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Events

The Boston Foundation sponsors a series of popular events designed to engage the community with the challenges facing our city and region. These are attended by thousands of dedicated people every year.

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Upcoming Events

A toddler draws with chalk

A Mapping of Workforce Assets and Needs: Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health

Tuesday, May 20, 2025, 9:30 - 11:00 AM

Three images: headshot photo of Reverend Liz Walker, cover of the book "No One Left Alone by Rev. Liz Walker" and headshot photo of Lee Pelton

Fireside Chat with Reverend Liz Walker and Lee Pelton

Thursday, May 29, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 PM

A middle aged Latina woman stands in front of a colorful wall

Tienen alas, pero no las pueden usar: Stories of Immigrants in Search of Work Credentials

Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 9:00 - 10:30 AM

Selected Recent Events

A group of people celebrate and march for the Pride Parade in Boston

LGBTQ+ People in Massachusetts

Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 9:00 - 10:30 AM The Equality Fund at TBF and the Fenway Institute released 'LGBTQ+ People in Massachusetts: Strengths, Challenges, and Opportunities in a Diverse Community,' a report featuring new research about our state’s LGBTQ+ community.

Harrison Ave mural

The Future of Collective Action for the Arts and Culture Sector

Thursday, May 8, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 PM How can we organize ourselves to defend, mobilize and expand the role of the arts in society? A panel of leaders and activists took on this question in a discussion the current landscape and models and best practices for building collective action within and beyond our sector.

Black and white photo: A woman with very short dark hair stands in a kitchen, the purple TBF arrow is edited into the photo behind the woman.

Voices of Experience: Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program

Wednesday, May 7, 2025, 9:00 - 10:30 AM Be among the first to explore the vivid findings from a new report leveraging surveys, focus groups and interviews to hear directly from tenants and landlords on their experiences with the Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP).

Boston skyline

The Shifting Federal Landscape: Mass. Nonprofits Raise the Alarm

Monday, May 5, 2025, 12:30 - 02:00 PM TBF, MA Nonprofit Network, and MassINC Polling Group released the MA Nonprofits Federal Impacts Survey results, with responses from 500+ nonprofit leaders highlighting near-universal expectations that Trump administration policies will make work more difficult for their nonprofits and the communities they serve.

Asian donor at table

Wealth Gaps in the Golden Years: Economic Insecurity for Older Adults in a High-Cost State

Thursday, May 1, 2025, 9:30 - 10:15 AM This event highlighted a new mixed-methods report by Boston Indicators in collaboration with the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College that explored the income and wealth of older households in Mass., with a special focus on low-income, low-wealth seniors.

A profile photo of a young black man sitting on a bench in front of a brick building

Undervalued: Appraisal Bias in Massachusetts

Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 9:00 - 10:30 AM This event convened experts, policy leaders, and community members to understand, unpack, and address the occurrence and impact of appraisal bias in MA. The panel discussion provided background, share stories of homeowners’ experiences, and elevate potential solutions.

LiveWork Spaces invite image

The Future of Creative and Live-Work Spaces

Thursday, April 10th, 2025, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.Co-hosted by TBF, Artists for Humanity, MassCreative, and Zumix, this event featured conversations with leaders and practitioners in the field exploring ways to develop, protect and stabilize artist live-work spaces.

The Business of Care: Strengthening Family Child Care as a Path to Wealth Building

Friday, March 28, 2025 For the release of a new report examining the business side of family child-care, TBF, MassBudget and Boston Indicators brought together policymakers, advocates, funders, and providers to explore the essential role of home-based care in MA and ways it can serve as a pathway to wealth building and stability for early educators.

Pathways to Opportunity: Engaging Employers to Scale Work-Based Learning and Prepare Boston's Future Work

Tuesday, March 25, 2025 Education and workforce development innovators convened at TBF to discuss different angles on the theme of equitably preparing Boston students for rewarding careers while ensuring our region’s economic future with a diverse and skilled workforce.

Harrison Ave mural

The Future of Creative Workforce Development and Entrepreneurship

Thursday, March 13, 2025 During a panel discussion, guests both in-person and via livestream learned from leaders as they explored the challenges, opportunities, and tactics in driving towards a more collaborative and integrative creative economy and arts sector.

Cover image from the Boys and Men report

Boys & Men in Greater Boston

Thursday, March 6, 2025 In a lively conversation, Boston Indicators and the American Institute for Boys and Men explored the complex challenges facing boys and men in Greater Boston, and the possibilities for support systems that strengthen and support both boys and men and the larger community.

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Transit-Supportive Density in Greater Boston

Thursday, January 30, 2025 TBF hosted the release of a new report from Boston Indicators and TransitMatters on the relationship between housing density and effective transit, and the possibilities for strengthening transit hubs in Greater Boston.

