Barr Awards $40.7 Million in Fourth Quarter of 2024

On December 11th, the Barr Foundation Board of Trustees met in person and approved four grants totaling $5.2 million. This adds to grants approved by the Trustees, President, Vice President for Strategy and Programs, and Program Directors for a total of $40.7 million awarded since the Board of Trustees meeting in September.

Learn more about some of our partners and their work below.

In Arts & Creativity, Barr awarded 46 grants totaling $17 million, including $1 million to the City of Boston to support the Cultural Access Program, which envisions a new civic partnership of funders, schools, institutions, and families committed to build a new approach to expand arts and cultural access and belonging for Boston families. Barr also awarded $1 million to Center for Cultural Innovation for the AmbitioUS initiative, designed to influence and develop more sustainable alternative economic systems and services by, for, and with artists. This initiative regrants funds to economic trailblazers and artists experimenting with financially supportive models, such as community owned and governed funds and assets to ensure that BIPOC cultural identities are sustained through self-determination and resiliency. A $1 million grant was also awarded to United States Artists, Inc. to support its artists fellowship program, advance its efforts to strengthen the arts ecosystem in New England, and connect it to national conversations about artists' needs and opportunities.

In Climate, Barr awarded 33 grants totaling $10.7 million. A $375,000 grant to Brockton Workers Alliance and a $450,000 grant to Groundwork Lawrence, Inc. will support community organizing to advance climate efforts in Massachusetts. A $700,000 grant to the Essex County Community Foundation, Inc. will create a collaborative regional structure to increase climate resilience in the county. A $350,000 grant to the People’s Climate Innovation Center (fiscal sponsor Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, Inc.) will continue to support climate leadership programs for young leaders in the Northeast. Additionally, the Climate Program awarded a $150,000 grant to The People’s Port Authority, whose executive director, Monica Huertas, was recently recognized as a Grist 50 climate leader.

The Education program awarded 24 grants totaling $7 million. A $100,000 grant was awarded to Worcester State Foundation to support Latino Education Institute’s (LEI) Youth Civics Union program and family engagement efforts. LEI’s mission is to improve the academic achievement and well-being of Latino students and their families from the City of Worcester. Rhode Island KIDS COUNT, a statewide policy and advocacy organization that works to improve the health, safety, education, economic well-being, and development of Rhode Island's children was awarded $200,000 for general operating support. Portland Public Schools received a $500,000 grant to continue developing excellence and equity in their high schools across the city.

Sector Effectiveness awarded 13 grants totaling $2 million. A $125,000 grant over 24 months was awarded to the Executive Service Corps of New England Catalyst initiative, a cohort-based training program that seeks to equip professionals of color with the skills, networks, and support they need to thrive as nonprofit consultants. A $125,000 grant over 24 months was awarded to the Lenny Zakim Fund to implement an aligned capacity strengthening curriculum, launch a trusted consulting partner program, and launch a pilot capacity building navigation service to their grantees. A $300,000 grant was awarded to the Institute for Nonprofit Practice to advance the Black Leadership Institute which aims to connect, inspire, and uplift Black leaders working on systemic issues such as health care, environmental justice, poverty, and education that have significant outcome disparities for Black people.

Racial Wealth Equity awarded eight grants totaling $2.6 million and Special Initiatives awarded five grants totaling $1.2 million.