Over the past year, the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance (MACA) has embarked on a bold and thoughtful journey to build a stronger, more sustainable organization capable of deepening its impact across the Commonwealth. Through its collaboration with The Bridgespan Group, MACA conducted a comprehensive assessment of its organizational structure, funding model, and strategic priorities. The result is a robust roadmap for a “healthy MACA”—an organization equipped to steward equitable, high-quality services for children and families navigating trauma and abuse.
The analysis reinforced MACA’s central role as a critical backbone organization supporting Massachusetts’ twelve Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs). As a re-grantor, MACA has overseen an exponential increase in pass-through funding—growing from approximately $400K in 2018 to $4.3M in 2023. With this growth comes the responsibility to modernize internal systems, increase administrative and development capacity, and invest in statewide data infrastructure that ensures transparency, accountability, and equity in service delivery.
MACA’s future-forward strategy includes five key priorities: optimizing organizational structure and staffing; expanding executive and operational support; reallocating the Executive Director’s capacity to focus on development; deepening investment in CAC supports; and advancing a statewide data system. These priorities are not just internal adjustments—they are accelerators of systemic impact. With 100% of Massachusetts CACs now nationally accredited, MACA is poised to leverage this momentum to close equity gaps and reach more children in need.
Financial sustainability is central to this transformation. While government funding remains the cornerstone of MACA’s revenue, the organization is pursuing a dual approach to diversify funding—scaling partnerships with community and regional foundations and cultivating major donor relationships. Benchmarks and research highlight MACA’s unique position to appeal to funders seeking measurable, statewide impact, especially in areas like child advocacy, data systems, and capacity-building.
The path ahead is both exciting and ambitious. MACA stands on the threshold of transformative change, guided by clarity of purpose and energized by a vision for a healthier, more responsive network of child advocacy services. With strategic investments and the support of committed funders, partners, and communities, join us as we continue to lead with courage, compassion, and impact—ensuring every child in Massachusetts has equitable access to the safety, healing, and justice they deserve.
With gratitude,
