MIT & the Community
Service to the Community
Since its founding, MIT has maintained a commitment to be a good neighbor and serve the local community. The Institute actively supports more than 180 local nonprofits, primarily in Cambridge, through a variety of approaches, including direct financial support, the use of Institute facilities, volunteerism, serving on boards and committees, sharing expertise, and employee donation and collection drives. In addition, members of the MIT community support the Institute’s Community Service Fund, which provides assistance for local nonprofits with MIT volunteers.
Seventy-five percent of departments, labs, centers, and institutes at MIT create programming to inspire K–12 student interest in science, technology, engineering, and math. The Institute is working to increase awareness of these offerings to local schools and ensure equitable access to these opportunities.
The Institute’s Priscilla King Gray Center for Social Impact provides programming, guidance, information, and support to students, faculty, and staff interested in public service and serves as a resource for both MIT and the community at large.
Economic Impact and Innovation Catalyst
MIT has a far-reaching impact on the economy of the region. The Institute is Cambridge’s second largest employer and largest taxpayer, representing approximately 17% of the city’s revenue stream. MIT pays taxes on its commercial property and provides an annual voluntary payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) for property that is used for academic purposes and is legally tax exempt. In fiscal year 2025, the Institute made a PILOT contribution of approximately $2.4 million to the city and paid approximately $107 million in real estate taxes.
The research, startups, and talent pool that MIT generates are a magnet for investment that catalyzes and fuels the local innovation economy. Kendall Square, at the eastern end of MIT’s campus, is the seat of a thriving innovation hub and serves as a gateway to MIT. To provide expanded opportunities in the local innovation economy, the Job Connector by MIT serves as a free workforce development hub for Cambridge residents to explore opportunities for job readiness, skill training, internships, and apprenticeships. Building on the success of its Kendall Square Initiative, which replaced six parking lots with retail, restaurants, open space, housing, and lab and office space, MIT is embarking on the mixed-use redevelopment of the nearby 10-acre Volpe parcel, named Kendall Common. MIT’s Open Space Programming office hosts over 100 diverse and vibrant events and activities in the Kendall/MIT Open Space each year.