Cardinal Shehan Center

What Cardinal Shehan Center does

Cardinal Shehan Center is a Bridgeport, Connecticut-based non-profit community center founded in 1962 and operated under the auspices of the Diocese of Bridgeport. It serves the educational, recreational, cultural, and social needs of approximately 4,500 moderate and low-income youth and families annually in lower Fairfield County, particularly inner-city Bridgeport, regardless of race or religious affiliation. The center operates from a single 1883-era historic facility at 1494 Main Street that includes an indoor swimming pool, gymnasium, fitness center, computer lab, library, arts and crafts rooms, game room, member's lounge, and outdoor basketball and tennis courts.

Its program portfolio spans an After School & Saturday Youth Development Program (K-8th grade), the Norma F. Pfriem Summer Day Camp (eight-week summer offering with sliding-scale pricing), year-round tutoring, aquatics instruction, basketball leagues across age tiers (Bitty Ball through high school), a Culinary, Hospitality & Entrepreneurship Program for teens, STEM programming with the Boy Scouts of America, an Environmental Club, a JWC Girls' Zone Program, a Counselor-in-Training job-training program, and a Bank of America Student Leader summer employment program. The center also delivers school-day physical education to area grammar schools and alternative education programs on-site.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: individual donations (online via DonorBox, vehicle donations, matching gifts), planned giving vehicles (charitable remainder trusts, bequests, gifts of stock and real estate), event-based fundraising (Men's and Women's Golf Classics, Trivia Contest, Concert for the Community with sponsorship tiers from $400 to $10,000), program fees (fitness memberships at $60-$300, tutoring at $90-$100, basketball leagues at $75-$500), and child-sponsorship donations ($100). The organization is governed by a board chaired by John Malfettone and including the Bishop of Bridgeport, and is led by Executive Director Lorraine Gibbons. There is no publicly disclosed revenue or audited financial data in the source material.

Name

Cardinal Shehan Center

Legal name

Cardinal Shehan Center

Website

https://shehancenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cardinal Shehan Center is a Bridgeport, Connecticut non-profit community center founded in 1962 that serves roughly 4,500 moderate and low-income youth and families annually in lower Fairfield County through after-school, summer camp, tutoring, athletics, STEM, and workforce development programs, funded primarily by donations, corporate sponsorships, and program fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Development and Community Recreation Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Child and Youth Services (624110), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Multi-Purpose Event Halls & Community Centers (THAHAAAI)

Keywords

• Youth development programs
• After school programs
• Community recreation services
• Youth education programs
• Nonprofit community center

Headquarters

HQ city

Bridgeport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: General donations from individuals supporting the center's mission. Donors can give online via credit card (Visa, American Express, MasterCard), through matching gift programs where employers match employee donations, and via vehicle donations.
2. Event-Based Fundraising: Annual fundraising events including Lisa D'Addario Shehan Men's Golf Classic (May 4, 2026 at Race Brook Country Club), Shehan Women's Golf Classic (October 20, 2025), The Great Shehan Trivia Contest (2026), and Concert for the Community (March 26, 2026 at Park City Music Hall). Events feature sponsorship tiers (Hole Sponsors $400, Special Location Sponsors $1,500-$4,999, Major Sponsors $5,000, Gold Sponsors $10,000).
3. Program Memberships and Fees: Revenue from fitness center memberships (Adults: 3 months $75, 6 months $150, 1 year $300; HS Students: 3 months $60, 6 months $120, 1 year $240), tutoring sessions (Members $90, Non-members $100), Bitty Ball league (Members $100, Non-members $110), and summer day camp (sliding scale).
4. Planned Giving: Charitable planned giving vehicles including gifts of cash, stock, real estate, life insurance, life income gifts (charitable remainder unitrusts/annuity trusts), charitable lead trusts, and bequests. Tax-deductible contributions up to 50% of AGI for cash, 30% for appreciated stock.
5. Child Sponsorship: Sponsor a Child program allows donors to provide $100 donations specifically to support families and children attending Summer Day Camp.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cardinal Shehan Center is a non-profit community center that delivers on-site educational, recreational, cultural, and social programs for moderate and low-income families and youth of lower Fairfield County, with a primary focus on the After School & Saturday Youth Development Program, the Norma F. Pfriem Summer Day Camp, tutoring, aquatics, fitness, basketball leagues, culinary arts, STEM/science, leadership, and Counselor-in-Training workforce preparation. Services are offered regardless of race or religious affiliation through membership, sliding-scale fees, and donor-subsidized access from a single historic facility at 1494 Main Street, Bridgeport, CT.

