Crestlea Foundation Inc
Crestlea Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware. Formed in 1955, it supports nonprofit organizations serving people in Delaware and Southeastern Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Crestlea Foundation Inc at a glance
In short: Crestlea Foundation Inc gave $1.0M across 65 grants in 2024 (avg $16K), mostly in Delaware. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $1,042,330
- -17.6% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 65
- +6.6% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $16,036
- -22.6% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $15,000
- Total assets
- $21,695,360
- +5.0% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Delaware (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Crestlea Foundation Inc
- How to Apply
-
Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) status and be in good standing with the IRS. Organizations must first arrange a Zoom or in-person meeting with foundation staff; applicants receive an access code if the project is an appropriate fit, and applications are submitted through the online system. Crestlea accepts applications for capital, program, or operating expenses. Previously funded organizations generally must skip at least one full funding cycle before applying again; after two grants separated by a skipped cycle, they must wait two full cycles before returning, except for emergencies. The foundation gives priority to organizations that have waited longer than the minimum period. It is not accepting applications from new Kent and Sussex County organizations it has not previously communicated with.
- Review Cycle
- Applications are due January 15 each year. Trustee decisions are typically made by mid-April, with applicants generally notified within two weeks of the meeting.
- Deadline
- Applications are due January 15 each year.
- Next open deadline
- January 15, 2027 (Crestlea Foundation Grant)
- Contact
Application contact: Christopher Grundner
Mailing address: 100 West 10Th Street, Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: (302) 683-8245
Email: info@crestlea.org
Website: https://crestlea.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Crestlea Foundation Inc
Who Crestlea Foundation Inc funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Food Bank of Delaware Inc ($50K). Together the top 10 received $307K.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
257 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 248 grants of 257 (96%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Crestlea’s website prioritizes applicants in this order: New Castle County, Delaware; Pennsylvania organizations within a five-mile radius of Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, and Chadds Ford; and Kent and Sussex Counties, Delaware. Its 2024 filing says awards are generally limited to Delaware and Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania. All 2024 grant dollars reported in the filing went to recipients in Delaware.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 65 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Crestlea Foundation Inc gives
- 0% of 2024 grantees were also funded in 2023. Method
- Giving grew 43% from 2021 to 2024. Method
- In 2024 it paid out 108% of its IRS minimum distribution (the 5% rule). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990-PF filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $377K (2022) to $1.7M (2020). In 2024 it made 65 grants totaling $1.0M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Food Bank of Delaware Inc Wilmington, DE | Building Hope in Milford | $50,000 |
| Upland Country Day School Wilmington, DE | School Van Replacement | $50,000 |
| Kennett Library Wilmington, DE | Makerspace Programming | $30,000 |
| Sunday Breakfast Mission Wilmington, DE | Renovation of 2ND Street Row Houses | $30,000 |
| Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art Wilmington, DE | Courtyard Expansion and Improvements | $25,000 |
| Delaware College Scholars Wilmington, DE | Expansion for 'Champion' Districts | $25,000 |
| Jewish Family Services of Delaware Wilmington, DE | JFS Older Adult Services | $25,000 |
| Sussex County Habitat for Humanity Wilmington, DE | Vehicle for Habitat Healthy Homes Team | $25,000 |
| Lori's Hands Inc Wilmington, DE | Improving Systems: Mobile App & Training | $24,000 |
| Snac Garden Foundation Wilmington, DE | School Nutrition Agriculture (Snac) | $22,500 |
Ready to take the next step with Crestlea Foundation Inc?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Qualifying Distributions | Net Investment Income | Distributable Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,695,360 | $1,457,610 | $1,303,942 | $1,042,330 | 65 | $1,110,121 | $1,281,995 | $1,031,432 |
| 2023 | $20,663,449 | $705,349 | $1,494,935 | $1,264,292 | 61 | $1,327,912 | $531,209 | $959,703 |
| 2022 | $19,206,313 | $854,726 | $639,889 | $377,454 | 16 | $651,061 | $682,336 | $1,010,336 |
| 2021 | $24,184,131 | $1,985,746 | $1,184,835 | $731,000 | 36 | $841,159 | $1,822,273 | $1,132,982 |
| 2020 | $21,753,394 | $215,476 | $1,881,124 | $1,685,318 | 79 | — | $89,117 | $951,469 |
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Crestlea Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $1.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
Crestlea describes its purpose as serving people in Delaware and Southeastern Chester County, Pennsylvania through financial support to nonprofit organizations. Its stated funding areas are social services, education, health care, cultural and arts, environmental, housing, and civic sectors.
