The legacy of Benjamin Franklin is one that continues to touch the lives of Americans every day. Without a doubt, Franklin was one of the most influential and famous men of his time. As a statesman, inventor, philosopher, printer, and philanthropist, Franklin’s myriad of accomplishments helped forge our nation.

In his will, Franklin stated that he wished to be useful even after his death. He left a bequest of 1,000 pounds of sterling silver to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia in 1791. This was one-half of what he earned during his tenure as President of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 1785 to 1787. The other half — 1,000 pounds of silver — was left to his hometown of Boston and the state of Massachusetts.

The terms of the bequest were that the funds could not be touched for 200 years. Therefore, in 1991, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had over 2 million dollars from the estate to distribute. The state felt that the community foundations throughout Pennsylvania had the best sense of each regions’ needs. In 1997, the CPCF received a portion of this financial distribution from Franklin’s estate. At the CPCF, as well as other community foundations in Pennsylvania, the Ben Franklin Trust continues to support areas of need in our community.