Product overview

Cardinal Shehan Center is a non-profit community center offering a comprehensive portfolio of youth development and community programs. The organization operates as a single unified center with multiple interconnected programs including the core After School & Saturday Program serving kindergarten through 8th grade, the Norma F. Pfriem Summer Day Camp running eight weekly sessions, the Counselor in Training Job Training Program, and various recreational facilities (fitness center, aquatics center, gymnasium). Educational offerings include tutoring, culinary arts, science, environmental club, leadership development, and the JWC Girls' Zone Program. Athletic programs encompass basketball leagues (bitty ball, middle school, high school, travel teams, spring league), the Bridgeport Diocesan Tournament, and aquatics instruction. The center also hosts fundraising events including the Lisa D'Addario Shehan Men's Golf Classic, Shehan Women's Golf Classic, The Great Shehan Trivia Contest, and Concert for the Community. Partnerships include the Bank of America Student Leader Program. The center serves 4,500 youth annually and operates from a historic facility built in 1883, converted to a community center in 1962.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• After School & Saturday Program Youth development program for kindergarten through 8th grade offering educational activities, recreational access, and supervised programming including arts & crafts, swimming, game room, fitness, tutoring, photography, and field trips for children from moderate and low-income families in the Bridgeport area.
• Norma F. Pfriem Summer Day Camp An eight-week summer day camp providing academic and athletic enrichment including swimming, arts and crafts, photography, computers, music, basketball, field sports, tennis, performing arts, health and fitness, dance, and STEM education for children in Bridgeport area on a sliding-scale fee basis.
• Tutoring Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 4,500 youth annually with educational and recreational programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bank of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBank of America partners with the Cardinal Shehan Center to provide 8 weeks of employment for selected student leaders through the Student Leader Program. In addition to employment, student leaders work on skill development and community service projects.
• Boy Scouts of AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America to offer a STEM program during the school year. Boys and girls in grades four and five meet weekly to learn through hands-on, experimental approaches covering chemistry, physics, robotics, and forensics topics.
• Little ScientistsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDuring the summer science program, campers partner with Little Scientists to continue the hands-on learning approach established during the school year.
• Race Brook Country ClubminorOthersGolf event venue for the Lisa D'Addario Shehan Men's Golf Classic (May 4, 2026) and Shehan Women's Golf Classic (October 20, 2025).
• Park City Music HallminorOthersConcert venue for the Concert for the Community 2026 event on March 26, 2026.
• Rock Paper Scissors EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides trivia entertainment for The Great Shehan Trivia Contest 2026, a fundraising event benefiting the After School & Saturday Program.
• Mayor of BridgeportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Culinary, Hospitality & Entrepreneurship Program was launched in summer 2017 through the Mayor's Summer Youth Program Initiative, servicing 25 teens ages 14-19.
• People's BankminorOthersNaming sponsor for the People's Bank Game Room, featuring pool, ping pong, air hockey, and foosball.
• JP Morgan ChaseminorOthersNaming sponsor for the JP Morgan Chase Members Lounge, featuring big screen TV, board games, video games, and dining area.
• CitibankminorOthersNaming sponsor for the Citibank Computer Center offering daily learning activities, internet access, software, and games.
• United IlluminatingminorOthersNaming sponsor for the United Illuminating Photography Center where children learn all aspects of photography including taking and developing pictures.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: National federation of youth-serving community centers offering after-school programming, athletics, and education enrichment to low-income youth. The Shehan Center serves the same population with a directly comparable programmatic mix.
• YMCA of Greater Bridgeport: Regional YMCA chapter operating fitness facilities, aquatics, youth sports, and after-school programs in the same Bridgeport market — overlapping directly with Shehan's fitness center, basketball leagues, and swim instruction.
• Police Athletic League (PAL): National network of youth athletic and enrichment leagues, many operating in inner-city communities similar to Bridgeport. Comparable model of low-cost or free youth programming in underserved neighborhoods.
• Boys & Girls Club of Lower Naugatuck Valley: Regional Boys & Girls Club chapter operating in nearby Connecticut communities with the same mix of after-school, athletics, and youth-development programs targeting low-income populations.
• Family Centers: Connecticut-based nonprofit offering youth development, education, and social services across lower Fairfield County — highly comparable in geographic footprint and service mix.

Regional players

• Bridgeport Rescue Mission: Local faith-affiliated nonprofit serving Bridgeport's low-income population with social services, youth programming, and community outreach — sharing the same donor base and beneficiary community.
• The Connection, Inc. Connecticut-based nonprofit providing youth services, community support, and social programs across the state. Directly comparable community-services mission and overlapping service geography in southern CT.

Broad incumbents

• United Way of Coastal Fairfield County: Regional United Way chapter that aggregates and funds community-services nonprofits in the same Bridgeport/Fairfield County area — a likely funder and strategic counterpart rather than direct competitor.

Others

• Campership Fund: Nonprofit providing campership scholarships for low-income children to attend summer camps — directly comparable mission component to Shehan's Norma F. Pfriem Summer Day Camp and Sponsor a Child program.

Emerging players

• Housatonic Community College (Workforce Development): Nearby community college offering workforce-readiness, culinary arts, and youth STEM exposure programs — overlapping with Shehan's CIT job-training and culinary arts initiatives for older teens.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShehanCenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Cardinal Shehan Center