Longwood Foundation Inc
Longwood Foundation Inc is a private foundation based in Wilmington, Delaware, established in 1937 and tax-exempt since February 1940. The foundation was created to maintain and improve Longwood Gardens, a 1,000-acre property featuring formal gardens, greenhouses, and fountains located in Pennsylvania. The foundation operates as a philanthropic organization focused on grantmaking and nonprofit capacity building in its region.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$967.5M
+19.9% YoY
Annual Giving
$40.6M
+4.2% YoY
Grant Count
80
-8.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$508K
+13.3% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Longwood Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $43.0M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is to be thoughtful stewards of Pierre S. Du Pont's legacy by being creative philanthropic leaders and providing support for Longwood Gardens. The foundation defines "philanthropic leadership" as:
- Continuously increasing the impact of grant funds by selecting requests with the greatest potential for impact through their grant review process and creating opportunities to coordinate initiatives that fit their mission and values (systemic investments)
- Being cognizant of and responsive to best practices in philanthropy
- Being forthright about sharing their reasoning behind decisions with interested parties
The foundation does not seek publicity but is willing to share the reasoning behind its decisions with interested parties.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education (early learning centers, preschools, K-12 schools, and colleges)
- Housing and development
- Arts and culture
- Human services
- Nonprofit capacity building and leadership development
Grantmaking
The foundation does not accept applications. Grantmaking is conducted through a responsive process where the foundation selects requests with the greatest potential for impact.
Grant Range
varies by year; in 2024, median grants were $250,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Delaware and the surrounding region, with particular emphasis on the state of Delaware.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets and Giving (2024):
- Total Assets: $967,518,991
- Total Giving: $40,573,837
- Total Expenses: $39,415,706
- Total Revenues: $15,471,078
- Total Liabilities: $88,500,000
Historical Assets:
- 2023: $774.1 million
- 2022: $993.9 million
- 2021: $811.0 million
- 2020: $709.9 million
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $967,518,991 | $807,087,298 | $774,066,571 |
| Revenue | $15,471,078 | $28,715,921 | $118,173,689 |
| Expenses | $39,415,706 | $36,435,477 | $46,164,630 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $43,149,730 | $41,518,479 | $33,241,371 |
| Net Investment Income | $9,103,706 | $22,447,149 | $111,837,117 |
| Distributable Amount | $43,041,641 | $40,344,548 | $43,672,795 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Longwood Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Community Education Building ($2,637,841), Delaware State University Foundation ($1,750,000), Cheer Inc ($1,500,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 50CAN INC WILMINGTON, DE | DELAWARECAN GENERAL OPERATING FUNDS. | $341,500 |
| ABC PARENTING INSTITUTE WILMINGTON, DE | ABC IN DELAWARE. | $925,000 |
| BEAU BIDEN FOUNDATION WILMINGTON, DE | TRAINING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF PILOT PROJECT. | $125,000 |
| BRAVEN AT DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY WILMINGTON, DE | BRAVEN AT DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY. | $1,200,000 |
| BRONZE VALLEY FOUNDATION WILMINGTON, DE | BRONZE VALLEY INVESTMENT ACCELERATOR. | $400,000 |
| CHEER INC WILMINGTON, DE | GATEWAY EAST ADMINISTATION BUILDING. | $1,500,000 |
| CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FIRST WILMINGTON, DE | PAY FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM FOR PRE AND POST NATAL CARE. | $1,200,000 |
| COMMUNITY EDUCATION BUILDING WILMINGTON, DE | SUPPORT FOR DEBT SERVICE. | $2,637,841 |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER WILMINGTON, DE | FOOD RESCUE: SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND PEST CONTROL. | $40,000 |
| DELAWARE ACADEMY OF THE VOCAL ARTS WILMINGTON, DE | ELEVATE VOCAL ARTS CAPACITY BUILDING. | $350,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board and Executive Leadership:
- Eleuthère I. du Pont II - President (Non-voting/Non-trustee), 40 hours/week, $396,000 compensation
- Charles L. Copeland - Chairman & Trustee
- Dr. M. Lynne du Pont - Vice President & Trustee
- Croderick Maroney - Secretary & Trustee
- Eli R. Sharp - Treasurer & Trustee
