Two New Grant Programs Open Through Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund

Delaware nonprofits invited to apply for Community Needs Grants and Vision Grants

The new Community Needs Grants Program and the Vision Grants Program are now open to Delaware nonprofits through the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF).

Through the Community Needs Grants Program, the fund will award monthly grants up to $50,000 to enable nonprofits to better serve Delawareans by providing resources to help them shift to new or modified operating models, or restart or pivot programs in response to COVID-19.

These grants are not intended for emergency needs. Rather, these grants are intended to support nonprofit sectors through organizations that are sustainable with strong leadership, management and fiscal accountability, as well as solid programmatic outcomes that benefit Delawareans.

Through the Vision Grants Program, the fund will invest in innovative solutions across a variety of topic areas that address the emerging and evolving needs arising from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vision Grants will support bold solutions, innovative ways of delivering services and programs, address specific social problems, include key partners, and drive broader social or systems changes.

For full details and to apply, visit delcf.org/covid-grants.

A partnership of the DCF and Philanthropy Delaware (PD), the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund was established to address the state’s emerging and evolving needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The fund, which launched on March 18, has awarded $2.5 million to 107 Delaware nonprofits so far. The fund awarded grants each week March 27-May 22 and an additional round on June 9. One more round of grants will be awarded next Friday. The new Community Needs Grants Program and the Vision Grants Program will build on the work to date.

Grantees are selected through a rigorous process that involves a diverse team of more than 50 community leaders representing all three counties and a range of areas of expertise.

The fund, directed by PD President Cynthia Pritchard, already includes generous gifts from the Longwood Foundation ($1.5 million), Barclays ($500,000), New Castle County ($500,000), Welfare Foundation ($200,000), CSC ($100,000), Crestlea Foundation ($100,000), Fund for Women ($100,000), Highmark ($100,000), Laffey-McHugh ($100,000), Discover ($75,000), DCF ($75,000), DuPont ($75,000), M&T ($50,000), JP Morgan Chase ($30,000), Bank of America ($25,000), TD Bank ($25,000), WSFS Bank ($25,000) and others. The fund also includes $134,000 from more than 250 individual donors.

The DCF also has waived all administrative fees for this fund, so that 100 percent of the funds are going to organizations helping people in need.

The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund, is part of the Delaware COVID-19 Emergency Response Initiative, a nonprofit collaborative response to the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. The DCF, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA), PD and United Way of Delaware are partnering to coordinate charitable resources to maximize impact statewide during this crisis.

To contribute, visit delcf.org/covid19-fund. Gifts through Aug. 31 will be matched by the Longwood Foundation up to $500,000.