Jill Shah, Brian Conway to co-chair 2018-2019 Civic Leadership campaign

Boston – Brian Conway, TA Associates’ Chairman and Managing Partner, and Jill Shah, entrepreneur and President of the Shah Family Foundation, will co-chair the Boston Foundation’s annual campaign for the Civic Leadership Fund and lead the effort to raise $3,000,000 for the Fund in the 2018-2019 campaign, which runs through next June.

The annual campaign for the Civic Leadership Fund fuels the Boston Foundation’s unique role as Boston’s community foundation – the Fund supports the Foundation’s research into key issues, its nonpartisan efforts to inform and educate lawmakers and civic leaders on critical policy topics, and its role as a host for forums on important issues affecting Greater Boston, which drew more than 5,000 people to the Foundation in the 2017-2018 season.

“The generous donors who support the Civic Leadership Fund are critical to the Boston Foundation’s ability to fulfill our mission,” said Sandra Edgerley, chair of the Boston Foundation Board of Directors. “We are extremely fortunate that Brian and Jill have volunteered to lead efforts to engage new supporters, who will allow us to continue to drive outcomes in affordable housing, elementary and higher education, the arts, community health and economic development.”

The Foundation produced ten research reports on critical issues such as college completion, Greater Boston’s housing market, the state of the leisure hospitality and tourism workforce, and the status of Massachusetts’ LGBT community in 2017-2018. Reports on science education in the Boston Public Schools, the 2020 Census and Greater Boston’s success in providing a path to shared prosperity for all residents are slated to be released this fall.

Conway, who has decades of experience in corporate and nonprofit governance, joined the Boston Foundation’s board in 2016. “Supporting the Boston Foundation through the Civic Leadership Fund is table stakes for those who care about Boston,” said Conway. “Regardless of your philanthropic interests, supporting the Civic Leadership Fund should be a priority for every engaged member of our community.”

Shah has been a critical partner to the Boston Foundation, the Boston Public Schools and many others across the city, advancing innovative solutions in education, health care and community development through the Shah Family Foundation. Shah said she sees the Boston Foundation as an “excellent convener” of key players in business, philanthropy, nonprofits, government and media.

“The Boston Foundation has been immensely successful in its role as a civic leader for decades,” Shah added. “The Foundation provides access to people, information, and uncovers innovative solutions that otherwise wouldn’t exist.”

“The need for thoughtful dialogue, data-driven research, and solutions-oriented discussion has never been greater,” said Boston Foundation President and CEO Paul S. Grogan. “The Civic Leadership Fund ensures we can continue to expand our research and civic engagement work, and we look forward to Brian and Jill’s leadership in the annual campaign.”

To learn more about the Civic Leadership Fund and how to support the Boston Foundation, contact Sasha Zuflacht, Manager of the Annual Campaign, at sasha.zuflacht@tbf.org.

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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of more than $1 billion. In 2017, the Foundation and its donors paid $130 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $194 million. The Foundation is a close partner in philanthropy with its donors, with more than 1,000 separate charitable funds established either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. It also serves as a major civic leader, think tank and advocacy organization, commissioning research into the most critical issues of our time and helping to shape public policy designed to advance opportunity for everyone in Greater Boston. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a distinct operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.