MassForward mark: a rider carrying the Massachusetts flag

with Josh Kraft

Real People. Real Work. Real Impact.

A statewide civic media platform, small business fund, and consulting practice telling the stories — and doing the work — that move Massachusetts forward.

Find Your Partnership Start With Who We Are

Across the Commonwealth — from Provincetown to Williamstown. Hosted, driven & founded by Josh Kraft & Scott Heigelmann

20,000+ Views Per Post High Engagement Statewide Podcast Launching Soon Provincetown → Williamstown

Why It Matters

When Business Backs Community, Both Grow.

Local investment isn't charity — it's strategy. The dollars stay closer to home, the trust runs deeper than advertising can buy, and the next generation of customers and employees is watching who shows up. MassForward brings business, community, and civic institutions into one place to do that work together.

94%

of Gen Z believe companies should take a stand on social and community issues.

~3×

more of every dollar stays local when spent at an independent business versus a national chain.

82%

of consumers say they'd spend more to support a local business.

Halo

sponsorship earns a trust halo advertising can't buy — alignment with a community that already trusts.

See Why It Matters Or see what these partnerships look like →

How It Fits Together

Fund Real Impact. Get Seen Doing It. Know It's Working.

MassForward isn't three services to choose between — it's one partnership. Every dollar that funds the Business Catalyst Fund comes with the storytelling and the strategy that make the investment worth making.

Your Visibility

MassForward Media

A long-form interview series hosted by Josh Kraft that puts your partnership in front of a statewide audience already tuned in — no separate ad buy required.

Explore Media → Your Investment

Business Catalyst Fund

The mission this platform exists to serve. A statewide micro-grant and accelerator program helping local businesses make visible improvements — simple applications, fast decisions.

Explore the Fund → Your Confidence

MassForward Consulting

The strategy and measurement that turn "we gave" into a documented, reportable result you can hand to your board or your recruiting team.

Explore Consulting →

Impact Measurement

Know What Your Investment Changed.

MassForward helps organizations track the journey from investment to community impact, stakeholder perception, and business value.

Explore Impact Measurement

Ready to Move Massachusetts Forward?

Tell us what you're trying to do and we'll point you to the right partnership — sponsorship, a cohort, giving, or consulting.

Find Your Partnership Compare Packages

← Home The Case for Community Investment

Why This Work Pays Off

Corporate community investment isn’t a cost center. Across talent, financial performance, and brand trust, the independent research says the same thing: when it’s aligned with the business, it works. Here’s the evidence — and where MassForward fits.

The Landscape

Commitment Is Holding. The Language Is Changing.

Politicization, polarization, and economic uncertainty have made companies more careful about how they talk about social impact — but not whether they do it. In ACCP’s 2025 Pulse Survey, roughly nine in ten practitioners expected their company’s commitment to hold steady or grow, while more than half reported changing the language they use to describe the work, moving toward community-impact framing.

90%

of practitioners expected their company’s commitment to community investment to stay the same or increase, despite the political climate.

ACCP 2025 Pulse Survey

55%

reported shifting the language they use — toward terms like community impact and responsible business.

ACCP 2025 Pulse Survey

81%

of Americans favor more disclosure on corporate community involvement — volunteering and programs — up year over year.

Carol Cone / Harris Poll

Volunteering and local giving have proven the most durable, least polarizing forms of corporate social impact — which is exactly the ground MassForward is built on.

— The strategic takeaway

Pillar 01

It Helps You Retain and Recruit Top Talent

Employee giving, volunteering, and community investment are among the few levers proven to move engagement, retention, and recruiting at the same time.

95%

of employees say it matters that their employer makes a positive impact in their community; 87% weigh volunteer opportunities when deciding whether to stay or leave.

Deloitte Purpose Study 2024

52%

lower turnover among newer employees (under 2.5 years) who take part in corporate purpose programs.

Benevity Talent Retention Study 2022

2x

Workplace volunteers are twice as likely to recommend their employer to job seekers.

BSR Pulse Survey, Oct 2024

89%

of workers with access to workplace giving report satisfaction with their employer — 12 points above those without it.

Fidelity Charitable

74%

of Gen Z rank purpose ahead of a paycheck — higher than millennials, Gen X, or boomers.

Monster

91%

of companies that measure it found a positive link between employee volunteering and engagement scores.

BCCCC Community Involvement Study 2023

A large-scale review of workplace wellbeing programs found most had no measurable effect on employees — with one exception: volunteering. (William Fleming)

Pillar 02

Integrated Programs Drive Financial Performance

Community investment that is genuinely integrated with the business — not bolted on — tracks with measurable gains in revenue, profitability, and shareholder return.

32%

higher median revenue — and 45% higher median pre-tax profit — among companies whose business metrics align with their corporate purpose.

CECP, Giving in Numbers 2024

59%

of consumers say that between two near-identical products, some brands are worth paying more for because of the good they do.

