Read about how we’re leaning into racial equity in this June 2023 op-ed by President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay.

At the DCF, we believe communities are strongest when all people have the opportunity to thrive. To guide our work, the DCF Board of Directors has passed a DEI resolution and adopted this Equity Statement: 

Potential is unlimited. Opportunity is not.  The DCF is committed to building equity for all people in Delaware. We are particularly focused on the challenges of racial equity at this moment in our history. We invite you to be part of this journey. 

Our Equity Goals

– Focus more investment in organizations led by and serving communities of color.
– Engage our community of givers in addressing racial equity challenges and opportunities.
– Establish an endowed fund to support efforts that advance racial equity.
– Foster an organization and culture that reflects the diversity and inclusivity of the communities we serve.

To advance equity in Delaware, we are pursuing a number of strategies, informed by the work of our Community Equity Fellows and various other community engagement endeavors. Those strategies are outlined here.  

Grantmaking

To increase equity in our grantmaking, the DCF has launched new DEI-focused programs, revised our applications and review processes, diversified and provided bias training for our grants committee, built up support for applicants, engaged our donor community around equity issues, and more. Learn more about this year’s Community Impact Grants. 

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Catalyzing Dialogue

We advance important conversation about diversity, equity and inclusion and spark new ideas, provide trustworthy information and host safe spaces for those conversations to occur. Through our annual Building Opportunity in Delaware initiative, the DCF Journalism Internship and other projects, we elevate diverse voices, foster constructive conversations about tough issues, and help Delawareans understand one another better.  

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Strengthening Communities

Community Equity Project

The DCF is partnering with numerous BIPOC-led and -serving organizations to strengthen communities by providing resources, information and technical support. Learn about our funding through BIPOC-focused grant programs, our work with Delaware’s Latino communities and our partnerships with BIPOC-led and -serving nonprofits. 

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Improving Our Organization

We’ve worked hard to diversify our staff and board, and we spent much of 2021 and 2022 analyzing all of our internal policies and practices through a DEI lens. Now, we’re making real changes to how we approach HR, grantmaking, communications, fundraising and more, as well as conducting extensive, ongoing training for all DCF staff and volunteers.  

We are taking action. We are committing to the long-term institutional work we know is necessary. We will empower the community to lead, and advance difficult conversations about systemic racism and how we collectively can drive real change. We will drive equity at every step of our grantmaking process.

Interested In Learning More?

Join our Building Opportunity mailing list to receive occasional information about ways to get involved.

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