The Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation concentrates its giving on sustaining local cultural institutions, with major unrestricted operational support to museums and regional arts funds, while occasionally backing national health fundraising efforts. Grants are large and targeted, suggesting a preference for high-impact gifts to a small number of organizations, primarily within Delaware and nearby communities.
Concentrated, small portfolio of large grants focused on operating support; primarily regional arts recipients with occasional support for national health fundraising.
The Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation’s recent giving is anchored by a $250,000 operating grant to Biggs Museum, paired with another large operating grant of $210,000 to Owls Nest Fund. That pattern points to a foundation that backs a small set of organizations with substantial support rather than dispersing many small checks. In the latest grants, the foundation also supported Delaware Historical Society, First Comm Foundation, American Red Cross, and Ronald Mcdonald House Charities, showing a mix of cultural, community, and humanitarian interests. Delaware recipients appear repeatedly, and several awards are unrestricted operating support, which suggests a preference for strengthening core capacity. The foundation also funds event-linked and project-based efforts, including annual fundraising support for Leukemia Lymphoma Soc and service dog training through Cash Canines Assisting Service Heroes. Outside Delaware, the portfolio reaches organizations in New York, Montana, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Iowa, but the Delaware pattern remains dominant. Across the recent record, the foundation appears selective, making relatively large gifts to organizations it supports over multiple years.
Cultural institutions are a central thread in the Donald & Martha Dewees Foundation’s grantmaking. It gave $250,000 to Biggs Museum for operations and $31,000 in 2024 plus $15,500 in 2023 to Delaware Art Museum, both also for operations. The foundation also supported heritage and preservation work with $65,000 to De Historical Society for operations and $15,000 to Kennett Pike Association for operations. Another recurring theme is direct service support. It awarded $20,000 to Humane Animal Partners De for operations and $12,000 in each of 2023 and 2024 to Cash Canines Assisting Service Heroes for service dog training. Health-related fundraising appears as well, including $100,000 to Leukemia Lymphoma Soc for an annual fundraiser and $5,000 for its Lavaman triathalon fundraiser.
Typical grants fall in a mid-sized range: p25 is $5,350, median grant size is $15,000, and p75 is $28,000. The recent record shows repeat support to several recipients across multiple years, including Owls Nest Fund, Delaware Art Museum, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and Cash Canines Assisting Service Heroes. That indicates ongoing relationships rather than one-time gifts. The foundation is not a DAF and does not make program-related investments. It also funds individuals, according to the foundation profile data, and the grant list shows a mix of operating support and event- or project-specific awards.
$1.1M
$22.7M
$1.3M
$1.3M
Most grants fall between $5K and $28K, with a median of $15K.
25th Percentile
$5K
Median
$15K
75th Percentile
$28K
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Notable grantees: Biggs Museum, Owls Nest Fund, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Grantmaking is concentrated in Delaware, which accounts for 66% of grants, with the top giving city cluster in Wilmington and Dover. Recent Delaware recipients include Wilmington-based Owls Nest Fund, Delaware Historical Society, First Comm Foundation, American Red Cross, Ronald Mcdonald House Charities, and Delaware Art Museum, alongside Dover-based Biggs Museum and Cash Canines Assisting Service Heroes. Outside Delaware, grants also went to New York, NY; Three Forks, MT; Kimberton, PA; Asheville, NC; Boone, NC; Boone, IA; and Durham, NC. All recorded grants were to US recipients.
The recent record shows a strong tilt toward arts and cultural institutions, along with heritage groups, community nonprofits, and select health and service organizations. Examples include museum operations, historical society support, service dog training, and fundraising for cancer-related work.
Typical grants are moderate to large: the 25th percentile is $5,350, the median is $15,000, and the 75th percentile is $28,000. Recent awards also include several six-figure and five-figure gifts, showing a wide range around that core size.
Yes. The grant list shows repeat support for several recipients across multiple years, including Owls Nest Fund, Delaware Art Museum, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and Cash Canines Assisting Service Heroes. That suggests ongoing relationships rather than isolated awards.
Most grants go to Delaware recipients. The data shows 66% of grants in the foundation’s HQ state, and the recipient list is heavily centered in Wilmington and Dover, with other US locations appearing less often.
