The Gilliam Foundation concentrates giving in and around Wilmington, DE, funding local nonprofits that advance educational and workforce pathways for young people, community health, and faith‑based community services. Grants are largely program‑focused and tend to support direct service organizations (youth development, early childhood, job training) as well as local health training and fellowship programs. The foundation shows an interest in both secular and religious/community providers and occasionally funds arts and diversity initiatives that serve the same local populations.
The Gilliam Foundation’s most visible pattern is a steady stream of short-term competitive grants for Delaware organizations that work on education, cultural arts, and family well-being. Recent awards show that the foundation backs both direct service and training-oriented work: Delaware Futures received $50,000 for a program grant in 2024 and again in 2025, while Year Up received $50,000 in 2024. The foundation also funds projects that sit at the intersection of learning and cultural expression, such as the $60,000 award to Delaware State Univ Foundation for the Words Are Creative Force Project. Its grantmaking extends into youth development, early childhood services, and community-based support for local families. The recipient list includes organizations serving Wilmington, Newark, Dover, and nearby Delaware communities, with several grants tied to named programs rather than unrestricted support. Faith-based groups and health-related training also appear in the portfolio, including support for a heart failure fellowship program at Christiana Care Health System. Across these awards, the foundation favors practical, program-level work that is designed to serve Delaware residents through one-year projects.
Education is a consistent theme. The foundation gave $50,000 to Delaware Futures in 2024 and another $50,000 in 2025 for program work, and it awarded $50,000 to Year Up in 2024 for a program grant. It also supported Reading Assist with a $15,000 program grant in 2025, pointing to an interest in literacy and academic support. Family and early childhood services are another clear area. Latin American Community Center received $25,000 in 2024 for its Infant and Toddler Center and $15,000 in 2025 for a program grant, while Children and Families First received $20,000 in 2023 for Dual Generation Care. The foundation also funded One Village Alliance Inc with $25,000 for Girls Can Do Anything, showing support for youth programming with a gender-focused component. Arts and cultural work appear as well. Delaware State Univ Foundation received $60,000 for the Words Are Creative Force Project, and The Grand received $50,000 for a Diversity Fund award.
Typical awards sit in a fairly tight band: the 25th percentile is $18,750, the median is $35,000, and the 75th percentile is $50,000. The recent grants list shows repeated support to the same organizations, including Delaware Futures in both 2024 and 2025 and Latin American Community Center across two years, which suggests some recipients return in consecutive cycles. The foundation makes competitive grants and accepts unsolicited applications through its general grantmaking programs. It funds short-term projects, generally one-year in length, rather than multi-year commitments.
$190K
$4.1M
$307K
$293K
Most grants fall between $19K and $50K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$50K
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Mid‑size, programmatic grants concentrated regionally in Delaware; mix of one‑off and repeat support (notably repeat grants to Delaware Futures), funding primarily direct service and capacity for local nonprofits rather than large institutional endowments.
Notable grantees: Delaware Futures, Delaware State University Foundation, Christiana Care Health System, Year Up, Zoe Ministries Inc
Grantmaking is highly concentrated in Delaware: 100% of grants in the recent list went to U.S. recipients in the state. Wilmington appears most often, with multiple awards to organizations there, including Latin American Community Center, Zoe Ministries Inc, and The Grand. Other Delaware cities in the recent grants include Dover, where Delaware State Univ Foundation is located, and Newark, home to Christiana Care Health System. New Castle also appears through Year Up.
The foundation emphasizes education, cultural arts, and family well-being. Recent grants also point to support for youth development, early childhood services, literacy, faith-based community services, and a health fellowship program.
Yes. Its active grant programs state that it accepts unsolicited applications and use competitive grantmaking for nonprofit organizations.
The grant-size distribution centers around $35,000, with a 25th percentile of $18,750 and a 75th percentile of $50,000.
The foundation’s programs are generally short-term, typically one-year grants. Some organizations appear in multiple years, including Delaware Futures and Latin American Community Center, which indicates repeat support for certain recipients.
Wilmington appears most often, followed by other Delaware locations such as Dover, Newark, and New Castle.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Gilliam Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations must have tax-exempt status under IRS Section 501(c)(3). Proposals should primarily benefit Delawareans. Organizations that received a Gilliam Foundation grant within the past two years are not eligible to reapply during the 2026 grant season. Grants are generally for short-term funding of one year.
