As African Americans recognized a need to find ways to address the economic, social, cultural, and educational necessities of their communities, they developed various types of organizations to serve as a vehicle for meeting their goals. Much of their work was stimulated by the church. This led to the development of literary societies for young people, and welfare leagues in major cities that had seen a wide influx of migrants from the South. Historically, African-American organizations have been the voices of the particular groups that they serve and function as influential forces in American society. While such organizations have existed for many years, the founding date of the first African-American organization cannot be determined. It is possible, however, to group such organizations by type, such as abolitionist, business, civil and human rights, educational, financial, journalism, medical, political, social and social service, religious, and women. There are also organizations concerned with urban problems, African and Caribbean issues, and so on.