Hear from staff and partners about aspirations, accomplishments, and lessons learned along the way.
Boston Businesses Show Art of Possible on Climate Action
At a kickoff for a new cohort of Boston-area businesses embracing the "Challenge for Sustainability," I had the chance to talk about the part they play in creating a more sustainable (and hopeful) world.
From Local to Global: Reflections on a Three Year Pilot
A new booklet introduces the Barr Foundation's early work and learning from a three-year pilot in global grantmaking.
Education Director Wendy Puriefoy to Leave Barr
Wendy Puriefoy, director of education, has decided to leave the Barr Foundation to pursue her passion for national education reform.
Innovation in Parent Engagement Among Public, Parochial, and Charter Schools
Parent engagement has never been the biggest part of Barr's K-12 grantmaking, but it has long been an important one. Read about a new effort that is helping a cohort of Boston district, charter, and parochial schools test and share new methods for engaging parents, and a new graduate-level program for the next generation of family engagement professionals.
New Report Shows Declining Emissions Amidst Growing Economy
What happens when a state gets serious about climate change? A new report says the answer, at least in Massachusetts, is a shrinking carbon footprint and a growing economy.
And We Sing Well, Too
Last spring, Barr got some challenging feedback from grantees. Interim Executive Director Melinda Marble shares what we have been doing in response.
Announcing Barr’s First President
With great excitement, we announce that Jim Canales will join the Barr Foundation as president in May 2014.
From Urban Wasteland to Great Neighborhood
Since 2005, when the MBTA abandoned its Bartlett Yard bus facility, the 8.5-acre site in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood had become an urban wasteland. Thanks to a unanimous vote earlier this fall by the Boston Redevelopment Authority, the site's transformation into a mixed-use, smart growth development took a big step forward.
Three Keys to Breakthrough on Complex Social Contract Issues
When complicated politics and old wounds keep deep-sixing change efforts, what does it take to get to a new outcome? A recent breakthrough in Boston suggests a template.
The Biggest Team Effort in Boston History
How much difference would it make in a city if its business and other leaders signed on to aggressive goals to address climate change, and led by example in their sectors?