In Massachusetts, only 1.4% of all charitable giving goes to women and girls’ serving organizations, below the national average of 1.9%. Investing in women and girls not only impacts individuals and families, but also creates positive economic returns for communities. The Women’s Foundation of Boston is dedicated to increasing the amount of support these organizations receive with a unique grantmaking approach.
Offering an Investment of Time and Money
When the Women’s Foundation of Boston invests in women’s and girls’ focused programming, it offers multi-year funding opportunities with regular check-ins. This approach aims to create true partnerships between the Foundation and its grantees. In recent check-ins, partner organizations shared updates on how their grants are going and offered reflections from their participants and leaders. These stories are where impact is happening!
GOTRGB Participant Moves Beyond Setbacks
Girls on the Run Greater Boston (GOTRGB) inspires girls in grades 3-8 to be joyful, healthy, and confident using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running. In 2024, the Foundation awarded a three-year grant to help increase the number of girls served in low-income communities in Lawrence, Brockton, Boston, Revere, Salem, and Haverhill. The previous year, GOTRGB received a similar grant to reach girls in high-need communities including Lynn, Lowell, Brockton, and Boston. The impact of their programming is being felt across the state.
According to the mom of a recent GOTRGB participant her daughter suffers from anxiety, and since joining GOTRGB, she has become more active and animated. “Muchas gracias por su apoyo,” the mom said, thanking the Foundation for allowing these children to participate in the project.
EMPath Participants Achieving Goals One Step at a Time
Economic Mobility Pathways (EMPath) is a national non-profit that dramatically improves the lives of people struggling to make ends meet. In 2022, the Foundation awarded a three-year grant to fund the organization’s AMP Up Boston program. AMP Up Boston is an extension of EMPath’s partnership with the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), which focuses on economic mobility mentoring, especially for single mothers. The program tracks participants’ income gains, rent payments, savings, debts, and educational attainment and compares the statistics to those of a control group. These results will be part of a randomized control study in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University that will deliver essential findings about the efficacy of economic mobility mentoring. The program’s participants are working with mentors to move forward and create change in their lives.
A 24-year-old participant, who grew up in a low-income family and is participating in EMPath programming, is now achieving her goals with the help of mentors. After working together to determine what she wanted to accomplish, the participant and her mentor broke the goals down into smaller, more actionable steps, making it easier to move forward. The participant shared, “My experience with EMPath has been amazing, and I loved working with all my mentors… they provided me with a safe space to talk about my personal and career growth.”
Science Club for Girls Helps Girls See Themselves as Scientists
Science Club for Girls (SCFG) provides free STEM after-school programming for girls in grades K-12 from underrepresented communities in the Greater Boston area. In 2024, the Foundation awarded SCFG their seventh grant, a three-year $300,000 grant that will help SCFG expand in Greater Boston and the Massachusetts Gateway cities. With a goal of reaching more girls across the Commonwealth, their expansion is having an impact.
“[After being a part of SCFG], I definitely see myself as a scientist, especially for my community. I always wanted to use science to help others, either by creating new treatments and medications for people or caring for patients. I want to be a voice in science for my community,” expressed a 2024 graduating junior mentor.
You Can Make a Difference
Investing in women and girls transcends philanthropy and is a powerful catalyst for community transformation. By donating to the Women’s Foundation of Boston today, you can help create more incredible stories like these. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of women and girls across the Massachusetts. Donate today!
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.