The Community Chest

About Us:

In the more than 80 years since our formation, The Community Chest has worked vigorously towards the advancement of our neighbors.  Each year we raise funds and allocate them to agencies that have demonstrated the capacity to provide services to local citizens in the Englewood, Tenafly and Englewood Cliffs area.

History:

The origin of the Community Chest of Englewood, in the depths of our country’s worst depression, set the tone for what followed. In the early 1930's, Englewood, along with the rest of the nation, was confronted with business bankruptcies, widespread unemployment, foreclosures and homelessness. Local agencies such as the Englewood Hospital, the Salvation Army, the Social Service Federation and a Citizens’ Employment Committee were overwhelmed by the demand for their services and the difficulty of raising adequate funds. The City’s leading citizens, in essence, determined that Englewood would take a stab at looking after its own people.

On June 3, 1932, a committee appointed by Mayor Cornelius, P. Kitchel for this purpose reported to him “what we believe to be a very spontaneous and widespread public demand for a community chest in Englewood.” The committee determined that because of Englewood’s well-known community spirit and the large number of residents with the ability and willingness to serve, a Community Chest money raising campaign would be successful.