The Boston Foundation

The Boston Foundation Greater Boston's Community Foundation https://tbf.org Ultimately, we aim to support, contribute and create well-being and opportunity within our communities.

The Boston Foundation is one of the nation’s first and most impactful community foundations, with $1.9 billion in assets. Partnering with community members, donors, the public sector, businesses and nonprofits, we exist to close the gaps caused by our city’s greatest disparities, to advance economic justice, and to help build a better Boston. We collect data, commission research, share knowledge,

develop dynamic programs, fuel new ideas and fund change. Our work informs public policy, catalyzes conversations and advocates not only for change, but for repair of the historical harms of inequity. TBF is also one of New England’s largest grantmakers, supporting nonprofits in Greater Boston through our endowment and working closely with our donors to support nonprofits locally, nationally and internationally. To learn more about TBF and our work, visit TBF.org.

We're celebrating the impact of the Boston Acquisition Fund and the strength of our partnerships to preserve critical af...
06/03/2026

We're celebrating the impact of the Boston Acquisition Fund and the strength of our partnerships to preserve critical affordable housing for thousands of residents. Just last month the Fund was named the winner of the 2026 Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability, a national award recognizing innovative and scalable solutions to the housing affordability crisis. This recognition is a testament to our collective work in creating a new approach to preventing displacement and maintaining stable housing for Boston residents.

Since launching in 2024, the $45 million fund has supported the acquisition of 435 homes in Roxbury, Dorchester, Roslindale, and Mattapan, permanently stabilizing rent for over 1,000 households.

Supported by the City of Boston alongside a coalition of hospitals, philanthropic partners, and banks, the Boston Acquisition Fund is a public-private revolving loan fund that provides rapid, low-cost acquisition financing to mission-driven developers seeking to preserve existing below-market-rate housing. TBF is proud to be part of this coalition of investors.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4eRuLnW

“In a moment when LGBTQ+ populations continue to face the intentional and cruel erosion of their legal rights, their acc...
06/01/2026

“In a moment when LGBTQ+ populations continue to face the intentional and cruel erosion of their legal rights, their access to care, their housing access, and their community institutions, we are proud to be able to expand our support for LGBTQ+-led and -serving organizations this Pride Month."

To kick off Pride Month, the Equality Fund at TBF is distributing $705,000 in grants to 42 LGBTQ+-serving organizations in the largest grantmaking slate in the Fund’s history. More than two-thirds of the grants are being awarded to organizations that focus on three especially vulnerable groups: the trans community, LGBTQ+ youth, and LGBTQ+ seniors.

Highlighting ongoing critical needs for the LGBTQ+ community, donors and supporters are rallying to make a difference. To date, the Equality Fund, through its generous donors, has made more than $3.5 million in grants. Guided by an Advisory Committee of LGBTQ+ community members and allies with deep knowledge of the issues affecting LGBTQ+ people today, the Equality Fund is the state's largest philanthropic fund exclusively dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community.

Read the announcement and learn about the grantees: https://bit.ly/43HPweQ

As Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month comes to a close, we're taking a moment to recognize the impact...
05/30/2026

As Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month comes to a close, we're taking a moment to recognize the impact of the Asian Community Fund (ACF) at TBF.

This month ACF released its five-year impact report, capturing the fund's path from its founding at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian violence to today: solidified in its role galvanizing grassroots philanthropy and meeting the needs of some of our most marginalized neighbors.

What began as a commitment to visibility and representation has grown into something genuinely remarkable, igniting bold ideas and seeding innovations. In just five years, ACF has convened 65 community events and catalyzed vital statewide coalitions while strengthening the capacity of the AAPI nonprofit, business, and cultural sectors.

AAPI and immigrant communities in MA are at an inflection point, and ACF is helping close the resource and visibility gap for one of the region's fastest-growing populations. Thank you for standing with us in this work – your partnership is what makes it possible.

Learn more and support ACF: https://bit.ly/49wNiCB
Read their five-year impact report: https://bit.ly/4vcI7Qp

When immigrant communities are protected and supported, Greater Boston is more resilient and better prepared for the fut...
05/29/2026

When immigrant communities are protected and supported, Greater Boston is more resilient and better prepared for the future.

At a time when too much of the public conversation about immigrants has been driven by misinformation as access to data is limited or distorted, please join us on June 4th at 9AM for a timely discussion on the release of An Uncertain Future: How the Immigration Crackdown Threatens Massachusetts' Labor Force, a new report from Boston Indicators in partnership with MassInc. At this event, researchers and community leaders will examine the critical role immigrants play in our regional economy and challenge the false narratives that too often distort this vital conversation.

Register here: https://bit.ly/4dVoTYM

Congratulations to our President and CEO, Lee Pelton, who will be honored as this year’s Public Service Award recipient ...
05/29/2026

Congratulations to our President and CEO, Lee Pelton, who will be honored as this year’s Public Service Award recipient by the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers! This award recognizes Lee’s work to address health disparities and his courage to care for our most vulnerable. You can celebrate Lee and Massachusetts’ most impactful community health leaders at the Mass League gala on Friday, June 12.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://bit.ly/3Rtiw7x

A civic leader for decades with an impact in Boston that is undeniable, Lee Pelton is redefining how he will continue to...
05/28/2026

A civic leader for decades with an impact in Boston that is undeniable, Lee Pelton is redefining how he will continue to improve lives and strengthen community in the Boston he loves.

