The Gesellschaft für das Gute und Gemeinnützige (GGG) is a private,

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

founded in 1777 in

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. Inspired by

Enlightenment Enlightenment or enlighten may refer to: Age of Enlightenment * Age of Enlightenment, period in Western intellectual history from the late 17th to late 18th century, centered in France but also encompassing (alphabetically by country or culture): ...

ideals, the GGG has played a significant role in the history of education and social welfare in Basel. The GGG's name means "society for the good and the common benefit", but there appears to be no official English translation of the name. (The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

word ''gemeinnützig'' is commonly associated with non-profit institutions.) The modern GGG operates as an

umbrella organization An umbrella organization is an association of (often related, industry-specific) institutions who work together formally to coordinate activities and/or pool resources. In business, political, and other environments, it provides resources and iden ...

supporting dozens of groups with social or cultural service missions, including charitable foundations, libraries, social service agencies, and a boy choir. As of 2008, about 90 organizations with more than 3,000 staff members belonged to the GGG.

History

The philosopher, historian, and educator Isaak Iselin is considered the principal founder of the GGG, which was established in 1777 as the ''Gesellschaft zur Aufmunterung und Beförderung des Guten und Gemeinnützigen''. Its purpose was to alleviate widespread poverty in Basel and to promote progress and education for the underprivileged classes. Similar institutions had already been founded in other German-speaking cities, including

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

and

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. The association founded schools for girls and women, as well as

kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

s that were later taken over by the state government. It also provided gymnastics, swimming, and public instruction in music and arithmetic in Basel schools. In 1831 the GGG built the city's first

swimming pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming and associated activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built abo ...

facility for men. It took part in establishing hospitals and institutions for the physically and mentally handicapped. The GGG was also heavily engaged in providing subsidized housing. It founded a

savings bank A savings bank is a financial institution that is not run on a profit-maximizing basis, and whose original or primary purpose is collecting deposits on savings accounts that are invested on a low-risk basis and receive interest. Savings banks ha ...

and a non-profit

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association.

Structure

There are three types of organizations in the GGG, respectively classified as A, B, and C organizations.

A-Organizations

These are entirely owned by the GGG and are each led by a commission appointed by the GGG directors. A-Organizations include the GGG libraries (''GGG Stadtbibliothek Basel'', formerly known as ''Allgemeine Bibliotheken der GGG Basel'', or ABG) and the BENEVOL union for volunteer work.

B-Organizations

These are independent organizations that are substantially supported by the GGG, or for whom the GGG appoints a majority of the leading officials. B-Organizations include a fund for student housing, the Kinderfreund foundation, and the Lighthouse Basel foundation.

C-Organizations

These are independent organizations that are patronized by the GGG, and to whom the GGG appoints at least one delegate. C-Organizations include the Basel Boys Choir ''(Knabenkantorei Basel)'', an emergency

helpline A helpline, or switchboard, is a telephone service which offers help to those who call. Many helpline services now offer more than telephone support - offering access to information, advice or customer service via telephone, email, web or SMS. ...

for parents ''(Elternnotruf)'', and an association concerned with

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

in both Basel

half-canton The 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the Swiss Confederation. The nucleus of the Swiss Confederacy in the form of the first three confederate allies used to be referred to as the . Two important periods in the development of ...

s ''(Alzheimervereinigung beider Basel)''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gesellschaft fur das Gute und Gemeinnutzige 1777 establishments in Europe 18th-century establishments in the Old Swiss Confederacy Basel Charities based in Switzerland Non-profit organisations based in Switzerland