Worcester Regional Research Bureau

CONTACT:

319 Main Street
Worcester, MA 01608
508-799 - 7169
www.wrrb.org

Roberta R. Schaefer, Ph.D., Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

Trust philanthropy to supply and support organizations that educate citizens about public policies affecting them, and to provide public officials with accurate information on which to base effective action. "...[T]he Worcester Regional Research Bureau is a...non-partisan, independent organization with a public service mission: to study the city's and region's toughest problems and furnish information that will contribute to effective action." Worcester can be proud that philanthropy plays a leading role in its civic affairs. Not only does Worcester have a relatively large number of relatively well-endowed foundations, fora city its size, with strong senses of civic responsibility, but because political power is dispersed - among 11 City Councilors (5 elected district representatives, and 6 at-large members); a city manager; a popularly-elected mayor who must also be one of the at-large Councilors - there is ample opportunity for private organizations and individuals to influence public policy. In few if any cities nationwide does philanthropy play so large a role in civic life. Since its creation in 1985, the Research Bureau has won national awards for the excellence of its research and education programs, and brought credit to philanthropy in the process. You can contribute to its independence by helping to support it.

(1999: CULTURE: Education: Informal: General)