Edelman Trust Barometer 2024

43%

of senior leaders increasing CSR investment cite direct return on investment as a reason.

Benevity Executive CSR Report

23%

higher profitability in business units in the top quartile for employee engagement, alongside gains in productivity and customer loyalty.

Gallup

$8.8T

the estimated annual global cost of disengaged employees — lost productivity, absenteeism, and turnover.

Gallup

50%+

of consumers aged 18–34 across 17 markets are more likely to buy from brands that direct a share of proceeds to a cause.

YouGov

Pillar 03

It Builds Brand Trust — and Protects It

Public expectations remain high. Companies that show up for their communities earn loyalty and a margin for error; those that visibly retreat pay for it.

90%

of Americans believe businesses should take the interests of the communities where they operate into account.

JUST Capital

4x

more likely that consumers stay loyal to brands that support social issues.

BSR

66%

of respondents have more trust in socially responsible companies.

Authenticity Imperative

88%

approve of companies that have a positive impact on their communities; 77% say corporations have a responsibility to help address major social issues.

GSG Business and Politics 2023

70%

agree that companies walking back their support for important issues lose consumer trust.

JUST Capital, Americans’ Views on Business 2023

41%

are willing to forgive an occasional corporate misstep when the company appears genuinely committed to social issues.

The research says it works. The next question is what it actually looks like — the partnerships MassForward has built with local organizations, and the kinds of investment they made possible.

See It in the Community

Figures on this page are drawn from independent third-party research, including ACCP’s Making the Case for Corporate Social Impact (2025 Toolkit); sources are noted with each statistic.

← Home Partnership Packages · How MassForward Helps

Three Ways In. One Simple Choice.

MassForward builds and runs the community investment work for you — sourcing the local partners, moving the money, telling the story, and reporting back. Every package pairs statewide media reach with real dollars into Massachusetts small businesses. Pick the scale that fits — the impact and the visibility scale together.

What Every Package Includes

Funding, Visibility, and Proof It Worked.

Every partnership does the same three things: it puts real dollars into Massachusetts small businesses through the Business Catalyst Fund, it puts your brand inside storytelling that already reaches a statewide audience, and it reports back on where the money went and what your placements delivered. The tier you choose changes the scale — not the structure.

Tier One Bay State Partner $25,000–$50,000per year

For companies putting a first, visible stake in the Commonwealth.

Media

Sponsor mention on 4 episodes
Logo on sponsored episode thumbnails & social posts
2 co-branded short-form clips for your own channels

Fund

Funds 2–3 small business grants
Named in the annual impact report
Quarterly impact summary

Recognition

Logo on the MassForward partner wall
2 tickets to the annual Showcase Event

Start the Conversation

Tier Two · Most Popular Commonwealth Partner $50,000–$75,000per year

For companies who want a recurring presence and a category of their own.

Media — everything in Bay State, plus

Sponsor mention on every episode for a full quarter
One featured guest interview for company leadership
Monthly performance report on your placements

Fund — plus

Funds 8–10 small business grants
A named grant category tied to your brand
Introductions to funded businesses

Recognition — plus

Track sponsorship at the Showcase Event
6 tickets & a reserved table

Start the Conversation

Tier Three Beacon Partner $75,000+per year

For the company that wants to be the name behind the platform in its industry.

Media — everything in Commonwealth, plus

Presenting Sponsor — naming rights across the series and podcast
Sponsor mention on every episode, all year

Fund — plus

Funds 20+ small business grants
A named, themed grant cohort & input on category focus
First right of renewal before your category is offered elsewhere

Recognition — plus

Category exclusivity — one company per industry
Presenting sponsorship of the Showcase Event & on-stage remarks
10 VIP tickets
One signature experiential activation per year

Start the Conversation

Packages are a starting point — we meet with your team to tailor scale, category, and region to your goals.

From Investment to Strategy

Start With the Investment. Add the Strategy When You’re Ready.

Every package reports back on where your money went and how your placements performed. Organizations that want to go further — a written strategy, a KPI framework, and measurement that tracks what actually changed for employees, customers, and the community — add a dedicated consultant to the same partnership.

Available With Any Package

Add a Dedicated Consultant

Every partner can add a consultant from the MassForward advisory bench — a named expert assigned to your company who builds the strategy, runs the program, and hands you the proof. Not a menu of services: one person who owns your community investment work alongside you.

An assigned expert, matched to your industry and goals — the same person all year, not a rotating team.
Strategy and a 12-month plan — where to focus, a budget model, and a KPI framework.

Program management — we source partners, run volunteer days, and handle logistics.
Reporting built to be used — a recruiting-ready one-pager, not a filing-cabinet PDF.

Scoped per engagement — project-based or monthly retainer. See how Consulting works →

Next Step

Start a Conversation.

