50th Anniversary History Project
A half-century of service is a big deal to us, and we took the opportunity to step back and acknowledge our heritage by producing a video that highlighted our history and our legacy of support. This project involved hundreds of hours of research, writing and archiving, and resulted in a spot that we shared with supporters online and at our tribute events around the country. We created content for our website that included history notes and photo essays to build a deeper understanding of our mission and motivation to serve the Coast Guard. While researching and writing, we converted 200 video assets to digital files to better preserve them for the future and make them more accessible for staff, board members, and past awardees. We receive multiple requests every year for copies of old award videos, and this project makes it easy to share the content with Coast Guard members and families.

Matching Gift Campaigns Double Support for Coast Guard Members
We launched three 50-for-50 matching gift campaigns this year that proved to be effective in raising funds for our programs that support Coast Guard members and their families, where and when they need it the most. Each of these donors contributed $50,000 as a challenge to our supporters to add matching amounts. Special thanks to our 2019 match partners: Leidos, Tom Niles, and Jim O’ Hare. And thank you, Geico, for standing up as our Giving Tuesday match partner on this important day of giving. More than 4,200 gifts were received to support the Coast Guard Foundation over these four matching campaigns, proving the adage that it’s always better when we join together to make an impact.

Connecting with our Past
We took time in our fiftieth anniversary year to say “thank you” to our founding board members and families and reconnect with supporters who were a big part of our growth over these five decades of service. Of particular note: Ted and Joyce Holtzman, son and daughter-in-law of our founder Captain George Holtzman, visited our offices in Stonington and filled in some gaps in our history notes and shared his memories of the organization’s earliest days. We communicated with Fairleigh Dickinson’s family, the Sobels and the Silbermans, and even more former board members and families to show our appreciation for their commitment and dedication to establishing the Coast Guard Foundation. In each city that we hosted a tribute event, we showcased our legacy of support; we honored our most generous individual supporter, Mr. Clay Maitland at our Salute to the United States Coast Guard. Affectionately known as the “New York Dinner,” this event was first held in 1981 and was our inaugural tribute event to honor Coast Guard heroes and mission excellence. At our final event of 2019, We presented Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (Ret.) with the inaugural Distinguished Leadership Award in acknowledgment of his service to the Nation, the United States Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard Foundation.

Acknowledging our Top Lifetime Supporters
We are grateful for our generous supporters who joined us for the first time in 2019 as much as we are thankful for those who have been with us for much of the last five decades. As a look-back, we took the time to thank our top lifetime supporters who have made our work possible.

ABS
Airbus Helicopters-Safran Helicopter Engines USA, Inc.
BP
Carnival Corporation and Holland America Line/Princess Cruises
Chevron Corporation
ConocoPhillips Company
The James L. Everitts Foundation
Fincantieri Marine Group
Foss Maritime Company, LLC
General Dynamics Corporation
Huntington Ingalls Industry
International-Matex Tank Terminals
International Registries, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. William E. Jenkins
Kirby Corporation
Mr. & Mrs. Leo Paul Koulos
L3Harris Technologies
Lockheed Martin Corporation
McAllister Towing & Transportation Co., Inc.
Mr. James A. O’Hare
Mr. Clay Maitland
Telephonics Corporation
USAA
VT Halter Marine, Inc.

Looking Toward our Future
While pausing to acknowledge our vibrant heritage and legacy, we also worked hard to set plans for the future. 2019 will prove to be one for (the next) history book for sure!

Thank you to our dedicated Board of Directors and Trustees for investing their time and resources for the betterment of our organization.

We pledge to our supporters, and the men and women of the United States Coast Guard, that as long as there’s a United States Coast Guard, there will be a Coast Guard Foundation. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with you and work to support those who wear the uniform with honor, respect and devotion to duty.