Grantmaking Process
Empowering Change for Women and Girls Across Massachusetts
We invest strategically in high-impact programs serving Massachusetts women and girls through data-informed, multi-year support and collaborative partnership.
how it works:
01
Outreach:
We identify nonprofits that economically empower women and girls. Our mission of economic empowerment guides this outreach and we strive to build long-term partnerships focused on high-impact outcomes.
02
Invite:
Selected nonprofits are invited to apply to our annual grant cycle and other ad hoc grants, via a streamlined process with clear requirements and timelines, as well as guidance and open communication.
03
Vet and Evaluate:
We use a data-driven process to assess applications for impact, sustainability, and alignment with our mission. Our Grant Cycle Committee reviews organizational strength and program outcomes using consistent scoring criteria to ensure objectivity. Final grant decisions are approved by our Board of Directors.
04
Invest:
We award large, multi-year grants guided by strategic investment principles to maximize long-term outcomes. By working closely with grantees throughout the grant period, we help ensure their success – recognizing that multi-year funding allows nonprofits to focus on programming, not constant fundraising.
05
Analyze:
Grantees track short and long-term changes in mindset, knowledge, and skills. We review impact and financial data twice a year, analyzing how goals are being met. By measuring outcomes, we work together to achieve meaningful impact.
06
Promote:
We amplify the critical work being done by our grantee partners through social media, corporate and foundation connections, and events, strengthening the entire sector of nonprofits dedicated to women and girls.
Explore our funded programs and grantee partners who are economically empowering women and girls and creating lasting change in under-resourced communities across Massachusetts.
“Our STEM ON-THE-GO program is just one of the ways the Foundation’s partnership allows us to reach girls in underserved neighborhoods, supporting our mutual long-term goal of closing the STEM gender gap.”
Monica Roberts, CEO, Girl Scouts of Eastern MA
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.