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BOSTON–Robert Kraft, the chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group, is donating $1 million to the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund (NCF), the largest individual donation since the Foundation’s founding, just seven months ago.

The Foundation was founded by 19 Black and Brown corporate executives in Massachusetts, who seeded $1 million of their own money to address systemic racism throughout the state following last summer’s tragic killing of George Floyd.

“I believe in the leadership of the New Commonwealth Fund and their mission to level the playing field throughout Massachusetts for communities of color,” Kraft said. “I expect this contribution to be used to positively impact the lives of others by creating new opportunities and promoting equity. I hope others will join the New Commonwealth Fund to help make transformative societal changes.”

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“We applaud Robert Kraft and the Kraft Family Foundation for leading the way and reminding people, as we celebrate Black History Month, that this is an important time to make a donation to address racial inequities,” said Quincy Miller, President of Eastern Bank and one of the founding members of the New Commonwealth Fund.

Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced that his Boston Racial Equity Fund is giving the New Commonwealth Fund a $670,000 grant.

The Kraft family, as well as the sports franchises they own, have a long history of working to promote social justice, racial equity and equality. In recent years, the New England Patriots and Revolution players have taken a much more active role.

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In 2018, Patriots players started an annual fund, replenished each year by the then-current roster, to collectively provide support
for local organizations who are committed to social justice initiatives. Capitalized annually and matched each year up to $250,000 by ownership, the players’ social justice fund has distributed nearly $1.5 million to 18 different organizations throughout New England.   

In 2020, the New Commonwealth Fund was recognized by the Patriots players and awarded a grant from the fund.  The New England Revolution are also committed to promoting social justice, supporting local businesses, and fostering a dialogue about systemic racism through the club’s C.H.A.N.G.E. initiative.

Throughout February, the Revolution are raising funds through the Touches for C.H.A.N.G.E. campaign in support of Boston Centers for Youth & Families.

“At a time of racial divide and tension across our nation, the generosity of Robert Kraft and the Kraft Family Foundation should stand as a reminder that white allies working in partnership with Black individuals and organizations in the region goes back almost 200 years, to the
beginning of the Black Abolitionist movement in Boston,” Miller said.

The New Commonwealth Fund was formed in the summer of 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic and in the wake of the brutal killing of George Floyd by police and other recent, horrific, racially-charged incidents in this country. In response to these events, a group of
leading Black and Brown corporate executives in Massachusetts came together to launch NCF and has raised nearly $30 million in pledges and seed money to address and eliminate systemic racism and racial inequity in the Commonwealth. The New Commonwealth Fund’s mission is to provide grants and other essential support to effect lasting change for Black and Brown communities in the Commonwealth.

In November, the Fund awarded a total of $1 million in Demonstration Grants to 20 organizations throughout the Commonwealth, from Springfield to Worcester to Holyoke to Lawrence and Boston; including: African Community Education (Worcester), Black Economic
Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) (Boston), Becoming A Man  (Boston),  Boston Ujima Project (Boston), Higher Ground (Boston),  Brockton Interfaith Community,  Chelsea Collaborative/La Colaborativa, Compass Working Capital  (Boston), Data 4 Black Lives, the EdLaw Project,
Elevated Thought  (Lawrence),  Family Health Center of Worcester, GCode House  (Boston), Lawrence Community Works, Lawyers for Civil Rights, Martin Luther King Jr. Family Services (Springfield), NAACP Boston Branch, Pa’lante (Holyoke), Strive Boston and Youth on Board.

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The report above was a press release submitted to SOURCE media.
 

By editor

Susan Petroni is the former editor for SOURCE. She is the founder of the former news site, which as of May 1, 2023, is now a self-publishing community bulletin board. The website no longer has a journalist but a webmaster.