Barr Awards $17.2 Million in Second Quarter of 2022

The Barr Foundation Board of Trustees met in-person this June and approved grants totaling nearly $6.7 million, in addition to $10.6 million in new grants approved since March 2022, totaling $17.2 million this quarter. Learn more about some of our partners and their work below.

In Arts & Creativity, Barr awarded three grants totaling $400,000. A $230,000 grant to Open Collective Foundation will support the Art.coop initiative to grow solidarity economy practices led by artists and culture-bearers; the solidarity economy movement seeks to explore and develop new economic and organizational models that empower people and communities. A $115,000 grant to Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center will support building organizational consensus, commitment, and competency around racial and social justice to make BCNC a more inclusive organization and implement policies and practices that reflect the diversity of its staff. In addition to its grants, Barr awarded a $332,000 contract to National Arts Strategies, Inc., to provide coaching services and peer learning opportunities focused on advancing the personal equity goals of director-level and mid-level staff of Massachusetts arts and cultural organizations.

In Climate, Barr awarded 17 grants totaling $7.7 million. A $1.4 million grant to Metropolitan Area Planning Council will provide renewed support for the Accelerating Climate Resilience mini-grants program (ACR). The ACR program provides funding for innovative climate resilience efforts in local communities for long-term transformation and enhanced resilience. A $1 million grant to Massachusetts Housing Partnership Fund Board (MHP) will support implementation of pro-housing zoning in MBTA communities, in accordance with last year’s Housing Choice bill in Massachusetts. MHP has a demonstrated history of advancing housing as a human right and promoting racial equity and anti-racism in affordable housing. A $1.5 million grant to Transportation for America (fiscal sponsor is Smart Growth America) will continue efforts to inform a transportation system that safely, affordably, and conveniently connects all people to jobs, services, and opportunity through multiple modes of travel. A $200,000 grant to Professionals of Color in the Environment (fiscal sponsor is Mystic River Watershed Association) will support the growth and development of this professional network that builds connections and offers support for professionals of color in the environmental sector.

In Education, Barr awarded 11 grants totaling $3.9 million. A $200,000 grant to the Equity Institute will support the growth and development of its Re*Generation network of BIPOC educators and allies in Rhode Island. A $1.5 million grant to TNTP will support the implementation planning phases for up to 11 partners in the Driving Towards Diversity in the Educator Workforce cohort. TNTP will work with the cohort to implement recommendations from a landscape analysis of their teaching workforce. A $125,000 grant to The Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, Inc. will support research, in collaboration with Latinos for Education and Boston University's Wheelock Education Policy Center, to create a robust set of educator diversity goals in Massachusetts.

In Sector Effectiveness, Barr awarded three grants totaling $550,000. A $75,000 grant to the Massachusetts Voter Table (fiscal sponsor is Third Sector New England) will provide core support for civic engagement and representation to increase voter turnout and engagement in Massachusetts. A $375,000 grant to the Massachusetts Voter Education Network will provide general operating support and program support for nonpartisan voter mobilization efforts.