Hartford Promise, the college scholarship organization that has sent more than 1,200 Hartford public school graduates to college since its founding a decade ago, has received the largest single gift in its history.
The $1 million donation is from entrepreneur and philanthropist Robert Patricelli and his wife, Margaret, who have deep roots with the nonprofit.
The gift will create the Patricelli Scholars Program, through which 10 of Hartford Promise’s top college students will be selected each year to receive mentorship from board members, specialized leadership training, and access to a network of civic and professional leaders.
Patricelli said he hopes the initiative will “help develop some of our scholars into the kinds of community leaders that our society so desperately needs.”
Because the gift is endowed, the principal will be preserved in perpetuity, meaning future generations of Hartford students will continue to benefit from the program long after the initial contribution.
Patricelli, a Hartford native, built and sold health care companies including Value Health and Women’s Health USA before channeling much of his wealth into philanthropy through the Robert & Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation.
He served as Hartford Promise’s founding board chair, guiding the nonprofit through its first decade and helping shape its mission and growth. He was also among the original donors who seeded the organization with $3.8 million in 2015 alongside Travelers, Hartford Hospital, money manager George Weiss and the Newman’s Own Foundation.
“Bob and Margaret Patricelli’s extraordinary generosity represents a profound investment in the future of our students and our city,” said Hartford Promise President Sivan Hines.
Hines took over as president in 2024, succeeding Richard Sugarman, who founded the organization and led it for nearly a decade. Sugarman remains on the board.
Hartford Promise provides scholarships of up to $100,000 to Hartford residents who graduate from Hartford public high schools with at least a 3.0 GPA and a 93% attendance rate.
The program pairs the financial support with what it calls an Integrated College Success Model, offering advising services and alumni networks designed to keep students enrolled and on track.
Seventy-six percent of Hartford Promise scholars graduate from college, well above the 47% national average for Pell-eligible students, according to the organization.
Eighty-seven percent return for their second year, and half maintain a college GPA above 3.0. The scholars — 90% of whom are students of color and 75% of whom are low-income — have attended more than 90 colleges across the country, though three-quarters choose Connecticut schools.
Earlier this year, Travelers — the insurer whose senior vice president, Marty Pfinsgraff, chairs the Hartford Promise board — committed $1 million over four years to the Greater Futures Scholarship Fund, a joint initiative with the Greater Hartford Gives Foundation that offers eligible students scholarships of up to $100,000.
