DCF’s Innovative Youth Philanthropy Boards Celebrate 25 Years of Giving, Issuing More Than $70,000 in Grants Statewide in 2024
A generation of Delaware high school students create a legacy of grants critical to nonprofits
For a quarter century, the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) has put its money where its heart is to teach the next generation of philanthropists through its innovative Youth Philanthropy Boards (YPB).
Through the YPBs, high school students have the opportunity to design a grant program. They study issues in their neighborhoods and schools, identify a focus area for grantmaking, learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, solicit grant proposals, conduct site visits to nonprofit organizations and ultimately select grantees.
“I think it fair to say that very few organizations allow teenagers to make all the decisions about granting funds, but that’s exactly what the Delaware Community Foundation does through this program,” said Stuart Comstock-Gay, DCF President and CEO. “We are investing in the next generation of young people by teaching them how philanthropy works and providing them with the experience of making funding decisions. It is a “win-win-win” for the students, the organizations receiving grants and the community.”
The YPBs are comprised of high school students in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. Students are nominated to serve on by a high school, teacher, guidance counselor or administrator, and participate in a competitive selection process. During the last 25 years more than 700 students have served, representing nearly every high school in the state, and granting $806,021 to 165 different organizations.
Attending the event on behalf of Delaware Governor John Carney, First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney spoke to the students about the impact their participation will have not only on them but on the future of philanthropy. Reading from a proclamation sent from Governor Carney and Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, she noted that “This year’s remarkable achievement of awarding $71,500 in grants across all three counties reflects the unwavering dedication of these young leaders.”
U.S. Representative Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE) contributed opening remarks by video. She noted that she believes that the impact the YPB program is making so much that she personally contributes to the YPB program through the GLOW Fund, which she established at the DCF.
Chloe Spinoza, a member of the Kent County YPB noted that she has learned a great deal from the experience.
“(The) YPB program has been transformative for me with the connections I’ve established with nonprofits across the state and the feeling of empowered to make an impact that wasn’t previously available to me. I’ve learned to collaborate with fellow board members as a team and I’ve made good friends along the way. I’ll carry the lessons and experiences from the YPB with me to both my professional and personal life journeys.”
2024 Youth Philanthropy Boards Issue Grant to 26 Nonprofits
This school year the DCF provided a total of $71,492 to the boards for distribution. The funds are made possible partially by the support from gifts from Rep. Blunt-Rochester as well as The Atlantis Fund, The Burton Family, DuPont and the Mildred H. and Ray A. Thompson Fund
The monies were allocated as follows: $23,000 to the Kent YPB, $22,992 to New Castle County YPB and $25,500 to the Sussex YPB. Twenty-six nonprofit organizations throughout the state received grants of $1,000 to $5,000.
Kent County
Focus Area: In 2024, YPB Kent County focused on the conservation of a stable mind, body and environment. Grants were awarded to nonprofits that prioritized the wellbeing of the individual and the planet (e.g., environmental protection, health, homelessness, domestic violence and/or drugs/alcohol abuse).
- Do Care Doula Foundation, Inc. – $5,000 to increase the organization’s outreach to include smaller support groups and monthly sessions.
- Survivors of Abuse in Recovery (S.O.A.R.) – $4,000 to provide counseling to children, adolescent and adult survivors of sexual assault.
- YWCA Delaware, Inc. – $2,750 to expand the Survivor’s Emergency Fund for women and other victims of domestic violence and sexual assault in Kent County.
- St. John’s Community Services – $2,750 to support adults living with disabilities in finding their ideal living situation and assisting them in achieving their highest levels of independence.
- A Sister’s Village, Inc. – $2,500 to support the Micro Villages Program and provide comprehensive support and a community for young mothers.
- Capital School District – $2,500 to support the Capital Community Center and provide services, resources and referrals to families experiencing homelessness.
- Milford Advocacy for the Homeless – $2,000 to support the HarvestHub: Nutrition for All program and address food insecurity and promote holistic well-being in the community.
- Plastic Free Delaware – $1,500 to support the annual Youth Environmental Summit (YES!).
New Castle County
Focus Area: In 2024, the New Castle County YPB focused on the importance of youth mental health. Grants were awarded to nonprofits that focused on the impact of gun violence, food insecurity, learning disabilities and other forms of trauma on youth.
- Neighborhood House – $1,875 to support the Youth Development Department and the youth programs focusing on prevention, education and activities that implement health-related goals and outcomes.
- Academia Antonia Alonso – $3,350 to support the Special Education Manipulatives Department and ensure the students have access to quality resources that address their unique learning styles and challenges.
- A Sister’s Village, Inc. – $1,875 to support the Nourish and Nurture: Free Breakfast and Playtime for Families program and support young mothers and their children who experienced trauma.
- Nativity Preparatory School – $3,000 to support the school’s food pantry on campus that provides access to nutritious meals to students and families affected by food insecurities.
- Latin American Community Center (LACC) – $3,000 to support the High School Credit Recovery Program and support students who are working to complete school credits to re-enter traditional schooling at their grade level or graduate.
- Jewish Family Services of Delaware – $1,875 to support the Youth Anxiety Program (YAP) and reach unidentified and/or untreated youth who are suffering from anxiety.
- Survivors of Abuse in Recovery (S.O.A.R.) – $2,500 to provide counseling to children, adolescent and adult survivors of sexual assault.
- EDGE for Tomorrow – $2,500 to implement a multifaceted SEL awareness and empowerment initiative to enhance students’ learning.
- Delaware Pride – $1,050 to support the organization’s 3C Corner program.
- Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. – $1,967 to provide Therapeutic Journaling Kits to 100 children, youth and adolescents to support ongoing clinical behavioral health care.
Sussex County
Focus Area: In 2024, the Sussex County YPB focused on the importance of land conservation and addressing the wellbeing of the individual. Grants were awarded to nonprofits that focused on land conservation, mental health, homelessness and/or drugs/alcohol addiction.
- YWCA Delaware, Inc. – $4,000 to address the needs of homeless women who are survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault
- Run Saniyah Run, Inc. – $4,000 to assist parents/guardians of special needs children with services and resources.
- Delaware Center for the Inland Bays – $4,000 to support the SEE (Student Estuary Exploration) program to increase student environmental literacy through a variety of nature-based lessons.
- Survivors of Abuse in Recovery (S.O.A.R.) – $3,000 to provide counseling to children, adolescent and adult survivors of sexual assault.
- Harry K. Foundation – $3,000 to expand the organization’s food backpack program for vulnerable students in Sussex County who are considered homeless and living in area hotels or shelters.
- Milford Advocacy for the Homeless – $3,000 to support the HarvestHub: Nutrition for All program and address food insecurity and promote holistic well-being in the community.
- Tether Foundation – $2,500 to support Camp Abilities Delaware (CADE), an educational sports camp for children ages 8-17 who are blind or have low vision in Delaware.
- Delaware Guidance Services for Children and Youth, Inc. – $2,000 to refurbish the Family Therapy Room at the DGS Seaford location.