On Oct. 19, the Delaware Community Foundation launched the publicly accessible website DelawareFocus.org, the keystone of the DCF’s new community engagement initiative.

DCF Indicator ProjectDelawareFocus, which is Delaware’s first comprehensive statewide indicator project, is an initiative to help the community develop a data-driven, statewide civic agenda and align actions and resources.

News f rom the Delaware Communi ty Foundat ionW i n t e r 2 0 1 5

Bringing Delaware Into FocusThe DCF has taken on the new initiative as part of its expanded mission “to build a shared vision for Delaware, grounded in knowledge, inspired by the common good and advanced through philanthropy.”

“The DCF is a strong organization with a proud history of helping individuals and organizations build permanent charitable resources for Delaware,” DCF President & CEO Fred Sears said. “But our board recognized that our state has great needs, and we have the capacity and the will to do more.”

Many other community foundations, including those in Boston and Arizona, lead indicator projects to facilitate dialog and action to improve residents’ quality of life.

Gov. Jack Markell joined the DCF to launch DelawareFocus.orgat the Baby Grand in Wilmington.

“By undertaking this project, driven by data and research, the Delaware Community Foundation will help provide an objective view of our challenges and contribute to implementing solutions,” Governor Markell said.

Alan Levin, former director of the Delaware Economic Development Office, spoke at the afternoon launch at Delaware Technical & Community College’s Owens Campus in Georgetown.

“Excellent quality of life is essential for a thriving business community and a robust economy,” he said. “And we can be much more effective in improving quality of life by using metrics to understand our strengths and weaknesses and monitor the impact of our collective efforts to improve.”

The new DelawareFocus.org website.

Continued on page 4

Engaging Communities, Empowering Giving

Dear Friends,This fall, we reached an important milestone when we introduced DelawareFocus.org, the Delaware Community Foundation’s new community indicator website.

The launch of DelawareFocus.org is a major step in the expansion of the DCF’s civic leadership role, which complements our continuing work helping people create and manage charitable funds and award philanthropic grants.

The next phase in our endeavor will begin in the first half of 2016, when we will initiate our proactive work to engage the community in dialog guided by the data at DelawareFocus.org. We are eager to hear from the community how the numbers and statistics manifest themselves into “real life,” and what issues you are passionate about.

As we listen to each other, we anticipate that a shared vision for Delaware’s future will emerge and give us the genesis of a civic agenda to guide our realization of that vision.

If you would like to be kept apprised of our work and opportunities to share your own insights about Delaware, please join our email list at delawarefocus.org/contact.

Sincerely,

Delaware Community Foundation

Officers & Executive CommitteeMarilyn Rushworth Hayward, ChairThomas L. Sager, Esq., Vice ChairKelly Firment, Member-at-LargeDavid Singleton, TreasurerLynn Adams Kokjohn, SCAC ChairmanHon. Stephen P. Lamb, SecretaryJohn Paradee, Esq., KCAC ChairmanThomas J. Shopa, Immediate Past ChairmanJohn C. Hawkins, Member-at-Large

Engaging Communities, Empowering Givingis published by the Delaware Community Foundation

Fred C. Sears II, President and CEOAllison Taylor Levine, APR, EditorHughes Design Inc., Designwww.delcf.orgwww.facebook.com/ DelawareCommunityFoundationTwitter: @DelCommunity

Wilmington Office:Community Service Building 100 W. 10th Street, Suite 115Wilmington, DE 19801P: 302.571.8004 | F: 302.571.1553

Central Delaware Office:101 W. Loockerman St., Suite 2CDover, DE 19904P: 302.724.7552 | F: 302.856.4367

Southern Delaware Office:36 The CircleGeorgetown, DE 19947P: 302.856.4393 | F: 302.856.4367

The mission of the Delaware Community Foundation is to build a shared vision for Delaware, grounded in knowledge, inspired by the common good and advanced through philanthropy. As a facilitator, information resource and manager of charitable funds, the DCF helps communities and philanthropists focus charitable resources for the greatest community benefit statewide. For more information, visit delcf.org or call 302.571.8004.

