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DCF’s Rehoboth Lakes Fund and Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Fund Open February 9, 2026 

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The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), a top-100 community foundation nationwide and one of the largest charitable organizations in the state, today announced opening the Rehoboth Lakes Fund and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Fund for applications from February 9-20, 2026. The funds provide grants to charitable organizations that support scientific, historical, cultural and artistic research, education, promotion and publication related to these Sussex County waterways.  

The Rehoboth Lakes Fund was established by Save Our Lakes Alliance 3. To ensure the long-term strength and impact of the fund, the Alliance intentionally transitioned its grantmaking program to the DCF. The fund supports projects benefiting Silver Lake, Lake Comegys, and Lake Gerar in Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, and Sussex County, Delaware. 

The Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Fund was established by the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association. When the Association concluded its operations in 2022, it entrusted funds to the DCF to continue to advance projects benefitting the canal and the surrounding community. One of the Association’s notable achievements was the construction of the dock along the canal at Rehoboth Avenue. The fund benefits programs focusing on the canal, as defined as from Roosevelt Inlet in Lewes at the north and to the mouth above Dewey Beach emptying into Rehoboth Bay. 
 
“The DCF is proud to support the missions of the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Improvement Association and Save Our Lakes Alliance 3,” said VP for Philanthropy & Southern Delaware Mike DiPaolo. “Anyone who calls southern Delaware home knows that our waterways are woven into the fabric of our culture.” 

Organizations can learn more about the Rehoboth Lakes Fund and the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal Fund, including how to apply, at https://delcf.org/grants/. For donors interesting in opening a new fund at the DCF, contact VP for Philanthropy & Southern Delaware Mike DiPaolo at [email protected].