connecting people,
building communities
Fall 2013
DCF Adds 62 Funds
Closes year with $220 million in assets The Delaware Community Foundation had an extremely successful Fiscal Year 2013, opening 62 new funds and closing the year on June 30 with $220 million in assets. Additionally, we were proud to award in FY2013 a record-breaking $29 million in grants and scholarships, including two unique one-time grants totaling $13.3 million.* Thousands of Delaware organizations and individuals will benefit from the new funds, which will support causes including education, scientific research, and the preservation of the First State’s history. “Each and every donor and fundholder is truly making a difference in Delaware, and the Delaware Community Foundation is proud to connect these generous people with the causes they care about,” DCF President and CEO Fred C. Sears said.
News from the Delaware Community Foundation
Scholarships Touch the Lives of Recipients & Donors
J
ai Wright never really had much of a chance.
“Where I come from no one really makes it,” said Mr. Wright, who grew up poor in Riverside, which he describes as one of the worst ghettos in Delaware. “I had two parents highly under the influence of drugs, who had been arrested and never had a job that had benefits. I pretty much raised myself.”
Mr. Wright survived, though, and is the first in his family to graduate from high school. This spring, with the help of the H.L. and D.C. Eliason Scholarship at the Delaware Community Foundation, Mr. Wright graduated from Delaware Technical & Community College. Now, he’s working on his bachelor’s degree at Wilmington University. “Growing up in poverty with no opportunity of college being even a possibility, I honestly can say that [Mrs. Eliason] opened doors that would never have been opened if not ~ Continued on page 3
Also in FY2013, the DCF welcomed three great new team members to the staff – Bill Allan, Joyce Darling and Calisa Emerson – and made the exciting decision to open a new office in Kent County during FY2014. “The DCF is continuing to grow and evolve, and we are so fortunate to have board, committee, and staff members who truly care about making a difference in Delaware,” Mr. Sears said. * Figures are pending audit. Helen Eliason and Jai Wright
Delaware Community Foundation Officers & Executive Committee Thomas J. Shopa, CPA, CFP, Chairman Marilyn R. Hayward, Vice Chairman Steve Fowle, Treasurer Hon. Stephen P. Lamb, Secretary Omar Y. McNeill, Esq., Assistant Treasurer John Paradee, Esq., KCAC Chairman Harold W.T. Purnell II, SCAC Chairman Thomas L. Sager, JD, Member at Large Joseph M. Schell, Member at Large Thomas D. Wren, Immediate Past Chairman Directors Doneene Keemer Damon Laura Day Anne S. Dougherty Kelly Firment Martha S. Gilman Jennings Hastings John C. Hawkins Mary B. Hickok, Esq. Nancy Karibjanian Lynn M. A. Kokjohn Stephen P. Lamb
Rob MacGovern Janice E. Nevin Donald W. Nicholson Jr. John W. Noble Laurisa S. Schutt Joan L. Sharp Valerie J. Sill David Singleton Gary Stockbridge Cindy L. Szabo, Esq. Michelle A. Taylor
Connecting People, Building Communities is published by the Delaware Community Foundation Fred C. Sears II, President and CEO Allison Taylor Levine, APR, Editor Hughes Design Inc., Design www.delcf.org www.facebook.com/ DelawareCommunityFoundation Twitter: @DelCommunity Wilmington Office: Community Service Building 100 W. 10th Street, Suite 115 P: 302.571.8004 | F: 302.571.1553 Georgetown Office: 36 The Circle P: 302.856.4393 | F: 302.856.4367 The Delaware Community Foundation manages charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses, and organizations, and distributes income from the funds as grants to humanitarian, educational, health and cultural entities throughout the First State. With approximately 1,200 funds, nearly $230 million in assets and annual grants of about $13 million, the Foundation provides a lasting source of charitable funding to benefit Delawareans today and for generations to come. For 25 years, the Foundation has been connecting people who care with the causes they care about, helping to make Delaware a better place to live and work. For information, please call 302.571.8004 in Wilmington or 302.856.4393 in Southern Delaware, or visit www.delcf.org. 2
Thank You for Another Successful Year at the DCF
W
hat a wonderful year for the Delaware Community Foundation. As we look back upon the 2013 Fiscal Year, we would like to thank all of our fundholders, donors and friends for your support. This year, thanks to the kind and caring individuals who work with the DCF: • More than 150 students are continuing their educations with support from college scholarships. • Young Delawareans – including high school students, young professionals, and people from many walks of life – are engaging in long-lasting charitable giving. • Thousands of Delawareans are receiving services they need to help improve their own lives and the lives of others. • Hundreds of nonprofit organizations have greater financial stability through their growing endowment funds.
