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Barr Foundation

@barrfoundation.org
395 followers 82 following 20 posts

Working in partnership to elevate the arts; advance solutions for climate change; and expand educational opportunity for high schoolers in New England.

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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 14/10/2025
The #OBBBA will widen wealth disparities in Boston along racial lines. Cuts to social services like SNAP and Medicaid reduce families' ability to achieve long-term security. Funds go to necessities like food and healthcare, instead of assets like higher education, a home, or retirement accounts.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 14/10/2025
New research from Boston Indicators shows that federal policy changes related to the #OneBigBeautifulBill will widen wealth inequality: the bottom 10% of earners lose $1,200 annually while top earners gain $13,600. www.bostonindicators.org/reports/repo...
bostonindicators.org
Fading Beauty: How the One Big Beautiful Bill Could Widen Wealth Inequality
Much of the public discussion has focused on OBBB’s near-term income effects. But income is only part of the story.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 13/08/2025
Following a rigorous national search, we are thrilled to announce Ali Noorani as Barr’s next president. Ali’s enthusiasm for our core program areas of arts, climate, and education shines through, as does his readiness to propel Barr into its next chapter. barrfdn.link/president
Introducing Ali Noorani, Barr's next president. Ali Noorani appears wearing glasses and smiling on a green background.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 02/07/2025
As lifelong learners, it's no surprise that Barr's Education team has serious summer reading plans. See what's on their list for the holiday weekend:
Vilém Flusser, Does Writing Have a Future?

First published in German in 1987, a prescient exploration of the fate of the book in the digital age

Dylan Everett, Program Associate, Catalyze New ModelsPeak Mind: Find Your Focus, Own Your Attention, Invest 12 Minutes a Day, Amishi P. Jha, PhD

An acclaimed neuroscientist offers 12-minute exercises to harness the power of our attention to better meet life's demands.

Jenny Curtin, Program DirectorRevenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering, Malcolm Gladwell

Stories that trace social epidemics and tipping points, a guide to making sense of the contagions of the modern world

John Travis, Senior Program Officer, Invest in EducatorsEve L. Ewing, Original Sins

An eye-opening look at how American schools have helped build and reinforce an infrastructure of racial inequality

