Gawlicki Family Foundation

What Gawlicki Family Foundation does

The Gawlicki Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private family foundation established in 2012 by Mary and Ted Gawlicki and headquartered at 100 Pearl Street, 14th Floor, Hartford, Connecticut. It was capitalized with proceeds from the founders' 2015 sale of Corporate Translations Inc., a translation services firm they had grown over 26 years into a $36 million international business. The foundation awards grants exclusively to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations based in the Greater Hartford area, with grant sizes ranging from $5,000 to $1,000,000 and typical maximums of $250,000.

The foundation concentrates its grantmaking in three focus areas: Education (STEAM learning, youth development, literacy, and workforce readiness), Pulmonary Health (COPD management, pulmonary rehabilitation awareness, and home-based care), and Municipal and Economic Development (community gardens, fiscal sustainability, and civic infrastructure). Since inception, it has awarded over $8 million to more than 50 organizations through a structured five-phase application process (Apply, Review, Visit, Approve, Contract) with a priority deadline of May 31st. It offers multi-year and matching or challenge grants, and typically does not fund operating expenses.

The foundation operates with a lean staff of 1-10 employees, no technology products or services, and explicit geographic restrictions limiting grantmaking to the Greater Hartford area. Its competitive position rests on the founders' direct entrepreneurial experience, a defined thematic focus, and embedded relationships within the Hartford non-profit ecosystem. The foundation does not generate revenue from operations; its grantmaking capacity derives from endowment returns and corpus drawdown.

Name

Gawlicki Family Foundation

Legal name

Gawlicki Family Foundation

Website

https://wefundforward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Gawlicki Family Foundation is a Hartford, Connecticut-based 501(c)(3) private family foundation that awards grants to non-profits in the Greater Hartford area across education, pulmonary health, and municipal and economic development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Philanthropic Grant-Making Foundation

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAOAB

Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Donor Coordination, Grantmaking & Development Finance Programs

SECONDARYBPAGAKAK

Education Grantmaking Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

SECONDARYHLAJALAF

Community Health & Prevention Program Funding

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Public Health, Government & Regulators/Public Health Funding, Grants & Program Administration

SECONDARYEDADAHAC

Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Funding, Grants & Financial Aid Administration

Keywords

• Philanthropic grants
• Nonprofit funding
• Education grants
• Pulmonary health funding
• Community development grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Hartford

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grant Disbursements: As a private foundation, the organization generates no revenue from operations. It distributes grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations from its endowment and investment returns. Funding comes from proceeds of the sale of Corporate Translations Inc. in 2015.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Gawlicki Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation that awards grants to non-profit organizations in the Greater Hartford area of Connecticut. It focuses on three areas: education (STEAM learning and youth development), pulmonary health (COPD awareness and rehabilitation), and municipal and economic development (quality of life and infrastructure). Grants typically range from $5,000 to $1,000,000, with a typical maximum of $250,000, awarded through a structured five-phase process (Apply, Review, Visit, Approve, Contract).

Product overview

The Gawlicki Family Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private grant-making foundation that provides focused grants to non-profit organizations in the Greater Hartford area. The foundation operates in three focus areas: Education (strengthening academic achievement through STEAM), Pulmonary Health (empowering patients and enhancing health outcomes through intervention and rehabilitation), and Municipal & Economic Development (fostering social and economic opportunity through quality of life and infrastructure programs). The foundation does not offer technology products or services but provides grant funding to non-profit organizations through a structured five-phase application process.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gawlicki Family Foundation Grant Program A private grant-making program that provides focused funding to non-profit organizations in the Greater Hartford area, supporting transformative change in education, pulmonary health, and municipal and economic development. The foundation has awarded over $8 million to more than 50 organizations since its inception.
• Grant Application Process A five-phase grant process (Apply, Review, Visit, Approve, Contract) with typical duration of 3-6 months. Priority is given to applications submitted by May 31st. Maximum grants are typically $250,000, with past grants ranging from $5,000 to $1,000,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since inception, awarded nearly $2.5 million to over 30 organizations (Financials page)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers15 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 flagship, core and minor.

• Kent State University Institute for Applied LinguisticsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe foundation awarded a $1 million grant to establish the Gawlicki Family Foundation Online Master of Arts in Translation Program. This partnership created a new faculty position focused on distance learning, developed a new technology infrastructure, and state-of-the-art distance learning courses for translation studies.
• St. Patrick's SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$150,000 grant to implement Full STREAM Ahead Program, funding technology purchases, facility upgrades, and professional development training for staff in science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math curriculum.
• National Resource NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$33,000 grant to support City of Hartford's efforts to create fiscal sustainability through a partnership with NRN, a federally funded consortium of urban experts.
• Hospital for Special CareflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner$250,000 grant to expand COPD Disease Management Program and pursue Patient Centered Specialty Program (PCSP) certification, adding psychology, social work, and nutritional counseling services.
• Saint Francis Hospital and Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$84,000 grant to implement home-based pulmonary rehabilitation program for at-risk COPD patients, enhancing patient-caregiver communication and self-management strategies.
• American Thoracic SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner$205,000 grant for Pulmonary Rehabilitation Awareness Campaign, in partnership with COPD Foundation, to increase patient and family awareness about pulmonary rehabilitation.
• Connecticut FoodshareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of Feeding America network working to address root causes of hunger and create long-term solutions in Connecticut.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of HartfordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports academic success, good character and citizenship, and healthy lifestyles for 8,000+ youth at risk in Hartford community.
• Junior AchievementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding to extend specialty programs to 350 additional students from underserved communities in Hartford, New Britain, Waterbury, and New Haven.
• Makerspace CTminorStrategic or Co-development Partner25,000+ sq. ft. makerspace driving Connecticut's innovation ecosystem through MAKE'n'ABLE youth program building prosthetic devices for people in need.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: Large national private foundation operating across health, education, and community development. Comparable on three-vertical structure (education, health, municipal/community) but at much greater scale and broader geography.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: Largest US philanthropy dedicated solely to health. Comparable on the pulmonary/COPD-adjacent health grantmaking, but operates nationally at vastly greater scale and funds research and policy beyond service delivery.

Direct peers

• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving: Largest community foundation in Greater Hartford. Direct comparable on geography (Hartford-focused) and multi-cause grantmaking approach, though larger and institutional rather than family-funded.
• The Donaghue Foundation: Connecticut-based private foundation funding health research and policy. Comparable in private family foundation structure, CT footprint, and health-focused grantmaking (overlaps with Gawlicki's pulmonary health pillar).
• The John Hartford Foundation: New York-based private foundation focused on improving care for older adults, with significant health grantmaking. Comparable as a private family foundation funding health system improvements with multi-year program grants.
• The William Caspar Graustein Memorial Fund: Connecticut-based private foundation focused on education and community development. Highly comparable as a family/endowed foundation prioritizing education equity and CT-based grantees.
• The Tow Foundation: Connecticut-based private family foundation supporting education, healthcare, and community programs. Comparable in structure (family-founded, privately capitalized), CT footprint, and multi-vertical grantmaking approach.
• The Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation: Connecticut-based private foundation funding education, arts, and environment. Comparable as a family foundation in CT with education and community focus areas, though with a stronger arts/culture component.
• Nellie Mae Education Foundation: New England's largest education-focused private foundation. Comparable in education grantmaking vertical and New England geographic footprint, particularly STEAM and college readiness programs.

Regional players

• Connecticut Community Foundation: Community foundation serving greater Waterbury and Litchfield Hills region of CT. Comparable as a CT-based grantmaking foundation but with different geographic focus area within the state.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-gawlicki-family-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Gawlicki Family Foundation