波士頓市政府 Funding update

 

The Funding Update

MassDevelopment, 1/15/2021  The Cultural Facilities Fund provides capital and planning grants for acquisition, design, repair, renovation, expansion, and construction of nonprofit and municipal cultural facilities. ALERT: Requests for municipal support letters must be received by 12 noon on January 13, 2021. LEF Foundation, 1/22/2021 Grants from the Moving Image Fund support work created by New England-based filmmakers that is provocative, heartfelt, and challenging in style and substance. The program supports long-form projects with running times of forty minutes or more in both the production and post-production phases. Grants range from $15,000 to $25,000. National Endowment for the Arts, 1/27/2021 The Big Read supports community-wide reading programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences. National Endowment for the Arts, 2/13/2021 Grants for Arts Projects support public engagement with, and access to, various forms of excellent art across the nation, the creation of art that meets the highest standards of excellence, learning in the arts at all stages of life, and the integration of the arts into the fabric of community life. Grants range from $10,000 to $150,000 and require a 50% match. National Endowment for the Humanities, 4/28/2021 NEH expects to award 8 Fellowships that will provide recipients time to conduct research, prepare publications, and develop and incorporate multimedia components using existing technologies and platforms. Awards will range from $30,000 to $60,000. National Archives and Records Administration, 6/9/2021 NARA expects to award 6 NHPRC-Mellon Start-Up Grants for Collaborative Digital Editions in African American, Asian American, Hispanic American, and Native American History. Funding goal: to broaden participation in the production and publication of historical and scholarly digital editions. Collaborative applications are strongly encouraged. Max award: $60,000/year for 2 years. Foundation for Community Artists, Open Multiple grant opportunities. New this week: The Complete Guide to 2021 Artist Grants and Opportunities. Courtesy of Artwork Archive. The Mayor's Office of Arts & Culture provides an Artist Resource Desk. The Creative Capital blog lists a variety of resources and opportunities. Applications for the Creative Capital Award open February 1, 2021. Check this page to register for information sessions.   CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FUNDING UPDATE City of Boston, Open The Boston Resiliency Fund helps coordinate philanthropic efforts to provide essential services to Boston residents whose health and well-being are most immediately impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Funding priorities: providing food to Boston's children, families, and seniors; providing technology to Boston Public Schools students for remote learning; and providing support to first responders, front-line workers, and healthcare workers so they can effectively do their jobs and promote public health. Applications Still Being Accepted: City of Boston, Open The Rental Relief Fund will help income-eligible tenants in the City of Boston who do not have access to expanded unemployment benefits, or because of the nature of their jobs, the unemployment benefits they will receive represent a significant reduction in their actual income. Application materials are available in multiple languages. WHAT TO DO WHEN FACING AN EVICTION Bob Barker Company Foundation, Open Grants, ranging from $5,000 to $50,000, support programs that prepare formerly incarcerated individuals for successful reentry into society. Office on Violence Against Women, 1/22/2021  Justice for Families grants improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking, or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse. OVW expects to make 23 grants in the range of $550,000 to $650,000.     Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation, 1/22/2021  Grants of up to $500 will support youth leaders ages 5-25 across the U.S. to turn their ideas into action and make an impact on the issue of childhood hunger. New this year is an option for a fundraising match grant, which includes $100 for fundraising-related costs and a $400 matching grant to a local hunger relief organization of your choice.  National Science Foundation, 2/24/2021  The goal of Smart and Connected Communities is to accelerate the creation of new levels of economic opportunity and growth, safety and security, health and wellness, accessibility and inclusivity, and overall quality of life. A total of $23.5M is available. New England Grassroots Environment Fund, 3/15/2021 Seed Grants of $250 to $1,000 help volunteer groups launch and build their newly evolving projects. Requests for this program may be submitted throughout the year. Grow Grants of $1,000 to $3,500 enhance the ability of established groups to increase capacity, collaborate, and leverage impact. Office on Violence Against Women, 2/2/2021 Legal Assistance for Victims grants ($600,000 to $800,000) support comprehensive services. OVW expects to award 56 grants to nonprofits. Emergent Fund, Open Funding priorities: Coalitions/Alliances; Mobilization; Organizing and Advocacy; Healing, Inspiration, and Liberation; Access for digital spaces and digital organizing. Population focus: Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Grants range from $10,000 to $30,000. Harry Chapin Foundation, Open Funding priorities: Arts-In-Education Programs, Community Education Programs; Agricultural and Environmental Programs. Funding focus: grassroots organizations with budgets up to  $500,000. Max award: $10,000. National Parks Service, 1/26/2021 Save America's Treasures grants help preserve nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation's rich heritage to future generations. Two categories of funding: preservation projects and collections. Eligible