Boston

Delivering innovation and leadership as our flagship site

Overview

Homebase for revolutionary thinking and inventive solutions

A hub for innovation and home to many firsts in our nation. Yet one of the widest wealth gaps in the country can be found here with families of color having few assets to invest in better opportunities for future generations. Our city thrives when all residents thrive. Along with our portfolio organizations we partner with the community to break down systems of inequity and build a stronger future for all Bostonians.

Portfolio

Investing in proven organizations to bring to Boston to address community-identified needs

We search the country to bring ground-breaking organizations that represent the best in their fields – in innovation, measurable results and ability to scale.

See All Organizations

The Fountain Fund logo
Child First logo
WOW logo
Per Scholas Logo
BAM Logo
CareMessage logo
blue print logo
New Teacher Center logo
College Advising Corps logo
UpTogether logo
YV LifeSet Logo
Peer Health Exchange logo
Raising a Reader Logo
Friends of the Children logo

Making an Impact in Boston

In 2023 – 2024

340,786

individuals reached

422

local staff working at portfolio organizations

$162M

in additional funding leveraged

“GreenLight is a powerful network of people who care about Boston and the next generation of organizations that are helping to build a better Boston.”

Per Scholas celebration
In Boston
$25.37

is the hourly wage earned by 2021 Per Scholas graduates – $7 more than the target of $18/hour. Graduates reflect on their journey.

Read the Story

Friends of the Children student
In Boston
96%

of Friends of the Children Achievers met their social–emotional skill goals as defined in their individual Road Map for Success with the help of dedicated mentors

Read the Story

BAM
In Boston
70%

of Becoming a Man (BAM) youth demonstrated growth across all social–emotional learning measures, with the support of BAM’s core values

Read the Story

Boston Team & Partners

GreenLight Boston is made up of a diverse group of changemakers from across the community, working together for positive impact.

Blueprint Schools Network

Blueprint Schools Network

CareMessage

CareMessage

Child First

Child First

College Advising Corps

College Advising Corps

Friends of the Children

Friends of the Children

New Teacher Center

New Teacher Center

Peer Health Exchange

Peer Health Exchange

Per Scholas

Per Scholas

Raising A Reader

Raising A Reader

Single Stop USA

Single Stop USA

The Fountain Fund

The Fountain Fund

UpTogether

UpTogether

Youth Guidance – BAM

Youth Guidance – BAM

Youth Guidance – WOW

Youth Guidance – WOW

YV LifeSet

YV LifeSet

Delivering measurable results in Boston

We invest multiyear funding along with on-the-ground support to ensure portfolio organizations quickly take root in the local community and are positioned for growth, measurable impact and sustainability. We are proud to highlight the work, results and meaningful stories of our portfolio organizations locally.

Read our latest Impact Report

Child First
Child First participants

Child First is implementing their model with local organizations serving the hardest-to-reach families, supporting positive outcomes through all stages of development.

Working on Womanhood (WOW)
WOW, Boston

WOW provided 215 young women of color with in-school, group-based mentoring and clinical support this past year, cultivating leadership, promoting mental health, and fostering social-emotional skills.

Boston
Per Scholas Graduation

Per Scholas creates real opportunities for hundreds of Boston area residents to build better lives for themselves and their families, create generational change for many, and diversify the tech sector for the better.

Making an impact in Boston

In 2023 – 2024

340,786

individuals reached

422

local staff working at portfolio organizations

$162M

in additional funding leveraged

Team

Amber Black
Amber Black, GreenLight Boston

Amber Black

Associate Director, GreenLight Boston

Melissa Luna
Melissa Luna, GreenLight Boston

Melissa Luna

Vice President, Site Success & Executive Director, GreenLight Boston

Inika Vimal
Inika Vimal, GreenLight Boston

Inika Vimal

Program Associate, GreenLight Boston

Advisory Council

Jessica Ackerman

Deloitte

Irfan Alibhai

Burkehaven Family Foundation

Courtney Allessio

Catalant Technologies

Karley Ausiello

United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley

Kelly Brawn

Life Science Cares

Darcy Brownell

Next Level Social Impact

Ayesha Cammaerts

The Boston Opportunity Agenda

Jessica Castro

Trefler Foundation

Rahn Dorsey

Eastern Bank Foundation

Gayané Ebling

Ebling Family Foundation

Eric Esteves

Boston Main Streets Foundation

Nicole Fontes

Goodwin

Elizabeth Foster

Vertex Pharmaceuticals

Philip Gager

Trinity Capital

Elsa Gomes Bondlow

Ripple Acts

Frankie Gonzalez

Nike

Andre Green

SkillWorks

Amanda Hadad

Nadia Harden

New Commonwealth Fund

Bridget Kenneally

Deloitte

Lisa Krakoff

The Roger and Lisa Krakoff Foundation

Roger Krakoff

The Roger and Lisa Krakoff Foundation

Pamela Leins

The Boston Education Foundation

Brittney Macomber

Bank of America Charitable Foundation

Natalie Martinez

Girls Inc. of Boston and Lynn

Kristin McSwain

City of Boston Office of Early Childhood

Katie Pakenham

Cambridge Innovation Center

Cal Perez

Wells Fargo Advisors

Ed Powell

Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston

Ed Rocha

Rola Languages

Sally Sharp Lehman

Sharp Lehman Consulting, LLC.