Jess Rose, Senior Program Officer, Catalyze New Models
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 01/07/2025
Announcing EPIX: a three-year investment supporting public art that sparks collective imagination across Massachusetts. EPIX grantees produce new work that inspires collective action and shifts how public art is understood and valued in Massachusetts. www.barrfoundation.org/blog/announc...
barrfoundation.org
Announcing EPIX (Engage Public Imagination eXchange), a new initiative from the Arts + Creativity program - Barr Foundation
Announcing EPIX (Engage Public Imagination eXchange), a new initiative from the Arts + Creativity program | Barr Foundation provides insights, stories, and updates on what’s driving impact and equity ...
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 30/06/2025
Solar is helping New England stay cool this summer. Solar arrays on roofs and parking lots generate about 5,000 megawatts of power for New England, more than all of the region's nuclear power plants combined. www.wbur.org/news/2025/06...
wbur.org
How rooftop solar is helping New England stay cool during the heat wave
At peak hours during this week's heat wave, solar panels on homes, businesses, parking lots and alongside roads are helping relieve stress on the electric grid.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 26/06/2025
Communities across Massachusetts are sweltering this week. In the new Community Heat Resilience pilot, cities and community-based orgs are working together to establish the infrastructure, policy, and education needed to protect citizens this summer and in the years ahead. barrfdn.link/heat
barrfoundation.org
Community Heat Resilience - Barr Foundation
Community Heat Resilience - Barr Foundation | Advancing bold ideas and partnerships that drive equity, innovation, and lasting impact in our communities.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 23/04/2025
Mohawk Trail Regional School reinvented itself to invite students shape to their studies. So far, the result has been promising—happier, more empowered teachers, students pursuing their passions, and rebounding enrollment.
recorder.com
Trailblazers program puts Mohawk Trail Regional School on new path
Hazel Foucault, Emma Thrower and Adrian Grant bucked the tide. They opted to stay at Mohawk Trail Regional School instead of leaving — as hundreds of other students have done in the past two decades…
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 22/04/2025
“Environmental justice is what civil rights looks like relative public health,” says Dwaign Tyndal of Roxbury-based Alternatives for Community and Environment. "Fights around environmental justice are a way for new generations to join the civil rights movement."
baystatebanner.com
Environmental justice is ‘another branch on the civil rights tree’ – The Bay State Banner
Superior Court finds city’s plan to lease White Stadium to pro soccer team lawful
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 21/04/2025
Worcester-born artist Sharinna Travieso's favorite canvas is public spaces. After working on major community murals, she’s transforming school walls across Massachusetts.
worcestermag.com
Worcester artist Sharinna Travieso receives $30,000 award for Bright Futures mural project
Bright outlook for blank school walls as Worcester artist Sharinna Travieso receives $30,000 award for Bright Futures mural project.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 18/04/2025
In Fitchburg, MA, local institutions are leveraging the city’s unique qualities to stimulate growth. A long-vacant school will become 68 units of artist-preferred affordable housing alongside studio space, galleries, and a rail trail. www.bostonglobe.com/2025/03/28/a...
bostonglobe.com
Fitchburg looks to the arts to jump-start its economy - The Boston Globe
A $45 million project to develop artist-preferred affordable housing is a critical piece in a broader bid to leverage culture to help revitalize the Gateway City.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 17/04/2025
Merrimack Valley’s MeVa is Massachusetts’ first fare-free transit system. A rider survey found that the economic, environmental, and health benefits, weighing in at $2 million, exceeded the loss of revenue from bus fares. www.wbur.org/news/2025/02...
wbur.org
Merrimack Valley public transit system will keep bus fares free
The Merrimack Valley Transit authority has voted to make its fare-free policy permanent. The MeVa advisory board approved the policy Thursday after reviewing a report highlighting the economic, enviro...
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 16/04/2025
Low and moderate-income Massachusetts residents can now apply for rebates to purchase new pedal-assist electric bikes! This program from @Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will cover about 3,000 vouchers, distributed by lottery. Learn more and apply: ma-ebikes.masscec.com
Bikers wearing helmets and reflective vests cheer outdoors.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 15/04/2025
This project will provide a critical natural buffer against rising sea levels for local communities. As the project develops over the next 2 to 5 years, residents will be invited to share their input.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 15/04/2025
Mass Audubon, GreenRoots, and neighborhood developers are transforming 18 acres of abandoned land to build affordable housing and preserve the waterfront’s natural habitat. www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/...
cbsnews.com
Developers and green organizations team up to revitalize area in Chelsea for climate resilience
Green organizations and neighborhood developers have teamed up to revitalize an area in Chelsea, Massachusetts that's been closed to the public for years.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 03/04/2025
We are excited to introduce the new barrfoundation.org. 🎉 Visit the site to explore our program areas, search the grants database, and see our grantees’ work in action.
Introducing Barr's New Website. A large group of artists stand in a circle in a grassy field.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 19/02/2025
Advocating for nonprofits is essential. We will invest in social sector infrastructure that enables knowledge sharing between orgs. This work has been part of our grantmaking at Barr for many years, and we anticipate investing further in the near term.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 19/02/2025
Our success hinges on maintaining relationships that are rooted in mutual trust, respect, and care. We are organizing trainings and capacity supports, working to reduce administrative burden, and creating more flexibility in how Barr funds can be used.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 19/02/2025
Barr’s steadfast commitment to center racial equity remains unchanged. To us, that means investing in leaders and solutions that bring us closer to a world where everyone can pursue their unbounded potential, and where the promise of equal opportunity for all becomes a reality.
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Barr Foundation @barrfoundation.org · 19/02/2025
The barrage of action in the past several weeks previews the challenges that the #nonprofit and #philanthropy sectors will face in the years ahead. Barr is in this work for the long haul. Here's how we are approaching this moment in these early stages.
Volunteers package seeds at an event hosted by GreenRoots.
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