Near & Far Aid Association

What Near & Far Aid Association does

Near & Far Aid Association, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization founded in April 1954 and headquartered in Southport, Connecticut. It is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff, governed by an all-volunteer Board of Directors, an Executive Committee led by Co-Presidents Emily Gordon and Suzanne Jesse, and a broader Advisory Director group. The organization's stated mission is to target poverty in Fairfield County, Connecticut by funding local agencies that deliver emergency services (food, shelter, clothing), economic security programs (job training, financial literacy, affordable housing), and education and support services for children.

The organization's business model is donation-driven and event-driven rather than transactional. Revenue is generated through individual donations (online, by mail, appreciated securities, corporate matching), bequests and legacy gifts, and a portfolio of signature fundraising events including the Spring Gala at Mitchells of Westport, the Golf Classic at the Country Club of Fairfield, the Designer House Tour, and a newly added Designer Brunch. Near & Far Aid does not sell products or services and has no disclosed technology platform, mobile app, or AI capabilities; its website (nearandfaraid.org) serves as the central hub for information, donations, and event registration.

Funds are redistributed through a grant-making process to vetted nonprofit agencies in Fairfield County. In fiscal year 2024-2025, Near & Far Aid allocated $1,188,500 across 109 agency programs ($1,161,500 in grants) plus $27,000 in special gifts to 5 agencies, consistent with a multi-decade pattern of granting over $1 million annually since 1999 and approximately $18 million cumulative since 2000. The all-volunteer cost structure allows nearly 100% of donated dollars to flow to programs.

Name

Near & Far Aid Association

Legal name

Near & Far Aid Association, Inc.

Website

https://nearandfaraid.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1954

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Near & Far Aid Association is an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises funds through donations and signature events to grant over $1 million annually to local agencies addressing poverty in Fairfield County, Connecticut.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Charitable Grant-Making and Community Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

Keywords

• Community poverty relief
• Charitable grantmaking
• Nonprofit fundraising
• Donor philanthropy
• Fundraising event management

Headquarters

HQ city

Southport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The organization raises funds through individual donations made online, by mail, and through gifts of appreciated securities. Corporate matching programs allow donors to double their impact.
2. Event Fundraising: Signature events including the Spring Gala, Golf Classic, and Designer House Tour generate significant fundraising revenue. The Gala is described as the uncontested social event of Fairfield County.
3. Bequests and Legacy Gifts: Donors can create lasting legacies by including Near & Far Aid in their estate plans through bequests.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Near & Far Aid Association is an all-volunteer, 501(c)(3) public charity that raises funds through individual donations, corporate matching, bequests, and signature fundraising events, then regrants the proceeds to vetted nonprofit agencies serving impoverished communities in Fairfield County, Connecticut. Its outputs are grants to agencies delivering emergency services, economic security programs, and educational and support services, with the organization granting over $1 million annually across more than 100 agency programs.

Product overview

Near & Far Aid Association is a nonprofit organization, not a technology product company. It is an all-volunteer fundraising and fund granting organization dedicated to eliminating the causes and effects of poverty in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The organization does not offer technology products, software, or digital platforms. Its primary activities include grant-making to local nonprofit agencies, hosting fundraising events (Spring Gala, Designer Brunch, Golf Classic, House Tour), and accepting donations to support community programs focused on emergency services, economic security, education, and support services for impoverished individuals and families.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Grant Program
• Spring Gala at Mitchells of Westport
• Golf Classic
• Designer House Tour
• Designer Brunch
• Individual Donation Program
• Corporate Sponsorship Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Grants over $1 million annually to local poverty relief programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

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

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Achievement FirstcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient organization serving impoverished communities in Fairfield County through education programs.
• Americares Free ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing free healthcare clinics to underserved populations in Fairfield County.
• Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing affordable housing solutions in Fairfield County.
• Nourish BridgeportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing food security programs, including a Super Food Pantry and Indoor Hydroponic Farm.
• Person-to-PersoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrant recipient providing emergency assistance and social services to those in need.
• Land Rover FairfieldmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle Sponsor of Near & Far Aid events, demonstrating commitment to improving lives in Fairfield County's underserved communities.
• Mitchells of WestportmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLong-time Title Sponsor and host of Near & Far Aid's Spring Gala. The Mitchell family's extraordinary philanthropic contributions to the community have been honored by the organization.
• WR BerkleymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Sponsor supporting Near & Far Aid's fundraising efforts.
• Charter RealtymajorGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Sponsor supporting Near & Far Aid's fundraising events.
• Fairfield County Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in sponsoring webinars during COVID-19 crisis to help nonprofits understand federal and state support programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Regional players

• The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven: A larger Connecticut-based community foundation pursuing the same pooled-fund, re-grant-to-local-agencies model. Useful peer for benchmarking endowment growth, fund-type mix, and grant-allocation scale.
• Westchester Community Foundation: County-level community foundation serving Westchester, NY — a comparable affluent-suburban geography where income inequality mirrors Near & Far Aid's Fairfield County focus. Useful peer for donor-pool and event-fundraising benchmarking.
• New Hampshire Charitable Foundation: Statewide community foundation with a long history of pooled fund grantmaking to local agencies. Closely comparable in operating model, donor-advised fund focus, and community-event-driven fundraising.
• Maine Community Foundation: Statewide community foundation with county-based grantmaking and a similar model of raising funds through community events and re-granting to vetted nonprofits. Useful comparable for geographically-bounded impact.
• Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation: Regional grantmaker supporting nonprofits in western Connecticut and neighboring Massachusetts/New York counties. Comparable in size and community-foundation grantmaking approach.
• Connecticut Community Foundation: Greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills-focused community foundation that similarly pools donations and re-grants to vetted local agencies. Operates in adjacent Connecticut counties with a comparable grantmaking model.

Broad incumbents

• New York Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest community foundations in the U.S., operating a pooled-fund grantmaking model across a broader geography. Represents the scaled-up archetype of what Near & Far Aid's model could evolve into.
• Boston Foundation: Established metropolitan community foundation distributing significant annual grants to local agencies in Greater Boston. Comparable in fund-type diversity (donor-advised, unrestricted, field-of-interest) and grant review process.

Direct peers

• United Way of Coastal Fairfield County: Operates in the same Fairfield County footprint funding a network of local agencies focused on poverty, education, and basic needs. Competes for overlapping donor dollars and community-grant allocations.
• Fairfield County Community Foundation: A regional community foundation serving the same Fairfield County geography with grantmaking to local nonprofits. Already an active partner of Near & Far Aid on COVID-relief webinars, and the most direct local comparable in mission and donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nearandfaraid

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles67 records

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 Near & Far Aid Association