100 a year—and the way our alumni hire and nurture young people, there will be a tipping point. The field will become much more skilled, connected and diverse.�
The MNN represents about 590 nonprofit organizations and 130 for-profit affiliates.
Massachusetts Nonprofit Network
M
assachusetts nonprofits were hit hard after the dot-com bubble burst in
2000, and by the middle of the decade, many organizations were struggling to survive. Recognizing that the nonprofit sector was critical to meeting the Boston Foundation’s mission and goals, the board asked the staff to investigate and develop ideas about what could be done. That led to convenings, forums and a summit meeting that revealed the need for a statewide association that could advocate for the sector, build its capacity, and serve as a public voice for the more than 36,000 nonprofits then operating in Massachusetts. In 2005 and 2006, the Boston Foundation provided staff support and modest funding to a working group of nonprofit leaders who founded the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network (MNN) in 2007. Since then, the Boston Foundation has made more than $900,000 in grants to support the network. Now the MNN represents about 590 nonprofit organizations and 130 for-profit affiliates. It works to build the capacity and promote the image of the sector while strengthening it through advocacy and public policy initiatives.
Civic Leadership & Engagement
T H E R E AT T H E B E G I N N I N G
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