Our Mission
Led by a deep dedication to Jewish values, the Davis Family Charitable Foundation is committed to unlocking the potential of young people, expanding family access to resources and services, investing in the wellbeing of our local and global community, and conserving and restoring natural habitats for future generations.
Our Story
We are proud to call the Boston area our home. As a family, we feel deeply privileged to be able to support the communities of which we are a part.
Since 2006, the Davis Family Charitable Foundation (DFCF) has invested close to $20 million in these communities and social sector organizations that expand access to education, build skills, nurture talent, and address critical needs for housing, equitable health care, and other support services. This is not inclusive of the millions of dollars more personally given to similar initiatives during the same period. At the heart of our grantmaking is a deep concern for issues of equity and opening pathways to opportunity, especially for underserved children and youth whose talents and potential too often go unrealized. For future generations, we are committed to protecting the environment through climate change mitigation, and conservation and restoration of natural habitats.
At the heart of our grantmaking is a deep concern for issues of equity in our city and opening pathways to opportunity…
We believe that philanthropy can achieve deeper impact when it leverages the gifts of money, time, and expertise. In addition to direct philanthropic investments, we work collaboratively with grant recipients to troubleshoot challenges, strengthen long-term sustainability, and promote meaningful impact.
We believe deeply in the Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, the human responsibility for repairing what is broken in the world, and our actions as individuals and a family reflect our commitment to address the injustices we see around us today. We embrace our obligation to do our part to repair the world, to share our bounty with others, and to welcome strangers to our community and provide them with care and assistance. Our actions and funding are extended to people in need regardless of where they come from or their faith backgrounds.
Increasingly, our work with social sector leaders, recipients of services, and funders focuses on root causes and where investments in prevention, early intervention, and policy advocacy can make a lasting difference. We also recognize the need to remain agile and responsive in a rapidly changing world.
Our family developed a strategic plan in 2023 to codify our approaches to achieving real change in the six Impact Areas we have identified as our top priorities. We aspire to be effective and focused in our philanthropic work, specifically in how we allocate and leverage our finite resources to change the trajectories of people who have been marginalized and who struggle to provide for themselves and their families. We invite others to join us on this journey and look forward to tackling the work in front of us with our partners.
The Davis Family
Jon, Margot, Stephen, and Molly
Our Values
Collaboration
We believe in the power of relationships. We work in partnership with peers in the world of philanthropic giving and community-based partners to leverage knowledge, resources, and expertise.
High Impact
We value the role that strong management, research, and evaluation play in strengthening and scaling impact.
Innovation
We work with established and emerging organizations to identify and support effective strategies that meet the needs of vulnerable populations, with a focus on prevention and early intervention.
Equity
In the face of growing economic inequality in our society, we seek to address systemic barriers and open pathways to opportunity.
Compassion
We honor and celebrate our shared humanity. We begin by listening to those closest to the problem to best understand root causes and pursue community-based solutions.
Leadership
Molly Macleod
