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Zakim Grantee

Making a Difference

The Lenny Zakim Fund: a legacy of building bridges

Most people facing cancer wouldn’t dream of embarking on an ambitious new project to aggressively promote social justice. But then, human rights hero Lenny Zakim was not like most people.  When he dreamed, he dreamed big. When Lenny was diagnosed in 1995 with multiple myeloma, a rare bone marrow cancer, he called upon his many friends and supporters to help establish The Lenny Zakim Fund.  The Fund’s mission is to reach out to groups “below the radar screen” of large charitable foundations and government, and to provide financial support, technical assistance and networking opportunities.  Focused on individuals and grassroots organizations within a 50-mile radius of Boston, the Fund is especially supportive of programs that build alliances across racial, religious and ethnic lines. Read More…

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Welcome to SmartLink!    
A program of the Neighborhood Funders Group

SmartLink is your one-stop-shop for free and useful ideas and insights, created just for donors, foundation trustees and others who give locally, to neighborhoods and communities.  SmartLink solves your toughest giving problem:   it helps you learn who is building strong communities, what is working to make a difference, and how to connect your giving (whether modest or substantial) to the most effective ideas and projects. 

Connect, with just a few clicks!

Among the treasures you will find here are candid profiles of donors and small foundations from all over the country, making a difference on a range of issues in their communities . With a few clicks on the left navigation menu, you can search briefs and tools focused on six key issues.  Don't stop there, drill deeper to explore action- and results-oriented topics and strategies. 

We won't tell you where to give; instead, SmartLink makes your giving smarter and more focused on making a difference.   Please note:  CGR is not a grantmaker.

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In the News

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Facts & Figures

  • As most elderly people are covered by Medicare, nearly all the uninsured are under age 65
  • 3 in 5 low-income, non-citizens are uninsured
  • 1 in 4 working families with children--9.2 million families--are low-income
  • The percentage of volunteers serving in an education or youth-services organization nearly doubled from 15.1% in 1989 to 27% in 2006