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New Century Trust unrestricted grants are awarded to 501(c)(3) organizations best advancing the social, industrial and
educational cultivation and improvement
of working women and girls,
without any sectarian distinction, in the
Greater Philadelphia area.
The social, industrial and educational cultivation and improvement
of working girls and women.
The New Century Trust was founded in 1893 by a group of women led by Eliza Sproat Turner (1826-1903), a progressive thinker and an activist of means who lived in Philadelphia.
Activities in the Trust's early history included a wide range of classes and lectures for working girls and women; "Noon Rest," a dining room where hundreds of working women came to eat a hot meal for reduced cost and rest for an hour during the work day; a private bath at a time when a bathtub was considered a luxury; temporary lodging; and emergency financial support..
One of the earliest, largest and most successful of many organizations created in the nineteenth century to provide assistance to the increasing numbers of women who were entering the labor force, the New Century Trust is also one of the most long-lived.
Today, the New Century Trust continues its founders' philanthropic mission, by making grants to non-profit organizations which enhance the economic and social development of women and girls. Its mission also includes preservation and interpretation of the historical significance of its landmark building, and its place in the women's movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
In 1906, the New Century Trust achieved a long-held goal; a permanent home for its many charitable activities. The building at 1307 Locust Street in Philadelphia was purchased from Dr. Drysdale and the Trust moved its operations there in June, 1906.
The first floor was used for the "Noon Rest" and small meetings. An auditorium was created on the second floor for classes and lectures, along with a lending library.
The building is a Pennsylvania State Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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