Foundation name change underscores organizational growth and unwavering commitment to unlocking economic potential for women and girls throughout the Commonwealth
BOSTON, MA – September 4, 2025 – The Women’s Foundation of Boston has announced a new name: Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts. The updated brand positioning reflects a formal recognition of what the organization has already achieved, becoming the Commonwealth’s leading catalyst for women’s economic empowerment across all corners of the state.
Since awarding its first grant in Greater Boston in 2018, the Foundation has grown into a proven, powerful force for change, committing $11.3 million to local nonprofits that economically empower women and girls. The organization has positively impacted more than 23,000 women and girls across Massachusetts through 131 programs. Highlights of impact include:
- A 400% increase in enrollment with its first grantee partner, Science Club for Girls
- More than 5,000 participants in career empowerment and mentoring sessions
- 2,200 women and girls completing financial coaching or workshops
- Nearly 4,000 girls engaged in after-school programs
“Our new name reflects both our statewide impact and the growing need we’re committed to addressing across Massachusetts,” said Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts. “In just seven years of grantmaking, we’ve demonstrated that our data-driven, community-focused approach transforms the lives of individuals, families, and entire communities. These milestones show the momentum behind our mission and the growing demand for programs that economically empower women and girls.”
The Women’s Foundation’s statewide expansion began in 2020, reaching communities where support for women and girls is scarce. Its impact now spans cities including Lowell, New Bedford, and Worcester, extends to Cape Cod, and reaches Western Massachusetts, where women face some of the state’s highest poverty rates and most persistent barriers to opportunity. In some communities, the after-school programs the Women’s Foundation funds are the only ones available to girls.
The organization’s strategic approach applies business principles to philanthropy, using data-driven criteria to identify and support programs with the highest potential for long-term economic impact. The Foundation’s model is laser-focused on economic empowerment, which creates ripple effects that benefit entire communities. They award multi-year grants across three investment areas—education, leadership and mentoring, and career and financial empowerment—to maximize long-term outcomes and work closely with grantees throughout their grant periods. Through research partnerships with Wellesley College, UMass and its own data collection, the Foundation has emerged as an expert on the current challenges and opportunities for women and girls.
“The Women’s Foundation has been more than a funder—they’ve been true partners invested in both outcomes and the brilliance of our girls,” said Tiffany Lillie, CEO of Girls Inc. of Worcester. “Their role as investor, researcher, and collaborator demonstrates a commitment to driving lasting change.”
Visit the Foundation’s updated website, www.wfma.org, to learn how the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts is advancing the economic empowerment of women and girls across the state.
About the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts
The Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts (formerly Women’s Foundation of Boston) is dedicated to economically empowering women and girls across the Commonwealth. Through strategic, data-driven grantmaking, the Foundation has committed $11.3 million to local nonprofits since 2018, positively impacting more than 23,000 women and girls statewide. The Foundation applies rigorous investment principles to philanthropy, partnering with grantees to create lasting change. For more information, visit www.wfma.org.
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Linda Henry is the CEO of the Boston Globe Media Partners. She is a co-founder of HUBweek, a civic collaboration between the Boston Globe, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and MIT that explores the future being built at the intersection of art, science and technology. Linda is also an early-stage impact investor, an Emmy-Award winning television producer with two shows currently airing, and a community activist. She serves as a director of the Red Sox Foundation, is a trustee of the Liverpool Football Club Foundation, chair of the Boston Globe Foundation, and chairman of the John W. Henry Family Foundation. In addition, she is a founder of the Boston Public Market, serves on the advisory board of MassChallenge, and is on the board of the Engine at MIT. She earned a BS from Babson College and her MS from MIT.
Laurie H. Glimcher, MD, was named President and CEO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2016. She is also Director of the Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center and the Richard and Susan Smith Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. Previously, she was the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean and Professor of Medicine of Weill Cornell Medicine and Provost for Medical Affairs of Cornell University. Dr. Glimcher is a distinguished immunologist, widely renowned for her work in one of the most promising areas of cancer research.
Bekah Salwasser joined the Red Sox Foundation as the Executive Director in January of 2018. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Brown University and has extensive experience in philanthropy and both professional and semi-professional sports. After four years working as Community Relations Director for the Boston Celtics, Bekah went on to lead Scholar Athletes as its Executive Director, a program that supports public high school athletes with both their athletic and academic achievements. Earlier in her career, Bekah served as a professional soccer player for the Boston Breakers and as Executive Director of the Charlestown Lacrosse and Learning Center.
Kimberly Fay Boucher is a business executive who has driven high performance organizations in technology, consumer products and social enterprise/nonprofit industries over the past 25 years. She is currently the Technology Commercialization Business Leader for the CTO at Analog Devices, where she is responsible for driving new technologies from incubation stages to successful businesses. Kim is also a Senior Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, where she teaches Disciplined Entrepreneurship in the Martin Trust Center. She holds a BS in Management Industrial Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is a NCAA Academic All-American Women’s Basketball player and has been inducted into the WPI Hall of Fame.
Ami Kuan Danoff (Co-Founder and CFO) is a private investor and the trustee of a foundation. She is a Harvard Quantum Founder and a member of the Harvard FAS Dean’s Council. Ami earned a bachelor’s degree from Harvard University in Visual and Environmental Studies and holds a dual master’s degree in Applied Economics and International Finance from the Sloan School of Management at MIT. She was a portfolio manager in global equities at Putnam Investments and co-manager of the Putnam International New Opportunities Fund, and also worked as an international equities analyst at Fidelity Investments.
Christina Heenan Suh holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in English and Marketing and a master’s from Columbia University. A former management consultant, her work focused on strategy and implementation projects for Fortune 100 clients. She was also an account executive at Hill+Knowlton (WPP) marketing consumer packaged goods. As an Executive Board Member of the Brookline Education Foundation, which funds professional development in the Brookline Public Schools, Christina led their Grant and Oversight Committees. She currently sits on the board of the Brookline Library Foundation and teaches ESL at Rosie’s Place in Boston.
Christina Gordon (Co-Founder and CEO) holds a dual master’s degree in International Finance and Applied Economics from MIT’s Sloan School of Management. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Boston University and also studied for a joint master’s degree in Women’s Studies and Sociology at Brandeis with a focus on women in the workplace. Christina is a former assistant fund manager and technology industry equity analyst at Wellington Management. She also worked as a stock analyst at Fidelity Investments. She is a trustee of a private foundation, a member of Women Moving Millions and currently sits on the board of Rosie’s Place, a sanctuary for poor and homeless women in Boston.