The Barr Foundation Board of Trustees met virtually this March and approved grants totaling nearly $10.6 million, in addition to $16.5 million in new grants approved since mid-November 2021, totaling $27.1 million this quarter. Learn more about some of our partners and their work below.
In Arts & Creativity, Barr awarded 8 grants totaling $2.9 million. A $1 million grant to The Theater Offensive (TTO) will support the development of a new black box theater that will serve as the first and largest permanent arts space designed, owned, and operated by queer and trans people of color. This groundbreaking space will honor the LGBTQIA history of the Fenway neighborhood and recognize TTO’s mission to present liberating art by, for, and about queer and trans people of color. The Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts and the Southcoast Community Foundation were awarded grants of $200,000 and $50,000, respectively, from Barr’s Creative Commonwealth Initiative Fund for Organizational Transformation for Racial Equity. This fund supports community foundations to lead by further integrating racial equity into their philanthropic and organizational practices. A $40,000 grant to Grantmakers in the Arts will support a pilot Cultural Policy Action Lab, comprised of a public web learning series and a national learning cohort of public sector leaders working to advance racial equity through the arts.
In Climate, Barr awarded 19 grants totaling $14.3 million. A $1 million grant to Health Resources in Action, Inc. will support equitable community processes to guide decision-making on the use of American Rescue Plan Act funds in Massachusetts. A $500,000 grant to Renew New England Alliance will provide general operating support to deepen its regional coalition and strengthen organizational capacity. A $100,00 grant to Caribe Communications & Publications, Inc. will support a campaign to amplify public transportation information to Spanish-speaking transit riders. A $300,000 grant to WalkBoston, Inc. will help communities make walking safer and more enjoyable in Massachusetts.
In Education, Barr awarded 13 grants totaling $4 million. A $500,000 grant to White Mountains Regional School District will continue redesign efforts of the district’s only high school. After two years of work, redesign has increased collaboration among teachers, developed more innovative curriculum, and instituted more student-centered assessment practices. A $1 million grant to College Bound Dorchester, Inc. will provide unrestricted core support for its Boston Uncornered program, an initiative focused on empowering active and former gang-involved people to become positive leaders in their communities. A $300,000 grant to Complete College America (CCA) will provide unrestricted core support for its work with states, systems, and partners to scale effective reforms and policies that improve student success.
In Sector Effectiveness, Barr awarded 16 grants totaling $1.3 million. A $150,000 grant to United Way of Massachusetts Bay, in partnership with the Institute for Nonprofit Practice and The Partnership, will support the redesign and expansion of its Board Connection training series to advance more equitable and diverse board leadership for nonprofits.