Fred C. Sears II and Thomas J. Shopa
While it’s exciting to start a new year, we also are sorry to say goodbye to several departing board members this term. We thank John Wellons, Martha Carper, Patrice Gilliam-Johnson, Chip Rossi, John Taylor, Vivian Rapposelli, and Harry Williams for their years of service to the Foundation, and we look forward to their continuing involvement in the DCF. As we say farewell to our outgoing board members, we are proud to welcome new board members Kelly Firment, small business credit card product/strategy executive at Bank of America; Nancy Karibjanian, vice president of Delaware First Media; Robert N. MacGovern, chief investment officer of Nuclear Electric Insurance, Limited; Donald W. Nicholson, Jr., a financial advisor with Donald W. Nicholson & Associates; John W. Noble, vice chancellor of the Delaware Court of Chancery; John Paradee, an attorney with Prickett, Jones & Elliott; and Joan L. Sharp, founder of Life Strategies, LLC. We know that their wisdom and experience will help guide the Delaware Community Foundation as we continue to serve the First State. We have accomplished a great deal during Fiscal Year 2013, and in 2014, we will continue our unremitting efforts to make Delaware a better place to live and work. As we forge ahead, it is a privilege and honor to have your support and your confidence. Yours,
Fred C. Sears II, President and CEO
Thomas J. Shopa, Chairman
Scholarships Touch the Lives of Recipients & Donors ~ Continued from cover
for her generosity and her willingness to support me in any way that she could,” said Mr. Wright. Mr. Wright hadn’t considered college, but his mentor, Dr. Linda Poole, told him about the Eliason Scholarship and encouraged him to try. So he went to DelTech and took a placement test. Mr. Wright’s relationship with Dr. Poole – who has been mentoring him since he was 5 years old – and Mrs. Eliason kept him going. “Mrs. Eliason taught me that excuses never amount to much. She never let me use my environment as an excuse,” Mr. Wright said. “And she doesn’t want credit. She just wants people to know how to get help.” The Eliason Scholarship, which focuses on continuing education, was established in 1996. Since that time, the scholarship has provided hundreds of students with more than $1.8 million in scholarships. “Education helped make my life,” said Mrs. Eliason, who is mindful of a scholarship she received years ago to attend the Wharton MBA program. “I was so lucky in my lifetime to have jobs (paid and volunteer) that were interesting, challenging and useful. There are so many people who aren’t that lucky.” Mrs. Eliason believes that opportunities stem from education, and she hopes the Eliason scholarships will help recipients get the educations they want, improve their lives, and maybe help others. Jai Wright is an example of how a mentor and a scholarship can change a life. While still attending college, Mr. Wright also works as a paraprofessional at Warner and Shortlidge Elementary schools in Wilmington. “I work in the population where I grew up. I’m letting people know, ‘I came from two neighborhoods over from you guys, and I couldn’t read or write, and my mom was strung out on drugs,’” he said. “They kind of respect me because I grew up like them. Now I am an example of what you can do if you work hard. Again, it’s about breaking that cycle – like Mrs. Eliason did.” When scholarship endowments improve the lives of recipients, they also touch the lives of the donors, Mrs. Eliason said.
Jai Wright graduated in 2013 from Delaware Technical & Community College in Dover.
“It has given me so much pleasure to get to know some of the students who benefited from the scholarships and to hear about their successes,” Mrs. Eliason said. “My spirits are also uplifted to know that, because these are endowed funds, the scholarships will continue to help people after I’m gone.” “Jai is an extra special result and contact,” she said. “His success and how he will inspire children give me joy I cannot describe.”