Deadline: November 15, 2026
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRAVEN INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $30,000 | 2026 | EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTURNITY |
| UNITED WAY OF DELAWARE | WILMINGTON, DE | $25,000 | 2026 | GET DELAWARE READING |
| FIRST STATE EDUCATE | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | AMBASSADOR PROGRAM |
| CAB CALLOWAY FUND | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | CROSS CULTURAL CURRICULM |
| EDGE FOR TOMORROW | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2026 | AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM |
| READING ASSIST | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | HIGH IMPACT TUTORING |
| DELAWARE ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2026 | ELEVATE VOCAL ARTS SUMMER INSTITUTE |
| FAMILY COUNSELING CENTER | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | AMANECER COUNSELING & RESOURCE CENTER |
| NETWORK DELAWARE | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | SOCIAL GOOD DEVELOPMENT |
| NORTHBAY EDUCATION INC | NORTH EAST, MD | $10,000 | 2026 | OUTDOOR LEARNING |
| WEST END NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2026 | PROJECT SAFE |
| ROB'S BARBER SHOP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION | ODENTON, MD | $5,000 | 2026 | GROOMING SERVICES |
| DELAWARE FUTURES | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| CHRISTIANA CARE HEALTH SYSTEM | NEWARK, DE | $50,000 | 2025 | HEART FAILURE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM |
| ZOE MINISTRIES INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $45,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| LATIN AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2025 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| DELAWARE FUTURES | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| YEAR UP | NEW CASTLE, DE | $50,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| LATIN AMERICAN COMMUNITY CENTER | WILMINGTON, DE | $25,000 | 2024 | INFANT AND TODDLER CENTER |
| ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE INC | WILMINGTON, DE | $25,000 | 2024 | GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING |
| READING ASSIST | WILMINGTON, DE | $15,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| I AM MY SISTER'S KEEPER | WILMINGTON, DE | $10,000 | 2024 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| CAB CALLOWAY SCHOOL FUND | WILMINGTON, DE | $4,860 | 2024 | SMART PROGRAM |
| DELAWARE STATE UNIV FOUNDATION | DOVER, DE | $60,000 | 2023 | WORDS ARE CREATIVE FORCE PROJECT |
| THE GRAND | WILMINGTON, DE | $50,000 | 2023 | DIVERSITY FUND |
| HARPER'S HEART | WILMINGTON, DE | $40,000 | 2023 | GRANT FOR PROGRAMS |
| YMCA-WALNUT STREET BRANCH | WILMINGTON, DE | $30,000 | 2023 | PROGRAM GRANT |
| CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FIRST | WILMINGTON, DE | $20,000 | 2023 | DUAL GENERATION CARE |
BRAVEN INC
$30,000EXPANDING ECONOMIC OPPORTURNITY
FIRST STATE EDUCATE
$20,000AMBASSADOR PROGRAM
CAB CALLOWAY FUND
$20,000CROSS CULTURAL CURRICULM
EDGE FOR TOMORROW
$20,000AFTER SCHOOL ENRICHMENT PROGRAM
READING ASSIST
$15,000HIGH IMPACT TUTORING
DELAWARE ACADEMY OF VOCAL ARTS
$15,000ELEVATE VOCAL ARTS SUMMER INSTITUTE
FAMILY COUNSELING CENTER
$10,000AMANECER COUNSELING & RESOURCE CENTER
NETWORK DELAWARE
$10,000SOCIAL GOOD DEVELOPMENT
NORTHBAY EDUCATION INC
$10,000OUTDOOR LEARNING
ROB'S BARBER SHOP COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
$5,000GROOMING SERVICES
DELAWARE FUTURES
$50,000PROGRAM GRANT
ZOE MINISTRIES INC
$45,000PROGRAM GRANT
DELAWARE FUTURES
$50,000PROGRAM GRANT
YEAR UP
$50,000PROGRAM GRANT
ONE VILLAGE ALLIANCE INC
$25,000GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING
READING ASSIST
$15,000PROGRAM GRANT
I AM MY SISTER'S KEEPER
$10,000PROGRAM GRANT
CAB CALLOWAY SCHOOL FUND
$4,860SMART PROGRAM
THE GRAND
$50,000DIVERSITY FUND
HARPER'S HEART
$40,000GRANT FOR PROGRAMS
CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FIRST
$20,000DUAL GENERATION CARE