Not sure which tier fits, or want something scoped to your goals? A few quick questions is all it takes — we’ll come back with the partnership that makes sense for your organization.

Start a Conversation

Own a Massachusetts small business? Apply for a grant →

← Home In the Community · Work Already Done

The Work,
Already Happening.

These aren’t proposals. Each one is a partnership that happened — told by the people who lived it, in their own words.

In Their Own Words

“The impact is me. I used to sleep outside in Nubian. I used to be strung out on drugs. So for me, to be able to get it together and be in the same community where I was a mess in, now spreading a message — that’s the impact.”

Lovelee · Community Caring Clinic, Nubian Square Read Feeding a Community, Together →

“The change agent that this program is for some people can’t even be quantified — and it’s because Josh made a decision to put money into it initially, and then he made a decision to put his shoulder into it.”

Michael Kineavy · The Gavin Foundation Read From Recovery to a Paycheck →

“Josh, being the connector that he is in the community, he helped bear to fruit this partnership with Future Chefs — where their kids cooked food and we took it to our programming to feed our kids.”

Marianna · Beat the Odds Read The Partner Who Picks Up the Phone →

“It’s a choice between going to work and taking care of their kids. It’s giving people hope.”

City Realty · Urban League of Eastern Mass. pilot Read Removing the Barriers to a Career →

Partnerships That Are Already Working

Not Hypotheticals

Local businesses and trusted organizations, brought together to do something specific. Each story names who was involved and what actually changed.

01 Everyday Needs · Food Access

Feeding a Community, Together

A once-a-week outreach in Nubian Square — food, HIV testing, Narcan — became a four-day operation after Josh Kraft brought two local restaurants to the table.

“I happened to bump into Josh in Nubian, and showed him what we were doing and he said, ‘This is awesome, I’d like to be a part of it.’”Lovelee · Community Caring Clinic

20–30 → several hundred people fed Read the full story →

02 Economic Mobility · Certifications

Removing the Barriers to a Career

City Realty already had someone who could teach a real estate class. One question from Josh turned it into a licensing pilot for single mothers, run with the Urban League.

“It’s giving people hope.”City Realty

5 women · 6–7 weeks · job placements after Read the full story →

03 Recovery · Workforce

From Recovery to a Paycheck

At The Gavin Foundation, an idea about early recovery became a three-phase jobs program running from paid classroom training through internships to full-time work.

“He’s the funder for sure, but also one of the main architects of how this was built.”Michael Kineavy · The Gavin Foundation

$19/hr training → internships → W-2 Read the full story →

04 Youth Programs · Basic Needs

The Partner Who Picks Up the Phone

Beat the Odds can’t run programming for kids who haven’t eaten. Josh connected them with Future Chefs — and showed up again when funding cuts threatened the food program.

“He’s always been so attentive, so responsive. We really just enjoy all his advice and feedback.”Marianna · Beat the Odds

A partnership tested and answered since 2024 Read the full story →

Looking for what your business could build? See ways to partner →

← Home Ways to Partner · What You Could Build

Start With What
You Care About.

Whatever matters to your business, MassForward can build a partnership around it — connecting you to trusted organizations already doing the work across the Commonwealth. Here’s the shape it can take.

Partnership Models

Ways to Show Up

These are starting points, not a fixed menu. Most partnerships combine more than one.

01 Connection & Culture · The Arts

The Power of the Arts

Visual + Audio drawing and live music, led by a proven professional.

Explore → 02 Team Involvement · Volunteering

Getting Your Whole Team in the Room

Every Generation weekly volunteering plus category-based board fairs.

Explore →

A Solution for Every Cause

Basic Needs in Schools

Clothing and necessities so students in need can thrive in the classroom.

Hygiene Access

Ending hygiene insecurity for families across Massachusetts.

Cultural Access

Free entry to museums and institutions for families who’d otherwise go without.

From there, MassForward connects you with the people and businesses in your community to turn what you care about into something that lasts.

Want proof this works? See partnerships already running →

Why This Investment Matters

Trust and Roots, Not Just Goodwill

Investing in community is more than the right thing to do — it’s how businesses build lasting trust and roots. Local investment keeps dollars close to home, deepens the relationships a company is built on, and shows your team, your customers, and your neighbors exactly what you stand for.

~3×

more of every dollar stays in the local economy when invested in an independent business versus a national chain.

American Independent Business Alliance

94%

of Gen Z believe companies should take a stand on social and community issues — your future customers and employees are watching who shows up.

New Standard Institute

96%

of employees whose employer runs a volunteering program report a positive view of their workplace culture.

Double the Donation

See the full research behind community investment →

How MassForward Makes It Happen

01

Start With What You Care About

Tell us the causes that matter to your business and how your team wants to show up. A short conversation is all it takes to begin.

02

We Build the Partnership

MassForward matches you with trusted local organizations, structures the investment, strengthens their capacity, and manages every detail.

