Campus & Community

Allston Partnership fund extended

3 min read

University makes $500,000 commitment to local nonprofit organizations

Harvard University announced the extension of the Harvard Allston Partnership Fund (HAPF), bringing an additional $500,000 in grants to local nonprofits that serve and support the Allston-Brighton community.

The announcement follows the Boston Redevelopment Authority Board’s approval of the relocation of some University support services to 28 Travis St. The five-year extension of the HAPF, which was created in 2008 by Harvard and the city of Boston, in collaboration with the Allston-Brighton community, is a direct result of the program’s success and popularity. Nonprofits, local leaders, and neighbors have called the HAPF an essential support for important educational and social services in the Allston-Brighton community.

“Over the past five years, the Harvard Allston Partnership Fund program has worked to improve quality of life for thousands of Allston-Brighton residents,” said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. “I’m pleased that Harvard has recommitted to the partnership for another five years, and will continue to serve our residents through this important work.”

In its first five years, the HAPF gave $500,000 in grants to 20 local organizations, helping them to serve more than 3,500 Allston-Brighton residents. The program will continue the annual distribution of $100,000 in grants to local organizations in 2014. By 2018, the HAPF will have infused a total of $1 million into local Allston-Brighton organizations in just over a decade.

“The HAPF is a unique partnership between Harvard, the city of Boston, and our Allston neighbors, and an example of how we can work together to achieve our shared goal for a thriving Allston community,” said Christine Heenan, Harvard’s vice president for public affairs and communications. “We are pleased to support the excellent work of many Allston-Brighton nonprofits that work tirelessly to better the lives of our Allston neighbors and enrich our community.”

“Half a million dollars in HAPF grants have already helped local organizations to survive and thrive so they could serve thousands of local residents, and the extension of this fund will continue to assist our neighbors who would otherwise go without educational and social support programs. I think I speak for all the members of the HAPF advisory board when I say that I’m proud to be part of an effort that has had such a widespread impact on people in our community who needed it most,” said John Bruno, a member of the HAPF advisory board and the Harvard Allston Task Force. “With Harvard’s support and under diligence and guidance of Inez Foster, the program’s administrator, we’ve enabled hundreds, if not thousands, of dreams to come true.”

The HAPF supports neighborhood improvement projects, cultural enrichment, and educational programming in Allston-Brighton. HAPF funds have enabled local nonprofits to extend their reach, serving more residents and enhancing youth enrichment, as well as providing educational programs and activities for families, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Several organizations, including the Gardner Pilot Academy, the Honan Allston Library, and the Vocational Advancement Center, have received several grants over the years.

The volunteer board of community members carefully reviews applications for funding annually before distributing funds that will best benefit the community.