move equity.

Now is the time to move Boston.

Geeta Aiyer and Bob Rivers

Geeta Aiyer, Bob Rivers to be honored at inaugural gala for Asian Community Fund

Aiyer, President and Founder of Boston Common Asset Management, and Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors at Eastern Bank, will be recognized as Equity Leaders at the event, which will celebrate ACF's growth and grantmaking on October 3.

Click to read more
Lee Pelton and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey give remarks at the State House signing ceremony for the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act.

A day to remember for wage equity in Massachusetts

On August 6, 2024 at the Massachusetts State House, Gov. Maura Healey signed into law the Frances Perkins Wage Equity Act. The Boston Foundation is a proud partner, leading advocate and convener of the Wage Equity Now coalition, which has been working for years to bring this new law to fruition.

Read more on TBF's blog
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
The NonProfit Times 27th Annual. The 2024 NPT Power & Influence Top 50. A headshot photo of Lee Pelton

The NonProfit Times announces 2024 Power and Influence Top 50

The NonProfit Times announced the 2024 NPT Power & Influence Top 50, which include TBF's President and CEO Lee Pelton, spotlighting his focus on the racial wealth gap in Boston and TBF's $4 million investment for 6 nonprofit leaders through the "Shifting Power, Advancing Justice" initiative. We celebrate all the distinguished nonprofit leaders honored this year!

Read more about the honorees

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
Equity transparency
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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.

 

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Programs with a Purpose: The Power of SPCPs

Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs) are tools designed to support underserved and economically disadvantaged communities through targeted lending products. This event will bring together financial and legal experts, policymakers, and community leaders to discuss the design, implementation, and impact of SPCPs, drawing on their real-world experiences.

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

Virtual Briefing: The State of AAPI-owned Businesses in Massachusetts

AAPI businesses are the fastest-growing ownership sector in Massachusetts, yet they continue to be misunderstood and under-supported. The Asian Business Empowerment Council (ABEC) initiated a multi-year study to explore the unique challenges and opportunities faced by AAPI entrepreneurs. This event will delve into the study's findings, offering insights and recommendations from community organizations, funders, and AAPI business owners, and engaging a panel of experts to discuss policy and practice strategies for driving change.

Register for this webinar
Vitas mori. Albus orexiss ducunt ad gabalium. Ubi est altus nomen? Liberi de castus bubo, pugna species! Persuadere diligenter ducunt ad bi-color barcas.

Pathways to Opportunity: Career-Connected Learning for Boston's Young People

How do we ensure citywide goals guide high-quality, relevant, and flexible college and career pathways for young people in Boston? This event will bring together local education leaders to discuss the collective ways we can achieve citywide goals, prepare for challenges ahead, and leverage opportunities to strengthen the ecosystem of career-connected learning options.

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

¡Pa’lante! Childcare Matters In partnership with Amplify LatinX

In Massachusetts, quality childcare and early education are limited and expensive, particularly for Black and Latino children. This forum will bring together local experts to discuss the latest trends and challenges in childcare and early education and their impact on communities of color, and provide a networking opportunity for attendees, providers and officials. Click below to register or to learn more about other events in the series.

Register for this in-person event

Current Grant Opportunities

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.