He was the senior partner of Hayden, Stone & Co. and his influence was such that James W. Gerard listed him among those "who are too busy to hold political office, but determine who shall.

Following graduation, he traveled for a year before taking a position as clerk with the Boston bank of Clark, Ward, & Co.[1] Hayden was a bachelor his entire life and lived at the Savoy-Plaza Hotel in Manhattan.

He later became interested in helping youth and in 1926 was revealed to have anonymously donated US$100,000 to establish an uptown New York City branch of the Boys Club.

Hayden's largest philanthropic effort came following his death on January 8, 1937, when his will directed roughly US$50,000,000 ($1.06 billion in today's dollars) from his estate be used to create a foundation to advance the education and "moral, mental, and physical well-being" of boys and young men.

[9] The Charles Hayden Foundation makes grants of between US$10,000,000 and US$20,000,000 annually to support programs for children in the Boston and New York metropolitan areas.