The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund was launched on March 18 to address the state’s emerging and evolving needs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the most expedited statewide grant funding program in the country, the fund has so far awarded more than $2 million to 91 nonprofit organizations providing services to communities throughout the state. Based on the nature of the applications, these early grants focused largely on immediate community needs like housing, food assistance, and healthcare.

These weekly grants have now closed, and the fund will accept additional grant applications under expanded guidelines on June 1 and June 15.

The June grants will target nonprofit organizations – both large and small – playing key roles in various sectors throughout the state. The goal of these grants is to strengthen the sustainability of the sectors traditionally upheld by nonprofits, including health and social services, education, the environment, workforce development, animal welfare, the arts, culture and others.

These grants target solvent nonprofit organizations with solid plans for long-term fiscal sustainability and strong leadership and management. The plans should be responsive to the changing environment for funding, as well as evolving community needs. Organizations with a history of serving underserved populations will be favored.

Applications will be accepted online only at delcf.org/covid-grants. Organizations may submit only one grant request in June. Organizations currently providing services or preparing to relaunch activity after pandemic-related hiatus are invited to apply, and funding is no longer required to be used in six weeks.

The fund, which is being directed by Philanthropy Delaware President Cynthia Pritchard, already includes generous gifts from the Longwood Foundation ($1.5 million), New Castle County ($500,000), Welfare Foundation ($200,000), CSC ($100,000), Crestlea Foundation ($100,000), Fund for Women ($100,000), Highmark ($100,000), Laffey-McHugh ($100,000), Discover ($75,000), DCF ($75,000), DuPont ($75,000), M&T ($50,000), JPMorgan Chase ($30,000), Bank of America ($25,000), TD Bank ($25,000), WSFS Bank ($25,000) and others. The DCF also has waived all administrative fees for this fund so that 100 percent of the funds are going to organizations helping people in need.

The intent is to fund additional grants in July and subsequent months for as long as funding is available and community needs exist related to COVID-19. Details about future grant opportunities will be available soon.

The Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund is part of the Delaware COVID-19 Emergency Response Initiative, a nonprofit collaborative response to the coronavirus pandemic. The DCF, Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, Philanthropy Delaware and United Way of Delaware are partnering to coordinate charitable resources to maximize impact statewide during this crisis.