The David and Eunice Bigelow Foundation is a Connecticut-focused family fund that concentrates on neighborhood education, youth development, and health care in Bridgeport/Fairfield County. It favors local schools, community colleges and scholarship funds, youth-serving organizations and hospital foundations, and also supports food security, senior services and family-violence legal services. Grants are typically program or general operating support for community institutions rather than national initiatives, with several multi-year or repeat awards to the same local organizations. The foundation’s giving signals a strong place-based commitment to improving educational outcomes, youth opportunity, and health services in its home region.
A defining feature of the David and Eunice Bigelow Foundation’s recent giving is its repeated support for Bridgeport public schools’ coding and girls-in-STEM programs, including $66,000 to the Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools for an elementary after-school coding program and $60,000 for Girls Who Code Summer Program support. That pattern places K-12 STEM learning at the center of a broader local portfolio that also reaches youth development, college scholarships, hospital foundations, and family services in Fairfield County. The foundation’s grants often back specific programs rather than broad national initiatives. In the recent record, it supported Access Educational Services for STEM programming, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation for mission and cancer care funds, and Center for Family Justice for the Empower House Project. It also made repeated awards to community institutions such as Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, Sacred Heart University, and Fairfield University. Across the recent grants list, the common thread is place-based support for organizations serving children, students, patients, and families in Bridgeport and nearby communities.
Education and youth development appear in multiple forms. The foundation gave $60,000 to Kids Empowered By Your Support Inc co K E Y S for support of Tisdale Elementary Grant, virtual teaching, and instrument support, and $30,000 to Access Educational Services Inc for STEM Programs 2023 Donation. Both grants point to school-centered programming with a practical, enrichment-oriented edge. The foundation also backs arts and recreation for young people. It awarded $45,000 to Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools for Arts-Summer FAME-2023 Donation and $25,000 to Creative Youth Productions Inc for general support. Health-related grantmaking includes $20,000 to St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation for Cancer Care and $18,000 to Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc for the Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer Center. Higher education and scholarships are another clear theme. Sacred Heart University received $15,000 for the David & Eunice Bigelow Scholarship, and Fairfield University received $15,000 for its General Fund.
$858K
$8.9M
$1.6M
$956K
Most grants fall between $5K and $15K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$15K
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Place‑based, moderately concentrated giving: many small-to-mid sized grants with repeated multi-year support to core local grantees (notably heavy investment in one Bridgeport schools foundation), a mix of program and general operating grants, and few national or out-of-area recipients.
Notable grantees: Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools, St. Vincent’s Medical Center Foundation, Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, Kids Empowered By Your Support (KEYS), Center for Family Justice
Typical grants cluster in the low five figures: the p25 is $5,000, the median is $8,000, and the p75 is $15,000. The recent record also shows a smaller set of larger awards in the $45,000 to $66,000 range. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including the Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc, St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, and Center for Family Justice. The foundation funds individuals as well as organizations, and the recent grants list suggests a mix of program support, general support, and scholarship-related giving.
Giving is overwhelmingly Connecticut-based, with 95% of grants to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. Bridgeport appears most often, including grants to the Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools, Access Educational Services Inc, St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc, and Center for Family Justice. Fairfield is another recurring site through Sacred Heart University and Fairfield University. Outside those cities, the recent grants list also includes New Canaan and Sandy Hook, showing a regional footprint within the state rather than a national one.
Its recent grants go to public-school support groups, youth-serving nonprofits, hospitals and hospital foundations, colleges and scholarship programs, and family services. Examples include Bridgeport public school STEM and arts programs, community college and university funds, cancer care support, and the Empower House Project at Center for Family Justice.
The foundation’s grant-size distribution is fairly compact: p25 is $5,000, median is $8,000, and p75 is $15,000. Recent awards also include larger program grants in the $45,000 to $66,000 range.
Yes. Several organizations appear in multiple years, including Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools, Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc, St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University, and Center for Family Justice. That pattern suggests ongoing relationships rather than one-off awards only.
