Home to Harvard’s campus in the Longwood Medical Area, Allston, and the Arnold Arboretum, Boston is a dynamic crossroads where storied Harvard institutions and new endeavors thrive. United by values for the common good, Harvard and the City of Boston have a strong history of collaboration and commitment to partnership.
Supporting Boston’s Economy
As an anchor institution in the City, Harvard plays a vibrant role in Boston’s economy – employing thousands of residents and attracting hundreds of millions in research funding that generates local spending at Boston-based businesses and helps stimulate the economy.
3,300+
Boston residents employed by Harvard
$384M
In salary, wages, and benefits paid to Boston residents in FY20
$987M
Spent in construction, supplies, and services in Boston in FY19
Harvard’s PILOT and Tax Payments to the City of Boston over 10 Years
$3.8M
In Payments-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) to the City of Boston in FY21
$30M
In PILOT payments to the City of Boston in the last 10 years
Harvard participates annually in the City’s voluntary PILOT Program.
$72M
In taxes paid to the City of Boston in the last 10 years
Harvard pays municipal taxes on the University’s non-exempt property.
Community Programs for Boston Residents
Hundreds of community-serving initiatives operate across Boston through the commitment of Harvard faculty, students, and staff, reflecting years of collaboration between the University, its neighbors, and City partners. These programs originate from all corners of campus and reach Boston residents, schools, local small businesses, nonprofits, as well as various City departments.
30,000+
Boston resident participants in one or more Harvard community programs last year
$22M+
In community benefits reported for 2020 to the City of Boston as part of its voluntary PILOT program
Examples of Harvard Programs Across Boston
Neighborhood Data in Table Format
This listing is not exhaustive. The highlighted programs serve as an example of Harvard’s impact across the City of Boston.
| Neighborhood | Program Name |
|---|---|
| Allston* | COVID-19 Emergency Grants for Neighborhood Nonprofits |
| Back Bay | Community Service Fellowship Program |
| Brighton* | Brighton High School Internship Program |
| Charlestown | Harvard Law School Clinical and Pro Bono Programs |
| Chinatown | Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies Fellowship |
| Dorchester | AP Biology Hinton Scholars Program |
| East Boston | The Family Van |
| Fenway | Crimson Summer Academy |
| Hyde Park | Crimson Summer Academy |
| Jamaica Plain | Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University |
| Mattapan | Leaders in Health Community Training Program |
| Mission Hill | AP Biology Teacher Callbacks |
| Roslindale | Harvard Law School Clinical and Pro Bono Programs |
| Roxbury | HMS MEDscience |
| South Boston | Harvard Dental Teaching Practice |
| South End | Rose Service Learning Fellowship |
| West Roxbury | HMS Health Professions Recruitment & Exposure Program |
| Note: The majority of community benefits delivered in Allston-Brighton are through Harvard University’s cooperation agreements with the City of Boston |
|
Community Benefits for Harvard’s Neighbors
Harvard delivers community benefits in North Allston and North Brighton connected to the University’s institutional development. These initiatives were thoughtfully identified with the community and include the Harvard Ed Portal, which hosts hundreds of public programs each year and the Harvard Allston Partnership Fund, which has provided $1.3 million in grants to small, local nonprofits.
Recognizing the critical role nonprofits play in the City of Boston, Harvard launched a grant program to provide emergency funding to nonprofit organizations serving residents in Allston-Brighton. The Harvard University Allston-Brighton Emergency Response Grant allowed organizations to quickly mobilize and respond to the needs of the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
$70M
In community benefits delivered primarily toward Allston-Brighton
Harvard and Boston Public Schools
Harvard works closely with the Boston Public Schools (BPS) to provide programs that enhance student learning in a wide range of fields, including science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics (STEAM); civic engagement; college and career readiness; and skills development. The University also provides professional development opportunities for BPS educators and administrators to learn from Harvard research and faculty.
$36M
In scholarship aid provided to Harvard College students from Boston in the last 10 years
5,000+
BPS student participants reached through educational, mentoring, and internship programs in 2020
60+
BPS teachers participated in professional development opportunities in 2020
Partnering with the City of Boston
Harvard is committed to addressing regional priorities and partners with the City of Boston around initiatives that are designed to meet the broader needs of Boston residents.
5,500+
Units of affordable housing created or preserved through the Harvard Local Housing Collaborative in the City of Boston in the past 20 years
10
City of Boston departments supported through Harvard fellowship student placements in 2020
Sustainability
Arnold Arboretum
As a unique partnership between Harvard and the City of Boston, the Arnold Arboretum is one of Boston’s largest parks. In addition to serving as both a research institution and publicly accessible green space, the Arboretum is committed to helping the city and University build climate change resiliency and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes new solar panels that will power the Arboretum’s scientific research facilities; modernized upgrades at various buildings; and the use of earth-friendly practices in the care and management of the Arboretum’s plant collections and landscape.
Supporting the City of Boston’s Climate Action Plan
Harvard co-chairs the Higher Education Working Group of the Boston Green Ribbon Commission, a group of business, institutional, and civic leaders in Boston working to develop shared strategies for fighting climate change in coordination with the City’s Climate Action Plan.
Spotlights
The Family Van of Harvard Medical School
A mobile clinic working to improve the health of vulnerable Boston residents in Roxbury, East Boston, and Dorchester. Every year, the Van provides free health screenings and over 5 years has saved an estimated $2.8 million in avoided emergency room costs.
Harvard Ed Portal
An open door to the community, the Harvard Ed Portal brings together Allston-Brighton residents, students, families, and professionals from every walk of life to participate in innovative programming and learn from one another.