03

You See the Impact

You get proof it mattered — the stories, the people, and the reporting to share with your team, your customers, and your leadership.

Next Step

See How MassForward Can Help.

Partnerships like these are built through a MassForward package — funding into Massachusetts small businesses, statewide storytelling, and reporting back on what your investment delivered.

See Partnership Packages

Let’s Build Something That Lasts.

Tell us what your business cares about — we’ll build the partnership around it.

Start the Conversation

← In the Community Everyday Needs · Food Access

Feeding a Community, Together

A community outreach effort in Nubian Square was feeding 20–30 people once a week. After Josh Kraft brought local restaurants to the table, it became a four-day-a-week operation feeding hundreds — the same work, multiplied by the businesses willing to back it.

Partners: Joe’s Steak & Cheese · Teranga Grill · Community Caring Clinic, through MassForward

It Started With a Chance Encounter

Lovelee works with Mass General and consults for the Community Caring Clinic in Nubian Square, a clinic focused entirely on mental health and substance use. A few times a month, Lovelee takes the work directly into the neighborhood — HIV testing, food, and conversation, meeting people where they already are.

Josh Kraft was in Nubian Square on a site visit for a mobile van program when the two crossed paths.

“I happened to bump into Josh in Nubian, and showed him what we were doing and he said, ‘This is awesome, I’d like to be a part of it.’”

— Lovelee, Community Caring Clinic

What Josh Actually Did

He didn’t write a check and move on. He brought businesses to the table — Joe’s Steak & Cheese and Teranga Grill — and connected the people who could turn a good effort into a sustained one. That collaboration is what changed the math.

Outreach went from one day a week to four. Meals went from 20–30 people to several hundred. And the work expanded beyond food: every meal now goes out alongside a box of Narcan, so anyone in the neighborhood is equipped to save a life if the moment comes.

“The impact is me. I used to sleep outside in Nubian. I used to sleep in the hallways, I used to be strung out on drugs. So for me, to be able to get it together and be in the same community where I was a mess in, now spreading a message — that’s the impact. People can be like, ‘there’s some hope for me too.’”

— Lovelee, Community Caring Clinic

What a Partner Can Expect

01

A Real Need, Already Identified

You’re not starting from scratch. MassForward connects you to work that’s already happening and already trusted in the neighborhood.

02

Other Businesses Alongside You

The multiplier here wasn’t one company — it was several. MassForward assembles the group so no single partner carries it alone.

03

Scale You Can Point To

A fourfold increase in frequency and a tenfold increase in people served — the kind of number your team and customers understand immediately.

Nubian Square, In Pictures

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Outreach day in Nubian Square — meals, testing, and conversation on the street.

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Meals prepared by Joe’s Steak & Cheese and Teranga Grill.

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Every meal goes out alongside a box of Narcan.

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Lovelee on why the work is personal.

Start the Conversation ← Back to In the Community

← In the Community

A WooSox Foundation & MassForward Initiative

WooSox Double Play with MassForward

The Double Play is a signature initiative designed to extend the WooSox long-standing commitment to meaningful, community-sustaining impact across Worcester and the surrounding towns and cities.

The Program at a Glance

Two Organizations. One Long-Term Partnership.

2nonprofit organizations selected

1xfinancial grant, plus ongoing capacity building

Workshop Topics May Include

Marketing and brand storytelling
Social media strategy and content creation
Sponsorships and partnerships
Human resources and talent development
Legal fundamentals and operational best practices
Additional areas of expertise as identified by New Balance leaders

The Partnership

The WooSox Foundation and MassForward will select 2 community-based nonprofit organizations to become official members of the WooSox, welcoming them into the family through an “endorsement-style” partnership—modeled after the brand’s relationships with local businesses and institutions. These partnerships will be launched with a high-profile Double Play Signing Day hosted at Polar Park, celebrating each organization and amplifying their mission.

What Organizations Receive

Once selected, WooSox organizations will receive a one-time financial grant, but the true value of the program lies in its long-term capacity building. Nonprofits will gain access to WooSox and MassForward professionals through a curated series of workshops designed to strengthen leadership and organizational effectiveness.

Beyond education, Double Play organizations may also receive in-kind support, such as signed merchandise for fundraising or community events. Additionally, the program will create employee volunteer opportunities, allowing WooSox Employees and Season Ticket holders to engage directly with the organizations that resonate most with them.

The Vision

The vision for the WooSox/MassForward Double Play is to move beyond transactional giving and toward deep, authentic partnerships—creating meaningful connections between The WooSox and the communities it serves. By sharing skills, knowledge, and access alongside financial support, WooSox Double Play empowers nonprofits with tools for sustained success while reinforcing New Balance’s role as a true community partner.

