The Boston Foundation

"JustBook-ish is a space in which you can express yourself. A place to celebrate the arts, a home base for all kinds of arts that is culturally curated, radically influenced, and locally inspired." Just Book-ish, a new bookstore and community space, opens in Fields Corner tomorrow! Join us for the ribbon cutting ceremony featuring Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley and Mayor Michelle Wu as we celebrate together. When: Saturday, November 23rd, 11:00 am Where: Just Book-ish, 1463 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA Tickets: https://bit.ly/4fD1OcN We are so pleased to be a supporter of Just Book-ish and highlight their incredible founders and mission in the video below. Our deep thanks to founders Porsha Olayiwola and Bing Broderick, the Director of Arts and Culture Catherine Morris along with her team at TBF, and EmVision Productions for showcasing this partnership.

"At The Boston Foundation, we understand that the full embodiment of our civic leadership means seizing the moment, choosing to be innovative, choosing to be daring. And choosing to be bold. This is our promise to you. There is no other way." Last night, more than 300 friends and partners gathered at TBF’s Annual Meeting, where Lee Pelton, President and CEO, shared his vision of the Foundation's role in facing the challenges ahead and where we can and must go to build a more equitable future for Greater Boston. Thank you so much to everyone who joined us last night and each and every one of our partners in this work – "as important today as it was more than a hundred years ago." Read Lee's full remarks here: https://bit.ly/4fCNKQN

"Quality early education is essential to prepare children for elementary school and the world around them. Having access to quality early education programs also provides parents with essential support so that they can enter and remain in the workforce, which aids employers as well." One component of the state’s multi-pronged early education and child care structure, The Child Care Finance Assistance (CCFA) system, serves more than 65,000 of the most vulnerable children across the state. In their new report, 'Building Blocks: Status of Child Care Reform in Massachusetts and What Comes Next,' the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation with the support of TBF explores how well the state is doing at supporting and strengthening CCFA - and what can be done to protect and expand access as COVID-era supports come to an end. Read it here: https://bit.ly/3V0JuC6

TBF's Annual Meeting is this week on Nov. 21st from 5:30 - 7:30! Featuring a performance by Live Arts Boston grantee Fred Woodard and his quartet The Fred Woodard Collective, we're looking forward to gathering with community and sharing this year's annual report with stories from some of our most fascinating donors and the nonprofits they support. We hope to see you there! Join us: https://bit.ly/3CtXuxW

What progress have we seen in reforming the Child Care Financial Assistance (CCFA) system since early 2023, and what further improvements could support the continued growth and stability of MA's early education sector? On Nov. 19th at 10AM, TBF and the Massachusetts Taxpayer’s Foundation (MTF) will release “Building Blocks,” a follow-up to MTF’s January 2023 report highlighting shortcomings and offering recommendations to optimize the CCFA system for better long-term outcomes for children, families, educators, and the statewide economy. Join us to celebrate improved family access and discuss strategies to sustain the workforce and expand access for children! Register: https://bit.ly/3Cp4g84

Please join us for the 2024 Boston Foundation Annual Meeting next Thursday, Nov. 21st, from 5:30 - 7:30! This year, TBF's annual report features some of our most fascinating donors and the nonprofits they support. We hope to see you there! Register to attend: https://bit.ly/3CtXuxW

Join us on Friday for an important discussion on wealth disparities – Wealth disparities significantly impact health, education, and career outcomes, with greater wealth providing notable advantages. However, decades of disinvestment and racial discrimination have hindered households and communities of color from accumulating wealth. Join us for the final event in TBF's wealth gap event series, “Minding the Gap: Personal Wealth," where experts will examine how wealth inequities affect the lives of people and communities in Greater Boston and discuss how wealth-building opportunities can enhance quality of life.? When: Nov. 15, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. Register for the webinar: https://bit.ly/3CujDw7

This morning, it felt especially good to be in the company of many folks dedicated to making Greater Boston a thriving community for the release of our 2024 Greater Boston Housing Report Card. For more than 20 years, TBF has published the Greater Boston Housing Report Card, analyzing data on housing supply, demand and affordability. In addition to a core metrics analysis by Boston Indicators, this year's report includes a special topic from Boston University's Initiative on Cities on the opportunity for housing development on public land in Greater Boston. Despite the sobering challenges highlighted in this year's report, MA is pushing forward with solutions like our rental voucher program and the recently signed Affordable Homes Act that authorizes over $5 billion in spending and nearly 50 policy initiatives. Thank you to the researchers, panelists, and everyone who joined in person and virtually! Our work is more important now than ever and we’re grateful for this moment to come together in building a Boston of opportunity, prosperity, and equity for all. Find the full report, video recording of today's forum, interactive charts, and a map of MBTA Communities zoning plans here: https://bit.ly/3Z1csnX

Today, we're releasing the 2024 Greater Boston Housing Report Card (GBHRC). https://buff.ly/3O2LO7I The report card’s traditional Core Metrics section looks at recent trends in the regional housing market and places these trends in a broader historical context. Among the findings: ? Greater Boston’s housing market “remains stuck.” After an uptick in housing production in the 2010s, new home building has slowed again. ? Housing-based inequality is widening. Longtime homeowners have benefited from rising home values, while renters continue to face high rents, and ? Homelessness has risen over the past two years, largely driven by the arrival of international migrants. The report card’s newer, Special Topics section was produced by Boston University’s Initiative on Cities and explores the Boston region’s potential for using publicly owned land to develop affordable housing. Nearly one-fourth of land in Greater Boston is publicly owned, and developing just 5 percent of publicly owned, vacant, non-conservation land could produce 85,000 units of housing. Unfortunately, the idea of developing publicly owned land faces barriers, including public opposition and prohibitive laws. To learn more, check out the Greater Boston Housing Report Card.

Join us NOW via Livestream for Thriving Together: Cultivating Well-being & Sustainability in the Social Sector. Last fall, with support from TBF, the Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP) launched its Well-being Initiative – an effort to research, develop, teach, and disseminate a set of interventions that address rising burnout, turnover, and workforce shortages in the social sector. Join us for the release of INP’s report now! Find the link to livestream the event: https://bit.ly/4elwFJn