The foundation gives operating support frequently, and it also makes project- or event-linked grants. Recent examples include operations for museums and local nonprofits, an annual fundraiser gift, a fundraiser tied to the Lavaman triathalon, and designated support for service dog training and historical repair.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HUMANE ANIMAL PARTNERS DE | WILMINGTON, DE | $250,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BIGGS MUSEUM | DOVER, DE | $250,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| THE CHALLENGE PROGRAM | WILMINGTON, DE | $75,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WILMINGTON, DE | $65,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOC | NEW YORK, NY | $50,000 | 2026 | ANNUAL FUNDRAISER |
| YMCA OF DE | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FIRST COMM FOUNDATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| TALON REACH FOUNDATION | THREE FORKS, MT | $50,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DELAWARE ART MUSEUM | WILMINGTON, DE | $40,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| MANS LEGACY FOUNDATION | GREENVILLE, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| CAMPHILL VILLAGE | KIMBERTON, PA | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| PLASTIC FREE DELAWARE-SUMMER SPONSOR | WILMINGTON, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SERAFIN PRESENTS INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| SALESIANUM SCHOOL | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FRIENDS OF CANBY GROVE PARK | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| THE KENNETT PIKE ASSOCIATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DELAWARE NATURE SOCIETY | HOCKESSIN, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| FRIENDS OF JOHN DICKINSON MANSION | DOVER, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DE AUDOBON | NEWARK, DE | $13,396 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| HAGLEY MUSEUM & LIBRARY-CROWNINSHIELD GARDEN | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| DE WILD LANDS | TOWNSEND, DE | $5,089 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| COALITION SALUTE AMERICAN HEROS | WILLIAMSBURG, VA | $5,000 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| STOP SOLDIER SUICIDE | RALEIGH, NC | $2,500 | 2026 | OPERATIONS |
| BIGGS MUSEUM | DOVER, DE | $250,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| OWLS NEST FUND | WILMINGTON, DE | $210,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOC | NEW YORK, NY | $100,000 | 2025 | ANNUAL FUNDRAISER |
| DE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WILMINGTON, DE | $65,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| FIRST COMM FOUNDATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| TALON REACH FOUNDATION | THREE FORKS, MT | $50,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| AMERICAN RED CROSS | WILMINGTON, DE | $40,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES | WILMINGTON, DE | $35,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CAMPHILL VILLAGE | KIMBERTON, PA | $25,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| COM FDN OF WESTERN NC | ASHEVILLE, NC | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| SALESIANUM SCHOOL | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| HUMANE ANIMAL PARTNERS DE | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| KENNETT PIKE ASSOCIATION | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CASH CANINES ASSISTING SERVICE HEROS | DOVER, DE | $12,000 | 2025 | SERVICE DOG TRAINING |
| DELAWARE ART MUSEUM | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| DE HORTICULTURE | WILMINGTON, DE | $5,200 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| CHILDRENS BEACH HOUSE | WILMINGTON, DE | $1,100 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| COLEL CHABAD | BROOKLYN, NY | $1,000 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| TUNNEL TO TOWERS | STATEN ISLAND, NY | $264 | 2025 | OPERATIONS |
| DELAWARE ART MUSEUM | WILMINGTON, DE | $31,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOCIETY | NEW YORK, NY | $25,000 | 2024 | ANNUAL FUNDRAISER |
| DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| CASH CANINES ASSISTING SERVICE HEROES | DOVER, DE | $12,000 | 2024 | SERVICE DOG TRAINING (DEWEY) |
| SAMARITANS PURSE | BOONE, NC | $10,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| CHILDRENS BEACH HOUSE | WILMINGTON, DE | $2,000 | 2024 | OPERATIONS |
| OWLS NEST FUND | GREENVILLE, DE | $20,000 | 2023 | HISTORICAL REPAIR/MAINTENANCE |
HUMANE ANIMAL PARTNERS DE
$250,000OPERATIONS
BIGGS MUSEUM
$250,000OPERATIONS
DE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$65,000OPERATIONS
LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOC
$50,000ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
OPERATIONS
FIRST COMM FOUNDATION
$50,000OPERATIONS
TALON REACH FOUNDATION
$50,000OPERATIONS
MANS LEGACY FOUNDATION
$25,000OPERATIONS
CAMPHILL VILLAGE
$25,000OPERATIONS
PLASTIC FREE DELAWARE-SUMMER SPONSOR
$25,000OPERATIONS
SERAFIN PRESENTS INC
$20,000OPERATIONS
SALESIANUM SCHOOL
$20,000OPERATIONS
FRIENDS OF CANBY GROVE PARK
$15,000OPERATIONS
THE KENNETT PIKE ASSOCIATION
$15,000OPERATIONS
FRIENDS OF JOHN DICKINSON MANSION
$15,000OPERATIONS
DE AUDOBON
$13,396OPERATIONS
HAGLEY MUSEUM & LIBRARY-CROWNINSHIELD GARDEN
$10,000OPERATIONS
DE WILD LANDS
$5,089OPERATIONS
COALITION SALUTE AMERICAN HEROS
$5,000OPERATIONS
BIGGS MUSEUM
$250,000OPERATIONS
OWLS NEST FUND
$210,000OPERATIONS
LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOC
$100,000ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
DE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$65,000OPERATIONS
FIRST COMM FOUNDATION
$50,000OPERATIONS
TALON REACH FOUNDATION
$50,000OPERATIONS
AMERICAN RED CROSS
$40,000OPERATIONS
CAMPHILL VILLAGE
$25,000OPERATIONS
COM FDN OF WESTERN NC
$20,000OPERATIONS
SALESIANUM SCHOOL
$20,000OPERATIONS
HUMANE ANIMAL PARTNERS DE
$20,000OPERATIONS
KENNETT PIKE ASSOCIATION
$15,000OPERATIONS
CASH CANINES ASSISTING SERVICE HEROS
$12,000SERVICE DOG TRAINING
DE HORTICULTURE
$5,200OPERATIONS
CHILDRENS BEACH HOUSE
$1,100OPERATIONS
COLEL CHABAD
$1,000OPERATIONS
TUNNEL TO TOWERS
$264OPERATIONS
DELAWARE HISTORICAL SOCIETY
$20,000OPERATIONS
CASH CANINES ASSISTING SERVICE HEROES
$12,000SERVICE DOG TRAINING (DEWEY)
CHILDRENS BEACH HOUSE
$2,000OPERATIONS
OWLS NEST FUND
$20,000HISTORICAL REPAIR/MAINTENANCE