Double Play Signing Day — Polar Park, Worcester WooSox Foundation × MassForward

Start the Conversation ← Back to In the Community

In the Community

Everyday Needs · Food Access Feeding a Community, Together Economic Mobility · Certifications Removing the Barriers to a Career Recovery · Workforce From Recovery to a Paycheck Youth Programs · Basic Needs The Partner Who Picks Up the Phone

← In the Community Economic Mobility · Certifications

Removing the Barriers to a Career

A real estate class built for kids became something bigger when Josh Kraft asked a simple question: what else can this platform do? The answer was a pilot with the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts — five single mothers through a real estate licensing program, and a door into work that fits a life with kids in it.

Partners: City Realty · Urban League of Eastern Mass. · CityKids, through MassForward

The Platform Already Existed

City Realty had a partnership with CityKids, a nonprofit focused on education resources for young people, and something most companies don’t have: a staff member who could teach a real estate class. Kids had been going through it — not necessarily to enter the industry, but to get exposure to how it works.

When Josh Kraft sat down with the team, he didn’t stop at what was already running. He asked what else it could do.

“What other ways can we use this platform to help people in Boston?”

— Josh Kraft

The Barrier Wasn’t Ambition — It Was the Schedule

The conversation turned to young single mothers, and to a bind that has nothing to do with willingness to work.

“It’s a choice between going to work and taking care of their kids.”

— City Realty

Irregular hours make a fixed 9-to-5 nearly impossible to sustain. Real estate offered a different shape — flexible enough to work around a family, and a credential worth having even for someone who never sells a house.

From Idea to Pilot

Josh proposed running it with the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts. The pilot took five women through a 6–7 week program. Beyond the licensing coursework, participants got exposure to City Realty’s other departments — and a cohort to lean on through it.

The relationships built during the program kept producing after it ended. Conversations about job prospects gave City Realty a chance to actually help place people; one participant landed an accounting job through Josh directly. The group has stayed close since.

“It’s giving people hope.”

— City Realty, on the Urban League pilot

What a Partner Can Expect

01

Your Own Expertise, Put to Work

The most valuable thing City Realty gave wasn’t money — it was a class only they could teach. MassForward helps you find the version of that inside your own company.

02

A Pilot Before a Program

Five participants over six weeks. Small enough to run well, real enough to prove out — and a clear basis for deciding whether to scale it.

03

Follow-Through, Not a Finish Line

The placements and job conversations came after the class ended. MassForward stays connected so the impact keeps compounding.

The same model extends across dozens of certification fields — medical billing, digital literacy, coding, college prep, the trades, and more.

The Pilot, In Pictures

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The cohort and partners at City Realty.

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Five participants, six weeks, one cohort leaning on each other.

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Run in partnership with the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.

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On what the program opened up for participants.

Start the Conversation ← Back to In the Community

← Ways to Partner Connection & Culture · The Arts

The Power of the Arts

Through MassForward, your business partners with a proven professional at The Drawing Lab to bring the arts directly to veterans, seniors, and youth. Each session pairs the visual (drawing) with the audio (live music) — because impact isn’t only material, and the arts reach people in ways nothing else can.

Partner: The Drawing Lab, through MassForward · Veterans · Seniors · Youth

Start the Conversation ← Back to Ways to Partner

More Ways to Partner

Team Involvement · Volunteering Getting Your Whole Team in the Room Everyday Needs · Food Access Feeding a Community, Together Recovery · Workforce From Recovery to a Paycheck

← Ways to Partner Team Involvement · Volunteering

Getting Your Whole Team in the Room

The Future Chefs partnership came from knowing the landscape. That connective work is what MassForward does on your behalf.

03

A Relationship That Holds Up

The measure of a partner is what happens when something goes wrong. This one has been tested and answered.

The Partnership, In Pictures

A youth-led session in the Beat the Odds studio. — 01 / 03
Programming at Beat the Odds.

02 / 03
A full-group session with Beat the Odds participants.

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Marianna on what makes Josh a different kind of partner.

Start the Conversation ← Back to In the Community

← In the Community Recovery · Workforce

From Recovery to a Paycheck

Sustaining a sober life takes more than treatment — it takes a job. At The Gavin Foundation, an early-recovery idea became a three-phase jobs program running from paid classroom training through internships to full-time W-2 employment. Josh Kraft funded it, and then helped build it.

Partner: The Gavin Foundation, through MassForward · Placements incl. the City of Boston

A Reputation That Precedes Him

Michael Kineavy of The Gavin Foundation thought he understood how connected Josh was to the community. Then he watched it happen in real time.

“He’d meet someone on the street and they’d say, ‘Oh, you helped my daughter 20 years ago,’ and he’d remember the daughter’s name and what she liked.”

— Michael Kineavy, The Gavin Foundation

Funding Was the Starting Point, Not the Contribution

The idea began as a next step for people in early recovery: a job as the thing that makes a sober life sustainable. Josh took that premise — originally part of Project Renew — and helped grow it into a full jobs program, staying in the room the entire way.

