With its broad mandate to strengthen and improve the quality of life in Greater Boston and the region, the Boston Foundation is deeply invested in the vitality of the entire nonprofit sector in Boston and across the state. 

The Foundation has been instrumental in the formation of the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network, which strives to raise public awareness of the sector, improve organizational effectiveness, and advocate for public policies that strengthen the nonprofit sector.

Through Understanding Boston, the Boston Foundation has sponsored a series of forums about numerous challenges facing the nonprofit sector.

Visit the TBF web special: The Nonprofit Forums.

Nonprofit Sector Spotlight:

Passion & Purpose Restructuring, Repositioning and Reinventing: Crisis in the Massachusetts Nonprofit Sector This report details the impact of the ongoing economic crisis on the region’s nonprofit organizations, identifying trends toward increased strategic alliances and mergers as financial support form all sources continues to shrink.  It builds on the findings of the Foundation’s in-depth report on the sector published in June 2008. Learn more »

Indicators-related research: October 08, 2009 Connect to the Boston Indicators Project's Civic Vitality sector for non-profit data, trends, research and resources May 01, 2009 Finding Leaders for America's Nonprofits April 30, 2009 Nonprofit Social Network Survey 2009		Selected grants: June 10, 2010 Third Sector New England June 25, 2009 Institute for Nonprofit Leadership and Management (BU School of Management October 08, 2009 Mass Nonprofit Network
More Indicators-related research »		More »

  

Recent Nonprofit Sector Reports:

For the Benefit of Our Workers: The Massachusetts Nonprofit Employee Benefit Study On March 19, 2009, the Boston Foundation released new research on the nonprofit sector that offers a first-ever examination of the state of employee benefits.  It was designed to create benchmarks for the sector that identifies the types and costs of employee benefits. Read Report

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For all Reports, visit Multi Media Library »

  

Nonprofit Sector Forums:

Passion & Purpose: A Landmark Study on the Nonprofit Sector June 11, 2008 At a major forum on June 11th, the Boston Foundation released the most comprehensive study ever conducted of the nonprofit sector in Massachusetts. Titled Passion & Purpose: Raising the Fiscal Fitness Bar for Massachusetts Nonprofits, the sweeping and detailed report identifies the sector’s expansive range of organizations and the myriad roles it plays. The report also issues a “call to action” in the form of recommendations designed to address significant financial and organizational weaknesses in the sector.

The Nonprofit Forums: Standing Out in a Crowded Field March 21, 2007 In today’s environment of growing competition and constrained resources, how can nonprofit organizations, which are all dedicated to performing good works, stand out in a crowded field to garner the funds they need to meet their goals?

View All Nonprofit Sector Forums »