What is the difference between the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association, the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Development Programs, and the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial?

Although all three organizations are connected, each organization is a separate incorporated entity with its own Board of Directors and its own mission.

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association (GFWA) is the parent organization founded in 1969. It is a 501 ( c) (6) non-profit organization, which promotes the New England fishing industry, helps preserve the Atlantic Ocean as a food supply for the world, and assists active and retired fishermen and their families to live better lives. Donations given to this organization are not tax deductible.

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Development Programs (GFWDP) was formed in 1995. It is a 501(c )(3) organization, which provides education, training, research, and support for the conservation of ocean ecosystems, the promotion of underutilized species, transitional programs for fishermen and family members, charitable and social services for families in fishing and related industries, and fosters a sense of the living culture of fishing communities. Donations given to this organization are tax-deductible to the extent of the law.

The Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial (GFWM) was formed in 1982. It is a 501(c )(3) organization whose main purpose was the construction of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial, which was dedicated in August 2001. The Memorial sculpture was conceived by the wives, mothers, daughters, and sisters of Gloucester fishermen and is part of the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Memorial Plaza, which is located on Stacy Boulevard. Donations given to this organization are tax deductible to the extent of the law. Contributions go towards the maintenance of the memorial site and/or new inscriptions of granite pathway stones.