Awardees

AFP MA's Massachusetts Gives Awards Honorees 2026

Leader in Philanthropy: Demond and Kia Martin

The Award honors an individual or family whose charitable giving inspires others to give back. The awardee is nominated and selected by the AFP MA's Executive Committee.

Demond Martin, Co-Founder & CEO, WellWithAll

Dr. Kia Martin, Educator and Equity Advocate, Demon & Kia Martin Foundation

Investor and philanthropist, Demond Martin is Co-Founder and CEO of WellWithAll, an innovative health and wellness company that pours 20% of its profits into health equity. Demond and his wife Dr. Kia Martin through their family foundation focus on erasing gaps created by racial and social injustice in the areas of education and healthcare.

Kia Martin is a respected professor of education who has dedicated her career to fighting for equity in education. Her research and expertise lies in multicultural literacy and addressing the reading achievement gap for Black males in special education. With a deep understanding of the challenges faced by marginalized communities, Kia has been a tireless advocate for creating inclusive and equitable learning environments.

Lifetime Achievement in Fundraising: Lee Pelton

The Award honors an individual for achievements over the span of an entire career.

Lee Pelton

Former CEO & President, The Boston Foundation

Lee Pelton, who was recognized in 2024 by Non-Profit Times on its list of America’s 50 most powerful and influential non-profit leaders, most recently served as CEO & President of The Boston Foundation, one of the nation’s leading philanthropic organizations with $2.6 billion in assets, until August 2026. He joined the Foundation in June 2021, after serving as President of Emerson College (2011-2021) and Willamette University (1998-2011).

Pelton positioned The Boston Foundation, one of the nation's first and most influential community foundations, as an agent for social change by centering equity in its programs, grantmaking and civic leadership. Under his leadership, the Foundation’s defining ambition was to achieve equity, which first involves acknowledging and then seeking to eliminate the structural and underlying causes of outcome disparities for historically marginalized communities.

Outstanding Corporate Philanthropist: The TJX Companies, Inc.

The Award honors a corporation or its corporate foundation that demonstrates outstanding commitment through financial support and through encouragement and motivation of others.

The TJX Companies, Inc.

The TJX Companies, Inc., a Fortune 100 company, is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. Their value mission extends to our corporate responsibility efforts, which are focused on supporting our Associates, giving back in the communities we serve, the environment, and operating responsibly.

Their value mission extends to our corporate responsibility efforts, which are focused on supporting our Associates, giving back in the communities we serve, the environment, and operating responsibly.

Outstanding Philanthropic Foundation: New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund

The Award honors a foundation that demonstrates outstanding commitment through financial support and through encouragement and motivation of others.

New Commonwealth Racial Equity and Social Justice Fund

Since its inception, the New Commonwealth Fund has invested in those closest to the work—addressing historic underinvestment and equipping community leaders with vital resources. They've grown into a leading capacity builder, grantmaker, and a force for impactful change in philanthropy.

Award to be accepted by Dr. Makeeba McCreary, President, The New Commonwealth Fund

Outstanding Fundraising Professional: Kelley Tuthill, Ed.D.

The Award honors an outstanding fundraiser for recent achievements working for nonprofit, charitable organizations.

Kelley Tuthill, Ed.D.

President & CEO, Catholic Charities Boston

Kelley Tuthill, Ed.D., has served as President & CEO of Catholic Charities Boston since 2024, responsible for developing the strategy for the $50 million agency to advance its mission to welcome and serve all those in need with dignity and respect.

A seasoned fundraiser, under her leadership the agency has doubled gala and Ash Wednesday collection revenue and expanded major gift fundraising. She has led the agency’s emergency response to humanitarian and social service crises, modernized the agency’s brand and web presence, and oversees efforts to revitalize agency multi-service centers and expand affordable housing opportunities.

Read Full Bio

Outstanding Young Leader in Philanthropy: Connor Schoen

The Award honors an emerging leader, 35 years old or younger, who has already demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to advancing philanthropy.

Connor Schoen

Co-Founder & CEO, Breaktime

Connor Schoen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Breaktime, a Boston-based nonprofit working to end young adult homelessness through an innovative, three-stage economic mobility model. Connor co-founded Breaktime in 2018 while attending Harvard University, where he earned an honors degree in Applied Mathematics and Economics. Under his leadership, Breaktime has grown from a student-led startup into a nationally recognized, multi-million-dollar nonprofit employing and empowering 500+ young adults annually across Massachusetts.

Connor was named one of 2026's 150 Most Influential Bostonians by Boston Magazine, and his bold leadership also landed him a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Read Full Bio

Big Heart Service Award: Dave McGillivray

The Award honors a volunteer whose donation of time has inspired others to give back.

Dave McGillivray

President / Founder / Owner, Dave McGillivray Sports Enterprises, Inc. (DMSE Sports, Inc.) & Dave McGillivray Finish Strong Foundation, Inc.

For Dave McGillivray, it was his strong desire to be an athlete that led him to run across the country in 1978 at age 23. That 80-day trek across the United States led to a life of pushing himself both mentally and physically. McGillivray was the long-time race director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon and has directed many of the country's most prestigious races, such as the 2004 and 2008 U.S. Women’s Olympic Marathon Trials, the 1990 ITU Triathlon World Championship, the TD Beach to Beacon 10K, the ASICS Falmouth Road Race, and numerous other races. He addresses audiences with a motivational account that is not about running...it’s about what’s possible if you believe in yourself and your own ability to do the seemingly insurmountable.

Registration & Sponsorship Opportunities

To support our awardees and celebrate their contributions to the fundraising community, you can participate in several ways — by attending the event, sponsoring a table, or making a tribute gift in honor of this year’s recipients. Your support helps recognize their achievements and strengthens AFP Massachusetts’s mission to advance the profession.

Click here to register for the event.

Click here to explore event sponsorships and tribute opportunities! Tribute options begin at $500 and sponsorship packages start at $1,500, with event tickets included. To learn more or request assistance, please contact sponsorship@afpmass.org. Sponsorship deadline for inclusion in printed materials: November 6, 2026.