More than $1.75 million in new and second-year Impact Grants have been awarded to 51 area nonprofits by The Foundation for Delaware County.

New Impact grants totaled $1.4 million, combined with 11 second-year Impact Grants totaling more than $369,000.

This is the organization’s fourth major round of grantmaking.

Grants were awarded in the following areas:

• Children’s Health and Well-Being: $774,853
• Community and Economic Development: $235,000
• Food Security: $236,500
• Hospice and Home Care: $66,000
• Cancer: $22,500
• Second-Year Payments to 2021 Impact Grantees: $369,435

“The nonprofits that received grants will address some of Delaware County’s most critical issues, including behavioral health, childhood trauma, maternal health, education, food security, housing stability, and the environment,” said Frances Sheehan, Foundation president.

“The Foundation for Delaware County is focused on areas of acute need in our community, supporting organizations and initiatives making lasting change. We are deeply committed to being a resource for local nonprofits now and in the long-term,” Sheehan said.

A complete list of grants awarded can be found on The Foundation for Delaware County website.

Children’s Health and Wellbeing

Children’s health and well-being is a funding priority for the foundation. Multiple grants were awarded to advance the foundation’s goal of improving Delaware County children’s health and quality of life. Grants include $50,000, over two years, to the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania to provide free legal services, advocacy, and outreach to help children in Delaware County receive quality public education.

Additional Impact grants include $17K to Family Promise of Delaware County to embed trauma-informed care in their internal programs and with external partners to address homelessness and the social determinants of health affecting children. And a three-year, $69K grant to J. Lewis Crozer Library to support bilingual services for clients in the city of Chester.

Food Security

Nine organizations received Impact Grants to help address food insecurity. Funds will support Senior Community Services’ home-delivered meal program for elderly, homebound adults in Delaware County (this grant was funded thanks to the Delaware County Home Care Association Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation.).

A $100K grant was awarded to the Share Food Program to help establish Delaware County’s centralized food bank and promote equitable food access across Delaware County food pantries.

“We are so grateful to the Foundation for Delaware County – for this critical funding and for this generous gesture of collaboration and support behind our efforts to make food more readily and reliably available to folks who need it most in Delaware County,” said Ellie Crowell, Share Food Program’s Delaware County Program Director. “Many families and individuals sadly do not have the nutritional security they need to get by, and two+ years of a pandemic has only exacerbated this reality. We can change that and ensure all of our neighbors are fed together. And this grant will help us continue to turn hunger around for many.” 

Community and Economic Development

The foundation supports organizations working to enhance their community and economic development strategies, a funding priority for the foundation.

Grants were awarded to the Delaware County Historical Society to support accessible research and incorporate inclusive technology into their programming.

A grant went to the Lansdowne Theater to support the restoration and reopening of this historic theater (this grant was funded thanks to the Lillian H. Griffin Fund).

The foundation awarded a two-year, $40K grant to Natural Lands to support community engagement around the Darby Creek Watershed and advance climate initiatives.

“We are grateful to the Foundation for its commitment to the health of Darby Creek and the many communities it touches in Delaware County,” said Oliver Bass, president of Natural Lands. “Thanks to their investment in the targeted park and green space planning, we and our community partners and will work to identify practical recommendations to improve water quality and better prepare for severe storms.”

Hospice and Home Healthcare

The foundation is grateful to the Delaware County Home Care Association Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation for grant funding supporting home care and hospice programs, including Main Line Health HomeCare & Hospice, Senior Community Services, and Surrey Services.

About The Foundation for Delaware County

A public charity founded in 2016, The Foundation for Delaware County is the largest philanthropy serving Delaware County.

One of 780 community foundations across the U.S., the foundation encourages philanthropy by providing efficient giving vehicles like donor-advised funds, gift annuities, and estate planning advice to generous individuals who want to have an impact in Delaware County and beyond.

The foundation is proud to serve as a convener across sectors to address challenging community issues such as the need for a county health department.

The foundation operates the new Center for Nonprofit Excellence and makes grants to strengthen Delaware County’s nonprofit community.

With headquarters in Media and service sites in Eddystone, Upper Darby, and Springfield, The Foundation for Delaware County also operates the evidence-based programs Healthy Start, the WIC nutrition program, and Nurse-Family Partnership.

Other programs include El Centro (a Hispanic resource center), a health resource center for students in the Chester Upland School District, and the new Housing Opportunities Program for Equity (HOPE).

Find out more about The Foundation for Delaware County.

You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at @DelcoFdn.