properties must be either currently: 1) individually listed as a National Historic Landmark or be a contributing property within a National Historic Landmark district, or 2) individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Grants range from $125,000 to $500,000. New Earth Foundation, 2/1/2021 Grants support environmental initiatives aimed at eliminating pollution and saving the planet’s ecosystems, community efforts that create models of social sustainability, educational innovations that prepare youth to become the socially responsible leaders of the future, and strategies that offer economic improvement and opportunities. Deadline approaching: The Mabel A. Horne Fund, 1/15/2021 Funding focus: educational, human services and health care programming for underserved populations. New this week: Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Foundation, 2/1/2021 Now accepting applications for a new racial equity grants program for organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and People of Colo, that support BIPOC youth. Five awards of $20,000 each. New this week: Massachusetts Service Alliance, 2/5/2021 Request for Proposals for COVID-19 relief efforts: Grants of up to $4,000 will support volunteer community service projects and volunteer capacity-building initiatives needed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. New this week: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs, 2/5/2021 Second Chance Act Youth Offender Reentry grants encourage collaboration between state agencies, local government, and community- and faith-based organizations to address the challenges that reentry and recidivism reduction pose for moderate to high-risk juvenile offenders returning to their communities from juvenile residential or correctional facilities. OJJDP expects to make 13 grants of $750,000 in two categories. New this week: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Programs, 2/8/2021 Grants from the Opioid Affected Youth Initiative will support programs and strategies that identify, respond to, treat, and support children, youth, and families impacted by the opioid epidemic to ensure public safety. OJJDP expects to make 11 grants of up to $750,000. ********************************************************* Are you struggling with rent or mortgage payments because of COVID-19? There are resources available. You can also call 211. Talk to your landlord to create a plan. *********************************** Massachusetts Eviction Defense Guide Courtesy of Greater Boston Legal Services   City of Boston, Open The Reopen Boston Fund was established to help small businesses minimize risk and manage economic recovery. Eligible costs include Personal Protective Equipment, safety partitions for customers and employees, and managing outdoor space that’s approved for business use. The grants are for brick-and-mortar businesses, with fewer than 15 employees, where people work close to each other or to customers. Boston Local Development Corporation, Open The Standard BLDC Loan Fund is available for existing businesses, new ventures, and businesses relocating to Boston. Loans range from $25,000 to $150,000. The Backstreets Boston Back-up Loan Program provides financing of up to $250,000 for Boston companies in the industrial and manufacturing sectors. Also, BLDC recently received a $693,000 CARES Act Recovery Assistance grant from the Economic Development Administration at the US Department of Commerce to capitalize and administer a Revolving Loan Fund to provide loans to coronavirus-impacted small businesses in Boston. For more information, contact Bill Nickerson or Gisella Soriano.  Boston Industrial Development Finance Authority, Open BIDFA and GreenerU have partnered to offer a financing program that helps Boston nonprofits lower their energy bills and reach the City’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets. Register here for the 12/9/2020 webinar on the Tax-Exempt Lease Program. MassTech Collaborative, Open The Collaborative Research Matching Grant supports large-scale projects involving two or more research organizations that have the most potential to spur innovation, cluster development, new business formation, and job growth through industry partnerships in the Commonwealth. All Grant Applications must include collaboration amongst two or more universities or research institutions. Black Ambition HBCU Prize, 2/21/2021 Pharrell Williams has established a platform for eligible applicants to access growth capital, pitch feedback, and mentorship. The competition features two tracks: Business Concept and Early Business. Prizes range from $50,000 to $250,000. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 1/11/2021 The Elevate Initiative is designed to address structural and systemic barriers to economic opportunity and ensure equitable outcomes in the American workforce. Up to ten grants of between $100,000 and $300,000 will be awarded to nonprofit organizations nationwide that demonstrate a strong commitment to intersectional racial justice, and an ability to address economic disparities that affect Black and Brown workers as the result of structural racism. Apply by either text or video. Deadline approaching: Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, 1/15/2021 Sector-Specific Relief Grants target the hardest-hit small businesses that have an exceptional need of cash relief. Priority categories: Restaurants, bars, caterers, and food trucks; Indoor Recreation or Entertainment Establishments; Gyms or Fitness Centers; Personal Services; Event Support Companies; Independent Retailers. Federal 2019 tax returns are required. Eligible expenses include employee payroll and benefit costs, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and interest on other debt obligations. Max award: $75,000. Not all businesses are eligible. US Small Business Administration, 12/31/2021 The deadline to apply for a COVID-19 pandemic Economic Injury Disaster Loan has been extended to December 31, 2021. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), in consultation with the Treasury Department, announced today that the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) will re-open the week of January 11 for new borrowers and certain existing PPP borrowers. To promote access to capital, initially only community financial institutions will be able to make First Draw PPP Loans on Monday, January 11, and Second Draw PPP Loans on Wednesday, January 13.  The PPP will open to all participating lenders shortly thereafter. ******************************************************************** Second Round of Stimulus Payments Learn more about the status of payments, and what to do if you did not receive a payment in 2020. ****************************************************************** The Mayor’s Office of Economic Development holds Virtual Office Hours on Wednesdays from 11AM to 1PM. Learn about becoming a City of Boston-certified Minority/Woman-Owned Business.   National Geographic, Open The COVID-19 Remote Learning Emergency Fund will distribute grants ranging from $1,000–$8,000 to individual educators to use the power of science, social studies, and/or geography to help students understand the challenges and impacts of critical issues. Brown Rudnick, Open Community Grants support front-line education workers in Boston, Hartford, New York City, Providence and Washington, D.C.  Fund for Teachers, 1/21/2021 Individuals may apply for up to $5,000 and teams may apply for up to $10,000 (while team members may be from different schools, districts or states, all members must meet the eligibility criteria). Fellowships should begin after the last day of school in the spring and be completed by the first day of school in the fall, with all fellowship related expenditures made by September 9, 2021. Health Resources and Services Administration, 1/19/2021 Nursing Workforce Diversity grants to nonprofit educational institutions provide support from enrollment to graduation. The grant term is 4 years, and the max award is $555,000 per year. US Education, 1/21/2021 Institute of Education Sciences Small Business Innovation Research provides up to $1.1M in funding in 2 phases: Phase I for $200,000 for 8-months for rapid prototype development and evaluation and Phase II for $900,000 for full-scale product development and evaluation. First Up, 1/29/2021 Terri Lynne Lokoff Teacher Awards acknowledge the critical role of childcare teachers in providing quality early care and education. Fifty selected teachers will each receive a $1,000 grant. Of those, one will receive the Helene Marks Award, which includes an additional $1,000 grant. American Honda Foundation, 2/1/2021 Funding priorities: STEM education for youth; the environment; job training; and literacy. Grants range from $20,000 to $75,000. New York Life Foundation, 2/1/2021 Aim High grants support afterschool and summer learning programs that help middle school students make a successful transition to high school, particularly in the face of the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants range from $25,000 to $100,000 over a maximum of 2 years. Yawkey Foundation, 2/15/2021 The Yawkey Scholars Program is designed to make college affordable for talented, motivated, low-income, first-generation college students from Massachusetts. This is a renewable, four-year scholarship of $35,000, and the program includes mentoring and enrichment.   GET THE TEST, BOSTON Check this page for test sites and schedules. Massachusetts Medical Society and Alliance, 1/15/2021 Letter of Intent Funding priorities: quality healthcare services for the un- and under-insured; behavioral health services when not available; improved access to healthcare; health promotion through proactive prevention, education, and outreach; and social determinants of health. Awards range from $5,000 to $25,000. Tufts Health Plan Foundation, 1/22/2021 Funding focus: healthy aging and older people in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. Current funding opportunities include Systems & Best Practices and Collaboration & Community Engagement. New this week: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 3/16/2021 Grants from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program support efforts to increase the purchase of fruits and vegetables by low-income consumers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by providing incentives at the point of purchase through nutrition incentive grants. Funding categories: a) Nutrition Incentive Grants; (b) Produce Prescription Grants; (c) Cooperative Agreements. Awards will range from $100,000 to $500,000 and require a dollar-for-dollar match. New this week: National Institute of Food and Agriculture, 5/4/2021 Community Food Projects are intended to bring together stakeholders from distinct parts of the food system and to foster understanding of national food security trends and how they might improve local food systems. Communities that are partially or fully located in Opportunity Zones are particularly encouraged to apply. Max award: $125,000 per year for up to 4 years. New this week: ALDI Foundation, Open Smart Kids grants are intended to make a positive impact on kids' health and wellness. Funding and/or ALDI gift cards in amounts up to $5,000 are available to nonprofits, K-12 schools, fire, police and local churches.   GrantStation offers a searchable database of COVID-19 funding. W.K. Kellogg Foundation, 1/28 to 2/25/2021 Racial Equity 2030 is a $90 million global challenge to drive an equitable future for children, families, and communities across the world. Solutions may tackle the social, economic, political, or institutional inequities we see today. Applications must embrace and reflect the values of racial equity and justice, and proposed solutions should be led by an experienced team that includes communities closest to the issue as part of leadership in the project. Teams of visionaries, change agents, and community leaders from every sector are invited to join. Robert F Schumann Foundation, 2/28/2021 Funding priorities: environmental sustainability, education, the arts and humanities.  