DirectorsDoneene Keemer DamonBill DugdaleMartha S. GilmanTom HansonJennings HastingsNancy KaribjanianRob MacGovernJim MazarakisKathleen McDonough

Janice E. NevinDonald W. Nicholson Jr.John Noble Joan L. SharpAndy StatonGary StockbridgeCindy L. Szabo, Esq.Michelle A. TaylorMichele Whetzel

We’re on our way!

Fred C. Sears II and Marilyn R. Hayward

Fred C. Sears II, President and CEO Marilyn R. Hayward, Chair, Board of Directors

Jim MazarakisWe are happy to welcome Jim Mazarakis to the DCF Board of Directors. Jim, an executive vice president with WSFS Bank, has more than 30 years of experience in banking, investment management and brokerage services.

He served as chief information officer (CIO) for T. Rowe Price, and managing director and divisional CIO at J.P. Morgan Asset Management. He also worked on large-scale international projects and merger and acquisition teams at Capital One Financial and Goldman Sachs.

Mazarakis graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science degree in Management of Technology from Polytechnic Institute of New York University. He is frequently quoted in technology publications and was recognized in 2007 by Information Week as a Top 10 Innovator for his work at T. Rowe Price. In 2015, he was interviewed by Phil Weinzimer for the book published by CRC Press “The Strategic CIO.”

Mazarakis is married with two children living in Newark, Delaware.

Welcome, Deborah Burton!In August, Deb became the DCF’s first data analyst, a new position created to support the expansion of the foundation’s community engagement work. As the data analyst, Deb is helping the DCF create system protocols, reports and analyses to help inform and guide conversations about Delaware’s most pressing community challenges.

Deb, who has more than 15 years of private- and public-sector management experience, specializes in objectively analyzing data to help communities and agencies achieve needed social change through collaboration. She previously worked at the Delaware Division of Public Health and, most recently, the Division of Libraries, where she helped libraries throughout the state use community indicator data to maximize the relevance of their programs.

3

Bringing Delaware Into Focus (continued from cover)

Data WebsiteThe website DelawareFocus.org will be the central source of data for the DCF’s new community engagement initiative. DelawareFocus.org features data and analyses of 71 key indicators in the areas of demographics, economy and working, financial self-sufficiency, quality of life, health, children and youth, and education.

The data and analyses can help decision-makers, funders and all Delawareans identify communities’ relative weaknesses and strengths, set priorities, evaluate program outcomes, track progress over time, compare regional trends and foster dialogue.

As an apolitical, nonprofit organization, the DCF is positioned to lead the development of an objective, data-driven civic agenda free of political influence or other special interests.

“To build a unified vision, we need accurate and broad-based information about our community’s most pressing needs and most promising opportunities,” said DCF Board

Chair Marilyn Hayward. “Through DelawareFocus.org, we are providing the platform and an initial set of indicators to ignite and fuel conversations and action statewide.”

To build and maintain DelawareFocus.org, the DCF is contracting with the Center for Governmental Research (CGR), a Rochester, N.Y.-based nonprofit that specializes in helping communities and organizations use data to

Govenor Jack Markell

“By undertaking this project, driven

by data and research, the Delaware

Community Foundation will help provide

an objective view of our challenges and

contribute to implementing solutions,”

Governor Markell said.

4

evaluate and address needs. CGR has an excellent record of successfully supporting numerous other foundations and organizations in similar endeavors.

Community EngagementIn addition to gathering, analyzing and applying data, the DCF will engage the community at large in developing and pursuing the civic agenda. The DCF is expanding its staff to create a community engagement team and has established the Delaware Community Focus Council.

The council will be composed of leading stakeholders from Kent, New Castle and Sussex County. Using the data from DelawareFocus.org and knowledge gathered through statewide engagement, the council will identify high priority, systemic challenges and opportunities, and recommend leadership and action to the DCF staff and Board of Directors.

The chair of the Community Focus Council will be Doneene Keemer Damon, a director with the law firm Richards, Layton & Finger. The vice chair will be Cindy Szabo, a partner at the law firm Ellis & Szabo in Rehoboth Beach. The list of council members is being finalized and will be announced in 2016.

