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Delaware Grantmakers was created to strengthen philanthropy in Delaware by providing information, education, networking and collaboration opportunities.
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Defining and Tracking Community Needs June 4, 2013 Thirty DGA members and prospective members gathered to talk with Rita Landgraf, Delaware Secretary of Health and Social Services and Michelle Taylor, CEO of United Way Delaware discuss how each defined and measured critical human needs in the state. Following the presentations and Q&A, members stayed for a members-only discussion of what they had heard and implications for future programs.
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Speakers Michelle Taylor and Rita Landgraf
DGA member Renee Roberts of TD Bank talking with Shawn Stevens of United Way (background) as Matt Haley (SoDelConcepts), Regina Alonzo (Borgenicht Foundation), and Randy Kunkle (Bank of America) share insights. |
Ranney Ward of the fund for Women talking with Denise Schwartz of the Swank Foundation.
Roundtable on Nonprofit Governance On April 30 Daryl Graham of JPMorgan Chase led a members roundtable on the subject of nonprofit governance. Chris Grundner of the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement was an invited guest. There was extensive discussion of the role of funders in encouraging best practices for agencies they support. Chris Grundner talked about DANA's efforts to encourage members to participate in Standards for Excellence training. DGA members can learn more about SFX by clicking the links below: Standards for Excellence Three Tier Approach to Certification
Dialogue with Secretary of Education Mark Murphy On Wednesday, April 17 twenty-five DGA members and guests met with Delaware Secretary of Education Mark Murphy to discuss public education. Secretary Murphy began by describing the "foundational" pillars that lead to improved classroom instruction and ultimately to a vision where every student in the Delaware educational system will graduate, "college and career ready, with the freedom to choose his or her life's course." He then invited DGA members to think with him about how they could incentivize schools and teachers to be creative in creating personalized paths to learning for students, helping them to gain the knowledge and skills they will need to be successful in the work world of the future. The participants responded with interest and agreed to convene a roundtable discussion to follow up on the dialogue in the near future. Watch for an announcement of this event. The event was hosted by Dupont.
Grantmakers Report on Delaware Independent Sector DELAWARE’S PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR VIBRANT BUT BOTH INDIVIDUAL AND INSTITUTIONAL GIVING HAVE DECLINED
WILMINGTON, Delaware – Even after being battered by the Great Recession, Delaware’s philanthropic sector remains a vibrant and vital part of the state’s economy, driving the expenditure of billions of dollars and providing 14% of the jobs in the state.
But the health of the sector is at risk. Both institutional and individual giving have declined since the Recession began and more nonprofits than ever find themselves operating in the red. Care must be taken to nurture the sector if Delaware is to continue to enjoy its benefits for years to come.
These are among the findings of a recent study of Delaware’s philanthropic sector sponsored by members of the Delaware Grantmakers Association, a coalition of foundations and corporate funding programs that work to support Delaware.
The study, Delaware's Philanthropic Sector: A Post-Recession Assessment, is a companion report to Philanthropy in the First State, released in 2009. Both studies examine the nonprofit organizations active in Delaware and the individual giving and organized philanthropy that support them.
In 2010, the most recent year for which comprehensive data are available, the philanthropic sector posted some robust statistics:
Delaware’s primary grantmakers invested $75 million in Delaware nonprofits;
Individuals in Delaware gave more than $467 million in charitable gifts;
Nonprofits in Delaware generated $5.3 billion in revenues and provided more than 60,000 jobs – equivalent to 14% of all civilian, non-farm jobs in the state.
Yet both grantmaker and individual giving are down from their pre-Recession levels, with individual giving off by 12%. In the face of this decline, coupled with cuts in government support and increasing demand for services, 48% of Delaware nonprofits found themselves operating in the red -- spending more than they received -- in 2010.
In order to return the philanthropic sector to its pre-Recession health, Delaware needs to stimulate giving by individuals and grantmakers, and work strategically to ensure that Delaware’s nonprofits have the capacity necessary to meet both the community’s needs and expectations. All sectors -- philanthropy, the business sector and the public sector, must join in this effort.
Copies of the report are available by following the link at left.
The Delaware Grantmakers Association works to strengthen philanthropy in Delaware through public education and advocacy and to grow the number of institutional donors supporting Delaware nonprofits.
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