Agnes M. Lindsey Trust, Open Funding priorities: Health, Education, Homeless Shelters and Food Access. Applications for Camp Scholarships are due March 1, annually. Grants range from $1,000 to $5,000 and support nonprofits in Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation, Open Funding priorities:entrepreneurs of color, affordable housing, early childhood education, and workforce development. Yawkey Foundation, Open Funding priorities: health care, education, human services, youth and amateur athletics, arts and culture, and conservation and wildlife. Categories: Program & Small Capital Grants – up to $100,000; Strategic Investment Grants – up to $1 million, typically payable over multiple years; Transformational Capital Grants – up to $5 million, typically payable over multiple years. National Trust for Historic Preservation, 1/15/2021 The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund is designed to advance ongoing preservation activities for historic places such as sites, museums, and landscapes. Grants support Capital Projects, Organizational Capacity Building, Project Planning, and Programming and Interpretation. Awards range from $50,000 to $150,000.  Les Paul Foundation, 1/15/2021 Grants support music innovation and engineering, as well as medical research on hearing loss. Looking Out Foundation, 2/1/2021 Funding priorities include disadvantaged youth; health; community development; women/gender equality; the environment; the arts; human and civil rights; and the hungry and the homeless. Grants range from $1,000 and $5,000. Amgen Foundation, Open Funding focus: Science Education and Community Life. Local grants range from $5,000 to $50,000. Hearst Foundations, Open Funding priorities: Culture, Education, Health, Social Services.The most common first grant size is $75,000. Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation, Open Funding priorities: Civic and Community Development, Education and Training, Environment, Public Health. Funding focus: economically disadvantaged populations. Grants range from $2,500 to $15,000. New this week: Save America’s Treasures, 1/26/2021 The program has separate applications for preservation projects (for properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places for national significance or listed as a National Historic Landmark) and for projects involving collections (including artifacts, museum collections, documents, sculptures, and other works of art). Boston Foundation, 02/21/2021 New and existing nonprofit organizations in Greater Boston that are not currently aligned with the strategies, goals and approaches pursued in the Foundation's five Impact Areas to consider Open Door Grants for support of their efforts to meet existing needs or test new ideas and innovations that address the most critical challenges and biggest opportunities facing our community. Open Door Grants are especially focused on organizations serving and building power in communities historically excluded from institutional philanthropy and whose leadership reflects the communities they serve.  New this week: Truist Foundation, 3/31/2020 Funding priorities: leadership development, economic mobility, thriving communities and educational equity. Grants support one-time needs that are sustainable and don’t commit funds to recurring expenditures. Capital requests will be considered when the campaign is 60% complete toward its fundraising goal. New this week: Santander Bank Charitable Foundation, 1/2/2021 - 10/15/2021 Funding priorities: Financial Empowerment, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Affordable Housing, and Healthy Neighborhoods. Max award: $30,000. Quarterly funding decisions. THE RESOURCE TABLE CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE FUNDING UPDATE Online Resources for Grant Writers, Courtesy of Candid Proposal writing, budget developments, sample documents Learn more _____________________ Nonprofit Capacity Building Courtesy of Lightful and Candid Optimize your digital presence Learn more _____________________ Webinar: Four Fundraising Trends for 2021 and Beyond Courtesy of Nonprofit Tech for Good + Classy 1/12/2021 at 1PM Eastern Register Here __________________________ Tech Networks of Boston Now accepting applications for the Black Lives Matter Nonprofit Accelerator. Get support with filing the 1023-EZ, applying for technology and advertising grants, and hosting for email and productivity apps. _______________________________________ Ten Website Design Best Practices for Nonprofits Courtesy of Nonprofit Tech for Good __________________________ COVID-19 Resource Guide Courtesy of the Suffolk County DA’s Office __________________________ ONLINE LEARNING: Time Management for Grantwriters Courtesy of GrantStation __________________________ Connecting Communities to Opportunity Courtesy of Winn Companies Use CONNECT to search for free and reduced cost services like food, healthcare, job opportunities, benefits enrollment, rent assistance and more. ________________________________________ Family Resources Emergency Childcare Good Neighbors Coping Skills for Youth __________________________ Microsoft Digital Skills Center for Nonprofits - a collaboration with TechSoup Courses ________________________________________ Mel King Institute Expand your knowledge on community development topics through virtual training courses. __________________________________________________________________________ Visit the Intergovernmental Relations Resource Page for a wide variety of  fundraising tips, along with back issues of The Funding Update.

