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Dear Brookline Community,
Last October, I had the privilege of joining the Brookline Community Foundation (BCF) as this organization’s new Executive Director. I joined BCF precisely because it plays such a unique and important role in Brookline’s infrastructure. Here at BCF we function as both a keystone of local philanthropy and a catalyst for community innovation. Our grantmaking sustains nonprofit services and fuels essential programs that touch every corner of Brookline. Our convenings and research promote innovation—providing the shared knowledge to launch collective, community-driven action. Bringing these two strengths together is how we create enduring positive impact.
Recently, we did just that when we released Understanding Brookline: Economic Inequality in Brookline, the latest report in our flagship Understanding Brookline research series. Our focus on economic inequality in this new report is intentional. Everything from physical health to educational achievement to racial justice is tied to our ability to reliably and consistently access the resources we all need to build a solid foundation on which we can grow. Economic inequality widens existing gaps and threatens our shared commitment to creating accessible opportunities for every member of our community.
To address economic inequality we must create opportunities for economic mobility at every level. Providing greater access to essential resources while simultaneously investing in new pathways for upward economic mobility in Brookline could transform our current economic reality. At BCF we seek to work in collaboration to empower individuals, families and our entire community to co-create the Brookline we know is possible and the Brookline we all deserve.
As a community foundation, BCF is uniquely suited to be the organization driving such strategic efforts. By investing in the full holistic ecosystem of organizations and services in Brookline, we can catalyze the initiatives that will make economic and social empowerment possible. And by bringing together the resources and partners, we can create new pathways out of economic inequality and new opportunities for building stable systems in support of a vibrant community.
In my inaugural year at BCF, I’ve had the privilege of working side-by- side with this dynamic community of partners, donors, nonprofits, and community members and leaders to more deeply understand Brookline’s hopes and needs. Today, as we gather to celebrate the great strides we’ve already made that are reflected in this annual report, I invite you to look ahead and dream with me about how much further we can go together.
With deep gratitude and in partnership,
Aba Taylor
Executive Director