Feb 17, 2026 | Written by Jane Feinberg, PhD, Kate Slater, PhD

The following is an excerpt of a blog written for the Barr Foundation.

Massachusetts nonprofits have historically played a critical role in shaping the state’s educational landscape, addressing gaps in public services and advocating for lasting, systemic change. The state is home to hundreds of nonprofits, focused on everything from early childhood development and special education to STEM initiatives and college readiness.

Today, though, many of the Commonwealth’s nonprofits are being forced to question how – or even if – they can continue to support public education as they always have. Political uncertainty and continuing aftershocks from the pandemic have reduced funding options everywhere. Instead of strategically supporting one another, like-minded organizations have been left to compete for the same dwindling dollars.

Additionally, the education sector often mirrors the business world’s impatient, survival-of-the-fittest mentality. New tools and ideas are rushed to the classroom without due diligence and, on the other end, worthy efforts are often abandoned before they can fully take root and spread. True systemic change takes time, and requires patience. There are no magic bullets that can change our flawed educational system overnight.

Within this context in 2025 our two nonprofit organizations, Power of Place Learning Communities (PoP) and the Teacher Collaborative (TTC), recognized that, instead of going it alone in today’s competitive economy, joining forces would be the most promising path forward.

Read the full blog post here.