R1地段中文公聽會 華埠居民強調可負擔房屋、圖書館

BPDA和CPA合作為華埠居民舉行R1地段公聽會。(周菊子攝)

               (Boston Orange 周菊子波士頓報導)”公地公用”，”圖書館”，”可負擔房屋”，”公園”，”休憩場所”，”社區空間”，”停車場”。華埠居民日前在波士頓市府計畫發展局(BPDA)和華人前進會合辦的R1地段公聽會中，以中文表達了願景、希望。

              R1地段座落在泰勒街(Tyler)48-58號，以及乞臣街(Hudson)49-63號之間，佔地18,714平方英尺，從1996年迄今，由塔芙茨大學用作停車場。波士頓市府現在決定開發，並在2020年11月17日召開了第一次虛擬社區公聽會，希望聽取居民意見，再草擬招標書(RFP)。

華人前進會主任陳玉珍做中文翻譯。(周菊子攝)

              1月7日，波市府計畫發展局和華人前進會合作，為說中文的居民舉辦了一場公聽會。1月20日將舉辦第2次社區公聽會。民眾在2月4日以前，都可以表達意見。

              知道華埠歷史的人都記得，R1地段早年被稱為”泡泡(Buble)”，由青年會(YMCA)用作體育運動館，以及華人社區的舞會，聚會等休閒場所。

              華人土地信託會(CCLT)在發給華埠民眾的一份文件中，簡述了R1地段的背景，並說明該會和華埠居民會、華人前進會，以及亞美社區發展協會(ACDC)等機構合作，早從2016年起就陸續發起寫明信片運動，舉辦社區願景會議，研究各種土地發展的可行性，要求塔芙茨大學和波士頓市政府把這塊土地歸還給華埠社區使用。

BPDA的項目承辦人。(周菊子攝)

             在華人前進會行政主任陳玉珍做中文翻譯的這場公聽會中，名叫瑪姬的綠茵苑居民，華人前進會共同主席湯建華，大同村、好事福街居民，鄺元傑，梁永基等，有許多人發言，都提到可負擔房屋，圖書館，停車場，休閒空間，兒童遊樂場所，甚至華人超市。他們紛紛強調，要增加社區穩定性，希望可負擔房屋可租，也可買，價格廉宜，給移民實現夢想，得到居者有其屋的機會。圖書館最好還能有讓人清靜進修，舉辦小型會議或活動的空間。華埠一帶停車難是眾所週知，他們也希望能藉此機會為華埠增加一些比較廉宜的停車位。            

            湯建華還直言，”公地要公用”，希望R1地段能真正成為適合華埠居民的一項發展計畫。鄺元傑則指出，一個生活機能健全的社區，也需要有小企業，希望R1地段也提供可負擔的小企業經營空間，甚至引進華人超市，以填補需求。

