Highland Street Foundation

The Highland Street Foundation is a Newton-based family foundation that addresses the most pressing needs and concerns of children and families in Massachusetts and California. Its grants and programs focus on access and opportunity in education, housing, mentorship, health care, the environment and the arts. The foundation works through partnerships with nonprofit organizations, especially in the Boston area, where it has built community partnerships for more than 25 years.

David J. McGrath Jr., his wife JoAnn and their five children established the foundation in 1989, with all seven family members serving as founding trustees. David founded and owned TAD Resources International, a temporary staffing company with more than 300 branches. After his death in 1995, TAD was sold to Adecco, described as the world’s largest temporary help company, and that sale provided the majority of the foundation’s current endowment.

What to Know

• The McGrath family and the foundation have contributed more than 260 million dollars to hundreds of nonprofits.
• Members of the McGrath family, including Sean McGrath, continue to serve as trustees.
• The foundation marked its 35th anniversary with a commemorative website.