Massachusetts Association on Nonprofit Schools & Colleges

Good Neighbors

Boston University Makes a Difference in Boston and Beyond

It is an educational and research center that attracts students and faculty from around the world, but Boston University remains firm in its commitment to the local community.

The university’s impressive economic and social contributions to Boston, the region and the state are highlighted in a new brochure entitled, “What Difference Does Boston University Make?”

The brochure notes that BU had a total economic impact of $1.2 billion on the city of Boston and $3.9 billion on Massachusetts in fiscal year 2008. This includes $1.3 billion for employee salaries and benefits, and the purchase of goods and services. It also includes direct spending by students and their out-of-state visitors, as well as additional spending created as a result of the university and student expenditures.

Despite its tax-exempt, nonprofit status, BU voluntarily paid $4.7 million
in lieu of taxes to the city of Boston and an additional $4 million in real estate taxes during the last fiscal year. It also launched an initiative
to provide additional benefits and payments to the city, including $533,000 in fees.

Not only is the university one of Boston’s top taxpayers, it also was Brookline’s largest taxpayer last year, with payments of $265,000 and $1.9 million in real estate taxes.
When it comes to Boston city services, BU is making an effort to share the responsibility.

The university police force provides 24-hour coverage of its Charles River and Medical campuses. It even backs up Boston, Brookline, Cambridge and state police when necessary and helps the city of Boston issue parking tickets.

BU representatives ride along with Boston and Brookline police on certain weekends to ensure that residents’ complaints about off-campus student behavior are promptly met. They also cooperate with local police on issues such as fire safety, traffic management and crime prevention.

Boston University maintains its own sidewalks, MBTA tracks and streets around the campus, and removes its own snow and trash. In addition, the university saves the city more than $1.3 million a year by planting trees and providing pest control.

In partnership with the city and state, BU has helped make Commonwealth
Avenue safer and the area around it more beautiful. The project also has improved pedestrian safety, minimized traffic congestion and enhanced the environment of the Charles River campus. In the 2008 fiscal year, BU contributed more than $2.4 million to the Commonwealth Avenue Improvement Project in collaboration with city, state and federal agencies.

Since 1973, the Boston High School Scholars Program has awarded more than $129 million in full-tuition, four-year scholarships to academically qualified, highly motivated Boston public high school students,
including students who are leaders in community service.

Boston University also awards scholarships to outstanding students in Catholic schools, as well as students from Chelsea and Brookline high schools and Roxbury Community College. Qualified Boston public school teachers and city employees also are eligible for scholarships to BU graduate programs.

In addition, BU’s Holiday Reading Program benefits Boston public school students and its CityLab science outreach program serves as a learning lab for about 6,000 local students annually.

Its Boston Medical Center and the School of Medicine serve the healthcare needs of the area, and the University’s Student Food Rescue program, a food salvage program, feeds nearly 1,000 people a week.

The university also distributes computers to local youth groups and centers in housing developments, and hands out Thanksgiving gift cards to needy families and free tickets to BU athletic and cultural events to local charities.

The university is home to 13 student -run organizations that contribute about 70,000 hours of service every year in the Greater Boston area.

To learn more, go to www.bu.edu/community and click on "How We Make a Difference."

 

 

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