The Bauer Family Foundation concentrates giving on local Connecticut community needs and faith-linked organizations, while also supporting higher education scholarships and a few national/international Christian ministries. Grants skew toward large, multi-hundred-thousand dollar gifts that fund operational support, capital/expansion projects, and scholarship programs. The foundation favors a mix of place-based community development (housing, health, children’s services) and faith-based programming and conference centers.
The Bauer Family Foundation Inc’s largest recent gift was a $1,050,000 scholarship-supported award to Washington University in St Louis, signaling a grantmaking pattern that pairs higher education with major operating support. Across the recent grants list, the foundation backs colleges, child and family services, housing, healthcare, and faith-linked organizations, often at substantial levels. It also supports institutions with recurring awards over multiple years, including Goodwin University, Family & Children’s Agency, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, and Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County. The foundation’s giving includes both large unrestricted or operational awards and more targeted support for specific programs or capital efforts. Examples include support for a foster-care and after-school program at Family & Children’s Agency, a capital growth plan at Stepping Stones Museum for Children, and a home-creation project in Bridgeport through Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County. Faith-based organizations also appear regularly, alongside scholarships and community-serving nonprofits. The pattern shows a donor that blends place-based Connecticut philanthropy with selected out-of-state educational and ministry grants.
In scholarship and higher-education support, The Bauer Family Foundation Inc gave $1,000,000 to Goodwin University for operational support and $125,000 to Princeton University for the Princeton Initiative for Faith and Work. Another $100,000 went to George Washington University for operational support. These grants show a preference for colleges and university programs tied to core institutional needs. For children and family services, the foundation supported Family & Children’s Agency with $300,000 in 2025 for operational support and $170,000 in 2023 for Call From the Heart, the foster-care program, and ASPIRE after-school and summer program. It also gave $300,000 to Stepping Stones Museum for Children for a capital growth plan, plus $100,000 to Circle of Care for families of children with cancer. Housing and community development appears through Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, which received support for the Chopsey Hill home-creation project and later operational support.
$5.5M
$5.9M
$2.2M
$5.6M
Most grants fall between $25K and $100K, with a median of $50K.
25th Percentile
$25K
Median
$50K
75th Percentile
$100K
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Relatively concentrated, large-dollar grants (most $250k–$1M) with a mix of operational and capital support; mainly place-based giving in Fairfield County combined with selective higher-education and faith-sector recipients. Some repeat/local grantee support is evident (e.g., Family & Children's Agency), but the portfolio also includes one-off large gifts to institutions.
Notable grantees: Washington University in St. Louis, Goodwin University, Family & Children's Agency (Fairfield County), Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, Green Lake Conference Center
Typical grant size centers on a $25,000 p25, $50,000 median, and $100,000 p75, but the recent grants list also includes several seven-figure and high six-figure awards. The pattern suggests a mix of recurring support and one-off gifts: Family & Children’s Agency, Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Green Lake Conference Center, Princeton University, and Circle of Care each appear more than once across different years. The foundation funds individuals and appears to use mostly grant-based support rather than program-related investments. Recipients are typically funded directly, with operational support, capital campaigns, scholarships, and event-linked gifts all present.
Giving is heavily concentrated in Connecticut, which accounts for 72% of grants and is the top state by grant count. Within the state, recent recipients include East Hartford, Bridgeport, Wilton, Norwalk, New Canaan, and Stamford-area organizations through nearby community-serving institutions. Outside Connecticut, grants also reached St Louis, Green Lake, Princeton, Santa Monica, Marlborough, Naples, and Washington, DC. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
The recent grants show support for colleges and scholarships, children’s and family services, housing, healthcare, and faith-linked organizations. Named recipients include Goodwin University, Family & Children’s Agency, Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, and Green Lake Conference Center.
Yes. Family & Children’s Agency, Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County, Stepping Stones Museum for Children, Green Lake Conference Center, Princeton University, and Circle of Care each appear in more than one grant year, indicating repeated support rather than single-year giving only.
The grant-size distribution centers on $25,000 at the 25th percentile, $50,000 at the median, and $100,000 at the 75th percentile. Recent awards also include larger commitments, such as $1,050,000 to Washington University in St Louis and $1,000,000 to Goodwin University.
Connecticut is the top state by grant count, with 72% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Recent Connecticut recipients include East Hartford, Bridgeport, Wilton, Norwalk, and New Canaan.
