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DCF Announces Community Equity Project

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Established and emerging leaders invited to apply. 

This spring, the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) will convene the Community Equity Project, bringing together up to 10 experienced community leaders to develop and implement an innovative, collective approach to increasing equity in Wilmington.

“A focus on increasing equity – increasing people’s access to the education, jobs, health care and networks necessary to thrive – is crucial to building opportunity for all in Wilmington,” DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said.

“The reality is that many Delawareans start with so few opportunities and face so many challenges that they have little to no chance of achieving educational and economic success, no matter how hard they work. The goal of the Community Equity Project is to find effective, strategic ways to change that.”

Through the Community Equity Project, the DCF will look to the perspective and expertise of the community, rather than trying to define how to address equity on its own. The learnings from this project will inform the DCF’s overall strategy and future grantmaking to most meaningfully move the needle on equity.

Established and emerging community leaders with expertise in tackling social inequity are invited to apply to participate.

Over the course of five months, participants will build a shared vision of what is possible and partner with the community to develop strategies, a plan and a budget for how to make their vision a reality.

In recognition of the time and commitment of each participant, small grants in the amount of $2,500 will be made to organizations addressing equity issues in Wilmington. Each participant will have the opportunity to recommend a grantee organization.

The Community Equity Project is part of the DCF’s Building Opportunity in Delaware initiative, launched in 2018 to increase the impact of philanthropy on the most critical issues in our state.

To apply for the Community Equity Project and for more information, visit delcf.org/community-equity-project. The deadline to apply is March 22, 2019.

Photo credit: Paul Sableman