Improving Education and Providing Economic Opportunity

It may have started out in the world with the seemingly narrow priority of expanding after-school and summer learning programs, but Massachusetts 2020 is evolving into a powerful force for change throughout its home state.

Although Massachusetts 2020 is highly active in the education field, Joe Ganley, Director of Strategic Partnerships, says his organization is really a "thoughtful convener," whose role is to attract funding partners and get them to back specific initiatives.

"We're a unique organization in that we don't have Massachusetts 2020 programs. We're sort of a collaboration that brings funders and fundees together … It's a quiet roll, but a leadership roll."

Massachusetts 2020 is also a big donor, giving away $1 million last year and expecting to give away another $1 million this year. "But the majority of funding is coming from private foundations, which have raised money on the model we marketed."

The Massachusetts 2020 model was developed as a follow up to the final report and conclusions of Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino's Task Force on After-School Time. "Massachusetts 2020 was a way to ensure that (the report) got implemented."

As an example of the good works that his foundation is already accomplishing, Ganley points to the success of Boston's $24 million After School for All Partnership. Massachusetts 2020, he notes, was instrumental in bringing 13 different funding partners to the five year initiative, including Harvard, Verizon and Fleet National Bank.

"Part of our role is not only to get them to commit more funds (to education), but put them into pooled funding streams."

What They Do
While it may at first have been focused solely on after-school programs, Ganley says Massachusetts 2020 is "now working on broader issues." This means providing kids with economic opportunities, as well as educational and enrichment opportunities.

Massachusetts 2020's Priorities Boston's After-School for All Partnership: a funding collaborative aimed at expanding and improving after-school and summer programs in Boston. Keeping Kids on Track: a statewide public advocacy campaign launched in partnership with the United Way and aimed at increasing awareness of the need for high-quality, affordable after-school programs. Local After-School Initiatives: Part of an overall effort to promote quality after-school and summer programs. Directly involved with the operation and evaluation of several local education programs and initiatives throughout the state.

"We start with the assumption that if you have access to education and access to a good job, those are the two prerequisites for achieving the American dream."

Ganley says one program that provides this opportunity is Citizen Schools. Created in 1995, Citizen Schools has built a creative learning model that addresses community needs while at the same time building skills through hands-on "experiential" learning.

This year Citizen Schools grew from a Boston flagship program that enrolled 1,200 children annually at 12 campuses, to four new campuses in four cites: San Jose, Houston and Worcester and Framingham Massachusetts.

"Citizen Schools expose middle school kids to the broad careers that are out there … And it keeps them engaged." Massachusetts 2020, notes Ganley, is assisting Citizen Schools in expanding its service to another half dozen communities throughout the state.

To give charities and other agencies the direction they need to be effective, Massachusetts 2020 even has its own research department, which pumps out a range of material on the educational field. Last year, for example, the foundation conducted the first ever survey of parents to investigate what kids really did with their after school time.

This research, in turn, helped the United Way to better structure and fund its after school programs. "That data was very helpful to them."


BIG Picture: Foundations are not always providers of money. Many have been started to get directly involved in research, program design and execution. These kinds of organizations are almost always interested in advancing their field of interest and developing models that others can follow.

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