Founded in Boston, Massachusetts in 1817, the Graham Society was an all-female benevolent society that provided clothing to students and seminaries at the Phillips Academy and Andover Theological Seminary, both in Andover, Massachusetts. The birth of this society reflects the growth of charitable institutions in New England between the latter part of the 18th-century and the first part of the 19th-century: during this period, the number of Bible societies, missionary societies, Masonic lodges, orphanages and other charitable organizations in New England grew from approximately 50 to approximately 2000. These organizations were significant in women's history, since they allowed women to serve in management and leadership roles that were otherwise not permitted to them. It was argued during this period that women were "too frail, inexperienced, and frivolous to manage the affairs of a charitable corporation"; other New Englanders believed that the very nature of women made them better suited to serve those in need. In any case, the Graham Society was one of many women's charitable organizations.

The Graham Society essentially sought to assist those who "were reputed to be not only pious but orthodox... who are procuring an education with a view to the Christian ministry and who are recommended by those holding the same sentiments". It was governed by the Board of Directors, who were selected by ballot at the annual meeting, held in December of each year. The board consisted of five directors, a treasurer, a secretary and five assistants. The first five directors of the society were: Mary Bowers, Isabella Homes, Margaret C. Welch, Martha Ropes, Abigail Salisbury and Susan Huntington. Sarah Ann Hopkins served as secretary, Harriet Moore as treasurer and Margaret Cooper, Elizabeth Hazen, Mary Perry, Abigail Phillips and Susan Moore were assistants. The founding members of the society were: Mary Bowers, Isabella Homes, Martha Ropes, Susan Huntington, Mary Perry, Lucia G. Swett, Mary Ingraham, Harriet Moore, Susan Moore, Abby Salisbury, Susan Dorr, Elizabeth Cummings, Margaret C. Welch, Phebe Cutler, Louisa Farnham, Elizabeth Hazen, Abigail B. Phillips, Lydia Hopkins, Abigail G. Vose, Abigail G. Salisbury, and Sarah Ann Hopkins. Please see the Appendix for officers from other years. Note that many of the members of the Graham Society were also members of the Corban Society.

Graham Society members paid an annual subscription fee of $1 for adults and 50 cents for children. In this way the Society accumulated funds to purchase clothing and fabric; the funds were also invested by the board of directors in "productive stock." The Society held annual meetings on the last Tuesday of January; the constitution stipulated that meetings were opened with prayer and a reading of the minutes.

There is some evidence that the Society also assisted local sewing circles with donations of fabric. There is a report from an Amherst sewing circle whose purpose was to aid "pious indigent young men in the college in that town." The report describes the activities of the group and discusses the number of subscribers. The report mentions a donation of 50 yards of cotton by the Graham Society.

Due to the declining size of the Society, the organization unanimously voted on February 27, 1831 to dissolve the Graham Society and "to add the fund to the Corban Society [another Boston, Massachusetts women's charitable society], and to be united in their efforts."

Many of the women in the Graham Society were married to or related to founding members of the Boston Society for the Moral and Religious Instruction of the Poor. See City Missionary Society Records, 1820-1991 for biographical information on these men.