Report
Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2026
The 2026 Housing Report Card features a close examination into Greater Boston's ability to...
Read MoreDonor Education + Events
Our programs and events keep you in touch with community issues and your own approach to philanthropy.
Our donors are always invited to Boston Foundation programs that are open to the public. Chief among these is Understanding Boston, a series of forums, educational events and research presentations that provide information and insight into issues affecting Greater Boston, its neighborhoods and the region. See recent Understanding Reports and forum videos below.
Donor-Only Events
The Boston Foundation hosts events for donors that engage them in programmatic topics (an evening at Commonwealth Shakespeare, for example, or a screening of a film about a prison transition program) and that introduce them to thought leaders in philanthropy: Donors were invited to a “Jeffersonian Dinner” with Dr. Atul Gawande, and to a concert and conversation with Peter Buffett at the Isabel Stewart Gardner Museum. We offer a series of philanthropic workshops each year to help donors and their friends learn more about the mechanics of estate and charitable gift planning from experts in the field. Past programs have included:
- Responding to Financial Markets: Life Income and Related Plans
- Charitable Planning with Real Estate Interests
- Estate and Gift Planning Basics
- Charitable Contributions of IRA and Qualified Retirement Plan Assets
- Planning for the Future of Your Donor Advised Fund
Report
Somos Más: The Latino Vote and the Strength of Democracy in Massachusetts
Produced in partnership between the Latino Equity Fund and Gastón Institute at UMass Boston, this report explores the growth of the Latino electorate in Massachusetts, and the untapped opportunity to ensure Latino issues play a more central role in the democratic process.
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Report
Leveraging Catalytic Capital for Small Building Decarbonization in Boston
Produced in partnership between the Boston Foundation, Firefly Energy Consulting, and the Building Electrification Institute, this report explores how philanthropy can provide “catalytic capital,” using impact investments and other vehicles to supplement local, state, and federal funding to reduce carbon emissions in low- and moderate-income areas.
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Report
Family Wealth in Massachusetts
A new report takes a first-of-its-kind look at family wealth across demographic groups in Massachusetts, highlighting the broad disaparities between and among groups in the state.
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Report
Persisting through the Pandemic and Beyond: Trends In College Enrollment, Persistence and Completion Experiences of Boston Public Schools Graduates
This report from the Boston Private Industry Council and the Boston Foundation explores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following years on college enrollment, persistance and completion for graduates of the Boston Public Schools. While results are improving from pandemic lows, the report highlights the challenges of regaining momentum, especially for the groups of students facing the hardest paths to a postsecondary education.
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Video
Help Wanted: How workforce development providers can partner effectively with employers to address the “forever-tight labor market”
At SkillWorks’ event, authors Jerry Rubin and Steven Dawson shared insights from their new book, Help Wanted: How to Find and Keep Talent in a Forever-Tight Labor Market, exploring the structural forces shaping today’s labor market and the strategies employers can use to attract and retain talent.
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Video
The Asian Community Fund 2026 Gala
More than 700 people were on hand to enjoy a remarkable night of inspiration, AAPI-themed entertainment, food and fellowship at the Westin Copley Plaza for the third Asian Community Fund Gala.
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Video
Pathways to Opportunity: Boosting College Enrollment and Completion of Boston Public Schools Graduates
Building on findings from the Foundation’s report, Persisting Through the Pandemic and Beyond, education and civic leaders came together to examine the latest data on college enrollment and completion among BPS graduates, highlighting both encouraging progress and persistent challenges facing Boston students.
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Video
Leveraging Catalytic Capital for Small Residential Building Decarbonization
This report release event explored the findings of Leveraging Catalytic Capital for Small Residential Building Decarbonization in Boston, a new report from The Boston Foundation in partnership with Building Electrification Institute and Firefly Energy Consulting.
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Video
Beyond the Buzzword: Defining High Quality in Early Education and Care
In a wide-ranging discussion, panelists discussed the elements high quality early education, both inside and outside the classroom.
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