2011 Report on Foundation Activities

In 2011, the Shapiro Family Foundation was pleased to resume its grant making in all areas in which it was active prior to the disruption brought on by the Madoff investment fraud.  As promised, it maintained its commitments to multi-year grantees while offering new grants to community-based organizations through three strategic grant initiatives.  In addition, it continued its support for students in its College Scholarship Initiative.

2011 grants totaled $13,549,117, benefitting 71 organizations.  Eighteen organizations received new grant support through the Foundation’s Empowerment Initiative, fifteen through its Disability Inclusion Initiative, and thirteen through its Youth in the Arts Initiative.  Eighteen students attending 13 colleges received their fourth year of support through the Shapiro Family College Scholarship Initiative. Pledge payments to major cultural, educational and health institutions represented a significant portion of the grant portfolio.

As grant making activities increased in 2011, the Foundation cut back on the workshops and special projects that had been the focus of the Foundation’s work in 2009 and 2010.  Nevertheless, Foundation staff continued to assist several individual grantees with efforts that included proposal review, event planning, recommendations to national funders and advice on local support.  The Foundation continued to regularly host meetings of Greater Boston Access to Recreation, a group of organizations working to improve and expand sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. In addition, in collaboration with Access, it convened its scholars in June for a celebration of the completion of their junior years along with a workshop on career exploration.   

In April, the new Shapiro Ambulatory Center at Boston Medical Center (BMC) was dedicated.  BMC is one of five major health institutions in Boston that currently receive Foundation support.

As the Foundation looks to 2012, it envisions its continued support for the wide variety of cultural, educational and health institutions in Boston as well as for a range of community-based programs working to improve the quality of life for its residents.  It anticipates a careful review of current funding priorities and the development of a refined plan for the future.