Philanthropy

The German Centre’s philanthropic roots extend back more than a century when the German Ladies Aid Society of Boston envisioned a safe and nurturing retirement residence for elderly German Americans in surroundings where their language and customs were understood and celebrated. The Society ran the Centre from 1914 until 1932 when it transitioned the entity to a newly formed corporation, Deutsches Altenheim (DA) Inc. Officers of the Society’s Board served on the DA Inc. Board for many years, along with other volunteers, and continue to serve ex officio to this day.

In November 1995, DA Inc. formed a separate 501.c.3 corporation, Deutsches Altenheim Foundation, to hold, manage, and invest all gifts and donations received for the German Centre. The sole beneficiary of this activity is DA Inc. All Foundation funds are managed with policy and use direction from the Foundation Board.

Philanthropy Points of Pride

• $2.25M campaign to support Edelweiss Village building project

• $77K challenge-match campaign for Music Therapy

• $50K endowed scholarship fund for Trained Nursing Assistants

• $100K in grants for Adult Day Health renovation

• $37K in funding for front-lawn beautification initiative

• $25K foundation grant for tech support to improve resident/family communication/access during COVID-19 pandemic

• $2.5+ million in bequests received from three grateful families

Fundraising efforts continued to be volunteerled until 1997 when a full-time development and communications professional was hired. For two decades this individual ran a broad program encompassing annual fund, honor/memorial giving, an annual golf tournament and various stewardship events, a constituent newsletter, articles for the press and publication, promotional collateral, and grant writing. Additionally, administrative and program staff contributed to securing and managing state, federal, and other grants to fund special initiatives.

As the Centre’s needs grew, so did its efforts to expand philanthropy. In late 2020, the Foundation Board retained fundraising counsel to assess the development effort and recommend strategies for growth. A key recommendation to invest in building a stronger donor pipeline and major and planned giving program drove the decision to hire a fundraising executive with this experience—a seasoned front-line fundraiser who could lead the philanthropy program into the future, building on a century of support from grateful beneficiaries of the Centre’s services. Simultaneously, the new Legacy Lifecare affiliation provided resources to help with communications, including website management and marketing.

Currently, the Centre receives philanthropic funding through the efforts of the philanthropy staff, the DA Foundation and its $6 million endowment, and the German Ladies Aid Society. The staff has successfully conducted “mini campaigns” for programs and services, securing individual gifts and private foundation grants from such funders as the Amelia Peabody Charitable Fund, Charles H. Farnsworth Trust, George B. Henderson Foundation, and James and Sarah Dyer Charitable Fund; and the first-ever endowed scholarship fund from a grateful family.

Looking back over a five-year period, on average, $250-350K is raised annually through appeals and grant requests (excluding government grants). Additionally, the Centre benefits from planned gifts; in the last several years, it has received $2 million in bequests from members of the German American community and grateful families of former residents.