Its 2024 grantees illustrate a range of work. The Food Bank of Delaware describes its mission as providing food and collaborating on long-term solutions to hunger and poverty. Delaware College Scholars says it prepares high-achieving, under-resourced Delaware public high school students for four-year college. Jewish Family Services of Delaware describes providing counseling and support services to people of all backgrounds, including services for older adults. First State Ballet Theatre says it presents professional performances and connects local youth with creative movement experiences.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, Crestlea reported 65 grants totaling $1,042,330. The grants ranged from $4,250 to $50,000, with a median of $15,000; the foundation’s website reports an average grant size of $15,000. Examples include $50,000 to the Food Bank of Delaware for “Building Hope in Milford” and $50,000 to Upland Country Day School for a school van replacement; $30,000 to Sunday Breakfast Mission for renovation of 2nd Street row houses; and $25,000 each to Delaware College Scholars, Jewish Family Services of Delaware, and Sussex County Habitat for Humanity for the purposes listed in the filing.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists E Bradford Du Pont Jr as president and M Lynne Du Pont as vice president. The foundation’s website lists Christopher T. Grundner as executive director and Kristin L. Sommers as grants associate.
Crestlea Foundation Inc is led by E. Bradford Du Pont Jr., President on every filing since 2020; none of the 2 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
E. Bradford Du Pont Jr.
President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
M. Lynne Du Pont
Vice President
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (1)
- Former: Stephen A. Martinenza (2020–2021) — Secretary & Treasurer
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Crestlea Foundation Inc
How much does Crestlea Foundation Inc give each year?
Crestlea Foundation Inc gave $1.0M across 65 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. In 2023 it gave $1.3M across 61 grants.
What is Crestlea Foundation Inc's typical grant size?
Crestlea Foundation Inc's median grant in 2024 was $15,000, and its average grant was $16,036, across 65 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Where does Crestlea Foundation Inc give grants?
Crestlea Foundation Inc gives mostly in Delaware: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Wilmington, DE (64 grants).
Does Crestlea Foundation Inc give general operating support?
Occasionally: 2% of Crestlea Foundation Inc's 2024 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 65) were for general or operating support, per its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF.
Who are Crestlea Foundation Inc's largest grantees?
Crestlea Foundation Inc's largest 2024 grantees include Food Bank of Delaware Inc ($50,000), Upland Country Day School ($50,000) and Kennett Library ($30,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($15,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 12% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Crestlea Foundation Inc?
Crestlea Foundation Inc reported $21.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990-PF. It paid out $1.1M in qualifying distributions that year, against a required minimum of $1.0M (roughly 5% of its investment assets).
What does Crestlea Foundation Inc fund?
Crestlea describes its purpose as serving people in Delaware and Southeastern Chester County, Pennsylvania through financial support to nonprofit organizations. Its stated funding areas are social services, education, health care, cultural and arts, environmental, housing, and civic sectors. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Crestlea Foundation Inc?
Applicants must have a current 501(c)(3) status and be in good standing with the IRS. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Crestlea Foundation Inc's EIN?
Crestlea Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-6015638. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(1)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Crestlea Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Crestlea Foundation Inc funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/crestlea-foundation-inc-morg_00aa7502a8f548e0b655d94acf8fbc26
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_516015638_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Crestlea Foundation Inc funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/crestlea-foundation-inc-morg_00aa7502a8f548e0b655d94acf8fbc26},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-12. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Crestlea Foundation Inc's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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