Barr Awards $16 Million in First Quarter of 2019

At its first board meeting of 2019, the Barr Foundation Board of Trustees approved grants totaling $10.1 million, in addition to $5.8 million approved since the December board meeting. We are pleased to highlight several new and continuing partnerships below.

In Arts & Creativity, Barr awarded seven grants totaling nearly $3 million. A $950,000 grant to New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) will support the next phase of Creative City, an initiative to build the field of socially-engaged public art in Greater Boston and New England through grants, technical assistance, cohort activities, and a discussion series. Grants to Boston area artists and their community partners will generate dynamic public art projects that reflect Boston’s cultural diversity and unique neighborhoods. A $500,000 grant to GrubStreet will support the construction and launch of a new Narrative Arts Center for Boston at 50 Liberty Drive in Boston’s Seaport District. This expanded space fills a critical need for dedicated arts space in the city and will engage students of all ages to share their stories and create new platforms for emerging writers and artists to develop, share, and perform their work.

In Education, Barr awarded twelve grants totaling $2.3 million. A $200,000 grant to Massachusetts Parents United, Inc. (MPU) will provide general operating support. MPU is the state’s largest grassroots organization focused on education policy and advocacy for high-quality schools in traditionally underserved communities. A $100,000 grant to Learning Heroes will support large-scale research to explore the relationship between high school parents’ perceptions and student performance in schools. A $250,000 grant to SchoolFacts will support the development of its strategic plan and advisory board. SchoolFacts is a new organization in Boston, made up of parents and families working to ensure their voice informs decisions that impact the quality of schools.

In Climate, Barr awarded twelve grants totaling $9.3 million. In Clean Energy, a $300,000 grant to the Environmental Defense Fund will support a series of regional energy forums to educate stakeholders on the efficient use and reform of gas markets. A $240,000 grant to Better Future Project will support a volunteer-led climate action network in Massachusetts, encouraging local and state leadership on a range of climate issues. In Resilience and Clean Energy, a $725,000 grant to Innovation Network for Communities will support the core operations of the Green Ribbon Commission and its working groups. In Mobility, a $120,000 grant to Streetsblog MASS (fiscal sponsor is Conservation Law Foundation, Inc.) will launch Streetsblog MASS, a local affiliate of StreetsBlog USA, a digital platform for journalism on urban mobility. A $165,000 grant to the National Association of City Transportation Officials, Inc. will support leadership development opportunities for municipal transportation staff through a fellowship program and scholarships to an annual conference.

In Sector Effectiveness, Barr awarded two grants totaling $250,000. A $150,000 grant to Latina Circle (fiscal sponsor is Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion, Inc.) will provide core program and capacity building support for its programming and the expansion of the Amplify Latinx Initiative.