Delaware Grants

The Welfare Foundation offers grants primarily focused on seven nonprofit sub-sectors including social services, housing, health/hospitals, education, environment, civic, and arts/humanities, to promote social welfare in Delaware and southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, with eligibility restricted to 501(c)(3) organizations that do not discriminate and do not use funds for activities such as political advocacy, religious institutions, fundraising events, and individual needs.

This funding opportunity supports nonprofit organizations in the tri-state area focused on addressing gun violence, improving community safety, and enhancing education and police relations.

This grant provides financial support to local organizations in Sarasota, Florida, and Delaware that focus on arts, historic preservation, education, and human services.

The Northeast SARE Professional Development Grant program aims to advance sustainable agriculture practices by enhancing the knowledge, awareness, skills, and attitudes of agricultural and other service providers. This directly aligns with the foundation's mission to support sustainable agriculture through education and professional development. The grant focuses on empowering professionals who work with farmers, enabling them to teach, advise, or assist in the adoption of sustainable methods. The program seeks to create a ripple effect, where trained service providers then apply their learned expertise to help farmers improve their agricultural practices, fostering a more sustainable food system within the Northeast region. The primary beneficiaries of this program are agricultural service providers, including those in non-profit organizations, colleges, universities, Cooperative Extension, and other entities that serve the farming community. Additionally, the program extends its reach to other service providers such as real estate agents, bankers, and attorneys, who can indirectly influence farmers. The overarching impact goal is to cultivate a more resilient and sustainable agricultural landscape in the Northeast by equipping these professionals with the necessary tools and knowledge. Expected outcomes include increased adoption of sustainable and climate-smart agricultural practices by farmers, improved ecological and economic resilience to climate change, and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. The program prioritizes a wide array of topics, encompassing marketing and business, crop production, raising livestock, aquaculture, social sustainability, urban and Indigenous agriculture, and traditional ecological knowledge. A significant focus is placed on climate-smart agriculture practices, which are intended to improve ecological, social, and economic resilience to climate change. This includes practices such as reduced and no-till farming, cover cropping, prescribed grazing, ruminant feed management, manure management, fertilizer management, and on-farm energy efficiency. The program's strategic priorities are clearly aligned with addressing contemporary agricultural challenges through education and practical application. Northeast SARE actively encourages projects from, or in collaboration with, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, and Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Furthermore, it encourages proposals from Minority Serving Institutions and other organizations in the Northeast that work with historically underserved communities, demonstrating a commitment to equity and inclusivity in agricultural development. The theory of change behind these priorities is that by supporting a diverse range of voices and institutions, the program can foster more innovative and equitable solutions for sustainable agriculture, leading to broader and more effective adoption of sustainable practices across the region. The expected measurable results include an increase in the number of service providers trained in sustainable agriculture, a documented increase in farmers adopting climate-smart practices, and the successful implementation of projects that demonstrate improved ecological, social, and economic resilience. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $150,000, with project lengths usually spanning 2 to 3 years, and a maximum allowed duration of 3.5 years. The program's geographical focus is exclusively on the Northeast region, which includes Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Vermont, and Washington, D.C., ensuring targeted and localized impact within this specific area.

The Excellence in Education Fund (EIE Fund), managed by the CenDel Foundation, is currently accepting applications for its 2024 grant cycle. Established in 2019 through contributions from Statewide Workforce Development, the Kent Economic Partnership, Greater Kent Committee, Delaware State News, and the Kent County community, the EIE Fund's mission is to support programs that enhance workforce development and stimulate economic growth within Kent County, Delaware. As a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, the CenDel Foundation administers the fund with the guidance of the Excellence in Education Advisory Board, ensuring alignment with its core mission of fostering community prosperity through strategic investments in education and economic opportunity. The EIE Fund targets public institutions, nonprofits, and civic/community organizations that are focused on educating and training individuals to meet the demands of current and future businesses in Kent County. The primary impact goal is to create a more skilled workforce, broaden perspectives through educational components, and drive measurable economic and community development. This includes generating employment opportunities and potentially attracting new residents to Kent County. The program prioritizes initiatives that enhance the regional workforce, emphasizing the quality, impact, and duration of programs, as well as the number of individuals impacted. It also focuses on educating and broadening perspectives, requiring applicants to detail the educational component, the number of participants, and the knowledge gained. Furthermore, a key focus is on economic and community development, looking for programs that cultivate special skill sets, generate measurable economic impact, and promote employment. Applications are reviewed for clarity and strong evidence supporting the achievement of stated goals. The EIE Fund's strategic priorities align with a theory of change that posits that targeted investments in education and workforce training will directly lead to enhanced economic vitality and improved community well-being in Kent County. By supporting programs that build relevant skills and create opportunities, the fund aims to strengthen the local economy, increase employment rates, and foster a more knowledgeable and engaged citizenry. Eligible institutions and organizations can be awarded up to $50,000, with a requirement to submit proposals on the official 2024 application form and demonstrate their status as a public institution or 501(c)3 organization.

The Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) solicits applications designed to increase the ability of EPA Region 3 states (Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia and the District of Columbia) to manage food scraps more sustainably through composting. In particular, the NOFO seeks to increase capacity for food scraps composting in the region through the upgrade of yard waste composting facilities. The upgraded yard waste composting facilities will be capable of processing waste food which increases the capacity for wasted food composting in the region. For further details see the NOFO.

The First State Food System Program, funded by the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, is designed to support and strengthen Delaware's local food system. Its overarching mission, facilitated by the Delaware Department of Agriculture and the Delaware Council on Farm & Food Policy (Council), aligns with the goal of ensuring farmers have access to viable markets, households can access nutritious food, and the impacts of supply chain disruptions are reduced. The program aims to foster a resilient food system by offering grants to a diverse range of entities operating across the food supply chain within the State of Delaware. Target beneficiaries include entities that grow, process, store, transport, distribute, or sell food in Delaware, encompassing small to mid-sized for-profit producers, nonprofit organizations, aquaculture/fishery operators, food distributors, transporters, and food processing operators. The program's impact goals are centered on enabling these local entities to overcome challenges, build resilience, and contribute to a more robust food system. Specifically, it seeks to increase food production, enhance direct-to-consumer sales, improve food transformation activities, bolster transportation and distribution, and increase the flexibility of food retail outlets. The program prioritizes projects that support or benefit more than one entity or producer within Delaware’s food system. This focus is intended to strengthen the local food system through wide-reaching and complementary efforts rather than isolated, narrowly focused projects. Eligible projects are evaluated based on the entity's viability, its function and reach within the food system, and its capacity to add to food production, sales, processing, transportation, or distribution; improve efficiency and reduce costs; increase capacity of retail outlets; align with consumer needs; address proximity challenges; or increase emerging agricultural practices. Expected outcomes include a measurable positive impact on Delaware's food supply chain. Projects should create or contribute to outcomes such as increased volume of food production, greater availability of food products through various outlets, enhanced processing activities, more efficient transportation and distribution, improved capacity and flexibility of food retail outlets, and the adoption of innovative agricultural practices. The Council will award grants ranging from $2,500 to $150,000, and applicants must demonstrate the entity's infrastructure and capacity to successfully implement the project, with a general requirement for entities to be in operation for two or more years.

The Community Reinvestment Fund is a capital grant program established by the Delaware General Assembly, designed to foster community redevelopment, revitalization, and investment capital projects. Its overarching mission is to improve the economic, cultural, historical, and recreational health of Delaware communities. This program aligns with a strategic priority to enhance local well-being and stimulate growth across various sectors within the state. The target beneficiaries of this grant program include county and local governments, community-based nonprofit organizations, and private sector nonprofit organizations that hold a 501(c)3 designation at the time of application. The program specifically excludes state agencies, school districts, charter schools, private schools, institutions of higher education, childcare facilities, churches, fire companies, fiscal agents, and for-profit organizations. The impact goals are broad, aiming for a holistic improvement in community health. The program prioritizes projects that involve preconstruction costs, land acquisition, building construction, reconstruction, rehabilitation, or restoration. It also supports the acquisition or installation of apparatus or equipment permanently attached to buildings, and the acquisition and improvement of land for project sites. Furthermore, the construction of sidewalks, sewers, or water mains connecting to public systems are eligible. These priorities demonstrate a focus on tangible, capital-intensive projects that build or restore essential community infrastructure. The expected outcomes and measurable results include the successful completion of capital projects that contribute to the economic, cultural, historical, and recreational health of Delaware communities. While specific metrics are not detailed, the emphasis on "redevelopment," "revitalization," and "investment" suggests a theory of change where targeted capital injections lead to observable improvements in community assets and overall quality of life. The program implicitly aims for a ripple effect, where improved infrastructure and facilities foster greater community engagement, economic activity, and cultural preservation.