“Josh was at the table for all the planning and all the decisions.”

— Michael Kineavy, The Gavin Foundation

He set up informative meetings to help the Gavin team learn how to actually build a jobs program — expertise the organization didn’t have in-house and couldn’t easily buy.

How the Program Runs

01

Weeks 1–4

A paid foundational program at $19/hr for people without an employment history — learning what it takes to hold a job.

02

Weeks 5–20

Sixteen weeks of placements and internships across a range of employers, including multiple roles with the City of Boston.

03

Phase Three

Full-time W-2 employment — the goal being a sustainable, sober life built on real work.

“Josh is opening doors for us that would not be opened otherwise. He’s the funder for sure, but also one of the main architects of how this was built.”

— Michael Kineavy, The Gavin Foundation

“The change agent that this program is for some people can’t even be quantified — and it’s because Josh made a decision to put money into it initially, and then he made a decision to put his shoulder into it and be part of the effort to build it, and pile on resources we would never have been able to reach otherwise.”

— Michael Kineavy, The Gavin Foundation

What a Partner Can Expect

01

A Seat at the Design Table

If you want to shape what gets built rather than just fund it, that’s a real option — and it’s where the deepest partnerships come from.

02

Expertise Alongside the Dollars

Educational sessions, operational guidance, and structure — the things that turn a well-funded idea into a program that runs.

03

Doors That Stay Open

Employer placements, city partnerships, and a network that keeps compounding well past the initial commitment.

The Program, In Pictures

01 / 03
Speaking at a Gavin Foundation event.

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Internship placements, including roles with the City of Boston.

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Michael Kineavy on Josh’s role in building the program.

Start the Conversation ← Back to In the Community

← Home Pillar 01 · Tell the Story

MassForward Media

A high-quality, long-form interview series hosted by Josh Kraft, in conversation with prominent leaders from across the Commonwealth — business, arts, sports, education, public service, and community. Thoughtful, optimistic, forward-looking.

20K+Avg views / post, already

StatewideDeliberately beyond Greater Boston

4 ChannelsBroadcast · YouTube · Social · Partners

LaunchingLong-form video & audio podcast

What a Media Partnership Includes

Your Brand, In the Story

Sponsor mentions — audio and video, pre-roll or mid-roll, across the episodes in your package.
Logo placement on episode thumbnails and social promotion posts.
Full distribution — broadcast, YouTube, social, and partner brand and institutional networks.

A featured guest interview for company leadership at the upper tiers, subject to editorial fit.
Co-branded short-form clips and ready-to-post copy for your own channels.
Performance reporting on views, engagement, and reach specific to your placements.

Media reach is included in every partnership package — the volume of episodes, placements, and reporting scales with your tier. Compare packages →

Why Sponsor, Not Advertise

Alignment with a community an audience already trusts creates a halo effect paid advertising can't buy — and every tier reports back on what it delivered.

AttentionViews, listens, and reach on your placements.

TrustAssociation with civic value an audience already trusts.

ActionA clear read on what your sponsorship delivered.

Editorial independence is retained on every episode — a firewall that protects both the trust you're aligning with and your own brand.

How a Sponsorship Works

01

Align

We match your brand to the series or episodes that fit your goals and audience — and lock the tier and placements.

02

Produce & Distribute

Your placements run across broadcast, YouTube, social, and partner networks, built for shareability from the start.

03

Report Back

A monthly report on views, engagement, and reach specific to your placements — what your sponsorship actually delivered.

"[Sponsor testimonial — a line or two on the reach and goodwill the partnership delivered. Pending first partner.]"

— Name, Title · Company

See Partnership Packages Prefer to talk it through? Start a conversation →

← Home Pillar 02 · Fund the Work

Business Catalyst Fund

Small investments. Visible impact. Stronger communities. A statewide micro-grant and accelerator program for improvements that fall just outside a local business's budget — but create outsized impact for their customers, neighborhoods, and growth.

What Fund Partners Receive

Real Dollars, Visible Results

Your dollars fund real projects — the number of grants funded scales with your package tier.
A named grant category or themed cohort at the upper tiers, tied to what your brand cares about.
Input on category focus — which kinds of projects your dollars prioritize.

Quarterly impact reporting built around real funded projects — photos, quotes, before/after detail.
Introductions to funded businesses for vendor, supplier, or procurement relationships.
Category exclusivity and first right of renewal at the Beacon tier.

Fund impact is included in every partnership package — grant volume and recognition scale with your tier. Compare packages →

Hands-on Option

Partner on a Cohort

Adopt one funded small business or nonprofit for a defined period, typically one grant cycle.
Your employees volunteer time and skills directly — matched to categories like marketing, digital, or workforce training.
MassForward manages the match and all logistics.
A dedicated wrap-up impact report, built for your recruiting and internal comms.

