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$335,202 Awarded from Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to 24 Nonprofits

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$2.8 million awarded to 128 nonprofits since fund launched March 18

In its 10th round of grants, the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation today awarded $335,202 to 24 nonprofit organizations providing services to communities throughout the state.

Friday’s grants will address a broad range of community needs during the pandemic. Grantees are:

  • St. Michael’s School & Nursery (pictured) — $28,000 for cleaning supplies and PPE to safely reopen the Wilmington preschool.
  • Latin American Community Center – $25,000 for emergency assistance for families in New Castle County.
  • YMCA – $25,000 to run the Take on Summer teen program at four YMCA branches in Wilmington.
  • Network Delaware – $25,000 for emergency assistance to immigrant families in Sussex County.
  • Kent-Sussex Industries – $25,000 to modify and restart programs supporting the developmentally disabled.
  • Vision to Learn – $20,000 for eyeglasses for low-income children in New Castle County.
  • Holy Rosary Catholic Church Outreach – $20,000 for food for families in Claymont.
  • Delaware First Media – $16,000 for infrastructure and technology to support increased news coverage of COVID-19.
  • Delaware Volunteer Legal Services – $15,442 for technology to provide legal services to clients statewide.
  • Partners for Justice – $15,000 to support social services and legal services to low-income people in New Castle County. 
  • Life Center Complex – $15,000 for technology and staff to provide behavioral telehealth services in New Castle County.
  • The Grand Opera House – $15,000 for a touchless ticketing system to facilitate safe cultural arts activities.
  • Reading Assist Institute – $15,000 to support AmeriCorps members providing one-on-one reading intervention for low-income children in New Castle County.
  • Better Tomorrows – $13,000 for food for families in Wilmington. 
  • Delaware Symphony Orchestra – $12,500 for video editing equipment to facilitate virtual programming.
  • Exceptional Care for Children – $10,388 for cleaning and respiratory therapy supplies for medically fragile children.
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Delaware – $10,000 to support e-mentoring statewide.
  • CAMP Rehoboth – $10,000 for communication technology and programming for LGBTQ seniors.
  • Mental Health Association – $6,221 for technology to provide virtual mental health services to clients statewide.
  • Arden Club – $4,000 for equipment to video livestream arts and cultural events.
  • Coastal Concerts – $3,150 to operate the Lewes-based classical music organization.
  • Serenity Place – $3,000 for a freezer for the substance abuse treatment residence in Dover.
  • Delaware Historical Society – $2,000 for technology to facilitate remote work.
  • Lutheran Church of Our Savior – $1,500 for the Rehoboth Beach church to transition its ESL program to a virtual program. 

In this 10th round of grants, 63 applicants requested $1.8 million from the COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund.

The fund, which launched on March 18, has awarded $2.8 million to 128 Delaware nonprofits so far. The fund awarded weekly grants March 27-May 22 and two rounds of grants in June.

New Grants Programs Now Open

The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund will continue to award grants at least through the end of 2020.

The new Community Needs Grants Program and the Vision Grants Program are now accepting applications. For information and to apply, visit delcf.org/covid-grants.

Double the Impact of Your Gift

Donations to fund are still needed to respond to community needs, said DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay.

“As the pandemic continues, the needs are growing and evolving,” Comstock-Gay said. “We are calling on the community to help local nonprofit organizations get food, shelter, medical care and other essential services directly to the people who need it most. We also must support our workforce, arts community and other sectors to restore our quality of life post-COVID-19.”

The Longwood Foundation, which previously gave $1.5 million to the Strategic Response Fund, recently awarded a $500,000 grant, with the stipulation that the DCF must raise a matching $500,000 from the community by Aug. 31.

To make a gift that qualifies for the match, give at delcf.org/covid19-fund or contact Joan Hoge-North, [email protected].

About the Fund

The Strategic Response Fund was established to address the state’s emerging and evolving needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grantees are selected through a rigorous process that involves a diverse team of more than 50 community leaders representing all three counties and a range of areas of expertise.

The fund, which is being directed by Philanthropy Delaware (PD) President Cynthia Pritchard, already includes generous gifts from the Longwood Foundation ($1.5 million), Barclays ($500,000), New Castle County ($500,000), Welfare Foundation ($300,000), CSC ($100,000), Crestlea Foundation ($100,000), Fund for Women ($100,000), Highmark ($100,000), Laffey-McHugh ($100,000), Discover ($75,000), DCF ($75,000), DuPont ($75,000), M&T ($50,000), WSFS Bank ($50,000), JP Morgan Chase ($30,000), Bank of America ($25,000), Capital One ($25,000), TD Bank ($25,000) and others.

Nearly 300 individual donors have donated $135,000. The DCF also has waived all administrative fees for this fund, so that 100 percent of the funds are going to organizations helping people in need. 

The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund is part of the Delaware COVID-19 Emergency Response Initiative, a nonprofit collaborative response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The DCF, DANA, PD and United Way of Delaware are partnering to coordinate charitable resources to maximize impact statewide during this crisis.

To contribute, visit delcf.org/covid19-fund.