Leveraging CollaborationsThe DCF also announced that it will collaborate with the University of Delaware, which was recently designated as a 2015 Community Engaged University by the Carnegie Foundation.

“Through our collective strengths, the University of Delaware and the Delaware Community Foundation can drive collaborative community initiatives and take innovative approaches to help raise the quality of life of our most vulnerable citizens,” UD Provost Domenico Grasso said.

The DCF also is working with the United Way and currently developing relationships with the Rodel Foundation of Delaware, Delaware State University and Wilmington University.

For more information about the DCF’s new initiative, contact our community engagement team at delawarefocus@delcf.org or 302.571.8004.

5

“Excellent quality of life is essential

for a thriving business community and

a robust economy,” Governor Markell

said. “And we can be much more effective

in improving quality of life by using

metrics to understand our strengths and

weaknesses and monitor the impact of our

collective efforts to improve.”

New Funds(April 16-Dec. 10, 2015)

G. Lawrence Adams FundA.I. du Pont High School Marching Band Boosters Club FundA.R.I.A.N.N.A FundBeau Biden Foundation for the Protection of ChildrenJan and Bob Blanchfield FundDelaware Botanic Garden FundMarsha G. Cauthen FundJohn M. Clayton Trust FundDCF Community Engagement FundPete du Pont Freedom Award FundDE Faith in Action FundEP-Delaware Charitable FundMary Frey Foss Memorial KSI Fund Georgetown Presbyterian Church Endowment FundJames H. Gilliam Sr. Fund for Social Justice and EquityCharles and Lisa Rochester GLOW (Go Love Our World) FundHarry K Foundation FundHawkins Family Legacy Fund HOBY Delaware Endowment FundInclusion Means Everyone FundJeffery & Judith Lewis Student Achievement FundLifeSongs FundSarita & Claire Wright Lucas FundLYTE Scholars Fund Markell FundMariner’s Bethel Cemetery Perpetual Care FundMariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church Endowment FundMotivate The First StateMurray Clark FundThe Neighborhood FundFriends of Newark Police K9 FundPaws for People Dianne Galleshaw Memorial Endowment FundPoetry by the Sea FundDelaware Plastic Pollution Action Coalition FundSander Swed FundFred Sears Community Engagement FundShepherd Place Endowment FundSociety of Natural History of Delaware Fund in Honor of Al MatlackSouth Wilmington Planning Network FundSoDel Cares FundStockley Center Sussex Outdoors FundSummer Concert Series FundSussex Foundation Scholarship FundSummer Learning Collaborative FundJoan Marie Vari FundVillage Improvement Association FundVillage Improvement Association Endowment Fund*Friends of Woodburn Endowment FundYouth Sports Institute of Delaware Fund

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Annual Friends Campaign

Friends. We’ve made a lot of them over the years, good ones who have shared the DCF’s vision of strengthening our communities.

Since he joined the DCF 13 years ago, our President & CEO Fred Sears has written personal notes on thousands of letters requesting contributions to the Friends Campaign.

In response, the DCF has benefited from hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the DCF’s work, as well as hundreds of personal notes of encouragement and friendship to Fred and the entire team. Those notes have become a source of joy for all of us at the foundation.

Now, as you know, Fred is retiring on December 31. But the Friends Campaign will help continue Fred’s legacy, providing ongoing strength and support for the DCF’s expanding role as a community facilitator, convener and leader.

We hope you will continue to support the foundation by giving to the Friends Campaign. Your gift will enable us to continue our work, leading Delawareans in addressing some of our state’s most pressing challenges.

To invest in the DCF, please make a gift to the Friends Campaign online securely at delcf.org/friends or by check mailed to Delaware Community Foundation, PO Box 1636, Wilmington, DE 19899.

Tom Sager, Chair, 2016 Friends Campaign

7

“I know boards are looking for good people, and I think if we can formalize that training, it can increase our ability to make a difference in the community,” Kristen said.

Rachael plans to continue the organization’s focus on mental health services for children and teenagers.

“One of the most fascinating things is that we are tasked with determining what the need is in our local environment,” Rachael said. “There is a drastic need for mental health services in this area, particularly for teenagers, whether it’s mental disabilities, alcohol abuse, substance abuse, dealing with abuse in their environment.”