Scoped and priced per cohort

Annual Flagship Moment

Showcase Event

Presenting SponsorshipNaming rights, on-stage remarks, logo on all materials, press-release co-mention, 10 tickets.

Beacon

Track / Stage SponsorshipBranded signage at one stage or segment, program listing, four tickets.

Commonwealth

Funded-Business TableA free exhibitor table for every business funded that cycle.

Free

Grant Categories

Storefront & Façade BeautificationOutdoor Seating & Public Space ActivationSignage, Lighting & Wayfinding Interior Customer ExperienceTechnology & Point-of-SaleWebsite, E-Commerce & Digital Transformation Marketing & Brand DevelopmentSustainability & Energy EfficiencyAccessibility (ADA) Security & SafetyEquipment PurchasesSeasonal Activations & Placemaking Pop-Up Retail & Pilot ConceptsPublic Art & MuralsWorkforce Training

See Partnership Packages Own a Massachusetts small business? Apply for a grant →

How the Fund Works

01

Apply

A Massachusetts small business submits a simple application for a specific improvement.

02

Review

Applications are reviewed on a fast, transparent cycle — no months-long wait.

03

Fund

Approved projects are funded and completed, with photos and before/after detail captured.

04

Showcase

Funded businesses are celebrated at the annual Showcase and in partner impact reports.

In Good Company

Partner logo

← Home Pillar 03 · Sustain the Impact

MassForward Consulting

A community-investment advisory practice — drawing on some of the most respected nonprofit strategists in the Commonwealth — that helps nonprofits and corporate giving programs design strategy, build capacity, and measure what changes.

Community Investment StrategyWhere to focus, and why it works.

Capacity & Team BuildingStronger operations and people.

Marketing, Social & StorytellingMake the work visible.

Fundraising & DevelopmentDiversify and grow the base.

Financial Planning & BudgetingPlan with confidence.

Outcomes & Impact MeasurementMeasure what changed.

How We Work

01

Audit

A working session with your leadership, then a review of current giving and sponsorship spend, benchmarked against 4–6 peers.

02

Strategy

A written strategy and 12-month calendar — focus areas, a budget model, and a KPI framework.

03

Activate

We source partners and causes, run the program and volunteer days, and manage the logistics.

04

Report

A quarterly dashboard and recruiting-ready impact one-pager — a clear record of what changed.

How Engagements Are Staffed

An Expert Assigned to You

When a partner comes on board, we match them with a named consultant from the MassForward advisory bench — chosen for their industry and the outcome the partner is after. The same person stays with the account: they build the strategy, run the program, and deliver the reporting.

Strategy Audit & Roadmap — a working session with leadership, marketing, HR, and community relations, then a review of current giving benchmarked against 4–6 peers in your sector.
Managed Giving Program — we source local partners, causes, and Fund-adjacent businesses matched to your strategy, manage logistics, and deliver a monthly dashboard plus quarterly review.
Employee Engagement Activation — turnkey volunteer days, matching-gift program design, and employee communications templates.

Written strategy & 12-month calendar — focus areas, a budget allocation model, a giving calendar, a KPI framework, and an executive readout.
Impact Reporting for Recruiting — a quarterly one-pager for your careers page or recruiting deck, with drafted leadership quotes, a photo/video asset package, and ready-to-post copy.

Consulting is scoped per engagement and can be added to any partnership package. Meet the consultants →

Impact Measurement

Don't Just Report What You Gave.
Measure What It Changed.

We help organizations put a measurement framework around their community investment — so the question at the end of the year isn't "what did we spend?" but "what did it change?"

01What was invested — dollars, hours, in-kind, and staff time.
02Who was reached — participants, partners, audiences, and towns.
03What changed for the people and organizations on the receiving end.
04How employees and customers responded.
05What happened in the community around the investment.
06What business signals emerged, where they're measurable.
07What should be changed, stopped, or scaled next.

We build the measurement system, collect and analyze the data, and turn the results into clear reporting. Your team provides the information only we can't access ourselves.

MassForward Handles

The Measurement Work

Impact framework
KPI selection
Baseline measurement
Surveys
Partner data collection
Program tracking
Social and media data
Data analysis
Impact reporting
Recommendations

Your Team Provides

Only What We Can't Access

Relevant HR data
Relevant finance and CRM inputs
Internal program information
Access to the relevant platforms

Measurement-First

Measurement Starts Before the Investment Does.

Before a program begins, we establish the outcomes that matter, identify the appropriate metrics, and create a baseline wherever possible. That allows us to measure change over time rather than simply reporting activity after the fact.

Every MassForward engagement is designed to create a clear record of what was invested, what changed, and what we learned.

The Impact Journey

Impact Happens Over Time.

We measure the right signals at the right stage — from immediate reach and participation to longer-term changes in perception, behavior, and business outcomes.

Investment

What the organization puts into the initiative.

Reach

Who experiences it.

Perception

How employees, customers, and the community respond.

Behavior

What changes.

