Stuart Comstock-Gay is the president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation.
National Philanthropy Day, on Nov. 15, is a time to celebrate and recommit to the critical role charitable giving plays in strengthening our communities. As president and CEO of the Delaware Community Foundation, I have the privilege of working with nonprofits throughout the state, as well as the generous individuals and corporate citizens whose contributions support them.
I see the profound impact that philanthropy has in Delaware but recognize that, with shake-ups at the federal level, charitable giving may soon need to play a larger role.
In the past, American communities relied on a foundation of robust business support, effective government and a committed social sector (nonprofits and other community groups). This “golden triangle” works best as a collaborative relationship between the three sectors and has successfully addressed balanced economic and social development.
Recently, the federal government has been backing away from the support it traditionally offered communities. The nonprofits we collaborate with at the DCF are working mightily to build business and funding models that allow them to continue serving our communities, but they need committed partners.
Many individual donors are aiming to increase financial support where they can. Philanthropic foundations around the country have significantly increased their annual payouts to cover some of the gap left behind by the federal government. Those who cannot are working collaboratively to focus targeted giving where it can make the biggest impact.
On a national level, however, we need corporations to step up alongside the civic sector. This includes not just financial generosity but also volunteering on boards and other organizing activities, like workplace giving circles. The good news is that corporations are already giving more money in total than they used to (even adjusted for inflation) — but these are unprecedented times.
In Delaware, we have been luckier than most to count on the philanthropic support of our corporations. Capital One granted more than $67 million in philanthropic funding to support economic growth in underserved communities from coast to coast, including communities in Delaware. CSC donated $500,000 over five years to REACH Riverside and has employees serving as mentors in Wilmington schools. JPMorgan Chase led a coalition of local and national partners to pilot the Equitable Hiring Initiative, which seeks to equip Delaware employers with tools to access a more effective and equitable pipeline of qualified “overlooked talent.”
And it’s not just northern corporations. Businesses in southern Delaware drive philanthropic impact, too. Dogfish Head’s Beer & Benevolence program dates back to the 1990s. Schell Brothers committed $200,000 to preserve land in Sussex County, as part of its responsibility to parks and shared spaces.
Delaware corporations and businesses support education, community development, the arts and environmental protection. There’s very little that goes on in our state nonprofit community that doesn’t lean heavily on great partnerships with corporations.
Unfortunately, the needs are not shrinking along with the federal dollars. Many nonprofits tell us that, in fact, the demand for their services is only growing. We hope and expect that the government will return to more of its traditional role, but in the meantime, the rest of us on either side of the “golden triangle” need to get to work.
To our longtime partners in businesses and corporations: Thank you for your already incredible and sustaining assistance. To our potential partners: This is your opportunity to support the causes you care about most. We humbly request all your hands during this time of transition. Whether the total dollars are big or modest, our communities need the support.
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