- Gerret Van S. Copeland - Trustee
- Natalie A. du P. Reese - Trustee
- Timothy B. Weymouth - Trustee
Staff:
- Maria Stecker - Senior Program Officer, Grantmaking, 40 hours/week, $184,000 compensation
- Tamara C. Brown - Program Officer, Leadership, 40 hours/week, $164,000 compensation
- Sierra Harris - Program Officer, Grantmaking, 40 hours/week, $103,000 compensation
- Mary Lowe - Grant Manager, 40 hours/week, $95,000 compensation
- Jerry Penrose - Controller, 40 hours/week, $116,000 compensation
The foundation employs approximately 16 staff members.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELEUTHERE I DU PONT II | PRESIDENT (NON-VOTING/NON-TRUSTEE) | 40 | $395,706 |
| DR M LYNNE DU PONT | VICE PRESIDENT & TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CRODERICK MARONEY | SECRETARY & TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHARLES L COPELAND | CHAIRMAN & TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| GERRET VAN S COPELAND | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| NATALIE A DU P REESE | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| ELI R SHARP | TREASURER & TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| TIMOTHY B WEYMOUTH | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Recent grant recipients and announcements include:
**Longwood Gardens Inc** - $8.0 million for operating support (2023)
**Community Education Building Corporation** - $2,637,841 for debt service support (2024)
**Delaware State University Foundation** - $1,750,000 for DSU WCHBS Growth and Strategic Expansion (2024)
**Joshua M Freeman Foundation** - $1,250,000 for Freeman Arts Pavilion (2024)
**Exceptional Care for Children** - $2.0 million for The Bridge Unit (2023)
**Blindsight Delaware Enterprises Inc** - $1.5 million for expanding employment in Delaware (2023)
The Delaware Botanic Gardens Awarded $750,000 Grant from Longwood Foundation\**Food Bank of Delaware Inc** - $1.5 million for Building Hope in Milford (2023)
**Freire Foundation** - $1.4 million for FCSW Athletic Facility Development (2023)
**Todmorden Foundation** - $1.2 million for Bennett Street Redevelopment (2023)
**Delaware Botanic Gardens** - $750,000 grant
The Delaware Botanic Gardens Awarded $750,000 Grant from Longwood Foundation\**Technical.ly** - $250,000 catalyst grant for civic news initiatives
Technical.ly has been awarded a $250K Longwood Foundation catalyst grant**International Literacy Association** - $300,000 to advance literacy learning and library initiatives
**Unionville-Chadds Ford School District** - Grant recipient (2024)
Unionville-Chadds Ford School District named recipient of Longwood Foundation**Interfaith Community Housing of Delaware (ICHDE)** - Grant for West Center Place Project
ICHDE Receives Grant from Longwood Foundation for West Center Place ProjectSubject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Longwood Foundation Inc fund?
The foundation's mission is to be thoughtful stewards of Pierre S. Du Pont's legacy by being creative philanthropic leaders and providing support for Longwood Gardens. The foundation defines "philanthropic leadership" as: 1. Continuously increasing the impact of grant funds by selecting requests with the greatest potential for impact through their grant review process and creating opportunities to coordinate initiatives that fit their mission and values (systemic investments) 2. Being cognizant…
How do I apply for a grant from Longwood Foundation Inc?
**Grant Characteristics:** • Typical grant awards range from $6,000 to $8,000,000 • Median grant amount: $250,000-$300,000 • Grant range varies by year; in 2024, median grants were $250,000 **Recent Grantmaking Activity:** • 2024: 87 grants totaling approximately $39.0 million • 2023: 67 grants totaling approximately $31.7 million • 2022: 122 grants totaling approximately $53.3 million • 2021: 67 grants totaling approximately $26.3 million • 2020: 79 grants totaling approximately $14.8 million …
Where does Longwood Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation primarily funds organizations in Delaware and the surrounding region, with particular emphasis on the state of Delaware.
What size grants does Longwood Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Longwood Foundation Inc awarded 80 grants totaling $40.6M — an average of about $508K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Longwood Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Longwood Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $43.0M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Longwood Foundation Inc's EIN?
Longwood Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-0066734. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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