What Coast Guard Foundation does

The Coast Guard Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1969 and headquartered in Stonington, Connecticut, operating as the U.S. Coast Guard's primary nonprofit partner. It delivers three core program pillars—Relief (emergency and disaster relief, tragedy assistance, Fallen Heroes scholarships), Education (scholarships for Coast Guard children, spouse education grants, member workforce development grants), and Morale and Wellness (projects nationwide, youth enrichment, chaplain-led mental resiliency programs). In 2025 the Foundation deployed $1.69M in education investment and $2.3M in morale and wellness, while cumulative support since 1969 exceeds $122M.

The Foundation's technology stack is a standard web-based donation and communication platform with secure server encryption, content management, event registration, and email marketing capabilities—there is no proprietary technology, AI, or data moat. The operating model relies on individual donations (one-time and recurring sustaining gifts of $25–$500+ or custom), event-based fundraising (regional tribute dinners in DC, Honolulu, Anchorage, Long Beach, NYC, and Houston; scholarship golf tournaments in NY/NJ and DC; Run to Remember events nationwide), and corporate partnerships led by Anchor Sponsors. Distribution is direct: scholarships are paid to accredited colleges, universities, trade schools, and training programs, while grants go directly to eligible Coast Guard members, spouses, and families. Marketing combines events, email newsletters, organic social (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), direct mail, earned media, and the recurring Run to Remember fitness-event series.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across long-tail individual givers, corporate sponsors in maritime and defense, and event-driven giving (the 2026 DC Golf Tournament alone raised a record $156,000). The Foundation serves Coast Guard members, spouses, dependent children, and families in crisis—with 255 child scholarships, 223 spouse grants, and 482 member education/workforce participants supported in 2025—operating nationwide with a lean staff of 11–50 employees led by President Susan Ludwig.

Name

Coast Guard Foundation

Legal name

Coast Guard Foundation

Website

https://coastguardfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Coast Guard Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 1969, that provides education scholarships, emergency disaster relief, tragedy assistance, and morale/wellness programs to U.S. Coast Guard members, spouses, children, and families in crisis nationwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Stonington

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, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters. The Foundation solicits donations through its website, email campaigns, direct mail, and event participation.
2. Event Fundraising: Revenue generated from tribute dinners, golf tournaments, Run to Remember events, and other fundraising events. The DC Golf Tournament raised a record $156,000 in 2026; the NY/NJ tournament raised $41,000.
3. Corporate Partnerships: Annual sponsorships and corporate partnerships from maritime, defense, and other corporate partners. Anchor Sponsors support events and programs at leadership levels annually.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Coast Guard Foundation provides education scholarships, emergency disaster relief, tragedy assistance, and morale/wellness programs to U.S. Coast Guard members and their families. Founded in 1969 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, it operates three core program areas—Relief, Education, and Morale & Wellness—delivered through direct grants, scholarships paid to accredited institutions, and community programming. Since inception it has delivered more than $122 million in total support across Coast Guard families.

Product overview

The Coast Guard Foundation operates as a nonprofit organization providing support programs for U.S. Coast Guard members and their families. The organization offers three core program areas: (1) Relief - including Emergency and Disaster Relief, Tragedy Assistance, and Fallen Heroes Scholarships; (2) Education - encompassing scholarships for Coast Guard children, spouse education grants, and member workforce development grants; and (3) Morale and Wellness - featuring projects nationwide, youth enrichment, and mental resiliency programs. Additionally, the Foundation organizes tribute events and Run to Remember events to honor Coast Guard service members. In 2025, the Foundation invested $1.69 million in education programs, $2.3 million in morale and wellness, and $6.6 million in disaster relief and tragedy assistance support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Relief Program Emergency relief and tragedy assistance giving Coast Guard families immediate support when disaster, loss, or hardship turns life upside down unexpectedly.
• Education Program Scholarships and grants helping Coast Guard members, spouses, and children pursue college, training, and credentials for stronger futures and service success.
• Morale and Wellness Program Programs strengthening resilience, connection, and well-being to help Coast Guard members and families stay supported, healthy, and mission ready every day.
• Emergency and Disaster Relief Fast, compassionate grants helping Coast Guard families recover from floods, wildfires, hurricanes, and other disasters with urgent support when needed most.
• Tragedy Assistance Tragedy assistance helping Coast Guard families and shipmates cover urgent travel costs and unexpected expenses during illness, injury, loss, and grief.
• Fallen Heroes Scholarship Fallen Heroes scholarships honoring Coast Guard members lost in the line of duty by helping their children attend college or trade school debt-free for life.
• Coast Guard Children Scholarships Scholarships helping Coast Guard children pursue college and training, while Fallen Heroes awards provide full support for students honoring a parent's sacrifice.
• Coast Guard Spouses Education Grants Education grants helping Coast Guard spouses earn degrees and certifications, strengthening career opportunities, financial stability, and family well-being.
• Coast Guard Members Education Grants Education grants helping Coast Guard members pursue degrees, certifications, and training that strengthen service, advance careers, and prepare futures.
• Projects Nationwide Morale and wellness projects nationwide creating spaces, programs, and support that help Coast Guard members and families stay connected and ready.
• Youth Enrichment Youth enrichment grants helping Coast Guard children attend camp, build skills, and grow with confidence through learning and summer experiences.
• Mental Resiliency Programs Mental resiliency programs supporting Coast Guard members and families through chaplain-led events, suicide prevention, and stronger connection.
• Tribute Events Regional and national events bringing together people from all across the country to pay tribute to the brave men and women who serve in the United States Coast Guard.
• Run to Remember Events Annual road races, memorial walks, and other types of fitness events to pay tribute to the lost members of the service.

Quantifiable outcome

• 48% of scholarship recipients graduated completely debt-free in 2025, compared to national average of $29,500 in student loan debt
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered corporate partner and leadership.

• Marathon (Maritime/Defense Partner)corporate partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting Coast Guard Foundation missions and programs. The Marathon logo appears on the Partners page alongside other sponsors supporting the Foundation's scholarship, morale, and relief programs.
• Anchor SponsorsleadershipGTM or Marketing PartnerAnchor Sponsors generously support Coast Guard Foundation events and programs at leadership levels annually. These corporate partners are featured prominently at tribute dinners and other Foundation events.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/coastguardfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/coastguardfoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/coastguardfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coast-guard-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Coast Guard Foundation