In a gathering at the Harvard Ed Portal last week, University leaders, including President Alan Garber and Executive Vice President Meredith Weenick, joined Kairos Shen, chief of planning for the city of Boston, and Boston City Councilor Liz Breadon to celebrate the Allston-Brighton nonprofits who were recipients of the 17th annual Harvard Allston Partnership Fund (HAPF) grants. Recipients were also joined by State Rep. Kevin Honan and Harvard Vice President for Public Affairs and Communications, Paul Andrew who served as emcee for the event.
A total of $200,000 was awarded to this year’s 25 recipients in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000. Since its inception, the fund has provided $2 million in grants to the local community, aiding a variety of grassroots organizations.
“These partnerships are built on common purpose and mutual trust. They depend on our collective commitment to shaping a future for Allston-Brighton that is centered on the community,” Garber noted in his remarks. “As we look ahead, it’s clear that the foundation we’ve laid through long term collaboration has the power to support real and lasting change. Every person in this room is part of that success.”
HAPF was established by Harvard University and the Boston Planning & Development Agency, in collaboration with the Allston community, as part of a cooperation agreement related to development approval of Harvard’s Science and Engineering Complex in 2008. Since 2008, thousands of residents in Allston-Brighton have benefited from programs funded by these grants in areas ranging from youth enrichment programs, to public health initiatives.
“One of the things that I think we piloted here with [Harvard], is that we can enlist an institution that is also invested in the neighborhood to leverage their investment to help deliver some of the public good that the government itself cannot provide. The work that we’ve been doing here in Allston-Brighton for decades with the University is really a model that we have tried to extend to other neighborhoods,” Shen remarked.
Alongside organizations that have consistently received grants through HAPF like the Boston String Academy, and Brazilian Women’s group, this year’s grant list included first-time recipients like the Allston-Brighton Little League and St. Columbkille Partnership School for to support summer educational programming. A complete list of recipients can be found here.
In addition to presenting the grant recipients with certificates, the evening also celebrated the four Harvard College students who are recipients of the Joseph M. Smith Memorial Scholarship for Allston-Brighton residents.
A volunteer board of community members evaluates the grant applications and makes annual funding decisions for the Partnership Fund. More information can be found at http://edportal.harvard.edu.
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