Using Cross-Sector Collaboratives to Build Community Wealth

Hosted April 2026

In this webinar, leaders from the Boston Opportunity System (BOS) Collaborative share how they built and sustained a cross-sector effort focused on advancing community wealth in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Grounded in a shared theory of change, the conversation explores how partners aligned around common goals, invested in long-term relationship building, and centered community leadership in decision-making.

Panelists reflect on the infrastructure required to support collaboration, the realities of working across institutions with different incentives and timelines, and how strategies like childcare, small business ownership, and healthy homes are directly connected to economic mobility and health.

A public demonstration; people are leaning against Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan offices, with picket signs. The one in the forefront is a young man wearing a wide brimmed hat holding a yellow sign with dark text that reads "Your greed makes me sick".

Using Cross-Sector Collaboratives to Build Community Wealth

from Rx Foundation’s Power is a Social Determinant of Health series

Session description: The Boston Opportunity System (BOS) Collaborative is a cross-sector effort led by Boston Medical Center, focused on advancing economic mobility and neighborhood revitalization in Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. Grounded in a shared theory of change, the collaborative centers institutional transformation, community leadership, and trusted relationships as essential to long-term impact.

With a strategic focus on childcare, small business real estate ownership, and healthy homes and climate resilience, BOS is working to strengthen community assets and address structural barriers to opportunity.

In this session, we explore how collaboratives align partners, build trust over time, connect economic mobility to health, and navigate the realities of sustaining cross-sector work.

Watch the Recording

Session Highlights

Building the structure makes the work possible
Collaboration required more than shared intent. Dedicated infrastructure—including staffing, governance, and clear decision-making processes—was essential to moving from informal partnership to coordinated action.

Trust is built through follow-through
Trust across partners and with community was built through consistency over time—delivering on commitments and being transparent about constraints

Community leadership shapes outcomes
The work moved beyond engagement toward shared decision-making, ensuring community priorities directly influenced investment areas such as childcare and housing.

Economic mobility is a health strategy
Investments in childcare, small business ownership, and housing stability were framed as central to improving health outcomes.

Alignment requires ongoing negotiation
Differences in institutional timelines, incentives, and constraints made alignment an ongoing process rather than a fixed agreement.

Strategy follows relationships
Early phases of the work focused on relationship building and shared understanding; later phases allowed for more targeted and coordinated investment.

Noteable Quotes

It’s not enough to ask the community what they think.

The question is: are they shaping the decisions?”
Gina Patterson

Speakers

Dr. Megan Sandel
Co-Lead, Boston Opportunity System Collaborative; Director, Boston Medical Center

Dr. Thea James
Vice President of Mission and Associate Chief Medical Officer, Boston Medical Center

Gina Patterson
Director of Place Based Initiatives, Boston Opportunity System Collaborative Leader

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Using Cross-Sector Collaboratives to Build Community Wealth

Using Cross-Sector Collaboratives to Build Community Wealth

Watch the Recording

Session Highlights

Building the structure makes the work possibleCollaboration required more than shared intent. Dedicated infrastructure—including staffing, governance, and clear decision-making processes—was essential to moving from informal partnership to coordinated action.

Trust is built through follow-throughTrust across partners and with community was built through consistency over time—delivering on commitments and being transparent about constraints

Community leadership shapes outcomesThe work moved beyond engagement toward shared decision-making, ensuring community priorities directly influenced investment areas such as childcare and housing.

Economic mobility is a health strategyInvestments in childcare, small business ownership, and housing stability were framed as central to improving health outcomes.

Alignment requires ongoing negotiationDifferences in institutional timelines, incentives, and constraints made alignment an ongoing process rather than a fixed agreement.

Strategy follows relationshipsEarly phases of the work focused on relationship building and shared understanding; later phases allowed for more targeted and coordinated investment.

Noteable Quotes

Speakers

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Building the structure makes the work possible
Collaboration required more than shared intent. Dedicated infrastructure—including staffing, governance, and clear decision-making processes—was essential to moving from informal partnership to coordinated action.

Trust is built through follow-through
Trust across partners and with community was built through consistency over time—delivering on commitments and being transparent about constraints

Community leadership shapes outcomes
The work moved beyond engagement toward shared decision-making, ensuring community priorities directly influenced investment areas such as childcare and housing.

Economic mobility is a health strategy
Investments in childcare, small business ownership, and housing stability were framed as central to improving health outcomes.

Alignment requires ongoing negotiation
Differences in institutional timelines, incentives, and constraints made alignment an ongoing process rather than a fixed agreement.

Strategy follows relationships
Early phases of the work focused on relationship building and shared understanding; later phases allowed for more targeted and coordinated investment.