Donor 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

Pathways to Equity: The 2023 Annual Report

The 2023 Boston Foundation Annual Report, 'Pathways to Equity' introduces you to a dozen remarkable people who personify both TBF's four pathways, and the many ways that TBF and its communities are working to create a more equitable Boston.

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Report

2023 Greater Boston Housing Report Card

The Greater Boston Housing Report Card has tracked key housing metrics for more than two decades. In addition to data and analysis, the 2023 report features an exploration of how Community Land Trusts can unlock further affordable housing across the region.

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Video

Color of the Capital Gap

Two years after the original "Color of the Capital Gap" report, a new look at the data finds that there is still much to do to improve capital access for businesses of color, but the panel discussion reveals both opportunities and a determination to close the gap.

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Video

Greater Boston Housing Report Card 2023

Nearly 300 people tuned in remotely and in-person as the Boston Indicators team shared the core data from the Greater Boston Housing Report Card, including a special section on community land trusts from researchers at Tufts University.

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Video

Supreme Court Ruling on Affirmative Action: Exploring Potential Implications & Opportunities for Nonprofits

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling effectively ending affirmative action in college admissions has rippled across sectors, prompting nonprofit, corporate, and government leaders to examine potential impacts on their constituents, employees, programming, and missions. While the implications are not yet fully known, the nonprofit sector and its allies face a pivotal moment and opportunity to come together to continue to advance commitments to building a more just and equitable society.

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Video

A Long Road Home Report Release

Policies have systematically denied opportunities to Black households and other households of color, dramatically driving the racial wealth gap and entrenching the hurdles for some populations to accumulate wealth. TBF hosted this report release event in-person and via livestream to discuss the existing landscape of programs and policies in Massachusetts to support homeowners—many of which are national models—and how we can build on this foundation to continue addressing these discriminatory policies and practices and pushing toward equity.

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