Foundations & Grantmakers in Delaware
3,055 grantmakers in Delaware reported grants on their latest 990s. The 1,719 that made at least 5 grants gave $1.7B. The largest by giving are Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc, The Kendeda Fund and Longwood Foundation Inc. The list below ranks grantmakers with at least 5 grants by annual giving, and each funder links to a profile with its grant history and financials.
Looking for open funding opportunities instead? Browse Delaware grants
Foundation giving in Delaware at a glance
Active grantmakers
3,055
reported grants on latest 990
Annual giving
$1.7B
from the 1,719 with 5+ grants
Typical grant
$17K
median of each funder's average grant
Median annual giving
$125K
per grantmaker
Top 10 foundations in Delaware by annual giving
| # | Funder | City | Annual giving | Grants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc | Wilmington | $120.2M | 118 |
| 2 | The Kendeda Fund | Wilmington | $60.3M | 208 |
| 3 | Longwood Foundation Inc | Wilmington | $40.8M | 94 |
| 4 | The Essex Avenue Foundation | Wilmington | $27.8M | 77 |
| 5 | Windhover Foundation Inc | Wilmington | $26.1M | 243 |
| 6 | Walder Foundation | Wilmington | $24.4M | 200 |
| 7 | AEC Trust | Wilmington | $24.1M | 142 |
| 8 | The Knobloch Family Foundation | Wilmington | $23.5M | 77 |
| 9 | American Electric Power Foundation | Wilmington | $23.0M | 753 |
| 10 | Emmet Family Charitable Foundation | Newark | $20.4M | 7 |
Ranked by grants reported on each funder's latest 990. Only grantmakers with at least 5 grants are ranked; 8 organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants (usually one transfer to an affiliated charity) are left out.
Most common focus areas
- Education 47 · 22%
- Human Services 32 · 15%
- Arts, Culture & Humanities 21 · 10%
- Health 21 · 10%
- Religion Related 18 · 9%
- Environment & Animals 15 · 7%
Share of grantmakers with a program NTEE code (53% carry any NTEE code); general grantmaking foundations (NTEE T) are not counted.
Community foundations in Delaware
- Delaware Community Foundation Inc $20.4M · 323 grants
- National Community Foundation $1.0M · 22 grants
- Nia Community Foundation $347K · 70 grants
- Seven Seas Community Foundation $124K · 28 grants
Source: IRS Form 990 and 990-PF filings, latest available year per organization (most of the largest funders' latest filing: tax year 2024).
Most open to new grantees in Delaware
Foundations based in Delaware whose latest grant list had the largest share of organizations they had not funded in any earlier year on file.
| # | Funder | First-time grantees | Grantees | Avg first grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Samuel J & Ethel Lefrak Charitable | 81% (57) | 70 in 2024 | $5K |
| 2 | ISEC Charitable Foundation aka ISEC | 75% (45) | 60 in 2025 | $1K |
| 3 | The Mehlum Family Foundation | 73% (24) | 33 in 2025 | $3K |
| 4 | The Deerfield Partnership Foundation | 72% (47) | 65 in 2024 | $4K |
| 5 | Bleu Blanc Rouge Foundation | 67% (22) | 33 in 2024 | $14K |
| 6 | The O L Moore Foundation | 67% (22) | 33 in 2024 | $3K |
| 7 | McNabb Foundation | 64% (206) | 320 in 2024 | $1K |
| 8 | Robinson Foundation | 64% (34) | 53 in 2024 | $17K |
| 9 | The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation | 63% (55) | 88 in 2025 | $46K |
| 10 | Playstudios Impact Fund | 62% (29) | 47 in 2024 | $11K |
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990 and 990-PF grant lists. Only foundations with at least 20 grants in each of the last three years (and 20 distinct grantees in the latest), a filing from the last 2 years, and first grants averaging at least $1K are ranked; grants to individuals are left out, and recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed grantee can look new. How we calculate this.
