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The DCF Celebrates 40 Years of Generosity & Community Transformation  

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By granting $530 million to 4,000 organizations and $6 million in scholarships to 3,000 students, the DCF and its donors have changed the world of philanthropy in Delaware and beyond

The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), a top 100 community foundation nationwide and one of the largest charitable organizations in the state, will celebrate four decades of community leadership and investment during 2026. 

“The impact of the DCF, which is today a $400 million fund and growing, cannot be overstated,” said Stuart Comstock-Gay, DCF President and CEO. “Thousands of Delawareans have been, as our tagline says, ‘making more possible’ across our state and beyond, by establishing funds and scholarships and making contributions of all sizes, and their work has transformed lives and communities.” 

During the last 40 years, the DCF has granted in excess of $530 million to 4,000 organizations and provided more than $6 million in scholarship to more than 3,000 students across the state by maximizing the giving of thousands of Delawareans. 

“For 40 years, the Delaware Community Foundation has turned generosity into lasting impact across our state,” said Governor Matt Meyer. “DCF is one of Delaware’s most trusted partners – investing resources where they matter most and helping communities solve real challenges. Their leadership strengthens our nonprofits and builds brighter futures for Delawareans.”  

In March, the DCF will kick off a series of celebrations and commemorative projects with the opening of its new offices in the Community Services Building and continue to celebrate all year with new grant opportunities for nonprofits, a 40th anniversary coffee table book, celebrations at the annual spring receptions, new advertising highlighting its history, and more. 

A Dozen Examples from Thousands of Stories 

“The legacy of the DCF and what it continues to achieve touches all communities across Delaware,” said DCF Chair of the Board, Chanta Howard-Wilkinson. “Monies at the DCF are put to work every day in ways large and small, with the understanding that whatever is happening today, the DCF will be here long into the future.”  

To that point, an illustrative sampling of a dozen programs and funds from among thousands might include: 

  1. DCF’s raising and distributing, in partnership with other Delaware institutions, more than $5 million in COVID assistance money for nonprofits 
  1. The creation and maintenance of the state’s largest scholarship program, which in 2026 is projected to grant more than $1 million to 250 or more students from or attending schools and programs in Delaware 
  1. A loan by DCF’s giving circle, the African American Empowerment Fund of Delaware, to rescue to the historic Hockessin Colored School #107 
  1. Funds granted for medical research, such as the $13 million commitment from the Boerger Fund to the University of Delaware for Alzheimer’s research  
  1. The establishment of the Arsht-Cannon Fund, today a $16 million fund supporting organizations that work with the Hispanic communities in all three counties 
  1. Community convening programs, such as the Building Opportunity book and speaker events, which have attracted thousands of participants over the years  
  1. The creation of Fund for Women, a giving circle that has injected more than $4 million into organizations supporting women and girls 
  1. The 2025 development of the $1 million-plus Meet the Moment program, helping nonprofits facing Federal budget cuts strategize a way forward with grants, free workshops, and networking 
  1. The establishment of the Arts Stabilization Fund, a $20 million set of funds supporting the maintenance of nine arts organizations’ spaces throughout the state 
  1. The establishment of the Delaware State Parks Funds in partnership with the Delaware State Parks system, a group of funds supporting parks throughout the state  
  1. The creation of the Youth Philanthropy Board from high school students and of the Next Generation giving circles for young professionals  
  1. DCF’s partnership (with the Delaware Division of Public Health and University of Delaware) in Healthy Communities Delaware to support the Vital Conditions and drive lasting impact in dozens of neighborhoods  

A Look Back – A Brief History of the DCF 

The DCF’s roots go deeper than 40 years, back to 1920 when a group of businesspeople in the state created the Delaware Foundation. This DCF’s forerunner was focused on awarding scholarships. When the Depression hit, the efforts fell to the wayside and the organization never reached its promise. 

The first community foundations were established in the 1910s, spurred by the passing of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution which made it legal to levy income tax on individuals. By the 1980s, they had broad acceptance as a philanthropic and investment option. It was then that a visionary group of people, led by the late Pierre S. Dupont III, created the Delaware Community Foundation. Their goal: to meet the needs of Delawareans and serve as a catalyst for long-term community transformation. 

On July 23, 1986, the organization was incorporated under Delaware law. The News Journal’s parent company, Gannett Publishing, contributed start-up funds. Five companies – Bank of Delaware, DuPont, Hercules, ICI and Wilmington Trust – made three-year commitments to provide operating money. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation provided challenge funds, a goal met by contributions from the first DCF board. John J. ‘Jack’ Quindlen, Chief Financial Officer of the DuPont Company was named Chair of the Board, and a year later, Collis O. Townsend joined as the DCF’s first full-time executive director.  

“Looking back, I remain in awe of the team assembled to start the DCF. The civic power, the attention to detail, the broad connection to the community; it had to succeed,” said Townsend.  

Led by Jeremiah Shea, then head of Bank of Delaware, the organization embarked on a program to transfer and consolidate existing charitable funds and trusts from financial institutions, giving the DCF its first true investment funds. In 1989, the State of Delaware appropriated $2 million to be granted to nonprofits to fund capital improvements. Two million more was raised in matching funds by the Funding Donors Campaign, led by a $1 million gift from the DuPont Company. This was followed by a $500,000 grant from the Ford and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur foundations for operations and programming. 

Added Comstock-Gay, “Those early leaders did more than create an investment vehicle for citizens. They developed an organization that stands as a beacon for nonprofits, communities, and young people. No matter what happens in our state, the DCF will always stand ready to serve.”