Hear from staff and partners about aspirations, accomplishments, and lessons learned along the way.

Embracing Winter with Creative Ways to Stay Outdoors

[STAFF] Lisa Jacobson Brick Photo 2022

Lisa Jacobson

Senior Program Officer, Mobility

Inspiration and insights from cold-weather cities reimagining winter as a season to love.

December 17, 2020 | Category: Climate

A Year That Changed Us All

Man smiling and looking at the camera in front of a colorful painting.

Jim Canales

President & Trustee

Final reflections on 2020 and announcing plans to increase grant dollars by 25% in 2021.

December 16, 2020 | Category: From the President

Six Things Massachusetts Voters are Saying About Clean Energy

shanna cleveland brick headshot 2019

Shanna Cleveland

Guest Author · former Program Officer, Clean Energy

Recent poll shows strong support for decisive action on climate, including a full transition to clean and renewable energy.

December 11, 2020 | Category: Climate

Barr Awards $24.6 Million in Fourth Quarter of 2020

Grants include support for zero-energy buildings in Massachusetts, a participatory grantmaking pilot to advance climate resilience, and continued support for nonprofits to recover from the effects of COVID-19.

December 10, 2020 | Category: Barr News

Barr Announces $4.15 Million in New Grantmaking Centered on Racial Equity

Man smiling and looking at the camera in front of a colorful painting.

Jim Canales

President & Trustee

New and extended support for over 30 organizations to advance racial equity and support communities hit hardest by COVID-19 in Greater Boston and across Massachusetts.

December 04, 2020 | Category: Barr News

The Racial Leadership Gap Among Massachusetts Nonprofits

[STAFF] Kimberly Haskins Photo 2022

Kimberly Haskins

Senior Program Officer, Sector Effectiveness

jennifer aronson headshot

Jennifer Aronson

Guest Author · Vice President for Programs, The Boston Foundation

New report finds progress, yet much work still to do for the sector to realize more diverse and inclusive leadership.

November 03, 2020 | Category: Sector Effectiveness

Keep Listening to Teachers

maria fenwick headshot

Maria Fenwick

Guest Author · Founder/Executive Director, The Teacher Collaborative

Insights from Massachusetts teachers about what they are learning and how they are responding in this unprecedented back-to-school season.

October 29, 2020 | Category: Education

Building a Stronger and More Diverse Arts Sector

san san wong brick headshot 2019

E. San San Wong

Director of Arts & Creativity

Eva Rosenberg headshot

Eva Rosenberg

Guest Author · Interim Director of Arts & Culture, The Boston Foundation

New report finds Live Arts Boston program having strong positive impacts on arts ecosystem, expanding access and visibility, particularly for artists of color.

October 27, 2020 | Category: Arts & Creativity

Don’t Let the School Year Go to Waste

Leah Hamilton

Leah Hamilton

Former Director of Education

Elina Headshot

Elina Alayeva

Guest Author · Executive Director, Springpoint

Leah Hamilton and Elina Alayeva share three priorities for a student-centered school year throughout the pandemic.

October 22, 2020 | Category: Education

Views that Matter

A new report by the Sustainable Solutions Lab at UMass Boston sets the ground for more inclusive public opinion research on climate change.

October 20, 2020 | Category: Climate