Former New England Patriots star Devin McCourty and three local executives have joined the board of the New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund, a philanthropy that supports Black- and Latino-led nonprofits.
The other new board members are Rachel Felix, a senior vice president of Boston Medical Center; Keon Holmes, managing director of the Boston office of Cambridge Associates; and Manny Lopes, a former vice president of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
“We’re thrilled to have these four leaders — who bring decades of experience in their respective fields — joining the board of NCF and helping to lead our organization as we move to a new phase of growth and impact,” said Makeeba McCreary, president of the New Commonwealth Fund.
Devin McCourty retired from professional football after 13 years with the Patriots, where he was a captain nearly all his career. He and his twin brother, Jason, have been advocates for sickle cell disease, health care, social justice reform, economic advancement and educational equity.
“As I’ve entered a new phase of my career, I’ve been looking for opportunities to give back and maintain a deep connection to the communities where I’ve lived and worked for so many years,” McCourty said. “Joining the leadership team of the New Commonwealth Fund is a perfect opportunity to disrupt systemic racism here in Massachusetts and continue my work on issues like criminal justice reform, health equity and ensuring this incredible Commonwealth is a safe haven for its next generation of young people.”
Nineteen of the state’s leading Black and Latino executives launched the New Commonwealth Fund in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. Their goal was to disrupt and reform the philanthropic power structures that have disenfranchised Black, Latino and Indigenous leaders for generations.
In three years, NCF will have reinvested $11 million into more than 150 Black- and Latino-led nonprofits across the Commonwealth. The legislature’s new budget includes $1 million to expand the Fund’s grant-making.
