Foundation History

Our Mission

The Hord Foundation was established in January 1993 by Noel and Cora E. Hord. The mission of the Hord Foundation is to encourage and reward excellence among scholars of African descent in the greater Danbury area by providing scholarships, offering support programs, and building a connected community. The Foundation is a 501(c) (3) Non-Profit Organization.

Our History

This is a story of how two ordinary people gave back to their community in an extraordinary way. In 1988, Noel and his late wife Cora, a Danbury, Connecticut couple, wanted to give back to the community. They wanted their gift to be special and to have significant meaning. Because education had played a key role in their success, the Hords decided to provide scholarships for the education of deserving and disadvantaged youth. That same year, in order to raise funds for that purpose, the Hords hosted a holiday party at their home and asked each guest to contribute $25 to a scholarship fund. The response was overwhelming; they raised $2,700.

Encouraged by the response, the Hords enlarged their guest lists and began to publicize the event. In 1993, realizing that their dream had the potential to grow beyond their imagination, the Hord family established The Hord Foundation, Inc. in Danbury , Connecticut and in that year raised $48,000 for scholarships. The stated purpose of the Foundation is to promote the education and enhance the career opportunities of young people of African-American descent by providing post-secondary-school scholarships.

Since its founding, The Hord Foundation has provided higher education financial assistance to deserving and qualified African Americans and each year it has increased the scholarship dollars it provided. Funding is provided by approximately 500 individual and corporate donors and from various fundraising events. To date, the Foundation has awarded over 5 million dollars ($5,000,000) in scholarship awards. The Foundation’s primary fundraising event is the Annual Gala, which is held in the February/March timeframe and draws as many as 500 participants. The Gala is recognized as one of the Danbury area’s premier charity events.

Our Purpose

To encourage and reward excellence among scholars of African descent in the greater Danbury area by providing scholarships, offering support programs, and building a connected community.

Educate your sons and daughters, send them to school and show them that beside the cartridge box, the ballot box and the jury box, you have also the knowledge box.