Most private foundations in Delaware have already told the IRS they won't read your proposal. This page explains how to spot them, and lists 10 secular funders of environmental and conservation work in Delaware that do take applications, with what they fund, what they have given, and when they next open.
Of the 104 open Delaware foundations, 53 made an environmental grant in their latest filing, and 39 of those also gave to a church, a YMCA or YWCA, a faith-based school or another religious group. The rest mostly give outside Delaware. So no Delaware private foundation is on this list; most of the open money for Delaware groups comes from state programs and regional watershed funds.
That is a higher share of closed doors than in New Jersey (81%, 1,111 of 1,380), Maryland (76%, 559 of 739) and Pennsylvania (72%, 1,675 of 2,336), counted the same way. The Delaware number is inflated, though: many foundations with a Delaware address are out-of-state families using Delaware incorporation or a Wilmington trust company. Of the 102 open Delaware foundations that itemize their grants, 79 made most of them outside the state.
How I counted: every private non-operating foundation with a Delaware address on the IRS Exempt Organizations Master File (September 2026 release) reporting assets of $1 million or more, checked against its most recent e-filed Form 990-PF (mostly tax years 2024 and 2025). Operating foundations, which mostly run their own programs, are left out, as they were for Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Counting them too gives 93% (1,483 of 1,590).
Every private foundation files Form 990-PF with the IRS each year. Part XIV, line 2 of that return has a checkbox. A foundation that ticks it is telling the IRS, in writing, that it chooses its grantees itself. A proposal sent to it is usually wasted work.
A foundation that leaves the box empty has to fill in lines 2a to 2d instead: who receives applications, what form they should take, any deadlines, and any limits on who or what it funds. For many small family foundations, those four lines are the only published guidelines they have.
The box does not tell you whether a foundation funds your kind of work. For that, read line 3a, the list of grants it actually paid. Check both before you write a letter of inquiry. Any foundation's return can be read free on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.
Every funder below is secular, says it accepts applications (on its website or its tax return), and has paid grants to environmental or conservation groups in its most recent filing. Government programs are the exception: they file no tax return. Community foundations are listed by the program that fits environmental groups. Grant examples come from each funder's latest IRS filing unless the funder's own site is named.
State matching grants for projects that improve water quality in Delaware's developed landscape, in watersheds with pollution limits: stormwater retrofits, stream and wetland restoration, and new best management practices. Nonprofits, conservation districts, community groups and homeowners' associations can apply.
Grants for tree projects on public land or open space: planting, pruning, inventories, hazard tree removal and urban forest planning. Municipalities, homeowners' associations and 501(c)(3) nonprofits can apply, and first-time applicants get priority.
Grants paid from penalties for environmental violations, for projects that reduce pollution, enhance natural habitat or improve outdoor recreation. Any community or nonprofit organization can apply; projects within two miles of a violation get preference, but projects anywhere in the state are accepted.
Federal Clean Water Act money for projects that reduce polluted runoff. Local nonprofits, watershed groups, conservation districts, schools, local governments and others can sponsor projects.
Federal Chesapeake Bay money for water quality projects in western Delaware's Bay watershed. Local nonprofits, homeowners' associations, conservation districts, schools and local governments can apply; agricultural operations and for-profit firms cannot. Cooperative partnerships get preference.
Restoration, land conservation, planning, capacity building and research for fish, wildlife and people in the Delaware River watershed, with a push for recreational access and community engagement. Nonprofits are eligible.
Grants for on-the-ground projects that protect and restore water quality, species and habitat in the Bay watershed, and smaller grants for planning, design and assessment that lead to future projects.
A grantmaker with several programs open to Delaware groups: Youth Environmental Education (outdoor learning, schoolyard habitat, educator training) in Delaware's Bay watershed, Capacity Building for watershed organizations, and the Mid-Atlantic Community Forestry Fund for tree planting and urban forestry.
Capital grants for buying, designing, building or renovating facilities, for nonprofits in all three counties. The foundation's grants page also lists many donor-funded programs, each with its own window and focus.
No website; everything here comes from its tax filing for the year to June 2025. Mainly animal welfare and land conservation to protect animal habitat, limited to groups located in or working substantially in Philadelphia or its suburbs. Two recent grants went to Delaware addresses.
It is not exhaustive and it is not a ranking. Deadlines and guidelines change, so open each funder's own page before you start. Grants are competitive, and past grant sizes describe what a funder gave, not what it will give you. I list secular funders only.
Send me your name, your organization, your state, your annual budget and your mission in one line. You'll get a written reply within two business days, and a free short list of up to five funders that fit, by email.
You'll get a written reply at your inbox within two business days, with up to five funders that fit.
Nothing by then? Check your spam folder, or write to [email protected].