Circle of Friends

What Circle of Friends does

Circle of Friends of Connecticut, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2004 and headquartered at 40 King Street, Norwalk, Connecticut, in Fairfield County. The organization provides social, recreational, educational, and life-experience programs for individuals with special needs across age groups, serving children ages 4-12, teens ages 13-18, and adults 18+. Core offerings include Sunday Circle, Teen Scene, Kids & Teens Social Skills Class, Home with Friends (in-home teen volunteer visits), Teens on the Town (life skills outings), Young Adult/Adult Circle, Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, Hebrew School Jewish enrichment, Winter/Summer Camp, and Sib Shop sibling support, with 40+ programs in total. Programs are delivered at Temple Beth Israel, local schools, and community venues, staffed by 1-10 employees plus a structured pipeline of teen volunteers (130+ honored at a single event).

The organization operates a social enterprise, Crumb Together Bakery, which trains and employs adults with disabilities to produce kosher baked goods (Dairy & Nut Free, Pareve, Pas Yisroel); the bakery is currently temporarily closed. Revenue is generated through donations (individual, corporate, foundation, DAF, stocks, vehicles, Zelle), program fees ($350 for 4-day camp; $600 for 12-session Solomon Leadership Program earning 3 college credits), event revenue (Evening of Recognition Celebration 19 gala at $225 per person on May 3, 2026), and the bakery subsidiary. It is led by Executive Director Freida Hecht, Spiritual Advisor Rabbi Yehoshua S. Hecht, and Program Director Faige Chein, with no parent company, no institutional investment, and 501(c)(3) status (Federal Tax ID 47-4152491). Deep school partnerships with five local high schools (Weston, Staples, Norwalk, Fairfield Warde, Brien McMahon) and corporate sponsors (First County Bank, Schochet CPA, Newman's Own, Foresters, Probono Partnership) anchor the community footprint.

Name

Circle of Friends

Legal name

Circle of Friends of Connecticut, Inc.

Website

https://circleoffriendsct.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Circle of Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit in Norwalk, Connecticut providing 40+ social, recreational, educational, and life-experience programs for children, teens, and adults with special needs, supported by teen volunteers, families, and community sponsors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Special Needs Social Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAL

Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGADAD

Youth Mentoring & Positive Youth Development Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

SECONDARYBPAGADAK

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Education & Youth Development Nonprofits

Keywords

• Disability social services
• Special needs programs
• Community volunteer programs
• Social enterprise bakery
• Nonprofit disability support

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwalk

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, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Circle of Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that relies on donations from individuals, corporations, and community sponsors. The organization accepts donations via check, Donor Advised Fund, Foundation, Stocks, Zelle, and car/boat donations.
2. Program Fees (Camp and Leadership): Fees collected for specific programs including Winter/Summer Camp ($350 for 4-day session or $100 per day) and Solomon Leadership Program ($600 for 12 sessions, with scholarships available).
3. Crumb Together Bakery Revenue: Social enterprise bakery that trains and employs adults with disabilities to create and sell kosher baked goods. Revenue supports employment of people with disabilities.
4. Event Revenue (Gala/Evening of Recognition): Annual Evening of Recognition events with ticket sales ($225 per person for Celebration 19 in 2026) that fund programs and honor volunteers.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Circle of Friends is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that delivers more than 40 social, recreational, educational, and life-skills programs for children, teens, and adults with disabilities in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Programs are facilitated by trained teen and adult volunteers in community venues, participants' homes, and through a social-enterprise kosher bakery that employs adults with disabilities. Revenue is supported by donations, corporate sponsors, modest program fees, and fundraising events.

Product overview

Circle of Friends is a non-profit organization operating as a single unified program rather than a platform architecture. The organization provides over 40 tailor-made programs connecting people with special needs (children, teens, and young adults with disabilities) with teen and adult volunteers. Core programs include Sunday Circle and Teen Scene for kids and teens, Home with Friends for one-on-one home visits, Teens on the Town for life skills development, and Young Adult/Adult Circle for adults 18+. Supporting programs include Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation, Hebrew School enrichment, Life/Social Skills training, Winter/Summer Camp, and sibling support groups. The organization also operates Crumb Together Bakery as a social enterprise, offers the Solomon Leadership Program for college credits, and provides the Mildred H. Schwartz Scholarship Award for dedicated teen volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Crumb Together Bakery: A not-for-profit bakery that trains and employs adults with disabilities to create delicious, kosher baked goods. 75% of adults with disabilities are unemployed. The mission is to change that by providing employment opportunities.