Since inception, Next Gen North has awarded more than $305,000 in charitable grants. The current grantmaking focus is science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education programs for young people in New Castle County.

This month, Next Gen South awarded $15,000 to Kent and Sussex County nonprofits, bringing its three-year total to $42,500 in grants.

The new year means new leadership for The Next Generation North and South.

Kristen Kuipers has been elected as the 2016-17 president of Next Gen North, and Rachael Mears will serve as president of Next Gen South.

Founded in 2004, Next Gen is a group of 20- and 30-something

professionals engaged in charitable work, including hands-on fundraising and grantmaking. Originally a statewide organization, Next Gen expanded to two chapters in 2012.

Kristen, who is the first woman to lead Next Gen North, has been a member of the group for four years. During her tenure, she plans to establish a formal training program that will better prepare Next Gen members to serve on community boards.

The New Leaders of The Next Generation

“There is a drastic need for mental health

services in this area, particularly for

teenagers, whether it’s mental disabilities,

alcohol abuse, substance abuse, dealing

with abuse in their environment.”

Rachael said.

Kristen Kuipers Rachael Mears

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Fund for Women Fall 2015

Delaware’s First Lady Carla Markell, shown with Sen. Greg Lavelle, is the recipient of the 2015 First Founders Award from the Fund for Women.

Markell received the award at a breakfast kicking off the Fund for Women Day September 30 at the annual First Founders Breakfast at the Wilmington Country Club.

“Carla’s commitment to volunteerism and philanthropy make her a natural choice to be the 9th recipient of our First Founders Award. She has been a champion for volunteerism statewide, and she has never hesitated to help the Fund for Women,” said Michele Whetzel, chair of the Fund for Women.

June Peterson, widow of Delaware Governor Russell Peterson, introduced the First Lady at the ceremony. Mrs. Peterson was returning the favor - Carla Markell introduced Mrs. Peterson when she received the First Founders Award in 2010.

The award has been presented annually since 2007. The criteria for being selected are that the recipient has a record of exceptional generosity, demonstrates civic or charitable responsibility, and has led by example to encourage others to serve our Delaware community.

As First Lady, Mrs. Markell has focused on at-risk children and encouraging volunteerism in the state. A mentor to several youth over the last decade, she personally has seen how the commitment of a caring adult can make a real difference in their lives.

She has served on the board of directors for the Delaware Theatre Company, and she and Governor Markell co-chaired the Weekend of Volunteer Service, held in lieu of an inaugural ball in January 2009. In April 2010, Mrs. Markell organized a Week of Service for a better Delaware involving the Governor’s Commission on Community and Volunteer Service, the State Office of Volunteerism, and members of the community.

First Lady Carla Markell

9

Kent County Youth Philanthropy Board

Each year, students representing almost every high school in the state learn about charitable giving through the DCF’s Youth Philanthropy Boards (YPB).

This year, 20 students are participating in the Kent County YPB, 26 in New Castle County and 18 in Sussex.

The students form three boards, and each board is given a sum of money to award to local charitable organizations. The students study community issues, develop a focus area, solicit grant applications, conduct site visits and award grants to nonprofits in their communities.

Many students who serve on the YPB as high school juniors return for a second year. In addition to their practical experience, these returning students offer newcomers insight into what they will learn during the year.

Liam O’Connor, a senior at Caesar Rodney High School and returning Kent County YPB member, said he was particularly moved last year to learn how much charitable work is happening in his community.

“I was amazed at how many groups are out there doing great things that I never knew about,” he said.

Working effectively in groups and building consensus also are important takeaways from the YPB, said Grace Brokaw, a senior at Cape Henlopen High School and second-year member of the Sussex County YPB.

Youth Philanthropy Board“I learned how to do stuff in a group and come to a conclusion that includes everyone’s opinion,” she said. “I learned how to express myself in a group and not be intimidated as much.”

Patrick Lyons, a senior at Salesianum School and New Castle County board member, said the toughest part is deciding which organizations need the grant money the most, and the site visits make it even harder.

