Welfare Foundation Inc
The Welfare Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware. Originally formed in 1930 by Pierre S. du Pont, the renowned engineer, industrialist, and conservationist who served as President of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company and Chairman of General Motors, the foundation received its tax-exempt status in April 1947. The organization uses its assets and investment income to promote the social welfare of people and communities through strategic philanthropic grantmaking.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$106.7M
+35.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$4.7M
-14.5% YoY
Grant Count
69
-2.8% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$68K
-12.0% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Welfare Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.3M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Welfare Foundation remains true to its founder's vision of promoting social welfare through strategic capital investments in infrastructure that serves communities across its service area.
The foundation traditionally focuses on capital grants (but not endowments) across seven nonprofit sub-sectors:
- Social Services
- Housing
- Health/Hospitals
- Environment
- Education
- Arts
- Civic
Grantmaking
The foundation operates two competitive grant cycles annually:
Grant Range
$10,000 - $500,000
Review Cycle
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds nonprofits across Delaware statewide and southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
As of 2023:
- Total Assets: $79,032,992
- Revenue: $4,894,053
- Expenses: $6,000,000
- Total Liabilities: $872,000
As of 2024:
- Total Assets: $106,741,777
- Total Revenues: $27,707,404
- Total Expenses: $6,982,234
- Annual Grants Made: $9,757,598
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $106,741,777 | $79,032,992 | $81,115,330 |
| Revenue | $27,707,404 | $4,894,053 | $4,121,970 |
| Expenses | $6,982,234 | $5,995,775 | $5,778,580 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $5,020,135 | $5,790,723 | $5,701,139 |
| Net Investment Income | $26,970,417 | $4,113,892 | $2,987,101 |
| Distributable Amount | $5,317,764 | $5,006,860 | $5,079,934 |
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
201 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
1 open opportunity from Welfare Foundation Inc
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Kingswood Community Center Inc ($300,000), Children & Families First Delaware Inc ($150,000), Grand Opera House ($150,000).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| AMANECER COUNSELING & RESOURCE CENTER WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $35,000 |
| AUTISM DELAWARE NEWARK, DE | GRANT | $59,275 |
| BAYHEALTH FOUNDATION DOVER, DE | GRANT | $100,000 |
| CANDLELIGHT THEATRE WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $40,000 |
| CATHOLIC CHARITIES WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $35,000 |
| CENTER FOR THE CREATIVE ARTS YORKLYN, DE | GRANT | $30,000 |
| CHILDREN & FAMILIES FIRST DELAWARE INC WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $150,000 |
| COMMUNITY LEGAL AID SOCIETY INC WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $54,000 |
| COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER REHOBOTH BEACH, DE | GRANT | $15,000 |
| DELAWARE ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS (ELEVATE VOCAL ARTS) WILMINGTON, DE | GRANT | $15,000 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Christopher T. Grundner – President & CEO
- Kristin L. Sommers – Grants Associate
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ROBERT H BOLLING III | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| WILLIAM L KITCHEL III | TREASURER/TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| E BRADFORD DUPONT JR | CHAIRMAN/TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| LEATRICE D ELLIMAN | SECRETARY/TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| AVERY STABLER | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| W LAIRD STABLER | VICE PRESIDENT/TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| CHRISTOPHER GRUNDNER | PRESIDENT/ASST SECRETARY/T | 40 | $237,349 |
| MARGARET L LAIRD | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| R HUNTINGTON BOLLING | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| D TROWBRIDGE ELLIMAN | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
| BRENT W DUPONT | TRUSTEE | 1 | — |
Contact Information
Address: Community Service Building 100 W. 10th Street, Suite 1109 Wilmington, DE 19801
Phone: 302-683-8200 (main); 302-250-4966 (Grants Associate)
Fax: 302-654-2323
Email: info@welfarefoundationde.org
Website: www.welfarefoundationde.org
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm EST
EIN: 51-6015916
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Welfare Foundation Inc fund?
The Welfare Foundation remains true to its founder's vision of promoting social welfare through strategic capital investments in infrastructure that serves communities across its service area. The foundation traditionally focuses on capital grants (but not endowments) across seven nonprofit sub-sectors: • Social Services • Housing • Health/Hospitals • Environment • Education • Arts • Civic
How do I apply for a grant from Welfare Foundation Inc?
**Grant Activity:** • Distributes approximately $4-5 million annually in grants • Made 71 awards in 2023 • Distributed approximately $130 million in grants over the past 25 years • Grant range: $10,000 - $500,000 **Grant Cycles:** The foundation operates two competitive grant cycles annually: • **Fall Cycle:** Applications due October 15; trustee review in early December • **Spring Cycle:** Applications due April 15; trustee review in early June • Decision time: Approximately 2 weeks after trus…
Where does Welfare Foundation Inc make grants?
The foundation funds nonprofits across Delaware statewide and southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.
What size grants does Welfare Foundation Inc award?
In 2024, Welfare Foundation Inc awarded 69 grants totaling $4.7M — an average of about $68K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Welfare Foundation Inc required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Welfare Foundation Inc reported a distributable amount of $5.3M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Welfare Foundation Inc's EIN?
Welfare Foundation Inc's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 51-6015916. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Welfare Foundation Inc's focus areas in our free grants database
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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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