Dear Friends,
When reflecting upon 2021, many emotions come to mind, with virtually all influenced by the upheaval caused by uncertainty and loss connected to the pandemic. For the individuals, families, and communities who were already grappling with pre-existing hardships and inequities, the challenges faced in 2021 were, and remain, even more difficult.
We here at the Yawkey Foundation, however, were heartened by the reality that against a backdrop of unprecedented circumstances, dedicated nonprofit leaders rose to challenges with energy and optimism, transforming operations to meet the demands of the moment and stabilizing the organizations and communities they serve.
It is a vast understatement to say that we are deeply grateful for and moved by the visionary nonprofit leaders and tireless staff members who served those most in need over the past year. So many of these individuals prioritized the well-being of others ahead of their own safety and security – all driven by a sense of compassion, selflessness, and kindness.
Throughout the year, the Trustees and Staff of the Yawkey Foundation stayed close to many of the organizations providing essential programs and services to help people cope and heal. We worked with longstanding grantees we’ve known for decades and forged new relationships with emerging leaders in traditionally under-resourced communities, including Massachusetts’ Gateway Cities such as Brockton, Lawrence, Lowell, and Lynn. And over the course of the year, we were regularly reminded that the causes that informed and defined Tom Yawkey and Jean Yawkey’s charitable values are as relevant today as they were 45 years ago, when this generous couple established the Foundation to support the people and communities they called home, Massachusetts and Georgetown County, South Carolina.
Inspired by the selfless dedication of the nonprofit leaders in our community and guided by the Yawkeys’ desire to always take the long view, the Trustees awarded more than $28 million in grants to over 200 nonprofits with missions focused on the causes that resonated with the couple during their lifetimes.
Tom and Jean Yawkey’s values were reflected in the priority Trustees placed on making grants that help homeless individuals secure critical needs such as food and permanent supportive housing, as exemplified by the Transformational Capital grants to Pine Street Inn and Father Bill’s & Mainspring.
Similarly, at a time of unprecedented mental health crisis among children and young adults, the Foundation’s grant to Franciscan Children’s Hospital for the construction of a new behavioral health facility was anchored in the Yawkeys’ longstanding commitment to supporting the most vulnerable children by expanding access to care and treatment. And on the anniversary of Coretta Scott King’s birthday in April, the Trustees provided a capstone gift to King Boston for “The Embrace,” a memorial inspired by the social justice values that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King espoused. The poignancy of how the Kings worked together in pursuit of equality for all in a better Boston and a better world, deeply resonated with our Trustees as an enduring lesson on the power of understanding, personal growth and healing. We encourage you to learn more about these initiatives, and the many other valued partnerships and grants the Trustees made in 2021, by visiting the Foundation’s website.
As one might imagine, we at the Yawkey Foundation think often about the life and legacy of Tom Yawkey, who was left parentless at a young age and raised by adoptive parents after his mother and adoptive father succumbed to the Spanish flu in the 1918 pandemic. Having had his own life upended by a global pandemic over 100 years ago, surely Tom would have been gratified by the Foundation’s ability to support organizations helping those most affected by the crisis. We often contemplate how he was molded by the circumstances of his early life, how he changed, how he grew, and ultimately how he and Jean quietly left their fortune to ensure that their vast resources could be shared with those of all backgrounds needing a helping hand.
It is with this in mind that the Trustees look back on 2021 with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude, and further look ahead to 2022 with a sense of purpose, solidarity, and hope, despite the uncertainties that may lay ahead. In doing so, we are guided by the sincere belief that this is the approach that the Yawkeys would have taken if they were with us today. We are honored to perpetuate the couple’s understated way of life and ways of giving, always grounded in values of gratitude and grace, and delivered through a quiet commitment to creating a more caring, compassionate, equitable, and inclusive society for all.
Wishing you health and wellness in 2022,