The Eliason Scholarship is just one of dozens of annual scholarships that generous individuals and organizations have created at the Delaware Community Foundation. This year, more than 150 Delaware students are attending school with the aid of more than $400,000 in scholarships. Students from all over Delaware and with a variety of qualifications and life experiences are eligible to apply for scholarships through the DCF. Applications are now available for 2014-15 scholarships! Go to www.delcf.org/scholarships for more information about scholarships funded through the DCF.
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Meeting Community Needs
Delawareans Statewide Benefit from DCF Capital Grants Nonprofits addressing a range of issues, from support for the hungry and poor to protecting the environment, are benefiting from $289,975 in capital grants the Delaware Community Foundation awarded this summer. The DCF’s capital grants support construction, renovations, repairs and land purchases that have a lasting, positive impact on the population the organization serves. Grants typically range from $5,000 to $20,000, with a $25,000 maximum. Over the years, the DCF has awarded more than $5 million in capital grants, funded through the State of Delaware Fund and other field-of-interest endowments. Among this year’s 21 recipients was the Ministry of Caring in New Castle County, which received a $10,000 grant to help renovate a vacant building on East 14th Street in Wilmington to centralize its administrative offices, which are now scattered among various sites. When the Ministry’s offices move into the renovated building, the spaces they vacate will be used to increase direct service to Delawareans in need. “Community is the key to a successful organization. The capital grant will fulfill a long-term vision and dream to bring our administrative offices together, which will allow for better communication within the Ministry of Caring,” said Andrea Piscarik, grant development supervisor. “Plus, I think it’s exciting to bring economic development to that part of this city. To revitalize that little piece of Wilmington—now just a vacant building—is exciting.” Brother Ronald Giannone greets visitors at the Ministry of Caring.
“Community is the key to a successful organization. The capital grant will fulfill a long-term vision and dream to bring our administrative offices together, which will allow for better communication within the Ministry of Caring.”
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ith the help of a $12,000 capital grant from the DCF, Delaware W Wild Lands is partnering with several other organizations to purchase a 750-acre tract of land that includes upland forest and coast marsh. Purchasing that land completes a contiguous network of 4,000 acres of protected land, Executive Director Kate Hackett said. “ It’s a great example of the Delaware Community Foundation making a grant that has a far-reaching impact economically and environmentally,” Ms. Hackett said. Downstate, a $15,000 capital grant will enable the CHEER Center to open Milton’s first permanent senior center with the capacity to serve a greater number of seniors. Between 2009 and 2012, the number of meals the CHEER Center served to seniors grew from 30,000 to 37,000. “We’ve always had the intention to move to a building with a commercial kitchen,” Executive Director Arlene Littleton said. “We’ve been in three different locations for three different years, renting facilities that are much too small.” Shorebirds are released at a Delaware Wild Lands salt marsh.
2013 Capital Grants Arc of Delaware (New Castle County)
$8,000
Hilltop Lutheran Community Center (NCC)
$10,000 $22,000
CHEER (Sussex County)
$15,000
Kent-Sussex Industries (Kent & Sussex Counties)
Children & Families First (Sussex County)
$20,000
Ministry of Caring (New Castle County) $10,000
Children’s Beach House (Sussex County) $12,000
Modern Maturity Center (Kent County)
Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts (NCC) $12,000
MOT Senior Center (New Castle County)
Delaware Wild Lands (Kent County)
$12,000
One Village Alliance (New Castle County) $15,000
Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing (Kent County)
$16,000
Smyrna Opera House (Kent County)
Elizabeth W. Murphey School (Kent County)
$20,000
Wilmington Public Library (New Castle County) $22,000
Family Outreach Community Center (Sussex County) Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery (NCC)
$4,500
YWCA Home-Life Center (New Castle County)
$15,000 $7,500 $10,000 $15,000
$8,580
Gaudenzia (New Castle County)
$22,895
Habitat for Humanity (New Castle County)
$12,500
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Building Giving Communities Welcome National Urban Fellow Andradia Scovil
Next Gen-North & DANA: Preparing Delaware’s Future Board Members
We are excited to welcome our 2013-2014 National Urban Fellow Andradia Scovil!