“You see that the decisions you make affect many people’s lives,” he said. “That’s a heavy burden to have, especially for 17-year-old kids.”

Students are invited to

APPLY FORSCHOLARSHIPS!

More than

$400,000 in Scholarshipsis available through the Delaware Community Foundation. Apply at

delcf.org/scholarships.

Deadline: March 15, 2016

Renowned advocate for social justice and equity Jim Gilliam Sr.—known to many as “Mr. G”—often recalled discussing segregation with a fellow soldier at a bar in Germany during World War II.

“Isn’t it ironic,” he remembered saying to his colleague, who was white, “that we can sit here together miles away from home, but we wouldn’t be allowed to in our own country?”

Driven by experiences like that one, Mr. G dedicated his life to increasing social justice and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race or economic status. He was a decorated soldier and a distinguished public servant.

During his life, Mr. G gave generously from a family foundation and two funds at the DCF. Upon his death in September 2015 at the age of 95, his daughter Dr. Patrice Gilliam-Johnson and his best friend Dr. Tony Allen, established a new fund to honor his legacy: the James H. Gilliam Sr. Fund for Social Justice & Equity.

Mr. G knew that our country made great strides in social justice and race relations during his lifetime, but he was passionate, vocal and persistent about addressing the disparities that remain. Through the Gilliam Fund for Social Justice & Equity, his legacy will continue to play an important role on the long road to equality.

A legacy gift, also called a planned gift, is a gift made through a will or trust. Depending on your unique situation, a legacy gift may enable you to:

favorite charitable cause.

rest of your life.

The Delaware Community Foundation has the expertise to work with you and your financial advisor or attorney to help you achieve your charitable goals and establish your personal legacy.

For more information, visit delcf.planyourlegacy.org or contact David W. Fleming at dfleming@delcf.org or 302.504.5224.

This information is not offered as legal or tax advice. Please consult your financial advisor or attorney for advice on how planned giving will impact you.

James H. Gilliam Sr. Fund for Social Justice & Equity

What Will Your Legacy Be?

10

711

Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children

Beau Biden was a two-term Delaware Attorney General and a soldier who earned a Bronze Star during his 2008-2009 service in Iraq. He was a beloved public figure in Delaware and around the world, a man who committed himself to serving others.

As attorney general, Beau fought for the powerless and committed himself to protecting children from abuse.

In his first year in office, he created the Child Predator Task Force to combat child abuse, which convicted nearly 200 sex abusers and rescued 120 children as of 2014. Beau also partnered with the YMCA and Prevent Child Abuse Delaware to launch the Stewards to Children program, training thousands of Delaware adults to recognize signs of child abuse.

“As adults, we have a legal and moral obligation to stand up and speak out for children who are being abused,” he wrote in a 2014 opinion piece in the News Journal. “They cannot speak for themselves.”

While Beau accomplished more good in his 46 years than many of us do in a full lifetime, the Biden family wanted to make sure his work continues.

After Beau’s death in May 2015, the Biden family established the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children at the DCF.

The global response was immediate, with more than $250,000 in gifts pouring in during the first week. Now at more than $500,000, the fund will award charitable grants to help nonprofits continue Beau’s work to protect children from abuse and violence.

“We have seen the progress that can be made when society commits to shining a bright light on a crime like domestic violence, and we are seeing the beginning of what can be accomplished if we continue shining that bright light on child abuse,” Beau wrote.

Through the Beau Biden Foundation for the Protection of Children, that bright light will shine forever.

“As adults, we have a legal and moral

obligation to stand up and speak out for

children who are being abused,” he wrote

in a 2014 opinion piece. “They cannot

speak for themselves.”

Non-Profit Org.

US Postage

P A I D

Permit No. 912

Wilmington, DE

P.O. Box 1636Wilmington, DE 19899

After 13 years of service to the DCF, our President & CEO Fred Sears is retiring.

Fred’s last day will be Dec. 31, and we look forward to seeing what challenges he takes on next.

We bet it will be something good for Delaware.

The DCF has established a special fund to honor Fred’s 13 years of leadership. For more information or to support the Fred Sears Community Engagement Fund, visit delcf.org/Sears.

Farewell, Fred!