波士頓市撥款45萬元資助17個少數族裔文化藝術團體

MAYOR WALSH ANNOUNCES $450,000 COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING INITIATIVE FOR BOSTON-AREA BIPOC ARTS AND CULTURE ORGANIZATIONS  This initiative is a collaboration between the City of Boston, The Boston Foundation, and the Barr Foundation   BOSTON - Monday, January 11, 2021 - Mayor Martin J. Walsh and the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with The Boston Foundation and the Barr Foundation, today announced that 17 local BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) arts and culture organizations will each receive $25,000 unrestricted grants for COVID-19 relief. The grantees will also participate in a collective learning and discovery process to identify the shared and unique needs of organizations founded, led by, and serving communities of color to thrive in the Greater Boston area. These findings will directly inform future grant-making, technical assistance, and other supports.  "This is an exciting learning opportunity for us, and I'm looking forward to working with our funding partners and the grantee organizations to better serve Boston's arts community, and support the equitable representation of all cultures and artistic practices in the city," said Mayor Walsh.  Grantee OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center The organizations receiving relief funding are directly involved in supporting artists, including youth artists, to create and present new work, and they serve as cultural anchors in Greater Boston's BIPOC communities. Many have also pivoted in the pandemic to meet the basic needs of their communities and to support cultural workers deeply impacted by public health considerations. The grantee organizations are: BAMS Fest Black Market Castle of Our Skins Company One Danza Orgánica Dunamis Front Porch Arts Collective The Guild Hyde Square Task Force Jean Appolon Expressions North American Indian Center of Boston OrigiNation Pao Arts Center The Theater Offensive Transformative Culture Project Urbano Project Veronica Robles Cultural Center "We are proud to join with the City of Boston and the Barr Foundation in supporting these critical cultural organizations that serve as hubs and connectors within their communities," said Eva Rosenberg, Interim Director of Arts & Culture at the Boston Foundation. "The Boston Foundation is committed to investing in leaders and communities of color and we welcome the opportunity to deepen our relationships with these incredible groups as they help lead the way to a just recovery and much-needed social healing through the power of creativity and culture."    "Relief funding for BIPOC organizations is extremely important, especially given the current times we are living in and given the history of where BIPOC organizations have been on the funding ladder," said Shaumba Dibinga, Founding Artistic Director of OrigiNation Cultural Arts Center. "The hope is that this funding will bring awareness to other funders and create a larger pool for BIPOC organizations to receive relief funding and keep our businesses thriving." Funding from the City of Boston was made possible by the CARES Act, and this collaborative effort strives to immediately support small- to mid-sized arts organizations drastically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative also aims to begin addressing historical disinvestment in BIPOC communities and the need for structural change that prioritizes investments in culture-bearers, artists, and arts organizations of color that are uniquely positioned to imagine and lead our communities towards a more just future. "This is such a committed, creative group of leaders, and we are grateful to invest in, and learn alongside them, in partnership with the Boston Foundation and the City," said San San Wong, Director of Arts & Creativity at the Barr Foundation. "Investments in the arts are investments in our civic infrastructure. Greater Boston has many BIPOC artists and cultural organizations that are elevating the diversity of voices and perspectives, and aspirations for justice in our communities. We hope this initiative provides both short-term relief and long-term insights into more authentic and sustainable ways to strengthen and sustain them." As part of this initiative, the City of Boston, The Boston Foundation, and the Barr Foundation will convene leaders from these grantee organizations, along with others, through a facilitated process that seeks to identify obstacles to accessing support and resources for BIPOC arts organizations. Together, the community and funding partners will attempt to imagine what a more equitable cultural ecology would look like, including specific recommendations for philanthropic investment and transformative capacity-building.  "I look forward to building off of this partnership and utilizing our learnings to advocate for more investments in Boston's ALAANA and BIPOC organizations," said Kara Elliott-Ortega, Chief of Arts and Culture for the City of Boston.

ON NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY, AG HEALEY LAUNCHES TRAINING VIDEO TO DETECT LABOR TRAFFICKING AND HELP VICTIMS

 ON NATIONAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS DAY, AG HEALEY LAUNCHES TRAINING VIDEO TO DETECT LABOR TRAFFICKING AND HELP VICTIMS

AG’s Office Partners with Local Officials and Community Advocates to Distribute Training Materials

 

BOSTON—On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Attorney General Maura Healey is launching a new training video to help identify signs of labor trafficking and generate referrals to her office for potential investigation and prosecution. The AG’s Office is partnering with local officials, including the City of Boston, and community organizations to distribute the video and other training materials and has also created a digital toolkit for widespread distribution and use.

