Frances M. Sheehan is the first President of Delaware County’s largest philanthropy, The Foundation for Delaware County, an independent public foundation formed on July 1, 2016. She came to the Foundation six months later, after serving as the founding President and CEO of the Brandywine Health Foundation in Coatesville, Chester County for 15 years. With 75+ staff operating in four offices in Delaware County, The Foundation for Delaware County provides philanthropic services to donors who wish to invest in Delaware County, makes grants to launch new initiatives and supports non-profits improving Delaware County, and runs high quality, evidence-based public health programs such as Nurse-Family Partnership, Healthy Start and WIC. The Foundation has been fully accredited by the Council on Foundation’s “National Standards for U.S. Community Foundations,” and has achieved Guidestar’s Platinum status.
Prior to her work at the Brandywine Health Foundation, Ms. Sheehan ran Planned Parenthood of Chester County, and has served on a variety of boards of directors including the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry and as president of the Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia. She currently serves as President of the Delaware County Estate Planning Council, Vice Chair of the Delaware County Interactive Gaming Revenue Authority, Treasurer of Children First (formerly PCCY), and on the board of directors of the Delaware County Economic Development Oversight Board, the Riverfront Alliance of Delaware County, and Children First (formerly PCCY).
With an MBA from Temple University and a BA with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, she also holds Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certifications and has won several awards over the years including the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year Award, the Main Line Chamber’s Gold Leaf Award, March of Dimes Woman of Achievement in the Field of Health, and the Chester County Chamber of Commerce’s Robert J. Thompson Citizen of the Year Award. Ms. Sheehan has been a resident of Swarthmore for over 30 years and is the previous President of Congregation Ohev Shalom in Wallingford. She is married to Dr. Ricardo Gelman, a retired emergency physician from Penn Medicine – Chester County Hospital and has two grown children and three granddaughters.
