Please join us as we honor our co-founder George Pillsbury and recognize the work of Massachusetts Communities Action Network.  The strength and resilience of our democratic values are more crucial than ever before. Come and celebrate George’s visionary leadership and the continued fight for justice at the ballot box.

About George Pillsbury

For the past 50 years, George Pillsbury has been an entrepreneur in the nonprofit sector, focusing on philanthropy and voting. Initially dedicated to increasing grassroots access to philanthropy, he later expanded his efforts to encourage nonprofits to register and mobilize their communities to vote.

In the 1970s, he co-founded the Haymarket People's Fund with Janet Axelrod—a model for social justice grantmaking in Boston, New England, and 15 other states. As interest in what Haymarket and its sister community funds grew, George was invited to appear on Oprah and the Phil Donahue show. Esquire magazine later included George on its list of the best of a new generation, "Men and Women Under 40 Who Are Changing America." Over time, this network of social change foundations provided a powerful example for more established foundations on how to support community-based organizations on the front lines of social change.

In the 1990s, George recognized the potential of the nonprofit sector to address low voter participation, which left many communities powerless and ignored by elected officials. He shifted from philanthropy to focus on organizing nonprofits to increase voter participation and support new political leadership by leveraging their everyday contact with new and underrepresented voters.

Partnering with activist Malia Lazu and prominent Boston nonprofit leaders, he established Boston VOTE and later MassVOTE. These organizations were formed to train and resource nonprofits, empowering them as their staff and the people they served registered to vote, becoming a force for equalizing access to the ballot box.

In 2005, George joined a similar effort in his home state of Minnesota to found Nonprofit Vote, a national initiative that adopted the Massachusetts model and rolled it out to all 50 states—from Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to North Carolina, Louisiana, and Colorado.

During that time, George also led an effort at Nonprofit Vote to partner with the National Association of Secretaries of State to create National Voter Registration Day. This national celebration of democracy takes place biennially on the fourth Tuesday of September, leading up to national and state elections. It registers more than a million new voters each year, both in the field and online. George currently serves as the Board Chair of MassVOTE. 

About Massachusetts Communities Action Network (MCAN)

MCAN is a statewide network of faith and community-based organizations dedicated to advocating for social, racial, and economic justice. MCAN empowers communities across Massachusetts by organizing grassroots campaigns focused on issues such as affordable housing, healthcare, racial equity, and environmental justice. Through its commitment to building leadership and fostering civic engagement, MCAN seeks to address systemic inequalities and improve the quality of life for marginalized communities. Working in partnership with local organizations and coalitions, MCAN mobilizes collective action to create positive, lasting change at both the local and state levels.

Edward M. Kennedy Institute
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