About the 1873 Fund
The 1873 Fund is a charitable organization with a mission to fund the South End Rowing Club facilities, culture, and community for future generations.
After years of planning, the Fund came to fruition and received its Federal 501c(3) Tax Exempt Status as a charitable organization in 2023, the club’s 150th anniversary. The club is the Fund’s sole beneficiary, enabling members to make tax deductible donations that will support the club.
How we help
While the club’s operations and volunteers maintain our facilities, substantive capital improvements require fundraising. Further, the club’s historic building is vulnerable to other challenges such as earthquakes and sea level rise. The Fund is a vehicle to invest in the future and preserve and enhance the club facilities and community.
Grants from the Fund are made at the request of the South End Rowing Club’s board of directors, and are reviewed and approved by the Fund’s Board of Directors. These grants fund initiatives that improve the facility or promote the culture.
To date, the Fund has supported grants that enable the club to subsidize the dues of members in good standing who are facing financial hardship.
The Fund is eager to advance programming that reveals the club’s storied history, so that the burgeoning new membership understands the traditions that have fostered a strong culture at the club and invests in its future.
How we began
As with most efforts at the South End Rowing Club, the fund’s creation was the result of visionary club members volunteering their expertise. They recognized that the Club’s long term viability would require greater financial resources than the nominal annual dues that keep club membership affordable, and set about making a charitable organization that could provide financial support. In 2022, the club’s Board appointed a committee to explore and create this organization, invested in the necessary legal counsel, and ultimately approved its By Laws.
The 1873 Fund is a separate, non profit charitable organization, whose name commemorates the founding year of the South End Rowing Club, and signifies a commitment to its future.
Founding Committee Members:
Susan Blew
Joe Butler
Marc Glomb
Laura Hovden
Alix Marduel, Chair
Joanne Sakai
Michael Slattery
Bill Wygant