Gary Smith

Christina Turner

Cambridge Community Foundation

Signature Investors

Henry Ancona

Bain Capital logo
Bank of America Logo

Steve and Deborah Barnes

blueconic logo
Boston Foundation Logo

Michael and Lisa Bronner

Renuka Babu Brown

The Burkehaven Family Foundation

Katie and Paul Buttenwieser

The George and Marie Chabot Charitable Foundation

Comerica Bank Logo

John and Stephanie Connaughton

deloitte logo

Jeff and Mary DiSandro

David and Sally Dornaus

Tom and Gayané Ebling

Paul English

Peter and Mary Ellen Rourke Falvey

Jeff Feingold

Fractyl Logo
Goodwin Logo
iHeart Media Logo

Steve and Lisa Jenks

Meeta Kapadia

The Kozin Family

Roger and Lisa Krakoff Foundation

Bill and Diana Ledingham

Becky and Mark Levin

Localytics Logo

The Lovett-Woodsum Foundation

Paul and Kristin Marcus

Jude and Francis McColgan

Peter and Cindy Neville

Nuance logo
Optum Ventures Logo

Tim and Lynne Palmer

PWC Logo

The Reeder Family

Retik Mello Foundation

Scott Friend and Leslie Riedel

Brett and Sarah Rome

Mark and Etta Rosen

MacKenzie Scott

Sonali Shah

Sigma Prime Ventures Logo

John and Susan Simon

Brian and Stephanie Spector

United Way Massachusetts Logo
U.S. Trust Bank of America logo

David Verrill

V2 Communications Logo

Caitlin Vorlicek

Wells Fargo Advisors

Natalie Wright

Founding Seed Partners

Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, Bank of America, N.A., Trustee

Corporation for National and Community Service

Jessie B. Cox Charitable Trust

The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Foundation

Barbara and Amos Hostetter

Marianne and Ken Novack

Kimberly and James Pallotta

The Schnoor Family

The Tudor Foundation

Type

Prioritizing Diverse Perspectives for Greater Impact: Engaging Deeply with Community
Feedback+Denver Conference

Insights

Prioritizing Diverse Perspectives for Greater Impact: Engaging Deeply with Community

Jun 5, 2024

Boston, Greater Newark, Kansas City, National

For Boston residents returning from prison, a new fund aims to provide a financial lifeline
Jay Vilar, The Fountain Fund

Media Mention

Boston Globe

For Boston residents returning from prison, a new fund aims to provide a financial lifeline

May 27, 2024

Boston

GreenLight Fund Names Ali Knight as Chief Executive Officer
Ali Knight

Announcement, News, Press Release

GreenLight Fund Names Ali Knight as Chief Executive Officer

Apr 16, 2024

Rising to the Moment: College Advising Corps Navigates FAFSA Changes
College Advising Corps students, GreenLight Boston

Insights

Rising to the Moment: College Advising Corps Navigates FAFSA Changes

Mar 26, 2024

Boston

New group coming to Boston will provide low-interest loans to people returning from prison
Martize Tolbert, The Fountain Fund

Media Mention

GBH

New group coming to Boston will provide low-interest loans to people returning from prison

Dec 19, 2023

Boston

GreenLight Fund brings Fountain Fund to Boston to support citizens returning from incarceration
The Fountain Fund, Boston

Media Mention, Press Release

MassNonprofit News

GreenLight Fund brings Fountain Fund to Boston to support citizens returning from incarceration

Dec 8, 2023

Boston

GreenLight’s Golf for Good Welcomes LPGA Star Megan Khang!
Megan Khang

Announcement, Event

GreenLight’s Golf for Good Welcomes LPGA Star Megan Khang!

Sep 1, 2023

Boston

Podcast: Supporting Nonprofits To Scale with Melissa Luna
Melissa Luna

Media Mention

Scaling Impact Podcast

Podcast: Supporting Nonprofits To Scale with Melissa Luna

Jun 20, 2023

Boston, National

Join our work in Boston

We rely on champions and supporters who believe in the power and potential of community-driven change.