Higginson 1908 Foundation, Inc

Michael H. Shanahan gb’82, President & Trustee

Philip C. Haughey ’57 Matthew G. Hegarty ’82

Nicholas J. Iselin ’87 gsd ’92, and Karen VanWinkle ’80 Trustees

Michael F. Cronin ’75, gb’77, Treasurer

The Higginson Foundation was established by a group of past presidents of the Club to provide for a more flexible and extensive charitable entity that can pursue a broader charter than the old Club foundation.In keeping with IRS regulations, this new Foundation is managed independently of the Club’s Board of Governors which adds flexibility in the range of activities for the entity.

The Higginson Foundation is an IRS approved 401(c)3 charity that can accept tax deductible gifts The charter of the new Foundation established these priorities:

The Foundation was organized as a Massachusetts nonprofit corporation on November 23, 2015 to preserve and protect old and historic buildings in and around Boston, Massachusetts, including, specifically the Clubhouse of the Harvard Club of Boston (sometimes referred to as “the Club”), as well as to preserve and protect historically significant artwork exhibited in and around Boston, Massachusetts, including within the Clubhouse of the Club, in order to perpetuate the further education of posterity with regard to the architectural, historic, artistic and general cultural heritage of the Boston area. The Foundation was further organized to encourage education and personal advancement for youth in the Greater Boston area, to foster scientific, literary and educational interests among members of the Club and to advance the interests and promote the welfare of Harvard University. The Foundation intends to carry out its educational purposes by, among other activities, organizing a speaker series to educate members of the Harvard Club of Boston and the Harvard University community on matters of public interest and by awarding scholarships and fellowships for study at institutions of higher education.

Our principal source of fundraising has been a voluntary member assessment We appreciate the members who contributed to the Foundation in this fashion – we were able to raise more than $150,000 last year through your generosity This year’s voluntary assessment will be included on the Club’s April statements and we hope you will continue to support the Foundation.

Along with the Harvard Club of Boston Foundation we continued our support of Harvard scholarships, summer fellowships, and the Harvard Book Prize. As we did in 2021, Foundation made efforts to enhance the diversity and inclusiveness of the Club’s art collection by commissioning framed reproductions of portraits of notable Harvard graduates or faculty.

This year we cooperated with the Club’s Fine Art’s Committee in acquiring several reproductions to help broaden the representation of the Harvard community in the Massachusetts Room There are now several portraits of “firsts” from Harvard’s history on display in that room, including the first woman faculty member at Harvard, the first black faculty member, and a handful of others interesting subjects. We have also worked with the Club to provide profiles of each piece of art in that room which are accessible to members and visitors by simply snapping a photo of individual QR codes located next to each work. Please give it a try when you are next in the Massachusetts Room.

We look forward to supporting the Club’s recognition of the first elected woman Governor of Massachusetts (Harvard’s own Maura Healy ’92) and other notable members of the Harvard community in the coming months as we also welcome requests from the Club to support projects or initiatives consistent with the Foundation’s charter such as historic restoration and/or preservation of various parts of the Clubhouse.

The Financial Statements of the Higginson 1908 Foundation and the legacy Harvard Club of Boston Foundation as of June 30, 2022 are included in this Annual Report, and detail the support both foundations provided As of this writing the Higginson Foundation has approximately $400,000 in assets and we have plans for additional fundraising activities in 2023 so we can broaden our support in the future.

Once again, we appreciate your voluntary contributions in support of the Higginson 1908 Foundation and look forward to expanded activities in support of the Foundation, the Club, and the community in the coming year.

Respectfully submitted,

Michael H. Shanahan, gb’82 President