The Next Generation of Northern Delaware (Next Gen-North) has entered a partnership with the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement (DANA) to prepare the next generation of leaders for Delaware’s nonprofit organizations.
The National Urban Fellow program is one of the nation’s oldest public service fellowships for people of color and women (www.nuf.org). As a fellow, Ms. Scovil is pursuing a master’s of public administration from Baruch College in New York City and serving a nine-month mentorship, shared between the Delaware Community Foundation and the Community Education Building.
One of Next Gen-North’s goals is to engage and prepare civic-minded young adults to serve on Delaware’s nonprofit
During her mentorship with the DCF, Ms. Scovil’s primary focus
boards. DANA’s mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector
will be working with the Friends of Hockessin Colored School
in Delaware, which includes training nonprofit board members
#107, a DCF fundholder working closely with the African American
and other stakeholders.
Empowerment Fund. Ms. Scovil’s assignment is to significantly advance the Friends’ work to restore the Hockessin Colored School
Through the new partnership, DANA will provide the
#107 and fortify the Hockessin Community Center’s ability to serve
accredited Standards For Excellence board training to the
the community from that historic site, as it has done for decades.
executive boards of The Next Generation’s Northern and Southern Delaware chapters. DANA has officially endorsed
A Cleveland native, Ms. Scovil has a bachelor’s degree in
Next Gen-North on its website (www.delawarenonprofit.org)
accounting from Ohio University and a strong background in
and will feature Next Gen-North fundraisers.
project management, including experience with business and social entrepreneurship, financial analysis, marketing, and fund
“We are so pleased to team up with DANA to bring out the
development.
best in the future nonprofit leaders of Delaware,” Next GenNorth President Don Nicholson Jr. said. “We are constantly
At the CEB, Ms. Scovil is developing the business model for
looking for new ways to improve, and we are excited to begin
food service operations and leading the build out of the facility’s
this new chapter for Next Gen-North.”
IT system. For more information on The Next Generation of the Delaware Community Foundation, please visit www.TNGDelaware.org.
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Next Gen-South Makes Inaugural Grants of $12,500 The Next Generation of Southern Delaware (Next Gen-South) has had a stellar year, raising more than $23,000 since it launched just a year ago. A chapter of the Delaware Community Foundation’s giving circle, The Next Generation, Next Gen-South is a group of civic-minded 20- and 30-somethings who are learning about philanthropy and nonprofit board service, as well as raising money for charitable causes. Since its August 2012 inception, Next Gen-South has raised money through three fundraisers – its own Chowdown for Charity last fall, a 5K in partnership with Crossfit Dover, and a dinner held by the fundraising group Chicks for Charity of Southern Delaware. From dozens of applications, the young philanthropists chose to award $5,000 each to programs addressing children’s mental health issues at La Esperanza and Delaware Guidance Services, and $2,500 to the Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay.
Next Gen-South member Stephanie Turner and daughter Lilly in the CrossFit 5k Run/Walk and Fitness Challenge fundraiser.
La Esperanza’s Victims Services Program provides counseling for Latino children who are victims of domestic violence and/or sexual abuse in Sussex County. Delaware Guidance Services provides therapy sessions to at-risk children in Sussex County. Girl Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay provides the bully prevention “Be a Friend First” (BFF) program to high-risk girls in Kent County.
Next Gen Elects 2014 Leaders Next Gen-South
“Each of the three grant recipients offers programs that make a significant impact on the lives of children in Kent and Sussex counties,” said Beccy Cooper, who chaired the grants committee. “Next Gen-South looks forward to seeing the positive impact we are able to make on these organizations and ultimately on children suffering from a variety of issues related to their mental health.” “In our first year, we were able to raise a significant amount of money to give a good portion to worthy causes helping children in our area,” Next Gen-South President Kim Willson said. “We look forward to continuing to grow our board and our
President Jason Adkins Vice President Sarah Wooten Treasurer Stephanie Martin Secretary Beccy Cooper
Next Gen-North
President Dave Arthur Vice President Alexis Martin Secretary Kristen Kuipers Treasurer Brittany Mason
financial resources so we can make an even greater difference in our community.”