In a parking lot. two people examine a heat sensor in a tree as part of the pilot program

B COOL: 2024 Heat Temperature Sensor Pilot Project

Wednesday, January 22, 2025 TBF hosted the release of new data from a pilot project that captured significant differences in heat across Boston neighborhoods and sparked a discussion of how neighborhood-level heat data could be used to help residents and save lives.

hand drawn banners showing elements from Native Wealth report

“To Live and Thrive” in MA: Native American Perspectives on Wealth

Tuesday, January 14, 2025 TBF hosted an online forum to release the newest report from Boston Indicators and researchers at the Institute for New England Native American Studies at UMass Boston, “To Live and Thrive” in Massachusetts: Native Perspectives on Wealth.

Pie Alone Chartbook Cover

The Great Wealth Transfer

Tuesday, December 17, 2024 Research shows the "Great Wealth Transfer" of more than $70 trillion from Baby Boomers to their descendants has the possibility of exacerbating racial wealth gaps. In this conversation, panelists say it doesn't have to be that way.

A ShopAAPI vendor passes a bag across her table to a happy, smiling customer

#ShopAAPI Holiday Market 2024

Wednesday, December 11, 2024 On December 11, the Asian Community Fund, the Asian Business Empowerment Council and the Boston Foundation were proud to host the second annual #ShopAAPI forum and night market at TBF’s offices in Boston.

Pathways to Opportunity: Non-Traditional Pathways to Career Success

Tuesday, December 10, 2024 In the third installment of the series “Pathways to Opportunity,” we explored non-traditional paths from high school to careers with a panel featuring five local leaders with a breadth of perspectives as educators, administrators and funders of this important work.

Mother and child looking nervously at camera

Coffee & Conversation: Parents Under Pressure

Friday, December 6, 2024 This conversation reviewed the U.S. Surgeon General report, Parents Under Pressure: The Critical Link Between Parental Mental Health and Children's Long-Term Well-Being, a dicscussion of the often-overlooked struggles of parents and the impact of these challenges on their children.

Powering a Culture of Philanthropy. Photo of a donor sitting out in a wooded area

The 2024 Boston Foundation Annual Meeting: Powering a Culture of Philanthropy

Thursday, November 21, 2025 TBF's 2024 Annual Report is built around stories about our donors and the inventive ways they partner with the nonprofits and causes they support. We're also pleased to highlight a new video series that captures our partnerships with nonprofit leaders and organizations across our Pathways to Equity.

A girl in a classroom builds a tall tower with building blocks

Building Blocks: Status of Child Care Reform in MA and What Comes Next

Tuesday, November 19, 2024 TBF hosted the release of MTF’s follow-up report, “Building Blocks: Status of Child Care Reform in Massachusetts and What Comes Next,” accompanied by a panel discussion among sector leaders on themes and issues the report highlighted.

Danny Vargas stands leaning against a wall, painted with a mural, with his elbow bent

Minding the Gap: Personal Wealth

Friday, November 15, 2024 In the final installment of the Racial Wealth Gap Partnership's 'Minding the Gap' series, we dug into the systemic and individual-level challenges created by the racial wealth gap in personal wealth.

A young man at graduation wear a cap and gown

Pathways to Opportunity: A Conversation about High School-Based Pathways in Boston

Thursday, November 14, 2024 TBF's second Pathways to Opportunity convening, in partnership with EdVestors, highlighted opportunities to build stronger and more equitable partnerships between high schools and postsecondary institutions, to create more seamless pathways for student success.

Greater Boston Housing Report Card cover image

The 2024 Greater Boston Housing Report Card

Tuesday, November 12, 2024 A highly-anticipated annual report for more than two decades, in 2024's Greater Boston Housing Report Card the Boston Indicators team analyzes core metrics of the region's housing while researchers from BU's Initiative on Cities look at the opportunities and obstacles in using publicly-owned land to develop affordable housing.

Thriving Together: Cultivating Well-being & Sustainability in the Social Sector

Monday, November 4th, 2024 A robust crowd gathered at TBF for a networking lunch and presentation of INP’s report, Thriving Together: Cultivating Well-Being & Sustainability in the Social Sector, released in collaboration with Community Science and live-streamed for INP's 2024–25 Leadership Learning Series, sponsored by the Allstate Foundation.

Valuing our nonprofit workforce

Valuing Our Nonprofit Workforce

Tuesday, October 29th, 2024 TSNE presented the results of their latest survey on nonprofit compensation and benefits, and a panel of nonprofit leaders discussed how to address lingering racial and gender gaps in leadership and compensation in the nonprofit sector.

A Brazilian woman dances outside in a park with a crowd of people behind her

¡Para Frente! Brazilians in Massachusetts

Thursday, October 24, 2024 TBF's Latino Equity Fund hosted the launch of the report 'Brazilians in the Greater Boston Region,' bringing together Brazilian community leaders, community organizations, businesses, and researchers to celebrate and learn about MA's Brazilian community.