Products and services

• Sunday Circle
• Teen Scene
• Kids & Teens Social Skills Class
• Home with Friends
• Teens on the Town
• Young Adult/Adult Circle
• Bar/Bat Mitzvah Program
• Hebrew School Jewish Enrichment Program
• Life/Social Skills Program Program where teen volunteers and professionals help teens with special needs become comfortable in public places to gain confidence and become self-sufficient.
• Winter/Summer Camp
• Sib Shop (Sibling Support Group)
• The Care Project
• Community Awareness
• Crumb Together Bakery
• Solomon Leadership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ teen volunteers honored at single events
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• First County BankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate sponsor of Circle of Friends, supporting the organization's community programs and events
• Schochet CPAminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAccounting firm sponsor providing financial support to Circle of Friends programs
• Probono PartnershipcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProbono Partnership provides professional services to support Circle of Friends operations. The organization states 'Proud to be working with the Probono Partnership'
• WYWC (Women You Should Know)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization partner supporting Circle of Friends visibility and outreach
• City of NorwalkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipal partner supporting community programs
• ForestersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFraternal organization sponsor of Circle of Friends community initiatives
• Newman's OwnminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation providing grant funding and product donations to support Circle of Friends programs
• Shalom CTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity organization partner
• Temple Beth Israel (Beth Israel Chabad)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary venue host for Sunday Circle, Teen Scene, and Young Adult/Adult Circle programs. Located at 40 King Street, Norwalk. Co-host of annual Evening of Recognition gala.
• Weston High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal high school with active Circle of Friends Club. Students serve as volunteers, co-presidents, and organizers of school-wide events to raise awareness about disabilities and build inclusive community.
• Staples High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal high school with Circle of Friends leadership. Student volunteers and club leadership organize programs and fundraising events.
• Norwalk High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of annual dodgeball tournament fundraiser that has raised over $50,000 for charities over 9 years, including nearly $4,000 for Crumb Together Bakery in 2018.
• Fairfield Warde High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal high school with Circle of Friends leadership and volunteer programs.
• Brien McMahon High SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal high school with Circle of Friends leadership and volunteer involvement.
• Solomon Leadership ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram partnership providing leadership training with 3 college credits. Made possible by funding from Caren & Marc Tishfield & Margaret & Mitchell Rapoport. 12 bi-monthly sessions in Westport/Fairfield County Chapter.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ability Beyond: Ability Beyond serves individuals with disabilities through day programs, residential services, employment supports, and community recreation in Connecticut and New York. Comparable in target population and regional footprint, with a similarly broad service menu.
• Keshet: Keshet provides educational, recreational, and social programs for children and adults with disabilities in the Jewish community, including summer camp, social skills, and residential programs. Directly comparable in mission, target population, and faith-community anchoring.
• The Arc Connecticut: The Arc Connecticut is a statewide advocacy and direct-service organization for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Provides comparable social, recreational, and employment support, and competes for the same donor and grant pools in the same Connecticut geography.
• Friendship Circle International: Friendship Circle is the most direct peer — a network of Jewish-community-based programs supporting children and adults with special needs through one-on-one friendship, social programs, and life-skills classes. Operates a near-identical model with teen volunteer pairings and family support, comparable to Circle of Friends' Home with Friends and Sunday Circle programs.

Broad incumbents

• YAI (Young Adult Institute): YAI is one of the largest nonprofit organizations supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, providing housing, day programs, employment, and clinical services. Offers broader scope and national reach but a comparable core population.
• Easterseals Capital Region & Eastern Connecticut: Easterseals is a large national disability services provider offering social, recreational, and employment programs for individuals with disabilities. Operates a broader portfolio including medical, therapeutic, and vocational services across multiple states.
• Jewish Community Center Association: JCC Association is a broad network of Jewish community centers offering recreational, educational, and social programs, including dedicated disability-inclusion services and social skills classes. Comparable venue-and-community model with broader programming scope.

Regional players

• SARRC (Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center): SARRC is an Arizona-based autism organization providing social, educational, and vocational programs. Comparable in focus on autism and special-needs social programs but operates in a different geography than Circle of Friends' Fairfield County base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubevimeo.com/circlefriends
• Xx.com/circlefriends
• Facebookfacebook.com/circlefriendsct
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circlefriendsct

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Circle of Friends