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Maria Taylor:
Igniting Passion for Philanthropy in Delaware Long-time Fund for Women Founder Maria Taylor was the mother of the three elementary school children during the tumultuous desegregation of Wilmington schools in the 1970s. She also was a leader in interracial efforts to ease tensions and advocate for busing as a step toward equal public education for black and white students. “I really believed in public education for all students equally,” said Mrs. Taylor, who was then co-chair of the Wilmington Home and School Council and helped run a “strike school” for neighborhood children during the two-month teacher strike against busing.
“We knew even then that Maria’s instincts about sharing and helping were the best lesson in the meaning of philanthropy...”
“There were so many people so passionately against [desegregation] that there had to be a force from the white community,” she said. “It was so necessary – legally, morally and educationally.” Because of Mrs. Taylor’s lifelong commitment to fighting for justice and equality through community involvement and philanthropy, the Fund for Women at the Delaware Community Foundation is honoring her this fall with the 2013 First Founders’ Award. In addition to her work during desegregation, Mrs. Taylor has also been a long-time supporter of the YWCA and Adopt-A-Family, helping economically disadvantaged families during the holidays. Mrs. Taylor’s daughters even remember giving money from their paper routes to help the cause. 8
“We knew even then that Maria’s instincts about sharing and helping were the best lesson in the meaning of philanthropy, even if we didn’t know what philanthropy meant,” wrote Mrs. Taylor’s daughters, Moira Taylor, Jennifer Berry, and Kathryn Allen, who nominated her for the First Founders’ Award. In its early days, Mrs. Taylor played a key role in expanding the number of women who could participate in the Fund for Women. To become a Founder, an individual must make a $1,000 contribution. Mrs. Taylor persuaded the Fund’s leaders to allow the initial $1,000 contribution to be paid over several years. “I thought it was a wonderful idea, but I couldn’t plunk down $1,000,” Mrs. Taylor said. “We came to the realization that for the Fund to grow — and to grow among all classes — we had to do something.” Now, people can become Founders by contributing $200 a year for five years. Mrs. Taylor has been relentless in her pursuit of new Founders, and she has personally made seven women — as well as her husband, John Taylor — new Founders. “Through her passion for her causes, Mrs. Taylor has truly made a difference in our state,” Fund for Women Chair Laura Day said. “We are proud to spotlight her contributions with this award.”
Nominate a Founder Every year since 2007, the Fund for Women has presented the First Founders’ Award to a Founder who has a record of exceptional generosity; demonstrates civic or charitable responsibility; and whose leadership has encouraged others in serving our community in Delaware. To nominate a Founder for next year’s award – or to find out more about becoming a Founder – visit www.delcf.org/ffw.
Returning Seniors Take Leadership Role on DCF’s Youth Philanthropy Board Students who participate in the DCF’s Youth Philanthropy Boards gain valuable knowledge about philanthropic giving and nonprofit service. But the cohort of students who serve in both their junior and senior years gain important leadership experience as an added benefit. Each year, juniors and seniors from every public and private high school in the state – about 60 students total on the Kent, New Castle and Sussex County boards – participate in the DCF’s unique, hands-on Youth Philanthropy Boards to learn more about charitable giving and nonprofit service.
2013-14 Returning YPB Seniors New Castle County
Pamela Arango, Newark High School Leigh Bernetich, St. Elizabeth High School Emma Field, Ursuline Academy Reilly Megee, Cab Calloway School of the Arts Jacob Sipala, Wilmington Christian Shannon Steiner, Padua Academy Iris Turner, Charter School of Wilmington Casey Wozniak, Sanford School
Kent County
Brandon Yearick, Caesar Rodney High School Molly McCommons, Dover High School Jessica Bursler, Polytech High School Kayla Kennedy, Smyrna High School
Sussex County
Dhvani Patel, Delmar High School Katherine Harmon, Delmarva Christian High School Courtney Michel, Seaford High School Danielle Glenn, Woodbridge High School
When the program begins in the fall, each board is allotted a pool of money to give as charitable grants. The students learn about philanthropy and effective grantmaking, study youth issues in their neighborhoods and schools, solicit proposals, conduct site visits, and award grants in the spring. A few students participate for two consecutive years, as juniors and seniors. Those returning seniors play a special role on the boards, Southern Delaware Senior Vice President Bill Allan said. “We count on our returning seniors to help facilitate the boards’ conversations and counsel new participants on what questions to ask, what factors to consider, and other aspects of evaluating and selecting grantees,” he said. “By serving in that role, the returning seniors take away valuable experience in nonprofit leadership, in addition to the overall experience the YPB provides.”
