Philanthropy Massachusetts Honoree Award Reception

Join us as we celebrate philanthropic leaders and allies who are advancing positive change across the Commonwealth. Organized around PMA’s LEAP framework—Learning, Engaging, Acting, and Partnering—the reception will recognize funders who are building meaningful partnerships, embracing innovation, and supporting nonprofits and communities in impactful ways.

This is also an opportunity to gather with social sector peers from across the Commonwealth.

PMA is honoring individuals and foundations with its LEAP Awards, for work that exemplifies one of PMA’s four strategic pillars: learn, engage, act, and partner.

The honorees, by category are:

Learn— Christina Gordon, Co-Founder and CEO of the Women's Foundation of Massachusetts (WFMA), for elevating WFMA's Status of Women and Girls research, conducted in collaboration with Wellesley Centers for Women. The research documents how Massachusetts lags the nation in directing philanthropic funding to women- and girls-serving organizations—and how that gap falls hardest on our state's most under-resourced communities. Christina encourages funders to learn from this data and direct more dollars where they will have the greatest impact: toward closing that gap and building lasting opportunities for women, girls, and their families across Massachusetts.

Engage—Jessica Castro, Vice President of Programs and Operations at The Trefler Foundation, for developing the Foundation’s annual Boston-based Kicks & Conversations event, which brings together a diverse group of nonprofit leaders, community activists, and local influencers to strengthen relationships, close gaps, and engage with each other. The award recognizes the power, engagement, and joy of Kicks & Conversations.

Act—Mill Town Foundation, a Pittsfield-based organization active throughout Berkshire County, for implementing an action-oriented, comprehensive, place-based approach to philanthropy aligning partners across arts and culture, education, outdoor recreation, wellness, leadership development, and community development. The Foundation models creative investment in long term community vitality.

Partner— JPMorgan Chase & Co, Wagner Foundation (Cambridge), and State Senator Liz Miranda (Boston) for their model partnership on promoting AI Small Business Readiness, bringing together private family foundation and corporate donations with Commonwealth of Massachusetts economic development funding to address racial wealth inequities. PMA cites this work as what cross-sector partnership in service of the people and communities of the Commonwealth looks like.

**If you are a funder or philanthropic advisor and have purchased tickets to our full Annual Conference, your ticket includes admission to this reception.

Thank you to the following sponsors for supporting the 57th Annual Conference:

The ALKU Foundation

The Beveridge Family Foundation

Democracy Fund

Eastern Bank Foundation

Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston

Hemenway & Barnes

Howland Capital

Liberty Mutual

Mass Mutual

Merck Family Fund

M&T Bank