POR 2017 #120 · Agenda item attachment · May 8 2017

City of Cambridge O-6 ORIGINAL ORDER IN CITY COUNCIL May 8, 2017 COUNCILLOR MAZEN WHEREAS: The Cambridge Nonprofit Coalition and the City of Cambridge partnered to conduct a comprehensive Cambridge Needs Assessment, outlining a host of very deep fiscal and programmatic needs in the city; and WHEREAS: The City Manager is currently appointing a Community Benefits Advisory Committee to establish criteria and guidelines for funding local non-profit organizations; and WHEREAS: The City of Cambridge currently lacks clear data on the annual carrying capacity of corporate, university, and individual charitable donors who are apt to contribute to local non-profits in service to the Needs Assessment goals; and WHEREAS: Understanding the local landscape for charitable giving and developing a plan to nurture and increase giving is important to maintaining and fostering the growth of local non-profits; and WHEREAS: The Cambridge Chronicle reported that the number of millionaires living in Cambridge has doubled over the last ten years to 471, and they are often more apt to make annual or landmark gifts in Cambridge; and WHEREAS: There are an unusually large number of technology, biotech, and other corporate entities regionally, nationally, or globally headquartered in Cambridge, often earning revenues of several billion dollars per year—entities interested in fostering the development of their home city; and WHEREAS: $50M could be raised annually, if as few as 200 corporate entities or individuals participated in a collaborative annual giving commitment; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to create a permanent office or public-private initiative for the purpose of fostering charitable giving in Cambridge and to work with non-profits to study the local charitable giving landscape, measuring the estimated maximum charitable carrying capacity of the city; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to work through this City office or public-private initiative with the Cambridge Community Foundation and Cambridge corporations, universities, and individuals to reach $50M per year in annual giving towards the Needs Assessment goals, within 5 years, beginning with $10M of additional charitable giving in the ‘17-’18 fiscal year; and be it further ORDERED: That the City Manager report back on this matter.