October 29
Vetto Casado '11 is reimagining the relationship between grassroots community organizations and their funders. The director of the Shifting Power, Advancing Justice initiative at The Boston Foundation, Casado has earned the Institute for Nonprofit Practice Changemaker Award and has been named to the ALX100, which recognizes Latino leaders from across Massachusetts.
This philanthropy leader has accomplished great things both personally and professionally—and he got his start at North Shore Community College (NSCC).
“I’m living proof: there are so many opportunities inside that building that can become a launchpad,” said Casado.
A Story Rooted in Community
Not only did Casado’s parents shape his story, they shaped the way he views philanthropy.
Casado was born in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. His father gave up his dreams of finishing dental school to give his children a better opportunity in the United States, and his family immigrated when he was six years old, settling in Chelsea.
“Chelsea was a beautiful landing spot for me. I grew up alongside Colombianos and Brasileños, Hondureños and Salvadoreños, and Puerto Rican folks, which taught me so much about my latinidad and identity in an emerging gateway city. Those lessons have been valuable to this day."
Casado’s mother started a hair salon out of their apartment, which soon became a space for immigrant women to build community.
“She didn't know it at the time, but my mother was a community organizer and an activist,” said Casado. “That was my childhood: learning from these incredible women."
Creating a Path Forward at North Shore
Still, growing up in Chelsea was no joke. Casado said that as he grew up, he navigated the difficulties of street violence, economic disenfranchisement, and dealt with loved ones struggling in the carceral system. High school proved difficult. Our family dealt with a multitude of pressures and challenges, but we found a way to hold each other during the most arduous moments.
“I always scored high on tests, but my life was so chaotic, economic pressures and medical emergencies creating added stress for our family, young people in my community not having sufficient investment and opportunity, learning to come to grips with all of these structural inequities affecting our daily lives. It was really hard to stay focused,” he said.
After graduation, he wasn’t sure what his path forward would be. He tried a four-year school for a year and without proper support or guidance, walked away with a student loan he’s still paying off today. He tried another community college, thinking he would become a radiologic technologist. Nothing seemed to stick, and without a clear sense of direction, he worked a series of different jobs in the service and nightlife industry. It did, however, help him understand the realities of people on the ground making ends meet, providing for themselves and loved ones. Those experiences helped shape his perspectives and learning that he has applied to his approaches in Philanthropy.
I Bet on Myself
“Somehow, by the power of the universe, I took one more shot. I bet on myself, and I went to North Shore Community College. And here's where the story gets interesting,” Casado said.
At NSCC, Casado had a breakthrough moment: he met with Ray Parker, an advisor who was at the College for nearly 30 years.
“He says, ‘Mr. Casado, do you know what a liberal arts degree is?’”
Like a doctor giving a prescription, Parker told him to take some classes in the humanities and come back later. It was the right call, because liberal arts is where Casado bloomed.
“I went from a 2.0 to a 3.8 GPA the next semester. That completely opened up this window of opportunity for me,” Casado said. “I only met with him two or three times after that, but that was a launching pad and some of the most impactful meetings and guidance I received in my life. I owe so much to Mr. Parker’s words of wisdom and support.”
Mr. Parker showed him a path forward, teaching him about the Mass Transfer program that makes it easy for community college students to transfer to Massachusetts’ state-supported colleges and universities. Crucially, he also taught Casado how to seek out other advisors and mentors who could help him find his way.
Community Impact and Leadership
Through Mass Transfer, he transferred to UMass Boston, where he studied political science and graduated with his bachelor’s degree, the first person in his family to do so. He participated in the Latino Leadership Opportunity Program at UMass and in 2012, he was elected to the Harvard Kennedy School's Latino Leadership Initiative.
For five years, he worked as executive director of the nonprofit organization Small Can Be Big. During his time as executive director, the organization averted 450 evictions in the Boston area through crowdfunding initiatives.
He worked as a music consultant for Sony Latin and Epic Records, travelling back and forth from Boston to Los Angeles as he worked on projects based on movie and TV soundtracks, as well as managing tours and shows across North and South America. When he and his wife decided to start a family, Casado decided to stop the constant travel and start the next chapter of his career.
Reimagining Grants
Casado joined The Boston Foundation in 2019 as assistant director of community grantmaking, and over the next four years through deep listening and dialogue with community partners, he worked his way up to directing a $4 million initiative, now known as Shifting Power & Advancing Justice.
“We are creating these multi-year, deep investments and support for movement leaders who are on the front lines of grassroots movement work in Boston. These are the organizations that are working on the front lines of environmental justice, disability justice, housing protections and tenant rights immigration, and voter access/civic engagement,” Casado said.
As a former executive director of a nonprofit now at a foundation, Casado has a deep understanding of the complexities and power dynamics of the funder-nonprofit relationship. And through the Shifting Power, Advancing Justice initiative, his life’s work is to reimagine the relationship between community foundations and grassroots partners.
“For many of our community partners, the consensus has been that traditional philanthropy had relied for far too long on the days of $10,000 or $20,000 grants, burdensome applications, extractive site visits—wash, rinse, repeat,” he said. The Boston Foundation and many other mission-aligned ecosystem partners have been thinking deeply about moving the work forward and creating additional opportunities to lead and innovate. In SPAJ’s specific focus area, six organizations receive $225,000 annually for three years, and Casado is creating a new paradigm where the founder works more collaboratively with organizations, building a strong infrastructure of support.
The support Casado found at NSCC put him on the path to help build a better Boston—and to give his children opportunities he never had.
“When I look back on this journey, back to the days at North Shore when I was this young, wide-eyed kid with a dream, where I didn't know where that dream was going to lead me—I can't believe I'm here.”