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 and Lübeck.
