Editor's note: This article was revised and updated on 9/1/2021.
The Philadelphia metro area is made up of multiple counties in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey, including Delaware County, which is home to over 564,000 people. While most major cities, like Philadelphia, have their own community foundation, county-wide foundations are also prevalent and offer something unique to the local grantmaking scene.
One such county-focused funder in this region is the Foundation for Delaware County (FDC), which is a newcomer on the philanthropy scene. FDC was established just in 2016 and is actually a health legacy funder in addition to a traditional community foundation. This foundation came about when Prospect Medical Holdings acquired Crozer-Keystone, and it has quickly become the largest community funder in the county. Since many local nonprofits might yet be familiar with FDC, here are a few things to know about its grantmaking and priorities.
FDC Has Connections in Media, Upper Darby, Chester, and Springfield
It’s important to remember that this is a Delaware County funder and not one that’s specific to the city limits of Philadelphia. FDC is headquartered in Media, Pennsylvania, but it also has offices in Upper Darby, Chester, and Springfield. In these offices, FDC maintains a staff of dozens of professionals to run its programs, which include the WIC Nutrition Program and the Nurse-Family Partnership, as well as special projects like the health resource center for Chester High School teenagers.
Expanding Issue Areas in Focus
Although it’s only been around for several years, this health legacy funder already has a focused grantmaking strategy. In the beginning, the funder only had about four focus areas that it centered grantmaking on. However, those interests have expanded in recent years.
A major interest is children’s health and wellbeing, and this involves children from birth to age 18. Behavioral health, children’s health and nutrition and crime and violence prevention are also interests. Within the realm of education, FDC addresses early childhood education, elementary and middle school education, vocational and job training, housing, maternity and prenatal/postnatal care, preventative health care and youth development. Meanwhile, FDC awards grants for community and economic development, food security and hospice and home care.
Annual Grantmaking Exceeds $2 Million Per Year
Just a couple years ago, the funder was committing around $1.5 million annually for grantmaking. However, giving has been on the rise since then. In a recent cycle, FDC awarded 49 grants totaling over $2.1 million. By far, the most grants go towards children’s health and wellbeing. In the past, the funder has also awarded scholarships for nursing and radiology technician students. FDC grants tend to be between $10,000 and $200,000 each.
FDC’s E-Newsletter is a Resource for Opportunities
This foundation posts information about upcoming grant cycles on its website, but the best way to stay up-to-date is to sign up for FDC’s e-newsletter. In this way, nonprofits can receive information about FDC’s grant cycles and stay ahead of the upcoming deadlines. In the past, the funder has set a proposal deadline for February and announced awards in April. Grantseekers can even schedule a meeting with the foundation before submitting anything if they prefer.
Another resource for insights about this funder is IP’s full profile of the Foundation for Delaware County in our Philadelphia Funders Guide. Subscribers can also search for FDC staff contact information and bios via our PeopleFinder feature.