Strategic vision

Strategic vision2022-06-27T16:59:56-04:00

Since 1999, BCF has been a cornerstone of community support in Brookline — helping lead and sustain collective efforts to create a better Brookline for all.

Brookline is a well-resourced community, but we’re not an equitably resourced one. Like many communities across the country, Brookline struggles with poverty, food insecurity, gaps in the social safety net, and more. While we must address the immediate impacts of these issues, we must also address their root causes. Poverty, hunger, un- and under-employment, and other inequities are often not the result of individual choices but of biases built into systems and institutions that provide advantage to some people while disadvantaging others.

Today, we have an opportunity to address the root causes of inequity and create a thriving, inclusive community for everyone who lives, learns, and works in Brookline. That’s why our strategic focus is on creating opportunity and promoting equity through advancing racial and economic justice in Brookline by:

  • Surfacing barriers to opportunity and equity
  • Engaging community members in collaborative solution building
  • Inspiring transformative giving that supports a thriving Brookline
  • Advancing opportunity for those most impacted by inequities

BCF is uniquely positioned to lead this work. We have the research capabilities needed to identify shared challenges and barriers, and convene nonprofits, Town agencies, and community members in creating new solutions together. We have deep expertise in local philanthropy and partner with donors to make meaningful, long-lasting investments in Brookline. We work side-by-side with nonprofits and community organizations to ensure they have the resources and support they need to do their work well, and elevate community voice in local decision-making through partnerships and convenings.

What a community foundation does

Community foundations are grantmaking public charities dedicated to improving the lives of people in a defined local geographic area. Community foundations bring together the financial resources of individuals, families, and businesses to support effective nonprofits in their communities. Community foundations play a key role in identifying and solving community problems, and invest billions of dollars annually in fields like the arts, education, health and human services, the environment, and disaster relief.

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