Historic electoral participation: The November 2008 election of President Barack Obama spurred a dramatic increase in voter registration and turnout to a level not seen since the 1960 election of the favorite-son John F. Kennedy, with rates increasing dramatically among young voters and people of color (seeIndicator 1.4.1)

Near-death experience for the Boston Globe: Following persistent declining circulation and revenues (see Indicator 1.8.3), the area’s largest newspaper was threatened with closure in 2008 and 2009 nu the New York Times Company.  Though it’s future is tenuous, sale of this civic institution was called-off in mid-2009.

Federal stimulus funding for nonprofits: As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department of Health and Human Services announced the availability of $50 million in grant money from theStrengthening Communities Fund created to support nonprofit and faith-based organizations that provide aide to families and communities suffering through the economic recession.

Bernard Madoff scandal’s impact on local philanthropy: While the Madoff Ponzi scheme bilked investors out of $1 Billion nationwide, Boston’s Jewish philanthropic community was hit particularly hard, including a $140 million loss to the Carl J. and Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation, a long-standing Boston charitable funding source.

Massachusetts was joined by three other New England state and Iowa in recognizing gay marriage.  Following a series of battles through 2006 and 2007, the Massachusetts Legislature voted not to open the door to a possible 2008 ballot vote to ban gay marriage. 

Greater Boston strengthened its “collaborative gene” through a host of new public-private and nonprofit partnerships and affinity groups begun in 2007 and 2008, including:

• Thrive in 5 Boston: a 10 year comprehensive public/private partnership coordinated by the City of Boston and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and Merrimack Valley was launched to support school readiness in Boston.  This effort compliments the statewide Early Education for All Campaign coordinated by Strategies for Children
• Massachusetts Nonprofit Network: Incorporated in 2007 to strengthen the nonprofit sector, this network draws membership from across the state and sector to facilitate the sharing or best practices, guide nonprofit strategic alliances, support organizations with human resources and, increasingly, to navigate the rough waters of the recession.
• StreetSafe Boston:A $26 million, 5-year public/private partnership between the City of Boston, The Boston Foundation and a number of City agencies and community partners to reduce youth violence city-wide and in key “hot spot” neighborhoods.
• The Commonwealth Compact:I nitiated by the dean of the University of Massachusetts-Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies, a former Suffolk County DA and a former editor of The Boston Globe, this initiative has gained the support of companies, leaders and institutions statewide to track and promote workplace and leadership diversity.
• Leaders for Education: a coalition of business and civic leaders committed to developing strategies to support and advocate for education reform in Massachusetts.