Unprecedented times require us to shift perspective, pursue new ways to work, and advance pathways for a better, more equitable future.
While COVID-19 confined us to small spaces, the global pandemic and movement for racial justice in our country compelled us to expand our ways of thinking and working and take action for transformative change. The challenges of the past two years required us to reimagine, rethink, adapt with flexibility, and adjust, to move forward with more understanding and deeper partnership with the communities we serve.
In this retrospective of the last two years, we will share questions we’ve asked, the areas we are exploring for possible answers, and the stories of our partners that demonstrate how challenging times can nurture creative and more equitable solutions for tomorrow.
As we look ahead to the future, we will continue to support partnerships and efforts that aspire to bold solutions and create communities where everyone thrives.
This review of the past two years explores three essential questions:
“It is plainly evident to us that there can and should be no return to the way things were pre-pandemic. To confront structural racism, massive wealth inequality, power imbalances, and other obstacles to the equitable world we aspire to, we must understand our role, as a philanthropic institution, in how we got here. And, we must reimagine that role to move forward.”
Jim Canales
President & Trustee
By the Numbers: 2020 and 2021
The Institute for Nonprofit Practice (INP), transforms communities by equipping the most promising social impact
leaders–nonprofit, public sector, and social enterprise–with the skills, networks, confidence, and resources they need to effectively lead, advance justice, and make their organizations more effective, innovative, and sustainable. In 2022, INP announced the Black Leadership Institute. Through transformative programming, the Black Leadership Institute aims to connect, inspire, and uplift Black leaders across the country as they advance in their careers across sectors.
Centering racial equity is a core value fundamental to who we are and how we approach our work. We aim to address structural racism, inequality, and power imbalances through our grantmaking and partnerships. As the events of 2020 and 2021 unfolded, we deepened our commitment to work for a more equitable tomorrow. We approach our work with respect for our partners, an understanding that solutions reside with those we serve, and recognition of the privilege inherent in philanthropic work.
“The research on teacher diversity is clear: talented teachers of color support all students, and especially students of color, in meeting their goals and connecting with success after graduation.”
When students are engaged, challenged, and guided by teachers of color, they are more likely to achieve the goals they’ve set for themselves. In partnership with TNTP, we are excited to support nine New England communities as their school systems work to attract, support, and retain a more diverse workforce.
TNTP’s mission is to end the injustice of educational inequality by ensuring all students have access to excellent teachers and by advancing policies and practices that ensure effective teaching in every classroom. This year, Barr and TNTP partnered together to support a cohort of New England school systems in increasing educator diversity in their workforces.
TNTP’s The Opportunity Myth (2018), offers critical context on the current realities facing students across the country by exploring the long-held belief that simply showing up and doing well in school will create opportunities. TNTP followed 4,000 students from five diverse school systems to learn more about their experiences. This urgent research makes a powerful case for building diverse, talented teacher workforces to unravel “the opportunity myth.”
Our Climate team worked closely with our grantees and leaders in organizational change to propel more equitable grantmaking and strategies. After nearly two years of learning and planning, we are proud to share our new approaches to grantmaking. To center racial equity in climate grantmaking, we are changing who we fund and how we operate, developing our approach in conversation with people of color-led organizations, and emphasizing listening and relationship-building.
GreenRoots is a community-based organization dedicated to improving the urban environment and public health in Chelsea, Massachusetts and surrounding communities. GreenRoots partners with its neighbors for change through deep community engagement, youth leadership, and the implementation of innovative projects and campaigns.
The Chelsea and East Boston Heat (C-HEAT) Study is a stand-out innovative project based on a collaboration with researchers at Boston University School of Public Health and GreenRoots. Extreme heat is a deadly weather event with disproportionate burdens on communities like Chelsea, and rising temperatures demand our action. Through C-Heat, GreenRoots aims to build communities’ capacity to respond to extreme heat events safely and efficiently.
While investing in leaders has always been one of Barr’s core values, the past two years have shown how important our approach to that value is in advancing racial equity. Across our issue areas, we began to rethink traditional concepts and structures of leadership to support lasting, transformative change.
"...We have a rare opportunity now to ensure that we do not merely repair the broken systems that perpetuate such inequities. Rather, we must seize the opportunity to build something better for future generations.”
Powering Cultural Futures is a six-year initiative that celebrates and supports arts of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
(BIPOC) communities across Massachusetts. The initiative involves 15 organizations that play crucial roles as art producers and presenters, cultural hubs, training grounds for new artists, and more. They are treasures in their communities, with trusted leaders who embrace arts to speak powerfully about the experiences, struggles, triumphs, and dreams of community members.
Since 2017, we’ve worked with Springpoint to advance racial equity within New England schools. This collaborative work distilled four critical aspects of school quality as it relates to racial equity.
Schools effectively serving all students offer:
All students deserve a school where they are known, challenged, and supported. Integrating these elements will take time and incredible effort, but our students–and their future–are worth it.
Artists are actively creating alternatives to our current economic reality to create more just economic and social systems in the cultural sector and beyond.
Art.coop and Grantmakers in the Arts created “Solidarity Not Charity” as a resource for artists, funders, and organizations to participate in and support the growth of the Social and Solidarity Economy to repair centuries of injustice, build community ownership and governance, and ensure everyone has a role in remaking our world.
“These systems are not only possible–they already exist and can be strengthened and cultivated with intention.”
Our response to the COVID-19 global pandemic gave us a glimpse into what we can do to create lasting, positive change for our environment. As people traveled less and began to use outdoor spaces as retreats from sheltering in place, we were inspired to reimagine how we gather, travel, and use public space.
The pandemic also provided lessons learned for our work in climate resilience. A recent report exploring COVID-19 response work in Boston distilled three critical lessons for future resilience work.
We commit to sharing what we learn and supporting our partners as they lead.
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