History

In 1994, the Tauck Family Foundation was founded by Arthur C. Tauck, Jr. to foster a legacy of giving and community involvement in Connecticut. The Foundation has grown and evolved over the years. Today the board includes multiple generations of family members and is run day-to-day by professional staff.

Arthur created a family foundation to leverage his personal giving. Through the foundation, he supported a wide range of social services in Connecticut; established the Tauck Scholars Program for international study at Lehigh University, his alma mater; and invested in public sites in North America. Arthur is the former President and current Chairman of the Board of Tauck, Inc., a family-owned and operated luxury travel company based in Wilton, Connecticut.

With the goal of engaging his family in philanthropy, Arthur invited his five children and their spouses to join in the governance of the foundation. Liz Tauck Walters served as Managing Director. The strategic focus was on Youth Development grants for out-of-school time programs for youth from low-income families in regions where Tauck family members lived. A secondary focus was Destination Grants to fund historic and cultural preservation projects. In 2005, the Foundation launched Sparks, an original travel education program for middle school students from low-income families.

The Foundation initiated a new stage of growth under the leadership of its first non-family Executive Director. The board expanded to include the “next generation” of family members, and four new board directors join. Staff and board embarked on a Theory of Change process, and in 2012, the board adopted its new mission and approach to invest in building the capacity of organizations that develop social and emotional skills in Bridgeport’s children. Beginning in 2013, the Foundation discontinued its previous grantmaking programs and focused exclusively on this five-year strategy. In 2016, Tauck Inc. re-established the Sparks program with Stamford and Bridgeport based community partners.

From 2014 to 2018, each of TFF’s first cohort investees made significant progress, particularly in the areas of outcomes-focused management and implementing high-quality social and emotional learning strategies. Investees worked closely with TFF staff toward customized goals and had the opportunity meet collectively and share their progress at annual cohort gatherings.

In 2017, the TFF Board reaffirmed the Foundation’s mission, vision, and commitment to promoting SEL in Bridgeport. In June 2018, the Foundation selected a second cohort of investees and committed to partner with and support these organizations and initiatives over the next five years, through the 2022-2023 school year.

In 2019-20, TFF celebrates its 25th anniversary of philanthropic giving and continues supporting its Bridgeport partners.