By Anne M. Filiaci, Ph.D.
Josephine Shaw Lowell became a follower of the charity organization (or scientific charity) movement during her years inspecting and reporting upon conditions among the poor. The movement, founded in England in 1869, asserted that philanthropy should be rational and evidence-based. Its adherents believed that philanthropic organizations should not simply give direct aid, but should instead provide targeted help based on thorough investigation and documentation, followed by the collection and analysis of relevant data by well-trained experts. This systematic approach, followers claimed, would not only reveal the causes of poverty, but also lead to the discovery of more effective methods for improving the plight of the poor.
Adherents of scientifically-based philanthropy started Charity Organization Societies in many major American cities during the 1870s and 1880s. Josephine Shaw Lowell was instrumental in establishing New York City’s chapter, incorporated on May 10, 1882. The Charity Organization Society of New York City (COS) was an umbrella organization, formed to “promote cooperation and greater efficiency among charitable agencies.” COS sent district agents or other officials from its main offices to investigate those who applied for help. These agents visited applicants and wrote personal histories of the families in need. COS then analyzed the histories, determined the nature and extent of the need, and referred applicants to either a charity or to a place of employment. The New York City COS collected information on about 3,400 families in its first year of existence. By the early1890s, the Society—headquartered in spacious offices at the United Charities Building on East 22nd Street—had become one of the most influential philanthropic organizations in New York City.
Copyright Anne M. Filiaci 2016