Showing all 3,431 foundations and grantmakers in Delaware
Fund for Policy Reform
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$3.3B
Grants
1
Total Given
$412.0M
Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$3.1B
Grants
118
Total Given
$120.2M
Edward E & Lillian H Bishop Fdn
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
2
Total Given
$99.3M
The Kendeda Fund
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
208
Total Given
$60.3M
Aurora Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$674.3M
Grants
1
Total Given
$53.5M
Longwood Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$1.0B
Grants
94
Total Given
$40.8M
The Essex Avenue Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$616.1M
Grants
77
Total Given
$27.8M
Lillian H Bishop for Tr a SPCA
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
2
Total Given
$26.7M
Windhover Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$64.2M
Grants
243
Total Given
$26.1M
The La Vida Feliz Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$376.6M
Grants
2
Total Given
$24.5M
Walder Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$154.6M
Grants
200
Total Given
$24.4M
AEC Trust
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$36.8M
Grants
142
Total Given
$24.1M
The Knobloch Family Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$163.2M
Grants
77
Total Given
$23.5M
American Electric Power Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$43.6M
Grants
753
Total Given
$23.0M
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
Assets
$4.8B
Grants
0
Total Given
$21.4M
The Linda and Mike Mussallem Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$81.8M
Grants
2
Total Given
$21.2M
The Lucky Bunch Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
3
Total Given
$21.0M
Emmet Family Charitable Foundation
Newark, DE
Assets
$62.3M
Grants
7
Total Given
$20.4M
Delaware Community Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$392.5M
Grants
323
Total Given
$20.4M
The McMurry Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$22.0M
Grants
112
Total Given
$18.8M
Dallas Morse Coors Foundation
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
3
Total Given
$18.8M
Robert and Ardis James Foundation Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$169.6M
Grants
110
Total Given
$18.2M
Gary and Mary West Health Endowmentinc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
—
Grants
1
Total Given
$17.4M
The Sunrise Project Inc
Wilmington, DE
Assets
$14.0M
Grants
75
Total Given
$17.3M
Here's the math on clicking through this list.
You, clicking into all 24 funders
~2.8 hrs
at ~7 min per funder profile
Your agents, the same 24
~1 min
every profile evaluated and scored, with reasoning
Questions about foundations in Delaware
What are the largest foundations in Delaware?
By grants reported on their latest 990s, the largest are Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund Inc ($120.2M across 118 grants), The Kendeda Fund ($60.3M) and Longwood Foundation Inc ($40.8M). Together the top 10 account for 23% of the $1.7B given by the 1,719 grantmakers in Delaware that made at least 5 grants. Organizations that reported large giving in fewer grants, usually a single transfer to an affiliated charity, are left out of the ranking.
How big is a typical foundation grant in Delaware?
The typical grant is about $17K (the median of each grantmaker's average grant). Half of these grantmakers gave less than $125K in total in their latest filing year, so many are small foundations that give to a few organizations they already know. The largest funders make many more grants, but also get the most requests.
Are there community foundations in Delaware?
Yes. We found 4 community foundations in Delaware with grant activity. The largest by giving are Delaware Community Foundation Inc, National Community Foundation and Nia Community Foundation. Community foundations pool gifts from many local donors and usually run open grant rounds for nonprofits in their area, which makes them a good first stop for local funding.
How do I find Delaware foundations that accept unsolicited proposals?
Most private foundations don't run an open application. Their 990-PF says whether they only give to preselected charities, and their past grants show who they actually fund. Start with the funders above whose grant counts and typical grant size fit your budget, then check each profile's grant history for organizations like yours before you reach out. Read the grant prospecting guide.
Related guides
- Grant prospecting: how to find funders that fit
How to shortlist foundations in Delaware from their 990s and giving history.
- AI grant writing: draft proposals in your voice
Turn a shortlist into LOIs and proposals drafted from your own materials.