News and Publications

Grants Available from DCF’s Youth Philanthropy Boards

Back to Archive

Funding available for Delaware nonprofit organizations in all three counties 

Delaware nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants from the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) Youth Philanthropy Boards (YPBs). 

Each county’s YPB has selected a focus area. Organizations may apply for a grant from each county’s YPB. To be eligible, the program for which funding is requested must directly benefit residents of that county and fall within that county’s unique focus area. 

  • The Kent County YPB believes in the conservation of a sustainable mind, body and environment. In 2024, it invites nonprofits to apply that prioritize the well-being of the individual and the planet, e.g. via environmental protection, health, homelessness, domestic violence and/or substance/alcohol abuse. 
  • The New Castle County YPB understands the importance of youth mental health. The board invites and encourages nonprofits that focus on the impact of gun violence, food insecurity, learning disabilities and other forms of trauma on youth to apply. 
  • The Sussex County YPB believes in helping conserve the land and addressing the well-being of the individual. For its 2024 grants, nonprofits that focus on land conservation, mental health, homelessness, and/or drug/alcohol addiction are encouraged to apply. 

Grant requests are currently being accepted and must be submitted online at delcf.org/grants by 5 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2024. Applicants will be notified in Spring 2024.  

The DCF sponsors the YPBs to encourage younger generations to become more involved in philanthropy. Each board, composed of high school students from public, private and parochial schools, is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants. The students learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit grant proposals, and award grants to those they determine to be most deserving. 

Retired Delaware educator Phyllis Wynn established the Youth Philanthropy Fund in 1999 because she wanted to encourage youth to become more involved in philanthropic ventures. Students who serve on the YPB are nominated by their principal or guidance counselor. 

“The Youth Philanthropy Board program gives students a unique opportunity to be a part of their community and experience the impact they are able to make in people’s lives,” said DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay. “These are the future leaders of Delaware, and it’s important that they are given a space to learn and exercise philanthropy.”