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

The Latino Factor: Road to Prosperity

Tuesday, October 22, 2024 In partnership with, LEF Conexion and GBH, this community forum at GBH featured a keynote by renowned author/journalist Ray Suarez and panel with local experts to discuss the socioeconomic impact Latinos have in MA.

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Legalizing Mid-Rise Single-Stair Housing in MA

Thursday, October 10th, 2024 More than 350 people, in-person and online, joined Boston Indicators, the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies and the design firm Utile, for an exploration of what modernizing building codes to allow for 'single-stair' designs could do to unlock more housing in Greater Boston.

Investment in Early Education and Child Care in MA

Tuesday, October 8th, 2024 The release event for "Investing in Early Education and Care in Massachusetts" featured remarks from MA Rep. Alice Peisch and an experienced panel of practitioners and advocates discussing the need for resources and action to strengthen this critical sector.

Redefining Maternal Health: Innovations and Equity for Birthing People

Friday, September 27, 2024 Featuring a data presentation by the Boston Indicators team, TBF hosted this discussion looking at how we can nurture strong beginnings by improving maternal health with a particular focus on reducing disparities by race and ethnicity.

¡Pa’lante! Childcare Matters

Thursday, September 26, 2024 Co-hosted with Amplify Latinx, this event explored the impact of child care challenges on Latino communities and the possibilities for reform.

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

Wednesday, September 25, 2024 The first in a series, this event featured the signing of a new joint admission agreement from UMass Boston and Bunker Hill Community College, and a broad exploration of the growth and success of school-to-career and -college pathways for BPS students.

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The State of AAPI-owned Businesses in Mass.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024 How have AAPI-owned businesses fared in the years after the pandemic? The Asian Business Empowerment Council (ABEC) decided to find out by conducting a multilingual, targeted survey. The results were the subject of this powerful panel discussion with AAPI business and banking leaders.

Programs with a Purpose: The Power of SPCPs

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 The Partnership to Close the Racial Wealth Gap at TBF hosted a forum to highlight special purpose credit programs, a powerful but often not widely recognized tool for improving access to capital for underserved communities.

Homelessness Causes photo

Homelessness in Greater Boston Trends in the Context of Our Broader Housing Crisis

Tuesday, August 6, 2024 How many people are homeless in Greater Boston, what are the recent trends, who is falling into homelessness, and what role does the region's housing crisis play? At this 30-minute author briefing, Boston Indicators researchers shared findings of their new report analyzing data on homelessness in Greater Boston.

Minding the Gap: Community Wealth

Wednesday, June 26, 2024 Hosted by the Racial Wealth Gap Partnership, this event, the third in a Minding the Gap series, convened community wealth experts to discuss the history and importance of community wealth initiatives, and their value for strengthening local economic power and community assets.

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

The Latino Equity Fund Presents: ¡Pa’lante! A Decade of Impact

Friday, June 21, 2024 2024 marked the 10th anniversary of the Latino Equity Fund’s (LEF) first grant cycle as an established equity fund at TBF. To commemorate LEF’s impact as the only philanthropic fund dedicated to Latinos in MA, the Fund hosted a community celebration that featured Latinidad, music, performances and delicious local cuisine at Bow Market in Somerville.

SBEC setting roots image

Setting Roots in Rocky Soil: The State of AAPI-owned Businesses in Massachusetts

Tuesday, June 18, 2024 The Asian Business Empowerment Council (ABEC) at the Asian Community Fund released of a multi-year study examining the complex and diverse challenges and opportunities experienced by AAPI entrepreneurs and engage in conversation around policy and practice strategies for change.

Equality and Equity

Equality Fund Annual Pride Celebration

June 13th, 2024 An annual tradition for the Equality Fund, during Pride Month the Equality Fund announced their new grantees, celebrated our nonprofit partners’ transformative work, and recognized our donors’ commitment to the Fund’s mission.

young people at class table with paperwork

Hiring Skilled Immigrants in Massachusetts: What Employers Need to Know

Wednesday, June 12, 2024 This forum reviewed a new report by UMass Donahue Institute, examining the ways employers can engage with skilled immigrants with a review of the African Bridge Network’s proposed verification process which seeks to mitigate the hiring of skilled immigrants in MA, with discussion of local initiatives that support the career advancement of skilled immigrants.

Inequality and Insecurity in Retirement

Wednesday, June 5, 2024 As part of the Racial Wealth Equity Resource Center initiative, Boston Indicators has partnered with Jeffrey Thompson and Hope Bodenschatz of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston to produce Inequality and Insecurity in Retirement, a new report that will be presented and discussed at this release event.