Back to the Future: Cambridge and Its Centuries-Old Commitment to Philanthropy

Did you know that the first recorded fund drive on the continental United States was conducted by Harvard – in 1643? Or how about that the first American board was established by the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company? In 1638 John Harvard willed his entire library to the university, and just five years later Ann Radcliffe provided the gift that enabled Harvard to create the first scholarship fund. As illustrated in “A Chronological History Of Philanthropy in America,” Cambridge’s centuries-old roots revolve around innovation in philanthropy.

The New England area demonstrated exceptional collaboration and organization in philanthropic activity. John Winthrop preached a religious commitment to charitable work, and wealthy colonial families adapted the European tradition of leaving behind memorials appropriate to their great names. This soon evolved into the uniquely American practice of establishing charitable organizations that accepted contributions not from single wealthy benefactors, but rather from multiple individual donors.

Throughout the centuries, charitable and philanthropic enterprises developed here in conjunction with influences affecting the rest of the nation. “A Brief History of Philanthropy in America” suggests that a solid sense of the responsibility and privilege of volunteerism and charitable enterprise stemmed from a culture punctuated by shared adversities, such as pioneer lifestyle and the Civil War. This culture of cooperative involvement allowed for wider participation in research and policy, and also paved the way for the "greats" in American philanthropy.



The development of modern philanthropy was affected by the advent of industry and rapid urbanization. This chapter of American giving contains names such as Carnegie, Ford, and Rockefeller. Charitable organizations began to reflect the structures of the business corporations that were successful in the early 20th century. Today, an ever-increasing body of theory, literature, and criticism has advanced the study of philanthropy into a full-fledged academic discipline.

American philanthropy presents an intriguing history, and the significance of that history is perpetually applicable here in our local community. For almost four hundred years now Cambridge has lived up to its reputation of original approaches to addressing social issues. What started in the early 1600s with Puritan settlers persists into the contemporary nonprofit scene, and it will surely carry on here well into the future.