 

“Labor trafficking is significantly underreported because it can be difficult to detect—it’s a crime that often leaves victims hidden in plain sight,” said Attorney General Maura Healey. “My office created this training video to help assist victims and hold perpetrators accountable. I want to thank our partners across the state who’ve agreed to distribute this important information through their networks. My hope is that by working together, we can eradicate labor trafficking in Massachusetts.”

 

The AG’s Office has created a five-minute animated training video—available in English and Spanish—that is designed to aid local officials, inspectors, first responders, and law enforcement in formal training, and also aims to raise general public awareness about labor trafficking. The video helps people to understand and uncover signs of labor trafficking and allows them to refer suspicious information to the AG’s Office for potential investigation and prosecution. Since forced labor scenarios are often imbedded within legitimate commercial enterprises and within private homes, labor trafficking and the victims impacted can be difficult to identify and these crimes often go undetected and unreported.

The AG’s Office has partnered with the City of Boston to implement trainings for Mayor Martin J. Walsh’s Office of Workforce Development and for Boston’s Inspectional Services Department field staff, reaching key municipal workers. The City of Boston will also be sending the video to tens of thousands of city permit holders, including active construction permit holders, food service permit holders, and permit holders within the long-term rental housing and short-term rental registration database.

“Boston is a proud partner of the Attorney General’s efforts to reach out to and inform staff and workers of ways to prevent labor trafficking,” said Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh. “Our workers will be equipped with knowledge and tools to identify and report labor trafficking so it does not occur in any of our communities."

The AG’s Office has also distributed the training video and digital toolkit to the following partners, who will disseminate it to their staff, members, networks and on their platforms and will facilitate additional language translations:

 

Alliance for Inclusion and Prevention

Brazilian Worker Center

Brazilian Women’s Group

Centro de Apoyo Familiar 

Centro Comunitario de Trabajadores (Community Workers’ Center)/CCT
Chinese Progressive Association
Greater Boston Legal Services
Lynn Rapid Response Network and Pathways, Inc.

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health
Massachusetts Health Officers Association 

Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition

Metrowest Worker Center/Casa Do Trabalhador - Casa Del Trabajador

 

The AG’s digital toolkit is designed to assist in pushing out the video on various digital platforms. The AG’s Office has also recorded a webinar geared toward municipal employee audiences. The webinar provides an overview of labor trafficking and ways that building and health inspectors, code enforcement officers, assessors, licensing staff, human services staff, school department personnel, police, fire, and emergency management departments can help to identify and combat it.  

 

This training video is a part of the AG’s efforts to combat human trafficking, and to raise awareness about this crime throughout January, which is Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

AG Healey has made combatting human trafficking a priority of her office and her office’s Human Trafficking and Fair Labor Divisions have been working together to address labor trafficking in Massachusetts. In Oct. 2019, AG Healey, faculty from Boston University School of Law, and representatives from the BU Spark! Initiative at BU’s Hariri Institute for Computing announced a new tool, the RESULT (Recognize & Evaluate Signs to Uncover Labor Trafficking) web-based app, which they jointly developed to help identify potential labor trafficking cases and connect victims to resources. The Office has also conducted trainings about labor trafficking for municipal employees, including a webinar designed for health and building inspectors, first responders, social services providers, and others. In Jan. 2020, AG Healey hosted the office’s first Human Trafficking Summit, a two-day conference to provide attendees with tools and information to help address human trafficking in Massachusetts.

 

In 2011, the Massachusetts legislature passed An Act Relative to the Commercial Exploitation of People, which created the crimes of trafficking in persons for forced services and for sexual servitude. “Forced services” are services performed or provided by a person that are obtained or maintained by another person who engages in conduct that essentially compels a person to services, either through threats, harm, restraint, confiscation or destruction of one’s passport or other immigration document, extortion, or causing financial harm. Penalties for violations of this law include imprisonment of not less than five years and a fine of not more than $25,000. Businesses found guilty of Trafficking for Forced Services can be fined up to $1 million.