Connecticut receives 95% of grants, and Bridgeport is the most common city in the recent grants list. Fairfield, New Canaan, and Sandy Hook also appear, but the giving profile is strongly local within Connecticut.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $66,000 | 2026 | Coding Elementary After School-2025 Donation |
| Creative Youth Productions Inc | Sandy Hook, CT | $60,000 | 2026 | General |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $60,000 | 2026 | Coding Year Long-2025 Donation |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $60,000 | 2026 | General |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $40,397 | 2026 | Girls Who Code Summer Program - 2025 Donation |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $40,113 | 2026 | Arts-Summer FAME-2025 Donation |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $34,533 | 2026 | Advanced Manufacuring 2025 Donation |
| St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation | Bridgeport, CT | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc | Bridgeport, CT | $25,000 | 2026 | General |
| Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools | Bridgeport, CT | $24,914 | 2026 | Robotics High School Girls Summer - 2025 Donation |
| Connecticut Foodshare | Wallingford, CT | $20,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bullard Haven Technical High School | Bridgeport, CT | $16,000 | 2026 | Scholarship Fund |
| Norwalk Community College Foundation Inc | Norwalk, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Sacred Heart University | Fairfield, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| University of Bridgeport | Bridgeport, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | Bigelow Family Foundation Scholarship Fund |
| Horizons at GFA | Greens Farms, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Fairfield University | Fairfield, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General Fund |
| Center for Family Justice | Bridgeport, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | Empower House Project |
| Connecticut State - Housatonic | Bridgeport, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | General |
| Fairfield YMCA | Fairfield, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | 2025 Annual Campaign |
| Caroline House | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bridgeport Rescue Mission | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Pivot Ministries Inc | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| University of New Haven | West Haven, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | ML McLaughlin Scholarship Endowed Fund |
| Wakeman's Boys and Girls Clubs | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Operation Hope | Fairfield, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Bridgeport Hospital Foundation Inc | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Norma Pfriem Breast Cancer Center |
| Albertus Magnus College | New Haven, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Ralphola Taylor Community Center YMCA | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bigelow Center for Senior Activities | Fairfield, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Innocence Project | New York, NY | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Bridge House | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| Cardinal Shehan Center | Bridgeport, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | General |
| YMCA Camp Hi-Rock | Mt Washington, MA | $10,000 | 2026 | Capital Campaign / General |
| Mozaic Adult Day Program | Bridgeport, CT | $7,000 | 2026 | General |
| Human Services Council of Mid Fairfield County | Norwalk, CT | $6,500 | 2026 | General |
| Fairfield County Community Foundation | Norwalk, CT | $6,000 | 2026 | General |
| Connecticut Audubon Society | Fairfield, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Central Connecticut Coast YMCA | New Haven, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| McGivney Community Center | Bridgeport, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Alliance for Community Empowerment | Bridgeport, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| St Catherine Center for Special Needs | Fairfield, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| St Baldrick's Foundation | Monrovia, CA | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Domestic Violence Crisis Center | Stamford, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Kennedy Collective | Trumbull, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Boy Scouts of America Connecticut Yankee Council | Milford, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Pilot House | Fairfield, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| Neighborhood Studio of Fairfield County | Bridgeport, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General |
| STAR Inc | Norwalk, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Girl Scouts of Connecticut | Hartford, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | General Support |
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$66,000Coding Elementary After School-2025 Donation
Creative Youth Productions Inc
$60,000General
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$60,000Coding Year Long-2025 Donation
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$60,000General
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$40,397Girls Who Code Summer Program - 2025 Donation
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$40,113Arts-Summer FAME-2025 Donation
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$34,533Advanced Manufacuring 2025 Donation
St Vincent's Medical Center Foundation
$25,000General
Foundation for Excellence in Bridgeport Public Schools
$24,914Robotics High School Girls Summer - 2025 Donation
Bullard Haven Technical High School
$16,000Scholarship Fund
Norwalk Community College Foundation Inc
$15,000General
University of Bridgeport
$15,000Bigelow Family Foundation Scholarship Fund
Horizons at GFA
$15,000General
Connecticut State - Housatonic
$15,000General
Fairfield YMCA
$15,0002025 Annual Campaign
Caroline House
$10,000General
Pivot Ministries Inc
$10,000General Support
Operation Hope
$10,000General Support
Albertus Magnus College
$10,000General
Ralphola Taylor Community Center YMCA
$10,000General
Bigelow Center for Senior Activities
$10,000General
Bridge House
$10,000General
Cardinal Shehan Center
$10,000General
YMCA Camp Hi-Rock
$10,000Capital Campaign / General
Mozaic Adult Day Program
$7,000General
Human Services Council of Mid Fairfield County
$6,500General
Connecticut Audubon Society
$5,000General
Alliance for Community Empowerment
$5,000General
Domestic Violence Crisis Center
$5,000General
Kennedy Collective
$5,000General Support
Boy Scouts of America Connecticut Yankee Council
$5,000General
Pilot House
$5,000General
Neighborhood Studio of Fairfield County
$5,000General
STAR Inc
$5,000General Support
Girl Scouts of Connecticut
$5,000General Support