News and Publications

Fund for Women at the DCF to Award $227,000 in Grants and Honor Community Champion Kelly Sheridan at 2025 Grant Awards Celebration

Back to Archive

The Fund for Women (FFW), a giving circle at the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), will host its highly anticipated 2025 Grant Awards Event on Tuesday, May 14, at the Delaware Technical Community College Terry Campus Conference Center in Dover, De, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. This event will celebrate the transformative work of 18 nonprofit organizations that are improving the lives of women and girls across Delaware. The evening will also honor Kelly Sheridan with the prestigious Driving Force Award for her exceptional leadership, unwavering service, and dedication to empowering women and girls.

Now in its 31st year, FFW continues to demonstrate the power of collective philanthropy, awarding more than $227,000 in grants this year to nonprofits in the areas of healthcare, education, housing, economic empowerment, and recovery services.

This year’s recipients (alphabetically) include:

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware
  • Central Delaware Housing Collaborative
  • Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition
  • Delaware Institute for the Arts in Education
  • Delaware Shakespeare Festival
  • Fostering Wishes Foundation
  • La Esperanza, Inc.
  • Literacy Delaware
  • National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Delaware Chapter, Inc.
  • One Village Alliance, Inc.
  • STEHM Inc.
  • Survivor Ventures
  • Vision to Learn
  • West End Neighborhood House
  • What is Your Voice, Inc.
  • Wilmington Hope Commission
  • YMCA of Delaware
  • YWCA Delaware, Inc.

“The 2025 Grant Awards Event is a powerful testament to what we can accomplish when we unite to invest in the future of women and girls,” said Molly Giordano, FFW Board Chair. “We are thrilled to honor these incredible organizations that are driving meaningful, lasting change whether at the neighborhood level or across the state. Their work is not just transforming lives today, but laying the groundwork for stronger, more equitable communities for generations to come. We are also deeply proud to recognize Kelly Sheridan with the 2025 Driving Force Award. Her leadership, passion, and commitment continue to propel our mission forward in bold and inspiring ways.”

The Driving Force Award is presented annually to a FFW Founder or group whose exceptional contributions have significantly advanced the organization’s mission. Sheridan’s unwavering commitment to empowering women and girls has made a profound and lasting impact on both the Fund for Women and the communities it serves. She is a longtime member and former chairperson of FFW. She joined the DCF in 2014 and manages its scholarship program.

The evening will feature the presentation of the 2025 Grant Awards accompanied by impactful remarks from grant recipients, FFW leaders, and community advocates. Doors will open at 5 PM, with the program running from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Registration is required; register at http://www.fundforwomende.com  Sponsorship opportunities are also available. For more information, contact Kathy Kiernan at [email protected].

About the Fund for Women: Through collective philanthropy, the Fund for Women invests and advocates to empower women and girls in Delaware to achieve their potential by bringing together our knowledge and passion. The FFW was established in 1993 as a Giving Circle at the Delaware Community Foundation. Since then, the FFW has issued 439 grants totaling more than $4 million to hundreds of nonprofit programs statewide. In the 2024 grants cycle, the FFW awarded $243,070 to 18 nonprofits serving women and girls in Delaware. For information, please visit fundforwomende.com/.