By Karl Zinsmeister Reprinted from the Spring 2019 issue of Philanthropy magazine (PhilMag.org) a stroll through Community Life An important part of the long-term mission of willingly hand over to these institutions—every The Philanthropy Roundtable is cataloguing single year—more than $400 billion, and at least and celebrating America’s crucial institutions that much more in the value of our volunteer of civil society. These entities don’t wield time, is because we recognize their power to government’s coercive authority. Nor are make our society better in multiple ways. they fueled by the profit incentives of the Over the next several years, I hope to commercial sector. They exist in a third sphere chronicle many of these organizations. More independent of those two poles of social action, specifically, I’ll map them by geography, in region- fixing problems where neither power nor by-region guides. So any time you want to get money are adequate to the task. to know a place, you’ll be able to quickly pull up Voluntary community-building organizations all the descriptions and practical information are some of the most distinctive elements of our needed to immerse yourself in the distinctive civilization. One could say they make America elements of that area’s civic culture. Museums, America. Many date back hundreds of years; glorious parks, special schools, potent churches, others are just recently born. Compared to other restaurants where you can eat a meal served countries, they are extraordinarily numerous, and by a former convict or prostitute or homeless they exist and thrive only because they work, and person, venerable athletic organizations, priceless propel us forward. medical nonprofits, civic music halls, impressive Again and again, in sector after sector, these community-boosting charities, public art, historic civic associations have demonstrated their libraries—you’ll find all of these and more. capacities to make our lives richer, healthier, As a sneak peek at this new prospective work, kinder, happier, and more beautiful. And for that, the following pages present a sketch of civil they are loved by everyday Americans (though society in one of America’s oldest and culturally sometimes taken for granted). The reason we richest cities: Philadelphia. Karl Zinsmeister is author of The Almanac of American Philanthropy. Karl Zinsmeister Karl 14 PHILANTHROPY Libraries for the Common Man Benjamin Franklin was a supreme example of a distinctively American “type”—the self-improver. The tenth son of a soapmaker who had only enough money to send Ben to school for one year, a stroll through Franklin had to train his mind himself and blaze a personal path to achievement. Members of the Junto lent After running away from home at age 17 Franklin the money he needed to buy he found himself hundreds of miles from the Pennsylvania Gazette and turn it all friends or family, without any sources into the most popular and innovative of assistance or advantage. If he was newspaper in the colonies. Other going to prosper in life, it would have to members of the group were likewise Community Life be by the wit, character, and diligence he boosted into professional and personal developed on his own. achievement through the support of When he turned 21 Franklin their clubmates. began his first experiment in using The other half of the formula voluntary association with other behind this little voluntary association citizens as an aid to individual success. was to methodically do civic He pulled together a group of similarly good. Junto members organized a hard-working friends in what he pathbreaking volunteer fire brigade. called “a club of mutual improvement.” They led campaigns to pave, clean, and One of the 12 members was affluent, light the public streets, and to improve but the others all toiled in trades like health conditions. They spawned the cobbler, glazier, clerk, bartender, and colonies’ first learned group. cabinetmaker. They called their circle These efforts inspired others. As the “Junto,” and met every Friday members of the Junto thrived, Franklin evening for dinner and discussion. encouraged each of the dozen to set Franklin drew up club rules which up similar small groups with a fresh required them to think out loud membership of earnest self-improvers. together about both intellectual topics This set the template for America’s and practical subjects—like how they dense growth of voluntary communal could assist each other’s success, and organizations through which participants what the group should do to elevate simultaneously refine themselves and their growing city. enrich the larger society. The Junto helped popularize One of the most valuable social the kind of individual striving and contributions of Franklin’s Junto was its community-mindedness that eventually creation of the public lending library. became common in America, but when Members of the group found they often Franklin and his friends began, this was had to consult books to settle questions a novel approach. In mother Britain raised during their discussions. To make and more class-conscious parts of the this easier, they first agreed to pool in one American colonies, like the cavalier place all of the reference volumes they South, the prevailing view was that owned as individuals. (Books were then citizens were born either as “gentlemen” very expensive and possessed only in or “serviles,” and that those who worked small numbers even by striving readers.) with their hands could not aspire to But they found that members borrowed a life of the mind or engage in public books then forgot to return them. service. Franklin and his friends, and So Franklin suggested a refinement: many other Americans like them, Members of the Junto and as many Karl Zinsmeister Karl exposed the foolishness of that view. friends as they could convince to join SPRING 2019 15 million works it acquired in its nearly three centuries of existence. The initial subscription library grew big enough to serve as the Library of Congress during the decades when Philadelphia was the them would form a new book group that national capital. It continued to grow as anyone willing to pay a modest deposit an open lending collection and was the could join. Records would be kept, and if largest set of books in the U.S. until the someone failed to bring back a book, a fee 1850s. In the 1950s it was transformed would be taken out of his deposit. Pooled into a research library, opening its many funds would also be used to buy new rare volumes to investigators of all sorts. books suggested by the members. Philadelphia is also home to many The 50 initial joiners who set specialized libraries created for the this up in 1731 called it the Library public good. These range from one of Company of Philadelphia. This was the country’s largest family-history a breakthrough in making reading and genealogy collections, offered by material broadly available to the public. the Historical Society of Pennsylvania Average citizens who would otherwise (where you can also see treasures like have no hope of being able to read the first draft of the U.S. Constitution and study suddenly had resources and the earliest known American for sharpening their minds. This fit photograph), to America’s deepest trove beautifully with Franklin’s belief in of books about freemasonry, which can the diffusion of knowledge to give all be accessed at the Masonic Temple. people opportunity. The public lending library spread across America during the 1740s, and Public Art Everywhere later across the world. Many other Philadelphia has more outdoor statues, philanthropists like Judah Touro, Peter sculpture, and other pieces of public Cooper, Enoch Pratt, and Andrew art on its streets than perhaps any city Carnegie followed in Franklin’s steps in the U.S. A big reason for that is by offering easy access to books as their the private organization known as the best attempt to help poor but ambitious Association for Public Art—created in people sharpen their capacities. 1872 by locals who wanted to beautify Carnegie, for instance, gave funds for the their hometown parks. It was our construction of nearly 30 public libraries country’s first charity aimed at making in Philadelphia alone. Today the city’s art accessible to city dwellers. Free Library is one of the largest public The group immediately began systems in the world, with 54 branches, commissioning striking pieces over 2 million books, and 125 live author from artists like Alexander Stirling events per year. Calder, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, And Franklin’s original Library Daniel Chester French, and Frederic Company is also very much alive and Remington, then installing them all well. It still shelves every one of the over Philadelphia. Its very first gift, a lovely piece called “Night,” can still Philadelphia has more statues, sculpture, be viewed in West Fairmount Park. On a busy boulevard in the main arts and other pieces of art on its streets than district you’ll find a glittering Joan of Arc astride her horse in full battle perhaps any city in the country. A private armor, which was initiated by leading association is the big reason for that. Philadelphians to honor their city’s connections to France. The downtown Zinsmeister Karl 16 PHILANTHROPY Mural City Back in the 1980s, Philadelphia had a serious graffiti problem. This resulted not only in ugly streetscapes but also disorder and crime (which often surge when a neighborhood looks like no one cares, as the “broken windows” research of that era demonstrated). Civic leaders formed the Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network, campus. Just to the left he is operating which first worked to stop the spray his printing press, at life size, in an painting and remove existing eyesores.