Petit Family Foundation

What Petit Family Foundation does

The Petit Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2008 following the July 2007 Cheshire, Connecticut home invasion that killed Jennifer Hawke-Petit and her daughters Hayley and Michaela Petit. Headquartered in Plainville, Connecticut, and led by Dr. William A. Petit, Jr. as President, the foundation channels community fundraising into three mission pillars: education of young people with emphasis on women in the sciences, support for those affected by chronic illness (notably Multiple Sclerosis), and violence prevention/protection of victims.

The foundation's core activities are grant-making and community event execution rather than technology development. Grant programs include General Project Support Grants ($500–$10,000) and multi-year Signature Grants ($10,000–$50,000 per year, up to $100,000 total), awarded through an annual cycle with an April submission deadline. Programs with their own branding include Michaela's Garden Project (Four O'Clocks, named Connecticut's Official Children's State Flower in 2015), the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship at Connecticut Children's Medical Center, and Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle MS Memorial Fund. Recurring fundraising events include the 20th Annual Golf Tournament, 19th Annual 5K Road Race, and 4th Annual Sip & Inspire Change Wine Event.

The foundation's business model is donation-driven: it raises capital through event participation, sponsorships, individual giving, and merchandise (e.g., Four O'Clocks seed packets at $5–$50), then redistributes proceeds as grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. There is no customer-facing product or pricing structure; "revenue" flows in via donations and event attendance and flows out via grants. Since 2008 the foundation has raised and distributed over $10 million cumulatively across Connecticut, the American Northeast, and the broader United States, with strategic partners including Connecticut Science Center, Space Foundation, The Jackson Laboratory, Community Mental Health Affiliates, and The Hospital for Special Care.

Name

Petit Family Foundation

Legal name

Petit Family Foundation

Website

https://petitfamilyfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Petit Family Foundation is a Plainville, Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) non-profit that has raised over $10 million since 2008 to fund STEM education for young women, chronic illness support, and violence prevention programs through grants to nonprofit partners and recurring community fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Foundation Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK), Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

Keywords

• Charitable foundation grants
• Community fundraising events
• Nonprofit grant programs
• STEM education funding
• Violence prevention support

Headquarters

HQ city

Plainville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising Proceeds: The foundation raises funds through community fundraising events including annual golf tournaments, 5K road races, wine tasting events, and direct donations. All proceeds benefit the foundation's mission to fund STEM education, chronic illness support, and violence prevention programs.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales to foundation events including the annual golf tournament ($100-120 per person for wine events, golf + dinner packages), sponsorship packages, and merchandise sales including seed packets.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Petit Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation that raises funds through community events (annual golf tournament, 5K road race, wine tasting) and direct donations, then redistributes those funds as grants to qualifying nonprofit organizations. Its grant programs include General Project Support Grants ($500–$10,000) and Signature Grants ($10,000–$50,000/year, up to $100,000 over multiple years), focused on three pillars: STEM education (especially for young women), chronic illness support, and violence prevention. The foundation also administers memorial programs including Michaela's Garden Project, the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship, and the Women in Science Initiative with the Connecticut Science Center.

Product overview

The Petit Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization founded in 2008 following the tragic deaths of Jennifer Hawke-Petit, Hayley Elizabeth Petit, and Michaela Rose Petit. Rather than offering a technology product, the foundation provides grant programs to nonprofit organizations and hosts community events. Core offerings include: grant programs (General Project Support Grants and Signature Grants) totaling over $10 million awarded since 2008; annual events including a Golf Tournament, 5K Road Race, and Wine Event; the Women In Science Initiative with the Connecticut Science Center; and Michaela's Garden Project distributing Four O' Clock seeds. The foundation focuses on three mission pillars: STEM education for young people (especially women), supporting those affected by chronic illness, and violence prevention.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Michaela's Garden Project: A garden project that memorializes Michaela Petit by distributing Four O'Clock flower seeds and establishing gardens throughout Connecticut. Four O'Clocks were named the Official Children's State Flower of Connecticut in 2015.
• Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle
• Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship

Products and services

• Grant Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10 million raised and distributed since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Space FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Joint selection for the 2026 Space Symposium Awards recognizing space community advancement. Also partners on Girls STEM Experience programs in Hartford, CT.
• Connecticut Science CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Petit Family Foundation is a Founding Sponsor of the Science Center's Celebrating Women in Science Initiative, a two-year effort to raise the profile of women in the sciences. The foundation co-hosts the annual 'An Evening Honoring Women in Science' event at the center.
• Worldwide WinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for the annual Sip & Inspire Change Wine Event at Farmington Polo Club. Worldwide Wines serves as the Presenting Sponsor for the 4th Annual event in 2026.
• The Jackson LaboratoryflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaunched the $248,000 Petit Family Foundation Women in Genomics Initiative at The Jackson Laboratory in 2016. Partnership supports research and education in genomics with focus on women in science.
• Geremia FarmscoreOthersPartners with the foundation to grow Four O'Clocks plants for Michaela's Garden Project as part of the curriculum for AgriScience Schools and urban farming programs.
• New Britain ROOTScoreOthersUrban farming organization that grows Four O'Clock plants for Michaela's Garden Project as part of their educational programming.
• Connecticut Children's Medical Center - Hayley Petit Injury Prevention FellowshipflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year Signature Grant partnership funding the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship program through the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Children's Medical Center.
• Community Mental Health Affiliates (CMHA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year Signature Grant partnership with CMHA in New Britain, providing ongoing funding for mental health and community support programs.
• The Hospital for Special Care FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-year Signature Grant recipient based in New Britain, supporting their programs for individuals with chronic illnesses and special care needs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Connecticut Community Foundation: Regional community foundation serving Connecticut with grantmaking, scholarships, and donor-advised funds. Direct peer given shared geography, community-grantmaking model, and overlapping grantee pool (CT nonprofits).
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving: One of Connecticut's largest community foundations distributing grants across Hartford and the region. Most directly comparable community grantmaking peer in the same state.
• Main Street Community Foundation: Community foundation serving Bristol, Plainville, and surrounding CT towns. Highly comparable given geographic overlap with the Petit Family Foundation's Plainville home base.
• Pinkerton Foundation: Family-established foundation funding youth, education, and violence prevention causes. Comparable given family-anchored origin and overlapping focus areas with the Petit's violence-prevention and education pillars.

Broad incumbents

• Newman's Own Foundation: Memorial/tribute-driven private foundation making grants to children-focused charities. Comparable as a high-profile family-anchored foundation converting a personal story into a national grantmaking platform.
• American Association of University Women (AAUW): National nonprofit funding women in STEM scholarships and leadership programs. Comparable given direct overlap with the Petit's Women in Science Initiative and STEM focus.
• National Network to End Domestic Violence: National grantmaking and advocacy organization focused on violence prevention and victim services. Comparable given the Petit's explicit violence-prevention and victim-support grantmaking pillar.

Regional players

• National Multiple Sclerosis Society (Connecticut Chapter): Disease-specific grantmaker and service provider that partners with Petit Family Foundation through Hayley's Hope and Michaela's Miracle. Comparable given overlapping chronic-illness grant-making scope in CT.
• Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation: Healthcare foundation operating the Hayley Petit Injury and Violence Prevention Fellowship as flagship partner. Comparable given shared regional philanthropy and overlapping violence-prevention grantmaking.

Others

• Space Foundation: Strategic partner running the Space Symposium awards with which Petit Family Foundation was honored in 2026. Not a direct grantmaking peer but the closest STEM programming partner and a leading indicator of the foundation's STEM ecosystem positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PetitFamilyFoundation
• Xx.com/pffpetit

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Petit Family Foundation