About ONE Massachusetts

ONE Massachusetts is a network in formation of people and organizations sharing a common vision: to rebuild public confidence in our capacity to work together, through our government, to expand economic opportunity and improve the quality of life in Massachusetts.

In the beginning it was only an idea or a vision of a path that everyone working for social economic and racial justice could walk on together.

"As a person with a life-long disability, I can never remember a time when I didn't want the world to be a better place; more fair to people like me and to others around me who were struggling in their own way, for whatever reason. From a young age, I was drawn to work in groups that were dedicated to making the world more like the place I wanted to live in. I was active in the Boy Scouts, my church, and the civil rights and peace movements (during the Vietnam era), for example. My academic background is in economics, public policy, philosophy and political science. Even though I made my way for many years in the private sector, culminating in a successful career as a financial analyst on Wall Street, I always felt that my research and money management was doing good for the beneficiaries of the pension funds and endowments who were my clients. Recently, as I have shifted my emphasis more to public service, I have come to appreciate the power of personal networking in an age of increasing impersonalization and standardization. ONE Massachusetts offers the ultimate opportunity for me to connect with like-minded people in the Commonwealth, and I wholeheartedly support its vision and goals." Michael F. Wilcox

"Helping nonprofit organizations to be as effective as possible in supporting the communities they serve became my calling as a young woman. Since joining Third Sector New England, a nonprofit providing capacity building services, it has become my passion. Through my affiliation with ONE Massachusetts, I believe that I can further support nonprofits and other community-based organizations. The network builds the capacity of these organizations as well as political and policy groups, faith-based organizations and individuals to work together to create a stronger, fairer, more dynamic Commonwealth. ONE Massachusetts is already successfully helping groups and individuals to recommit to – or to embrace for the first time – a vision of government as a key player in creating and maintaining healthy communities. More importantly for me, the network is not simply asking people to blindly believe in our government as it is, but we are helping members advocate for adequately-funded local and state government that is more transparent, responsive and inclusive." Denise Moorehead

"My career has been split between the public, non-profit and private sectors. When I returned to the non-profit world, it felt as if the struggles were the same as when I'd left years before, and yet I knew that everyone had been working themselves to the bone. It was as if going away and coming back allowed me a fresh view. What I saw was an array of issue stovepipes, each gaining little pieces of victories, but mostly having to be satisfied with crumbs. It seemed clear that we had to start doing things differently. Maybe it's age, but after more than 45 years, I knew I couldn't be satisfied with 'more of same'. And since I don't have my whole life ahead of me anymore, I wanted colleagues who also felt that we had to stop competing for funding and for public 'mind share' and do things differently . If we could just step back, coldly and boldly assess and strategize - and learn new ways of tackling the problems, and build our power, we could make major progress. And as I was mulling all this - along came ONE Massachusetts. Its partnership with the Demos training in how to more effectively talk about the issues we all care about was thrilling. It was like a veil lifted. Maybe it wasn't an answer to all my prayers, but here was a group of people committed to learning how to do things differently - together. Here was a place where I could both learn, and where my skills and experience could be helpful. It was a no brainer. I'm in. It's what we have to do." Joan Lancourt

"It was at an Insider Budget Briefing almost three years ago that Steve Crosby, former A&F Secretary for Governor Jane Swift said to 25 frustrated statewide advocates tired of competing with each other for limited state resources, "Why don't you guys create something like ONE Rhode Island?" Steve briefed us on this well established coalition of labor, human service activists and community organizations who regularly advocate for an adequately funded state government. and after researching other similar state groups we went exploring for funding. And we found it at the Schott Foundation for Public Education. The next 12 months involved a series of one on one meetings and briefings with community based activists , followed by some small gatherings of 10 - 35 local activists from all sectors, called a "Taste of ONE Massachusetts" that culminated in our first statewide convining of 80 folk on May 11, 2007." Judy Meredith

I just love this chain of people helping people. It's what gets me up in the morning. I'm so glad to be part of OneMassachusetts. I joined because I believe we all need to work together to support healthy, well funded communities. I have served as a member of the Board of Selectmen in Easton for over five years now. It has been a fascinating, challenging position, and I have learned so much. After my election, I helped lead an override campaign in my community. I learned firsthand what a difficult job it is to pass an override, and the divisions it creates in a community. Since then, I have watched community after community face the same issues. Cities and towns can no longer maintain, or even support, critical public safety, education, and service needs under the existing system. The piecemeal, every town for itself model is failing all of our communities. It is critical that we all work together to find a solution on the state level. Colleen Corona