A speaker stands in front of a screen that reads "Black Economic Council of Massachusetts."
Black Economic Council of Massachusetts

Expanding opportunities for people to build wealth for themselves, their families, and their communities.

One aspect of Barr’s core value to center racial equity is a recognition that we must address systemic barriers that some communities have faced to wealth creation.

Racial wealth equity is achieved when all people, regardless of race, have a fair shot at opportunities to build wealth for themselves, their families, and their communities. Yet, for centuries, that has not been the case. People of some racial backgrounds have faced additional barriers — whether in the form of discrimination by individuals, policies, or systems. And these have limited their ability to take advantage of economic opportunities, or to deal with adversity. 

Barr’s Racial Wealth Equity Initiative focuses on transforming systems, policies, and narratives about wealth building in communities throughout Greater Boston that have a history of discrimination. We are also open to learning about colleagues engaged in similar efforts in the Gateway City regions of Fall River, New Bedford, Lawrence, Lowell, Brockton, and Randolph.

Grantmaking Strategies

While there are many approaches to advance wealth creation for communities, Barr focuses where we see high potential to influence systems change:

Increasing Access to Capital

Barr’s Racial Wealth Equity Initiative supports partners working to shift policies and systems that make it easier for people to become homeowners and entrepreneurs, to mitigate financial challenges, and to build community wealth. 

Expanding Community Ownership

We seek and support partners who are exploring new economic models, purchasing property for committed long-term community use and benefit, and organizing residents to advance novel approaches to community ownership. 

Advancing Pathways to High-Road Jobs

“High-road” jobs are those where employees have access to higher wages, predictable annual income, opportunities for advancement, and benefits such as health insurance and retirement. Through this strategy, we aim to support opportunities like workforce development and training that increase access to high-road jobs. We seek partners who are interested in innovative, culturally-competent workforce development to increase diversity within high-road industries. Given Barr’s Climate Program, we have a particular interest in the rapidly growing clean energy industry.

What We Fund

We acknowledge that the vision for racial wealth equity can only be realized through concerted and aligned efforts spanning many sectors. That is why collaboration, coalitions and networks, and collective action are fundamental to how we engage, and to the kind of work we seek to support. We also understand that one of the most important roles a funder can play is to provide flexible operating and capacity-building support that enables organizations closest to communities, challenges, and solutions to lead. 

Within the three strategies outlined above, we seek to support efforts that incorporate one or more of the following approaches:

Narrative and strategic communications. This work also requires that we work to shift mindsets, deepen understanding of root causes and potential solutions, and to inspire civic action. We seek partners who are poised to engage in strategic communications and narrative work as a key driver.

Advocacy and organizing to build and shift power. Systems change requires a shift in power structure so that policies and practices are reflective not only of the needs but aspirations of people in communities that they are designed to benefit. We seek partners who integrate grassroots power building approaches. 

Network building. We believe that networks and coalitions are key to leveraging the strengths of individual organizations and advancing best practices and durable policy gains. We seek networks and coalitions, existing and emerging, that include a diversity of perspectives and approaches, such as nonprofit organizations, research/data providers, artists, and municipalities. We acknowledge that networks and coalitions take time to coalesce and build trust – especially where there’s a history of competition for funding and influence.

Barr’s Racial Wealth Equity Initiative focuses on transforming systems, policies, and narratives about wealth building.
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Grantmaking in Racial Wealth Equity

Hacking the Archive

To sponsor its Hacking the Archive program’s May 2025 Hacking the Racial Wealth Gap hack-a-thon

Visit Website Visit the Hacking the Archive website
More Racial Wealth Equity Grants Visit More Racial Wealth Equity Grants

Grantmaking Inquiries

We are actively seeking to engage with new partners who share our aims and priorities. Please note that we are focused on Greater Boston. Yet, we are also open to learning about colleagues engaged in similar efforts in the Gateway City regions of Fall River, New Bedford, Lawrence, Lowell, Brockton, and Randolph.

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