The Boston Foundation Caps Its Centennial Year with a 100th Anniversary Dinner and Gala

The Boston Foundation capped a remarkable Centennial year with a 100th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Westin Copley Place Boston on December 2, 2015.

Thanks to hundreds of generous donors and sponsors, the event attracted more than 1,000 people and raised $1 million to benefit the Permanent Fund for Boston, the Foundation’s endowment, and community grant making.
The program featured a performance by the Boston Children’s Chorus, a video titled A Day in the Life of Boston on its current work and another video, Keep the Fire Burning, on its history—as well as tributes from the following sponsors and speakers:

Gala Co-Chairs Reverend Ray Hammond, Sandra Edgerley and Robert Beal
The Gala’s Master of Ceremonies Gerald Chertavian, Founder and CEO of Year Up
The “Founding Sponsors” of the Gala, all representatives of former trustee banks of the Foundation: Joanne Jaxtimer, BNY Mellon; Kerry Sullivan, Bank of America; and Alison Quirk, State Street—all of whom presented the Foundation with three “birthday cakes”
A toast led by Richard B. DeWolfe, Chairman of the Board of Manulife/John Hancock
Video tributes from Governor Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh
A report on Centennial donors from Michael Keating, Chair of the Boston Foundation’s Board of Directors, and event co-host Sandra Edgerley on generous donors who made outright and legacy gifts to the Permanent Fund for Boston this year
Remarks from Paul S. Grogan, Boston Foundation President & CEO

A special part of the program included representatives of nonprofits for which the Boston Foundation was “there at the beginning,” with critical early funding told their stories of impact. Video clips of each representative's testimonials are below.