Teacher Guide to Philanthropic Historical Events
This timeline is from 1800 until the present time. The events on this timeline can be used as an addition to the common philanthropic historical events that can be found in any basic United States history book, or the events that the learners presented from prior knowledge. If you add additional events to the learner's list, make sure that the ones you choose focus mainly on minority groups that were used as an alternative power structure in American society.
1809: Assistance Society founded; gave food and medical help to poor
1812: United States Congress votes funds to help victims of Venezuelan earthquake
1813: Connecticut Moral Society founded
1815: American Bible Society founded
1817: First free school for the deaf established by Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet
1818: Society for the Prevention of Pauperism founded in New York
1821: Clara Barton born; later organized the Red Cross in America
1825: First juvenile reform school established in New York, the New York House of Refuge
1827: Asylum for Deaf and Dumb founded
1828: American Peace Society founded
1831: New York Institute for the Blind founded
1833: American Anti-Slavery Society organized
1835: Alexis de Toqueville writes "Democracy in America"
1841: Dorothea L. Dix begins improvements for insane persons
1843: New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor established
1844: Stephen Girard's estate plans carried out; largest American fortune left to charity at the time
1845: First American conference of Society of St. Vincent de Paul
1846: Smithsonian Institute approved by Congress; founder: James Smithson
1847: American Medical Association
1851: YMCA movement, in Boston, by Thomas V. Sullivan
1852: New York Ophthalmic Hospital
1853: First child welfare agency established in New York by Charles Loring Brace - Children's Aid Society of New York
1854: United States Congress passes bill granting public lands to states to help finance care for insane
1859: Peter Cooper founds Cooper Union, a school for free instruction in the arts
1860: W.K. Kellogg born
1861: Cooper Shop Volunteer Hospital founded
1862: Morrill Act provided land grants for state universities
1863: Catholic Protectory established in New York City - largest institution for children
1864: Geneva Convention for aid to wounded in time of war
1865: Freedmen's Bureau founded
1866: American Equal Rights Association is formed
1867: First foundation created - the Peabody Fund, by George Peabody
1868: Hampston Institute founded - best endowed school for Negroes
1874: Organization of Conference of Charities and Correction - now is National Conference on Social Welfare
1876: Johns Hopkins University founded
1881: Clara Barton establishes American Association of the Red Cross
1882: United States ratifies the Geneva Convention
1887: United Way founded in Denver, Colorado
1889: Andrew Carnegie publishes the Gospel of Wealth
1890: General Federation of Women's Clubs founded
1892: John Muir founded the Sierra Club
1893: American Association of the Red Cross becomes American National Red Cross
1894: First federal income tax law deducts for charitable contributions
1896: National Association of Colored Women founded
1899: National Consumers League founded to promote justice in labor
1901: Nobel Peace Prize created by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel
1902: Carnegie Institute endowed
1903: National Child Labor Committee founded
1907: Russell Sage Foundation established
1909: Jane Addams helps found the NAACP and is elected the first woman President of the National Conference of Charities and Corrections - later the National Conference
1911: United States Childrens Bureau founded
1912: Girl Scouts founded
1913: The Rockefeller Foundation established
1914: Federal income tax made foundations defined as charitable not taxable
1917: Federal inheritance tax
1918: United Way of America founded
1920: Women are granted the right to vote by the 19th Amendment
1921: American Foundation for Blind founded
1923: The Equal Rights Amendment is introduced to Congress
1924: Charitable contributions reach $2 billion
1926: Mott Foundation established by Charles Stewart Mott
1930: W.K. Kellogg Foundation organized
1931: Jane Addams first American woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize
1933: Civilian Conservation Corps established
1935: Social Security Act
1936: Ford Foundation established
1937: Andrew Mellon donates art collection establishing the National Gallery of Art
1941: Red Cross adopts blood donor program
1943: United Negro College Fund established
1944: First payroll deductions for contributions to Community Chest
1946: Rockefeller donates land for United Nations
1949: Council on Foundations founded supporting responsible philanthropic activities
1950: National Association for Mental Health
1953: Supreme Court decision upholds right of corporations to make philanthropic contributions
1955: Ford Foundation gives largest grant in history, $560 million
1956: The Foundation Center established as a clearinghouse for independent nonprofit information
1961: President John F. Kennedy creates the Peace Corps
1965: Medicare and Medicaid established
1966: National Welfare Rights Organization formed
1967: SERVE established - Serve and Enrich Retirement by Volunteer Experience
1968: National Alliance of Businessmen created by Henry Ford II
1969: President Nixon establishes National Center for Voluntary Action
1974: Ronald McDonald homes established
1975: Filer Commission (Commission on Private Philanthropy and Public Needs)
1976: Habitat for Humanity founded
1979: Pennsylvania prisoners create a fun-run and give money to youth service agencies
1980: Independent Sector is founded bringing together national nonprofit organizations, foundations, and corporate giving programs to strengthen giving, volunteering and not-for-profit initiatives in the United States
1984: Campus Compact, the first Project for public community service
1985: Charity anthem titled, "We Are The World," raises money for famine relief
1986: Hands Across America charity event occurred
1988: Independent sector begins biennial surveys concerning nonprofit organizations
1989: First leadership in Volunteerism Experience (LIVE) conference held at the University of Illinois
1990: Family Support Act adds mandatory community service work
1993: National and Community Service Trust Act
1994: Service-Learning and Education Reform integrated into: Elementary and Secondary Education Act, School to Work Opportunities Act, and Goals 2000: Educate America Act
1996: Ted Turner gives $200 million to charity
1997: Ted Turner donates $1 billion to United Nations, largest single pledge to any organization
1998: Children's Scholarship Fund established to pay private school tuition for low-income children
1999: Bill and Melinda French Gates donate over $ 3 billion to their two foundations, biggest single gift from living donors
Timeline taken from http://learningtogive.org/timeline/american/index.html