Investment Report By Rob MacGovern Written September 15, 2013 June marked the close of Valerie Sill’s term as chair of DCF’s Investment Committee, and we thank her for her leadership during this challenging period of rebuilding after the financial meltdown of 2007-2008. Rob MacGovern, chief investment officer for Nuclear Electric Insurance, Limited, has been named as the new chair for the DCF Investment Committee. DCF fund returns have recovered nicely over the five-year rolling period that marks the relevant investment horizon for most of our investing charities and foundations. The five-year return for the period ending June 30, 2013, is a disappointing 2.2%, but this return is still burdened by performance from the end of the troubled investment period that marked the beginning of the “Great Recession.” The three-year return is 8.9%, solidly within our objective of generating sustained returns of 5% or better, after inflation. Since the close of the June quarter, markets have experienced an increase in volatility. This is most likely attributable to a combination of concerns related to how soon and how fast the Federal Reserve may wind down its bond purchase program, and whether this modest reduction in monetary stimulus will adversely impact economic growth, both in the U.S. and abroad. The other factor weighing on markets is whether the Syrian conflict may escalate in either scope or intensity. DCF fund returns were off modestly – negative 1.5% – in the first two months of the first quarter of the fiscal year, a period in which war jitters seemed to be steadily on the rise. We are guardedly optimistic that DCF returns have recovered from the positive response in global markets that has accompanied news of diplomatic progress in recent days. 9
New Funds May-September 2013
Be A Santa To A Senior Fund
DCC - Cancer Education Alliance Fund DE Advocates for Great School Boards Fund Future Farmers Fund Builder Hearts 2 Hands Foundation Fund The Michael & Ericka Hynansky Family Fund John Wesley United Church, Inc. Endowment Fund Keep The Projectors Running Fund Ben Knapp Fund Frances C. Lordigan Fund Old Brandywine Village, Inc. Fund PMA Foundation Tip Murphy Legacy Fund Project 5000 Opinions Fund Rachel L. (Gentsch) Baynard Fundbuilder Sager Family Fund SCAOR Community Service Foundation Fundraising Fund The Marjorie S. Sears Fund for Homeless Dogs Strike Force Foundation Fund
“Breaking the Silence” About Mental Illness The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Delaware, which recently established an endowed fund at the Delaware Community Foundation, launched a powerful new program this fall to raise awareness of mental illness among middle and high school students in the Brandywine School District. The “Breaking the Silence” curriculum, developed by health educators for use in health classes, teaches students about mental illness and fosters open, honest dialogue. NAMI began training Brandywine’s teachers in the spring, with instruction beginning this fall. NAMI Delaware provides consultation, speakers, and support to teachers, students, and parents, NAMI Executive Director Dr. Josh Thomas said. Eventually, NAMI hopes to expand the program to elementary, middle, and high schools statewide. Dr. Thomas hopes that with education about mental illness from a young age, this generation will develop healthy attitudes toward mental illness.
“People who have mental illness are often stigmatized, and the tragic result of that stigma is that they are too embarrassed to seek treatment.” “People who have mental illness are often stigmatized, and the tragic result of that stigma is that they are too embarrassed to seek treatment,” Dr. Thomas said. “We can have a whole new generation of people in our country, and certainly in the state of Delaware, who will have a different outlook on mental health.”
Trinity Community Cemetery Fund Fund for the Advancement of Urban Scholars Yes U Can USA Fund To discuss opening a fund or planning your legacy gift at the DCF, contact David Fleming in New Castle County at 302.504.5224 or dfleming@delcf.org, or Bill Allan in Southern Delaware at 302.856.4393 or wallan@delcf.org.
