Longwood Foundation poses new $500,000 matching grant challenge  

The Longwood Foundation has posed a new $500,000 challenge grant to the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund, giving donors the opportunity to double the impact of their gift now through Aug. 31.

To make a gift that qualifies for the match or for more information, visit delcf.org/covid19-fund or call 302.504.5226.

This is the second $500,000 challenge grant from the Longwood Foundation, bringing its total commitment to the COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund to $2 million in the past eight weeks. The fund, managed by the Delaware Community Foundation in partnership with Philanthropy Delaware, was established on March 18 to respond to the state’s evolving and emerging needs arising from the pandemic.

To date, the grants have fed, housed and provided healthcare for tens of thousands of Delawareans, in addition to providing critical funding for organizations supporting pets, the arts, education, libraries and more.

Thanks to generous donations from individuals, companies and foundations throughout the state, the DCF was able to match the first $500,000 challenge grant from the Longwood Foundation a week before the May 30 deadline.

Longwood offered this second challenge grant because of the success of the fundraising effort and the powerful impact the fund has made so far throughout the state, said Longwood President There du Pont.

“Alongside the United Way, the Delaware COVID-19 Strategic Response Fund is helping to address immediate needs for many Delawareans,” du Pont said. “We are very pleased with the work so far and the DCF’s ability to match our prior grant so quickly. The needs remain great and therefore we’re encouraging further investment in the effort.”

In the most expedited statewide grantmaking program in the country, the fund has so far awarded $2.3 million to 94 nonprofit organizations providing services to people 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.

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. Deadlines are June 1 and June 15, and nonprofits can apply at delcf.org/covid-grants.

The intent of the Longwood Foundation’s challenge grant is to help fund additional grants in July and subsequent months for as long as community needs exist related to COVID-19. Details about future grant opportunities will be available soon.

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 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.