The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

What The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven does

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation established in 1928, making it one of the first community foundations in the United States. It serves as the permanent endowment for the 20-town Greater New Haven region, managing $709 million in collective assets as of 2025 and distributing $63 million in grants and contributions during the year. The foundation operates as an intermediary between individual and family donors seeking structured, professionally-managed charitable giving vehicles and the 546+ nonprofit organizations in its service area that depend on foundation funding for community programs.

The foundation's product portfolio spans charitable giving instruments — Donor Advised Funds, Planned Giving Services, scholarship funds, and designated funds — and a suite of community impact programs including the Basic Needs Fund, Black Futures Fund, Community Fund for Women & Girls, Progreso Latino Fund, New Haven Healthy Start, The Vineyard Project, the Neighborhood Leadership Program, and Education and Career Pathways. It also operates the TCF Mission Investments Company (TCFMIC), a wholly-owned subsidiary led by CIO Drew Alden, which deploys grants, technical assistance, and nonprofit loans through the New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (NHE3) and a Connecticut Social Equity Council Reimagine & Revitalize (R2) program. The technology stack consists of standard nonprofit infrastructure: a public website (cfgnh.org), a donor database, the giveGreater.org online giving platform that powers The Great Give annual campaign, and a Nonprofit Resource Center that curates operational tools for local grantees. The foundation partners with the Racial Equity Institute on equity workshops, with Valley Community Foundation on legacy campaign initiatives, and with ConnCORP, ClimateHaven, and the City of New Haven on community Pitch Night events.

The foundation's revenue model rests on three streams: contributed gifts and fund transfers ($44.6 million in new gifts in 2025), investment returns on the $709 million endowment portfolio, and administrative fees charged on managed charitable funds. Go-to-market is community-led: direct relationship management with donors, families, and professional advisors, augmented by digital marketing (website, social channels across Facebook/X/LinkedYouTube/Instagram/Pinterest), an email newsletter, and event-driven community convenings. The foundation is governed by an 11-member volunteer board serving seven-year terms, with members selected by six outside appointing authorities and the board itself, and is led by President and CEO Karen DuBois-Walton, Ph.D., who assumed the role in 2021.

Name

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Legal name

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven

Website

https://cfgnh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1928

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community foundation managing $709 million in collective assets and distributing $63 million annually in grants to support 546+ nonprofits across the 20-town Greater New Haven region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE), Capacity Building & Nonprofit Infrastructure Funders (BPAGAKAO), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor advised funds
• Charitable grantmaking
• Planned giving services
• Nonprofit endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

New Haven

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Gifts: Receives charitable contributions from individuals, families, and organizations. New gifts received totaled $44.6-45.1 million in 2025. Donors establish various fund types including donor advised funds, scholarship funds, and designated funds.
2. Investment Returns on Endowment: Investment income generated from the endowment portfolio. Collective assets of $709 million (2025) produce investment returns that support grantmaking operations and administrative expenses.
3. Administrative Fees on Funds: Community foundations typically charge administrative fees on managed charitable funds to cover operational costs. Fee structure based on fund size and type.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that manages charitable funds on behalf of donors and distributes grants to nonprofit organizations across a 20-town Greater New Haven service area. Its core offerings include donor advised funds, planned giving services, scholarship administration, and a portfolio of community impact programs targeting issues such as basic needs, racial equity, women and girls, Latine community, neighborhood leadership, healthy families, and education.

Product overview

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving as the permanent endowment for the Greater New Haven region since 1928. Rather than a unified software platform, the foundation offers a portfolio of charitable giving products and community programs. Core giving products include Donor Advised Funds and Planned Giving Services, which enable donors to structure charitable contributions. The foundation's community impact is delivered through multiple targeted programs: Basic Needs Fund, Black Futures Fund, Community Fund for Women & Girls, Progreso Latino Fund, Neighborhood Leadership Program, New Haven Healthy Start, The Vineyard Project, Connecticut Urban Opportunity Collaborative, Education and Career Pathways, and Scholarships. The Mission Investments Company (TCFMIC) subsidiary supports entrepreneurs through the New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (NHE3). Technology platforms include giveGreater.org (for The Great Give campaign) and a Nonprofit Resource Center providing operational tools. The foundation distributes over $30 million annually in grants across its 20-town service area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Funds
• Planned Giving Services
• giveGreater.org Online Giving Platform
• TCF Mission Investments Company (TCFMIC)
• New Haven Equitable Entrepreneurial Ecosystem (NHE3)
• Basic Needs Fund
• Black Futures Fund
• Community Fund for Women & Girls
• Progreso Latino Fund
• New Haven Healthy Start
• Neighborhood Leadership Program
• Scholarships
• Nonprofit Resource Center
• Connecticut Urban Opportunity Collaborative
• Education and Career Pathways

Quantifiable outcome

• $63 million in grants and distributions to community (2025)

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Valley Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on legacy campaign initiatives. Valley Community Foundation is a separate community foundation serving the Valley region, working with the foundation on shared community initiatives.
• Racial Equity InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides racial equity workshops and training programs. The foundation sponsors these workshops as part of its commitment to equity and opportunity in the community.
• ConnCORPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerHost partner for Pitch Night events supporting entrepreneurs and small business owners in Connecticut.
• ClimateHavenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-host partner for Pitch Night events supporting climate-focused and sustainability initiatives in the Greater New Haven area.
• City of New HavenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsored prizes for Pitch Night events, demonstrating municipal partnership in supporting local entrepreneurs and community programs.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Large national private foundation with global grantmaking, equity-focused programming, and mission-aligned investing. Comparable in mission orientation and equity focus, though operating globally rather than regionally.
• Schwab Charitable: Major national donor-advised fund sponsor with similar DAF mechanics and tax-advantaged giving structures. Direct competitor for DAF establishment decisions by high-net-worth donors.
• New York Community Trust: Large urban community foundation serving the New York metropolitan area. Comparable in mission and giving products, but operating at much greater AUM scale in a higher-wealth donor market.
• The Cleveland Foundation: The first community foundation in the US (1914) and the explicit model CFGNH was founded on. Highly comparable in structure, products, and mission, though substantially larger in AUM and geographic scope.
• Fidelity Charitable: The largest national sponsor of donor-advised funds, offering low-fee, digital-first DAFs that compete directly with CFGNH's DAF product. Comparable on the donor-advised-fund giving product though not on local community grantmaking.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest community foundations in the US by AUM. Comparable model of DAFs, grantmaking, and regional focus, but with materially greater scale driven by tech-wealth donor base.

Regional players

• Valley Community Foundation: Connecticut-based community foundation serving the lower Connecticut River Valley; already partners with CFGNH on legacy campaigns. Comparable as a regional community foundation with similar fund types and grantmaking scope.
• Fairfield County's Community Foundation: Connecticut community foundation serving Fairfield County with DAFs, scholarship funds, and grantmaking. Comparable in operating model and donor base, though serving a wealthier suburban CT geography.
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving: Largest community foundation in Connecticut serving the Hartford region with a comparable model of donor-advised funds, grantmaking, and community programs. Directly comparable as a fellow CT community foundation operating at similar scale.

Direct peers

• Maine Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation with similar products (DAFs, scholarships, designated funds) and grantmaking programs serving smaller New England communities. Closely comparable in scale, mission, and operational structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cfgnh
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CmtyFndnGrtrNewHaven
• Facebookfacebook.com/cfgnh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-foundation-for-greater-new-haven
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfgnhv
• Pinterestpinterest.com/cfgnh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven