In our new Donor Impact Report, see how donors partner with us to make a difference in unique and powerful ways on the causes they care about, in Delaware and around the country.
Erin Gruwell Announced as 2023 Building Opportunity Keynote Speaker
Gruwell is a teacher, author and activist who has been fighting for social justice for over two decades. As our featured speaker, Gruwell will lead a conversation with hundreds of Delawareans of hope …
Season Four of Building Opportunity in Delaware is here! This season, we talked with leaders from all over Delaware and beyond to talk about how polarization was affecting their industries …
Beginning in March 2020, Delawareans donated more than $5.3 million
to the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund, a partnership of the
Delaware Community Foundation and Philanthropy Delaware.
As we continue to get back to our norms from the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic, our hybrid schedule is ever-changing to make our staff as available as possible to you! The …
At the Delaware Community Foundation, our focus is on supporting our community.
At the Delaware Community Foundation, our focus is on building opportunity and advancing equity. We do this in three key ways:
Helping Donors – We partner with generous people to help them achieve their charitable goals and maximize the impact of their giving, by managing charitable funds and administering grants.
Making Grants – Through our direct grant programs, we identify and invest in nonprofits’ most powerful work to serve the people of Delaware.
Providing Leadership – We inspire, convene and facilitate conversations about important community issues, shining a light on opportunities to make a difference.
Who We Serve
Donors & Fundholders
Community
Nonprofits
Scholarship Seekers
Professional Advisors
Donors & Fundholders
The DCF has the expertise and resources you need to achieve your charitable goals, maximizing both impact and tax advantages. We help donors like you establish charitable funds and award grants to benefit causes you care about.
We are passionate about Delaware’s diverse communities, from Selbyville to Claymont. We connect leaders from nonprofits, government and the private sector to explore our communities’ assets and challenges, shining a light on important issues and opportunities to drive lasting change.
The DCF helps nonprofit organizations by awarding grants, managing endowed funds, and providing community events and activities that build knowledge and relationships. More than 180 nonprofits organizations have funds at the DCF, which strengthens their financial stability, empowers them to accept complex charitable gifts, and instills confidence in their donors.
Thanks to our donors, the DCF awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships each year. Scholarships help lay the groundwork for a more equitable and prosperous Delaware for the future.
We partner with professional advisors who want to help their clients achieve their charitable goals and maximize tax advantages, both during their lifetimes and through their estate planning. By providing highly personalized service, the DCF strengthens and reinforces the advisor-client relationship.
Invested $30,419,900 in the community through 2,076 grants
Awarded the final grants from the COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund, totaling $5,300,000
Awarded $408,388 in scholarships to 142 students
Currently at the DCF
Potter Trust Grants Available to Help the Needy in Kent County
Nonprofit organizations supporting the needy in Kent County are invited to apply for grants from the Benjamin F. Potter Trust through the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF). The application will…
Fund for Women Announces Record-Breaking $249,575 in Grants for 2023
Grants awarded to nonprofits serving women and girls in all three counties The Fund for Women (FFW) at the Delaware Community Foundation has awarded $249,575 in grants to 18 nonprofit …
DCF Capital Grant Supports Southern Delaware Therapuetic Riding Expansion
A new auxiliary barn, funded by a Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) grant, will enable Southern Delaware Therapeutic Riding (SDTR) to create office space for its incoming executive director and…
The DCF connects with Delaware communities’ FUTURE needs, devises mechanisms to satisfy those needs, and then skillfully enables those who want to do good to proceed as they wish.
— Adly & Sheila Gorrafa, Gorrafa Family Charitable Funds
The DCF is an important partner in our philanthropic work in Delaware. They help us maximize our impact on the health and well-being of people throughout the First State.
– Nick Moriello, president, Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware
Being a supporting organization of the DCF is like having a support net. They have been a wonderful resource for us and a great partner.
— Susan Budinger, Rodel
Working with the Delaware Community Foundation, I’m able to do the charitable work I want to do without the administrative costs and responsibility of a private foundation.
— Louise Cummings, who established the Ballard Community Fund at the DCF in memory of her husband, the late Corporal Stephen Ballard
The DCF takes the hassle out of philanthropic giving, leaving the ‘fun part’ for the donor. They simplified everything.
— Ed Wilchinski, Roy Klein Education Fund
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Request Wiring Instructions
Agencies receiving DCF grants must serve the state of Delaware and its residents without discrimination based on race, religion, gender, age, disability, national origin or sexual orientation.
We do not support:
Individuals
Non-501(c)3 nonprofit organizations
Purchase of office equipment, furniture, or or standard office expenses related to the operation of an organization (e.g. web site services, computer software, desktop or laptop computers, office phone systems, etc.)
Sports clubs, leagues, or facilities
Public or tuition-based educational institutions
Fundraising entities for programs and organizations that are primarily supported through public funding (e.g., schools, parks, libraries)
Purchase of vehicles (i.e., mobile machines that transport people or cargo)
Endowment
Public or tuition-based educational institutions
Debt reduction
Religious organizations for sectarian purposes (However, projects that serve the entire community, regardless of religious affiliation, are eligible for support.)
Annual fundraising campaigns
Projects completed before June of the current year
Special events
Fundraising entities for programs and organizations that are primarily supported through public funding (e.g. schools, parks, libraries)
An engaged group of community volunteers comprises the DCF Grants Committee, which reviews proposals
submitted to our discretionary grant programs and makes recommendations to the DCF Board. Learn more
about them here.
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What is it?
Study group
Request information
Point back to fund page
QCD/RMD explanation
Can DCF help me with my corporate clients charitable giving? Yes! Business and corporate giving programs and availability through the DCF
Legacy Society?
Calculators – annuities and endowments?
Planned giving tools – plannedgiving.com
Established and convert
How to Apply
First, read the program details and eligibility requirements for the specific grant you are interested in.
Log in or create a new account if you haven’t previously.
Select the program you wish to apply for.
An engaged group of community volunteers comprises the DCF Grants Committee, which reviews proposals
submitted to our discretionary grant programs and makes recommendations to the DCF Board. Learn more
about them here.
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