Same mission. Broader reach. A name that reflects it all: the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts.
What started in Greater Boston has grown into something much bigger. Since our first grant in 2018, we’ve expanded our funding, research, and partnerships to communities across the Commonwealth, always through the lens of one goal: to economically empower women and girls throughout Massachusetts.
“Our new name reflects both our statewide impact and the growing need we’re committed to addressing across Massachusetts. In just seven years of grantmaking, we’ve demonstrated that our data-driven, community-focused approach to economic empowerment transforms the lives of individuals, families, and entire communities.” – Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts
We’ve grown from a regional foundation into a statewide force. Explore the impact we’ve already made across Massachusetts through our three areas of investment: education, leadership & mentoring, and career & financial empowerment.
Greater Boston
The Women’s Foundation awarded its first grant in 2018 to Science Club for Girls (SCFG), which provides free, hands-on STEM programming for girls in grades K-12. Since the Foundation’s initial grant, SCFG has expanded exponentially, with
- 400% increase in enrollment
- 9-fold increase in staff
- 10-fold increase in budget
The long-term outcomes for program participants are also evident:
- 99% of SCFG alums attended college (compared to the national average of 66%)
- 63% majored in STEM (compared to the 27% of Massachusetts college graduates who earn degrees in STEM and health care fields)
- 80% credited SCFG with increasing their interest in STEM
- 96% attributed their confidence in overcoming academic challenges to SCFG
- 94% credited SCFG with shaping their identities as science leaders.
“The Foundation’s partnership has been transformative for SCFG. Your confidence as an early funder has signaled to the greater community that SCFG is a venture worth investing in; this effect has grown exponentially. From your initial investment to multi-year support, we have benefitted from the expertise, talent, and counsel of the Foundation’s team and greater community.” – SCFG team
MetroWest
In 2021, Girls Inc. of Worcester was awarded a five-year grant to expand their successful Eureka! and Eureka! JV programs into Framingham – reaching even more girls in grades 6-12 with STEM, leadership training, and job readiness skills.
Program outcomes include:
- 100% graduate high school on time
- Accepted at more than 20 colleges including 5 Ivy Leagues
- Earned more than $2 million per year in academic scholarships, including 9 full rides
- 50% are first generation to go to college
- 70% are selecting STEM-related majors
“I am looking forward to next summer and learning more about STEM. This summer, I loved going to all the different businesses and seeing other women working and all the possibilities.” – Program participant
Northeast
In the northeast, Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn is helping young women transition from high school to college to career through Project Accelerate. WFMA awarded a three-year grant in 2024 to fund Project Accelerate’s implementation in Lynn and a four-year grant in 2025 to launch the program in Boston.
Early results show remarkable impact:
- 100% high school graduation rate
- 100% post-secondary enrollment rate
- 95% college enrollment rate
- 5% trade school enrollment
- 47% of college enrollees will be first-generation college students
- 84% of college enrollees selected STEM-related majors
- 16% of college enrollees received full-ride scholarships
“Project Accelerate helps us prepare for the college experience and provides us with useful contacts that are willing to help us not only while in high school but in college, as well.” – High school senior.
Southeast, Cape & Islands
On the Cape, WE CAN is empowering women navigating life transitions and challenges. In 2023, we supported WE CAN’s expansion to a second location in Hyannis – increasing access to legal, financial, career, and mentoring programs.
With a clear increase in engagement and impact from January to June of 2025, WE CAN’s Hyannis program:
- Provided 575 consultations
- Led 30 workshops
- Grew attendance from 613 to 824
- Welcomed 168 new Mid-Cape women
“The work you do is helping me support and care for [my daughter] but more than that, showing her what can be accomplished when women have support and assistance and help in a difficult time. There are no words to convey how deeply grateful I truly am for your help at this challenging time.” – Program Participant
Central
As the first grantee partner outside of Greater Boston, Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts was awarded a three-year grant in 2020 to expand It’s a Girls World – offering free STEM projects, financial literacy training, and healthy living classes to girls from underserved communities.
According to the Girl Scout Alum Difference, program alumni reported that Girl Scouts helped lay the foundation for their success by:
- Putting them on a path for achievement and future opportunities
- Connecting them to a strong community and global network of girls and women
- Sparking passions and interests in fields like business, entrepreneurship, and STEM
“Through the implementation of community-based programming, GSCWM was able to identify two key barriers to low-income and underserved girls’ program participation: cost and geographical accessibility. Funding received by the Women’s Foundation has helped provide programming at no cost to participants at several local community spaces including schools, housing authorities, Boys and Girls Clubs, and YWCA facilities.” – GSCWM team
Western
“I now work at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts, sustaining a culture of health equity in the Greater Springfield area. My income doubled from the last job I had. I am able to provide for my family better than I ever have before. Sometimes I wonder how I did it, then realize it was because of the support from the staff and teachers. Because they believed in me more than I believed in myself, and they believed it so much they made me believe in me.” – Microcollege graduate
In Holyoke, The Care Center (TCC) is providing opportunities for young mothers who have had their education interrupted by a lack of support and systemic barriers. TCC offers a Hi-Set program, part-time college courses, and an associate degree program (Bard Microcollege Holyoke), all with wrap-around services.
In 2024, The Care Center was awarded a Catalyst Grant to fund a new multi-year strategic plan to assess key activities that will move the organization to the next level of impact. Participation in the strategic planning process significantly strengthened cohesion among leadership. For example, 100% of the leadership staff reported feeling:
- More aligned around The Care Center’s mission
- Clearer on shared goals
- More connected as a team, leading to improved collaboration, communication, and a stronger sense of collective leadership.
Join Us
Our name change marks an important milestone, made possible by our incredible community of supporters who have fueled our progress since day one. Now, with a name that reflects our full reach, we’re stepping confidently into our next chapter.
Join the Women’s Foundation of Massachusetts as we continue to economically empower women and girls across the Commonwealth – ensuring every woman and girl in our state has the opportunity to thrive.
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.