This funding opportunity supports innovative bioscience research projects in Delaware that have the potential for significant economic impact, targeting researchers and businesses in the developmental stage.

EPoC – Entrepreneurial Proof of Concept o Supports proof of concept research towards establishing a new Delaware-based business by the end of the grant period. o Up to $75,000 for 1 year . Proposal must be submitted as a single electronic PDF document at the link provided on the CAT website https://cat.dbi.udel.edu. Please note that submission and award processes have changed.Proposal must be submitted as a single electronic PDF document at the link provided on the CAT website https://cat.dbi.udel.edu. Please note that submission and award processes have changed.

This funding opportunity supports collaborative bioscience research projects between Delaware academic institutions and businesses, aimed at fostering innovation and economic growth in the state.

ARC supports bioscience research projects that involve collaboration between Delaware academic institutions and business partners. It is designed to enhance applied research collaborations, and single PI proposals may request up to $100,000; multi-PI proposals may request up to $150,000 for one year. The program requires matching funds from the collaborating industry partner. Grant renewed every year.

iHIT – Ideas – High-return, Innovative, Transformative o Supports ideas in bioscience research that are in the development stage and promise to have a high economic return for innovative and transformative research projects. o This mechanism intends to support applicants to develop novel lines of multidisciplinary research different from their ongoing research. o Up to $75,000 for 1 year.Proposal must be submitted as a single electronic PDF document at the link provided on the CAT website https://cat.dbi.udel.edu. Please note that submission and award processes have changed.

This funding opportunity provides up to $75,000 to researchers in Delaware to develop innovative ideas into marketable products or services, fostering the growth of new businesses and high-tech jobs in the state.

TAP provides Delaware bioscience businesses access to high-end research technologies at reduced rates. Eligible facilities include Bioimaging, DNA Sequencing & Genotyping, Bioinformatics, NMR, and Mass Spectrometry. This program supports the technological advancement of Delaware's bioscience sector by making cutting-edge resources more accessible, with funding up to $5,000 per year per core facility.

The Delaware Division of the Arts awards Arts Access Grants to support the presentation of performing, visual, literary, media, or folk arts in communities throughout Delaware. These grants aim to provide experiences of artistic merit, support arts programs in new venues, foster collaboration, reach underserved audiences, and promote the creation of new works and conservation of diverse cultural traditions. Eligible applicants include municipal, county, or state government units within Delaware, and Delaware-based nonprofit organizations exempt from federal income tax under specific sections of the Internal Revenue Code. Applicants may request up to 80% of eligible expenses, not exceeding $1,250. The grants focus on projects that provide increased access to the arts, especially in underserved communities, and demonstrate effective management and marketing.

This funding opportunity supports Delaware schools and not-for-profit agencies in bringing professional artists into classrooms to enhance student learning through creative arts experiences.

The Delaware Division of the Arts offers the TranspARTation Grant Program, designed to support the travel expenses for Delaware students to attend high-quality arts events, performances, and exhibits at arts and cultural institutions and venues within the state. This initiative aims to enhance students' exposure to and participation in the arts by covering costs related to buses, fuel, parking, and tolls. Funding is available for nonprofit K-12 public, private, or charter schools in Delaware, including Pre-K programs affiliated with public schools. Eligible schools may apply for one grant per school year, with Title I schools eligible for additional grants subject to available funding. Applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis, starting August 15 of the current fiscal year and require submission at least 6 weeks before the intended field trip date. Grants are reimbursed to schools post-event upon receipt of the Final Report.

This grant provides funding to U.S.-based non-profit organizations to support projects that promote Japanese arts and culture, particularly in areas with limited access to such events.