The Delaware Community Foundation (DCF), in partnership with Rodel, teamed up with Mikva Challenge in sponsoring a competition for Delaware youth to present their ideas on local issues. On Tuesday, May 28, 2019, at Cab Calloway School of the Arts, six middle schools participated in the Project Soapbox competition.

Mikva Challenge is a nonprofit organization that started as a volunteer group working on an electoral engagement project in four schools. It has since flourished into a dynamic range of “Action Civics” programs. Mikva Challenge created Project Soapbox as a platform for underrepresented youth to participate in civic conversations as a means to empower youth and promote an equitable society.

“If we’re going to address the opportunity gap in America, we need to provide additional support to kids who aren’t getting it at home or in their neighborhood,” DCF President & CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “Most importantly, we need them to know their voices matter and are heard.”

Students researched an issue within their local community, then crafted and presented an original speech. The audience included a panel of judges made up of Delaware educators, philanthropists and other state leaders including Rep. Kim Williams, Rep. Gerald Brady, Rep. Mike Smith, Sen. Tizzy Lockman and Sen. Anthony Delcollo.

Eighty students courageously participated in the semifinals at Cab Calloway, highlighting issues such as the opioid crisis and teen pregnancy. Ava Barton from Cab Calloway took first place in the final round with her speech on net neutrality, while the second and third place winners focused on human trafficking and gun violence.

“The future of our country, our city, our community has to do with people knowing how to get engaged with their communities,” Comstock-Gay said. “Project Soapbox is teaching kids how they can make change real and becoming confident in their voice is an essential part of that.”

The Delaware Community Foundation is pleased to welcome Michael DiPaolo as vice president for southern Delaware.

As part of the DCF’s philanthropy team, DiPaolo will work to grow the strong, active network of philanthropists in southern Delaware and oversee operations of the DCF’s Georgetown office.

Originally from Ohio, DiPaolo moved to Delaware in 2001 to begin his previous position as executive director of the Lewes Historical Society, where he led significant growth in the organization’s membership, endowment and impact.

DiPaolo has served on multiple Delaware and national boards, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Delaware Heritage Commission, Delaware Museum Association and Delaware Tourism Alliance.

He holds a certificate in nonprofit management and leadership from Georgetown University, a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of Pittsburgh and a bachelor’s degree in archaeology from the College of Wooster.

“Southern Delaware is a place I am passionate about,” DiPaolo said. “I’m excited to be a part of an organization that works to address today’s needs and tomorrow’s challenges.”

“We’re excited to welcome Mike to our southern Delaware team,” DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “Mike’s years of involvement in and dedication to southern Delaware communities will be invaluable to the DCF’s work building opportunity throughout the state.”

DiPaolo lives in Lewes with his wife Jill DiPaolo, director of the digital library for Sussex County Libraries, and their two children.

The Delaware Community Foundation is pleased to welcome Yolanda Rushdan as program associate.

A native of North Carolina who came to Delaware in 1993, Rushdan most recently served as the director of development at Exceptional Care for Children, Delaware’s first and only pediatric nursing home.

Previously, Rushdan worked in development at the Delaware Breast Cancer Coalition and at the Delaware Children’s Museum (DCM), where she was a founding staff member. During her time at the DCM, Rushdan served as associate director of development, director of operations and director of development.

Rushdan lives in Wilmington with her husband, Wali, and their son, Noah.

“The DCF is about creating opportunities for Delawareans, something I am passionate about,” Rushdan said. “I am excited to join the community impact team and help effect positive change throughout the state.”

As part of the DCF’s community impact team, Rushdan will work to ensure resources invested in the community have maximum benefit toward improving quality of life. She will support coordination of the programmatic activities of the DCF, including community and donor engagement, and will manage the DCF’s community impact grants programs.

“We’re excited to be expanding our community impact staff,” DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay said. “Yolanda brings a wealth of experience in community engagement to the DCF that will strengthen our ability to build opportunity for all in Delaware.”

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

Deadline Jan. 30, 2019

Nonprofits helping women and girls in Delaware are invited to apply for grants from the Fund for Women (FFW) at the Delaware Community Foundation.

The FFW’s one-year grants offer organizations an opportunity to obtain seed money for innovative, creative programming or to continue or expand programs in which the program’s effectiveness has been demonstrated.

The FFW accepts applications from nonprofit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) organizations for initiatives related to health, wellness and life skills that lead to future economic self-sufficiency for girls and women in Delaware. No grants are awarded for individuals. Organizations that have received a FFW grant in the previous three years are not eligible.

Completed applications are due by Jan. 30, 2019. Apply online at delcf.org/grants. Only online applications will be accepted.

A video and presentation slides from the FFW’s December grant workshop are at delcf.org/ffw, and specific grant guidelines are at delcf.org/grants.

About the Fund for Women

Through collective philanthropy, the Fund for Women invests and advocates by bringing together our knowledge, passion and commitment to empower women and girls in Delaware to achieve their potential. The FFW was established in 1993 as an endowment at the Delaware Community Foundation. Since then, the FFW has made over $2.5 million in grants to hundreds of nonprofit programs statewide. In 2018, the FFW awarded $200,000 to 16 Delaware nonprofit organizations statewide, helping women and girls avoid abuse and poverty, improve their health and financial independence, and address many other social issues.

Photo: The Fund for Women’s Maude Glore, Lynn Kokjohn and Polly Mervine.

Delaware nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for grants from the Delaware Community Foundation (DCF) Youth Philanthropy Boards (YPB).

The Kent and Sussex County boards will award $10,000 each. The New Castle County board will award $15,000. Applications must be submitted by Jan. 1, 2019.

Each county’s board will award grants to programs supporting a unique focus area:

Kent County will consider organizations that enhance and support youth development in Kent County, with preference for those which focus on mental health, the arts, hunger and/or agriculture programs. Typical awards are $1,000 – $5,000 per year.

New Castle County will consider post-secondary readiness and/or mentoring programs that serve teens and young adults in New Castle County, with special consideration for initiatives that:
• build leadership opportunities,
• address specific challenges (including homelessness, substance abuse, or violence), or
• target traditionally underserved populations (including low-income and immigrant youth).
Typical awards are $1,000 – $2,500 per year.

Sussex County will consider nonprofit organizations that focus on mentoring at-risk youth in Sussex County with a preference toward programs supporting those affected by substance abuse, sex trafficking and/or mental health issues. Typical awards are $1,000 – $5,000 per year.

Organizations may apply for grants from each county’s YPB. To be eligible, the program for which funding is requested must directly benefit residents of that county and fall within that county’s unique focus area.

Grant requests must be submitted online beginning Dec. 4,. Applicants will be notified in each county in April 2019.

The DCF sponsors the YPBs to encourage younger generations to become more involved in philanthropy. Each board, composed of high school students from public, private and parochial schools, is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants. The students learn about philanthropy and effective grant-making, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit grant proposals, and award grants to those they determine to be most deserving.

Retired Delaware educator Phyllis Wynn established the Youth Philanthropy Fund in 1999 because she wanted to encourage youth to become more involved in philanthropic ventures. Students who serve on the YPB are nominated by their principal or guidance counselor.

“The Youth Philanthropy Board program gives students an opportunity to enjoy the pleasure and the challenges of charitable giving, including determining how to make the greatest impact on quality of life with the limited resources available,” said DCF President and CEO Stuart Comstock-Gay. “It’s an important program because we are cultivating the philanthropists of tomorrow.”

Photo: Sussex County Youth Philanthropy Board