Lee connected with Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on GBH's Boston Public Radio to talk about his transition from the role of CEO and President of TBF, a tenure that was one of the most productive and impactful periods in TBF’s history, and the next chapter for our institution and the institutional legacy, leadership, and civic voice of Dr. Pelton.

We are deeply grateful for Lee's transformative leadership of the Foundation as TBF's President and CEO for the past five years. By strengthening TBF's role as your community foundation and partner, Lee leaves us more hopeful than ever for a more equitable future.

Watch Lee's segment on BPR: https://bit.ly/4vjoKWd

"There is no one quite like Lee Pelton."Lee has been a leader not just for TBF as our community's foundation, but for ou...
05/22/2026

"There is no one quite like Lee Pelton."

Lee has been a leader not just for TBF as our community's foundation, but for our community.

Lee's career as an institutional force, spanning over four decades, is one that has been inspirational and full of purpose. A transformative leader for the Foundation and Greater Boston, as TBF's President and CEO for the past five years Lee has amplified the power of partnership and philanthropy to tackle our region's tough problems, and together we have mobilized more resources than ever before into our community. Lee's unparalleled tenure has been one of undeniable strength, intentional impact, and bold movement towards a more equitable future.

Thank you to the Boston Globe for sharing this moving tribute to Lee as we announce this transition for TBF and Lee's next step into civic life. We are immensely grateful for how Lee's leadership has strengthened TBF's civic role, deepened our commitment to equity, advanced major cross-sector work on key issues, and expanded our impact across Greater Boston. We look forward to the ways Lee's impact and legacy will continue to shape our community in this exciting moment of extraordinary institutional strength and significant growth and impact for TBF.

Read the Globe's piece here: https://bit.ly/4nM1xJJ
Photo by Pat Greenhouse, Globe Staff.

After an exceptional tenure, we announce Lee Pelton's plan to step down as President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. L...
05/21/2026

After an exceptional tenure, we announce Lee Pelton's plan to step down as President and CEO of the Boston Foundation.

Lee has gifted his community with more than four decades of institutional and civic leadership. During his Presidency at TBF, Lee led the Foundation with conviction, clarity, and confidence. We are immensely grateful to Lee for what we have built together, and proud of the resources we are mobilizing for Greater Boston. Pelton's leadership strengthened and expanded our impact significantly. During his tenure, TBF's assets grew by nearly $1 billion, to $2.6 billion, while the annual resources directed into communities nearly doubled to well over $300 million.

TBF continues our ambitious plans to support an ever-greater Boston, in partnership with the donors, nonprofits and civic and community leaders whose work inspires us each day. A transformative leader for TBF and an extraordinary force for good in our region, we are grateful that Lee has charted a path for TBF to take our next step forward.

Read more here: https://bit.ly/49MyvDL

How can we build upon the reforms that made ADUs in Massachusetts more possible and tackle the lingering challenges to m...
05/20/2026

How can we build upon the reforms that made ADUs in Massachusetts more possible and tackle the lingering challenges to make ADU construction more likely?

Homeowners and renters have demonstrated a clear interest in accessory dwelling units (ADUs): in the first year alone after ADUs were legalized statewide by MA's Affordable Homes Act, with changes taking effect in Feb. 2025, more than 1,600 permit applications were received and 1,200 permits were issued, a clear increase from prior years. But interest alone isn’t enough. High construction costs, limited financing, and a regulatory process that adds delays and uncertainty are still holding back many ADU projects that would create new housing in MA.

A report out today from Boston Indicators, the research center at TBF, and Abundant Housing Massachusetts finds that MA’s new statewide permitting pathway ADUs has sparked promising development in ADUs, looking at ADU construction following the state-level legalization in 2025, and at the challenges facing local property owners who now face a maze of regulations.

Read the report with recommendations to build upon the momentum the legislation unlocked one year ago: https://bit.ly/49e0hZP

“Supporting AAPI-owned businesses is one of the most joyful ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month,” Qingjian (Q.J.) Shi,...
05/18/2026

“Supporting AAPI-owned businesses is one of the most joyful ways to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month,” Qingjian (Q.J.) Shi, Senior Director of the Asian Business Empowerment Council.

This May, for AAPI Heritage Month, we’re celebrating the vibrant contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) businesses across MA. From family-run restaurants and neighborhood bakeries to bookstores, salons, makers, and markets, AAPI-owned businesses are a cornerstone of our local economies and cultural life. At a time when many small businesses are navigating challenges, is a chance to support AAPI-owned businesses and recognize their vital role in our communities.

The Asian Business Empowerment Council and Massachusetts Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus are working in partnership to highlight the importance of AAPI shops and businesses. For ways you can join in, visit https://bit.ly/4dioYXj

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