Business Value

What the impact means for the organization.

0–3 MonthsAwareness & Reach

3–6 MonthsPerception

6–12 MonthsBehavior

12+ MonthsLonger-Term Business Outcomes

General measurement windows, not guarantees — every program moves at its own pace, and we set expectations at the start of the engagement.

96%

of employees whose employer runs a volunteering program report a positive view of their culture.

Why It Earns Executive Buy-In

Corporate giving isn't a cost center — done well, it strengthens brand reputation, deepens stakeholder relationships, and shows up where recruiting and retention are won. We build the strategy, run the program, and measure what it changed.

Founding Partners

Built Alongside a Select Group of Organizations.

We're building MassForward alongside organizations that believe local investment should be both meaningful and measurable — and who want a say in how that work gets defined.

Founding Partners establish clear impact goals, measurement frameworks, and reporting from the beginning, creating a stronger understanding of what works and where future investment can have the greatest effect.

Ask about Founding Partner engagements →

Give to the Fund

For individual donors and philanthropists: multi-year gifts and matching challenges that close opportunity gaps across the Commonwealth. Gifts can be directed to a grant cycle, a category, or the Fund as a whole — and are reported back with the same project-level detail sponsors receive.

Nonprofit Services

Capacity & Team Building, Fundraising & Development, and Financial Planning & Budgeting are available to nonprofit clients as standalone engagements — including for the nonprofits a corporate partner already supports.

Talk to Consulting Individual donor or philanthropist? Give to the Fund →

← Home Partner With Us

Find Your Partnership

This is where the conversation starts. Tell us what your organization is trying to do — a few quick questions, no pitch — and we'll come back with the partnership that fits.

Start the Conversation

Tell Us What You’re Trying to Do

Three short steps — about a minute. Nothing is committed by filling this out, and someone from the MassForward team follows up within two business days.

Questions You May Still Have

← Home About MassForward · Meet the Team

Built By People Who Do the Work

The people behind MassForward pair three decades of on-the-ground community leadership with award-winning creative and media — plus an advisory bench of consultants who do the work alongside our partners.

Our Approach

Built For What's Next.
Backed By Experience.

MassForward is new.
The experience behind it isn't.

MassForward is a new platform built around a simple idea: local investment should create meaningful impact — and organizations should be able to see and understand that impact.

The people behind it bring years of experience across community investment, philanthropy, business strategy, partnerships, marketing, and impact-driven initiatives.

We're bringing that experience together through a new model designed for today's organizations — one that connects investment, community impact, stakeholder engagement, and measurable business value.

What We Believe

Local Investment Is Strategy

Community investment isn’t charity. The dollars stay closer to home, the trust runs deeper than advertising can buy, and the people deciding where to work and shop are watching who shows up.

Show Up, Don’t Just Send a Check

The work that lasts happens in person, alongside the organizations doing it. That conviction comes straight from how our founders have spent their careers — getting involved directly rather than simply writing a check.

If It Isn’t Measured, It Isn’t Finished

The question at the end of the year shouldn’t be “what did we spend?” but “what did it change?” Every engagement is built to leave a clear record of both.

Founded & Driven By

The Founders

Official headshot —
Josh Kraft
(add licensed photo)

Josh Kraft

Co-Founder & Host

Josh Kraft has spent 35 years working in the communities of Boston. Most recently he was President of the New England Patriots Foundation, and for three decades worked with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston — including 12 years as its President and CEO. He began in 1990 as a program coordinator at what is today the Edgerley Family South Boston Club, and in 1993 established the organization's Chelsea branch, serving as its executive director until 2008.

Under his leadership, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston doubled membership and grew its budget to $26 million. A graduate of Williams College with a master's from Harvard's Graduate School of Education, he has served on the boards of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts (as Board Chair), Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and Brigham and Women's Hospital. His approach to philanthropy has consistently emphasized getting involved directly rather than simply writing a check.

Official headshot —
Scott Heigelmann
(add licensed photo)

Scott Heigelmann

Co-Founder

Scott Heigelmann is Managing Partner and VP of Creative at Big Night Entertainment Group and a founder of Big Mind Creative. He is the creator of some of the most iconic brands in entertainment, hospitality, technology, media, and sports — a 40 Under 40 winner, a Cannes Lions Certified Creative, a GRAMMY Awards Voting Member, and a Sert Council member at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

With a background spanning media, experiential, and brand development, he focuses on building scalable platforms at the intersection of culture, commerce, and fandom. At Big Night — one of the nation's preeminent entertainment and hospitality companies — his creative work anchors the venues, activations, and media ventures the group is known for across New England.

The Advisory Bench

Meet the Consultants

Every partner who adds consulting is matched with a named expert from this bench — chosen for their industry and the outcome you're after, and assigned to your account for the length of the engagement.

Headshot
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[ Consultant Name ] Community Investment Strategy