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Free online lectures: Explore a world of ideas

Funding provided by:
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Boston Foundation

The Boston Foundation, one of the nation's oldest and largest community foundations, has an endowment of close to $675 million. Last year, the Foundation made grants of $51 million to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of $41 million. The Boston Foundation is made up of 750 separate charitable funds, which have been established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Foundation also serves as a civic leader, convener, and sponsor of special initiatives designed to build community. For more information about the Boston Foundation and its grant making, visit www.tbf.org, or call 617-338-1700.

http://www.tbf.org

  • Managing for Mission: Leadership and Talent Imperative

    Wed, Apr 26, 2006
    This forum focuses on a dialogue about the leadership and talent imperative, with case studies highlighting issues of management in the face of growing complexity, demographic diversity and examples of successful recruitment, development and retention of talent. The complexity of nonprofit operations today requires nonprofit leaders to be many things at once: charismatic motivator, persuasive fundraiser, issues expert, manager of complex systems. What implications does this changing role have for nonprofit leadership and management structures? How will organizations handle the transition from seasoned leaders to emerging leaders?
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Boston Unplugged: Mapping a Wireless Future

    Wed, Feb 15, 2006
    In 2006, a panel convened to address wireless technology and affordable strategies to bridge the "digital divide". They sought to pave the way for innovation and new tools to strengthen education, enrich civic participation and nurture community networks. Internet access is a critical tool for cities across the country and around the world that compete in the new economy driven by knowledge networks and information.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Linking Money to Mission

    Wed, Jun 1, 2005
    This forum focuses on expanding our understanding of how nonprofit capital structures' tangible and intangible assets and liabilities affect organizational missions. How should these assets and liabilities be thought about in pursuit of excellence and organizational stability? The forum also highlights inspiring examples of mission effectiveness enabled by sound financial business practices.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Rethinking Justice in Massachusetts

    Thu, Nov 3, 2005
    Prominent members of the Massachusetts public safety and justice communities discuss public attitudes about crime and punishment after the release of a new public opinion study done by the Crime and Justice Institute and Doble Research Associates.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Human Services: Getting Your Money's Worth?

    Tue, Sep 23, 2003
    Join a panel of experts as they discuss the 2003 report *Reforming the Commonwealth's $2 Billion Purchase of Human Services: Meeting the Promise for Clients and Taxpayers*, which finds that while most clients still receive good care, they and their families frequently face long waiting lists, substantial barriers to access, and difficulty navigating the system, and many are not getting services matched to their particular needs. The Commonwealth's vast system for purchasing human services needs major reform, according to a report released on September 23, 2003 by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. This report, prepared by the Massachusetts Taxpayer Association in collaboration with the Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers, and with major funding from The Boston Foundation, concludes that the burden of the system's flaws falls on the clients, who too often do not receive the quality services they need, and the taxpayers, who are not getting a fair return on the $2 billion spent annually on services purchased from private providers. Since its inception three decades ago, the purchasing system has grown rapidly to become the primary means of delivering human services, ranging from group homes for the developmentally disabled to treatment for juvenile offenders. Over 1,100 provider organizations care for 600,000 Massachusetts residents.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Mapping School Choice in Massachusetts

    Wed, May 21, 2003
    Hear a panel of experts discuss the recent release of a report that maps school choice statewide, examines school choice in Metropolitan Boston, and reviews national data on the subject.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Preventing Juvenile Crime: The CHINS Law

    Tue, Oct 7, 2003
    This forum examines the CHINS law with the intent to put forth a positive vision for reform. Thirty years ago, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts established a system called CHINS ("Children in Need of Services") to address problems of troubled youth. The law was intended to help keep these youth out of further trouble, steering them toward more productive pathways through services and other help. The reality is that the system is currently not working. A study by the state's Commissioner of Probation found that over half of all CHINS youth were arraigned for adult criminal or juvenile delinquent offenses within three years of their first CHINS petition. This event is part of the Community Safety Forum Series hosted by The BostonFoundation, The Gardiner Howland Shaw Foundation and coordinating partnersMassINC and The Crime and Justice Institute.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Preventing Homelessness: Success Stories

    Wed, Jun 22, 2005
    A panel discusses how Massachusetts is attempting to move from managing the problem of homelessness, to identifying ways of eliminating it altogether. Success in eliminating the use of motels for emergency shelter signaled it was a good time to strengthen and expand successful efforts to maintain housing stability for both individuals and families, in order to prevent homelessness in the first place.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Boston Unbound: Challenges for the 21st Century

    Sun, Jan 4, 2004
    In this lecture, journalists Neal Pierce and Curtis Johnson tackle one question: What are the Boston region's most critical challenges for the 21st Century? Pierce and Johnson provide an overview of their findings here and take audience questions. Hired by The Boston Foundation commissioned journalists Neal Pierce and Curtis Johnson to take an independent look at that question. Authors of the book Citistates and principals of The Citistates Group, Pierce and Johnson have written reports for newspapers on the strategic issues facing 21 other US regions over the past 17 years. To prepare for this report, they interviewed more than 300 Boston area opinion leaders and observers, ranging from government to universities, businesses to advocacy groups.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation

  • Nonprofit Forum: Leading through Effective Governance

    Wed, Dec 15, 2004
    In addition to being an overseer of management and fiscal accountability, today's nonprofit board member also needs to be a connector, leader, bridge-builder, fund-raiser, and strategic partner of management and constituency. This forum explores the future of nonprofit governance, examines current practices, and highlights interesting examples of thoughtful board governance in changing times.
    Forum Network
    Partner:
    Boston Foundation
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