Harvard University launched a call to raise $70,000 through the people of Cambridge and Boston who wanted to contribute to the Expedition. The objective was to cover the costs of security, food, accommodation, instruction, excursions and part of the entertainment, which included dances, gatherings and receptions. Public donations began in late April and ended in mid-August, raising $71,145 from all walks of life. Some of that money was not used at Harvard, but instead covered the expenses of the teachers' visit to New York, Washington, and Philadelphia.