Chapter 6: The Business of Philanthropy
In the early 20th century, the public’s view of business men underwent a fundamental change as a result of the excesses of the Gilded Age. The Progressive Era, the period that followed the Gilded Age, focused on social reform built on the concept of individual and collective responsibility. An emphasis on ethics and morality led many in the business sector to invest in their communities and join service organizations dedicated to helping the less fortunate.
In 1904, Toledo business men and their wives created a new organization called the Toledo Federation of Charities to coordinate and provide assistance to the poor. The organization later became the Toledo Community Chest, and in 1984, changed its name to the United Way.
In addition to coordinating social services in the city, many business men and women provided direct assistance to those in need through service organizations. The Toledo Rotary, organized in 1912, distinguished itself in service to children with disabilities. In 1917, it took on the special case of a young Toledo boy born with no arms or legs. The club sent him to a hospital in Detroit, where he was fitted with artificial legs and attended school for the first time. That boy, Alva Bunker, inspired the Rotary to continue its work on behalf of disabled children, including helping to establish the Feilbach School, the first school for disabled children in Toledo. Today, Rotary International continues to serve children with disabilities worldwide. The Lions’ Clubs International was founded in 1917 to promote civic welfare. In 1925, at a speech given in Sandusky, Helen Keller urged the Lions’ Clubs to adopt blindness as their philanthropic focus. That mission continues to this day. The Kiwanis Club of Toledo was chartered on May 16, 1916. Throughout its history, the club has financially assisted many organizations aimed at helping youth. More recently, the organization has worked to help the sick and needy.
Organizations of business women became more common after the end of World War I. In 1919, a group of five in Buffalo met to found what became known as Quota International. The Toledo Quota chapter was founded in 1931 and has been focused on assisting the hearing impaired in addition to women and children in need. The Toledo Chapter of Business and Professional Women officially formed in 1920. The club’s causes have included woman’s suffrage, helping women find employment, and supporting issues of importance to working women
Some business men of extraordinary means took on their own philanthropic causes. In 1901, Edward Drummond Libbey and his wife, Florence, were inspired to lead the effort to create an art museum in Toledo. Originally located downtown on Madison, the museum’s collection grew, and it moved to its current home on Monroe Street in 1912. Both Libbey and his wife left a large share of their considerable estates as an endowment to the museum that continues to allow it to operate without an admission charge. Today, the Toledo Museum of Art is recognized as one of the top museums in the world.