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By establishing an endowed fund at the DCF, NAMI is strengthening its financial future so it can continue its work long into the future. “Destigmatizing mental illness is a long-term endeavor, so we need to ensure that we can continue our operations for decades to come,” Dr. Thomas said. “The Delaware Community Foundation offers the best opportunity to create financial stability for nonprofit organizations through the creation of an endowment fund.”
DCF Goes to Dover he DCF is opening the T new office in partnership with the CenDel Foundation (www.cendelfoundation.org), a DCF fund that focuses on developing lasting charitable funds to benefit Central Delaware.
he Delaware Community Foundation is proud to announce T that we will be opening a Kent County office on Loockerman Street in Dover by the end of Fiscal Year 2014. By adding the Dover location, the DCF will have offices in each Delaware county. “ The new office will enable us to develop a more thorough understanding of the needs that exist in Kent County,” DCF President and CEO Fred Sears said. “The better we understand those needs, the better we will be at identifying resources to meet those needs.” ven before establishing the new office, the DCF has had an E active role in Kent County, receiving guidance from the Kent County Advisory Committee, engaging high school students in philanthropy through the Kent County Youth Philanthropy Board, and working closely with dozens of generous fundholders and important nonprofit organizations throughout the county.
“ CenDel is proud to partner with the Delaware Community Foundation to expand philanthropy in Central Delaware,” CenDel Board President David Clendaniel said. “By joining forces, we are confident that we can greatly increase our impact on the community.” The DCF is in the process of hiring a new Kent County director of development. The office will include a part-time administrative assistant provided by the CenDel Foundation. By joining forces, we will make a positive impact for the citizens of our community.
Marjorie S. Sears Fund for Homeless Dogs Fred Sears is the president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation, but above all, he was his mother’s son. Mr. Sears visited her at her home in Stonegates religiously, so it was a difficult time when Marjorie S. “Sis” Sears, age 95, of Greenville, passed away in January. When he reflects on his mom’s life, what stands out to Mr. Sears is her love of dogs. Growing up, Mrs. Marjorie S. Sears Sears always had dogs, all the way back to her first dog, Murphy, the Jack Russell terrier the family had in the 1920s. While she lived at Stonegates, Mrs. Sears was particularly fond of a Corgi named George, which belonged to nurse Beth Poole
and came to work with her every day. George loves to visit the residents at Stonegates, and he particularly loved Mrs. Sears. “I’d go in to see her and say, ‘How are you, Mom?’ and the first thing she’d say is, ‘Oh George was here earlier, but I haven’t seen him for a while,’” Mr. Sears said. “It was all about George.” So when Mrs. Sears’ estate settled this summer, Mr. Sears used a portion of the proceeds to establish the Marjorie S. Sears Fund for Homeless Dogs. Mrs. Sears’ grandsons, Jason Sears and Graham Munda, will advise the fund and direct grants to organizations that help homeless dogs. “It’s important to us that my mom’s legacy of caring for others – including dogs – carries on,” Mr. Sears said. “The fund is just a small way to make her love last forever.” For information about honoring a loved one through charitable giving, contact David Fleming, dfleming@delcf.org or 302.504.5224.
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Non-Profit Org.
P.O. Box 1636 Wilmington, DE 19899
US Postage P A I D Permit No. 912 Wilmington, DE
Please think of us during your holiday giving! As the season of giving approaches, please keep the Delaware Community Foundation in mind. With your generous gifts to the DCF Friends Fund, we will be able to continue to: • Make grants to nonprofits that collaborate to serve Delawareans in need. • Provide scholarships to help individuals who want to better themselves through education. • Empower charitable organizations by helping them stabilize their financial futures, and • Inspire and engage philanthropists of all ages and walks of life through our Youth Philanthropy Boards and our Giving Circles – the Fund for Women, The Next Generation, and the African American Empowerment Fund.
Also, when giving to the DCF or any organization, remember to take advantage of matching gift programs that your employer may provide. You may be able to increase your impact significantly! With wishes for a happy holiday season, The DCF Team