Operational support is common, alongside scholarships, capital campaigns, capital growth plans, and event-linked gifts. Examples in the recent list include operational support for Goodwin University, a capital campaign for Visiting Nurse and Hospice of Fairfield County, and scholarship support at Washington University in St Louis.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family & Children's Agency | Norwalk, CT | $1,275,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Inspirica Inc | Stamford, CT | $1,020,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Open Doors Norwalk | Norwalk, CT | $1,000,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Norwalk Hospital Foundation | Norwalk, CT | $300,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Stepping Stones Museum for Children Inc | Norwalk, CT | $200,000 | 2026 | Capital Growth Plan |
| Green Lake Conference Center | Green Lake, WI | $150,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Focusing Philanthropy | Santa Monica, CA | $120,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | $100,000 | 2026 | Princeton Initiative for Faith and Work |
| Habitat For Humanity | Americus, GA | $100,000 | 2026 | Global Impact Fund |
| International Christian Alliance on Prostitution | Fresno, CA | $100,000 | 2026 | Operational Support for Conference |
| Elderhouse Day Care Center | Norwalk, CT | $100,000 | 2026 | Operational Support for adult day care center |
| Circle of Care | Wilton, CT | $100,000 | 2026 | General Support - For families of children with cancer |
| Goodwin University | East Hartford, CT | $100,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| One World Surgery | Birmingham, AL | $100,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Tiny Miracles Foundation | Darien, CT | $80,000 | 2026 | Operational Support - BiLingual Professional Mentor |
| Lumunos | Marlborough, NH | $75,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Summer Theatre of New Canaan | New Canaan, CT | $55,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Pivot Ministries | Bridgeport, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County | Bridgeport, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Liberation Programs Inc | Bridgeport, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Horizons at New Canaan Country School | New Canaan, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Saint Joseph Parenting Center | Stamford, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk | Norwalk, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Annual Gala - Seas the Night |
| Americares | Stamford, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support - Americares Airlift Benefit |
| St Louis Aquarium Foundation | St Louis, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| The Carver Center | Norwalk, CT | $50,000 | 2026 | General Support |
| Brooke Charter Schools | Boston, MA | $30,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts | Norwalk, CT | $15,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| CCNC Foundation | New Canaan, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Scholarships |
| Horizons at CT State College Norwalk | Norwalk, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Raymond Preaching Ministry | New Canaan, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Operation Support |
| Norwalk Community Benefit Fund | Norwalk, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| The Congregational Church of New Canaan | New Canaan, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Kenya Project |
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | $10,000 | 2026 | Yale Divinity School Annual Fund |
| Gateway Region YMCA | St Louis, MO | $10,000 | 2026 | Operational Support |
| Quilts That Care | Watertown, CT | $5,000 | 2026 | Operation Support |
| Green Lake Conference Center | Green Lake, WI | $450,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Family & Children's Agency | Norwalk, CT | $300,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Stepping Stones Museum for Children Inc | Norwalk, CT | $300,000 | 2025 | Capital Growth Plan |
| International Christian Alliance on Prostitution | Green Lake, WI | $255,000 | 2025 | Operational Support for Conference |
| Focusing Philanthropy | Santa Monica, CA | $120,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| The Kennedy Collective | Trumbull, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | The Arts Empowerment Initiative: Maggie Daly Arts Cooperative |
| Habitat For Humanity of Collier County | Naples, FL | $100,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Lumunos | Marlborough, NH | $100,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Circle of Care | Wilton, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | General Support - For families of children with cancer |
| Old Newsboys Fund for Children's Charities | St Louis, MO | $100,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County | Bridgeport, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
| Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk | Norwalk, CT | $100,000 | 2025 | Annual Gala - Seas the Night |
| Norwalk Housing Authority Foundation | Norwalk, CT | $85,000 | 2025 | Operational Support - Scholarships |
| St Louis Aquarium Foundation | St Louis, MO | $50,000 | 2025 | Operational Support |
Inspirica Inc
$1,020,000Operational Support
Open Doors Norwalk
$1,000,000Operational Support
Green Lake Conference Center
Operational Support
Habitat For Humanity
$100,000Global Impact Fund
International Christian Alliance on Prostitution
$100,000Operational Support for Conference
Elderhouse Day Care Center
$100,000Operational Support for adult day care center
Tiny Miracles Foundation
$80,000Operational Support - BiLingual Professional Mentor
Lumunos
$75,000Operational Support
Summer Theatre of New Canaan
$55,000General Support
Pivot Ministries
$50,000Operational Support
Liberation Programs Inc
$50,000Operational Support
Americares
$50,000Operational Support - Americares Airlift Benefit
St Louis Aquarium Foundation
$50,000Operational Support
The Carver Center
$50,000General Support
Brooke Charter Schools
$30,000Operational Support
Norwalk Conservatory of the Arts
$15,000Operational Support
CCNC Foundation
$10,000Scholarships
Horizons at CT State College Norwalk
$10,000Operational Support
Raymond Preaching Ministry
$10,000Operation Support
Norwalk Community Benefit Fund
$10,000Operational Support
The Congregational Church of New Canaan
$10,000Kenya Project
Yale University
$10,000Yale Divinity School Annual Fund
Quilts That Care
$5,000Operation Support
Green Lake Conference Center
$450,000Operational Support
International Christian Alliance on Prostitution
$255,000Operational Support for Conference
The Kennedy Collective
$100,000The Arts Empowerment Initiative: Maggie Daly Arts Cooperative
Lumunos
$100,000Operational Support
Old Newsboys Fund for Children's Charities
$100,000Operational Support
Norwalk Housing Authority Foundation
$85,000Operational Support - Scholarships
St Louis Aquarium Foundation
$50,000Operational Support