Honoring Our History
We’re here today because in 1924, a group of visionaries came together to shape a better future for our community. Thanks to the foresight and generosity of people throughout the last 100 years, we’ve been able to create resiliency and possibility for people across Lancaster County.
A Snapshot of Our History
-
1924
Attorney Martin M. Harnish sees a new movement from Cleveland and establishes the Lancaster Community Trust as one of the earliest community foundations in America.
-
1928
First Grant: $600 scholarship supporting esteemed educator Erna Grassmuck for higher education.
-
1930
An early gift to the future as Miss Mary Musser leaves her entire estate to the Lancaster Community Trust for the “poor and poverty stricken.”
-
1941
Contributed $2000 to support the original construction of the Crispus Attucks Recreation Center.
-
1980s
Received a portion of Benjamin Franklin’s original Trust. His intention to support education for young people continues to impact youth today through foundations across Pennsylvania.
-
1994
$30,000 to support the first Enola Rail Trail study that led to the the recreation trails we enjoy today.
-
1999
A $125K grant to explore potential uses for the Watt & Shand Building which we now know as the Lancaster Marriott and Lancaster County Convention Center.
-
2002
$7,500 to Historic Preservation Trust helped restore the home and law office of Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, now a part of LancasterHistory’s new Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy.
Opening 2025
-
2007
Investing in the Arts initiative secured First Fridays, Public Art, and Arts accessibility programs for all residents of Lancaster.
-
2008
As the national economy plummeted, $750,000 for Family Aid to provide food, shelter, heating, and basic needs during the Great Recession.
-
2011
The Ah-Ha Project: Creative Solutions to Real Problems sparked innovation in the nonprofit sector spurring impacts like SoWe, bike lanes, and mobile shelters.
-
2012
Launched the signature event, Extraordinary Give, inviting all Lancastrians to support a cause they care about. The event has now raised $100 million for local causes.
-
2016
Partnered to support the New Americans economic study confirming that immigrants contribute a positive $1.3 billion to the annual GDP of Lancaster County.
-
2020
When the pandemic struck in March 2020, partnered with United Way to launch Lancaster Cares Covid Relief Fund raising more than $1.2 million in funds for housing, food, and basic needs in our community.
-
2022
Supported creation of the first-ever Lancaster County Racial Equity Profile to help guide equitable growth and economic vitality for all residents and our community’s future.
A Groundbreaking Idea
The early 1900s was an era of innovation and change in our nation. In 1914, a new “community foundation” movement emerged inviting more people to support their communities and creating a way to keep their gifts relevant for future generations.
In 1924, just ten years after the launch of the first community foundation in Cleveland, Ohio, local attorney Martin M. Harnish brought this innovative concept home to Lancaster. Then known as the Lancaster Community Trust, it was one of the earliest community foundations established in America.
Our Story
Even then, Lancaster County was one of the pioneering communities in the nation harnessing the power of collective philanthropy. Now, there are more than 800 community foundations throughout the United States
As charitable gifts to support Lancaster grew over the decades, so did annual granting ability. Since its inception, the Community Foundation has distributed more than $60 million to local causes and ignited our signature event, the ExtraGive, which has generated more than $100 million in donations that directly support the work of local organizations. Because visionary funders had the foresight and generosity to leave legacy gifts throughout the last 100 years, the community’s endowment has become a unique resource that supports our community today and also invites all people to make a plan to shape our shared tomorrow.
Today, the Lancaster County Community Foundation cares for the $200 million in community assets that build resource, resilience, and possibility for Lancaster County.
At the Community Foundation, philanthropy is for everyone. What started as an invitation for people to leave money for our community in a will or estate plan, has grown to be a collection of more than 560 individual funds and many different ways to give. This dynamic pool of resources supports a wide variety of causes and organizations across Lancaster County every year and into the future.
We are honored to have a deeper look at the history of the Community Foundation included in the “The Journal of Lancaster County’s Historical Society,” February 2024 edition. With special thanks to LancasterHistory, you can access it here with their special permission. Article begins on page 223.