As we begin 2026, I’m pleased to share that the Philanthropy Massachusetts Board of Directors has approved our 2026–2030 Strategic Framework. Shaped through extensive engagement with funders across the Commonwealth, the plan clarifies how your organization—Philanthropy Massachusetts (PMA)—will focus its work and deliver greater value in the years ahead.
What excites me most as CEO is the clarity this strategy brings to PMA’s role in supporting the philanthropic community. This strategy positions PMA not simply as a convener, but as an engine for shared learning, alignment, and strong action around common goals. It sharpens our role as the statewide hub for the funder community and prioritizes where we will invest staff capacity, convening power, and leadership.
Massachusetts has long been a state of firsts: Public education, civic innovation, healthcare reform, and philanthropy itself. Today, philanthropy, in deep partnership with nonprofits and other sector leaders, has another opportunity to lead as democratic institutions face pressure and as the Commonwealth works to sustain its long-term economic competitiveness.
Our strategy is grounded in four pillars—Learn, Connect, Lead, and Act—and focused on two issue areas where philanthropy’s leadership is especially consequential: Democracy and the Economic Competitiveness of Massachusetts. A strong democracy–with an educated and engaged citizenry, the rule of law, protection of voting rights, and robust free expression–underpins everything that philanthropy seeks to advance. At the same time, a competitive, inclusive economy depends on the systems philanthropy helps strengthen, from education and workforce development to housing, innovation, and civic infrastructure.
In 2026, PMA will bring funders and nonprofits together as co-learners and partners. We will convene issue-based learning and action cohorts that combine nonprofit expertise, philanthropic resources, and shared data to build a common understanding and identify opportunities for aligned action. PMA’s role is to help the field make sense of complex information, surface what is working, and reduce fragmentation so efforts reinforce one another.
We will continue to offer a set of core programs, including Philanthropy 101 and Fundraising Essentials, to ensure a shared foundation for effective practice—while prioritizing deeper, issue-focused learning and collaboration across our membership.
This organization belongs to the funder community, and its strength depends on your engagement and leadership.
What We’re Asking of You
- Use PMA as your space for learning, connection, and collaboration
- Engage as a learner alongside nonprofit partners
- Share where you are investing—or seeking partners—so PMA can help align the field
- Invest in PMA’s core work so we can continue to convene, synthesize, and support philanthropy’s leadership at scale.
Together, we can ensure that philanthropy in Massachusetts once again leads the nation—not only in generosity, but in impact.