New Castle County grants. Found and managed.
The city, county and foundation funders behind Wilmington and New Castle County nonprofits, and how each one takes applications.
Grants for New Castle County nonprofits.
New Castle County is Delaware’s northernmost and most populous county. It runs from the Pennsylvania line through Wilmington, the county seat and the state’s largest city, and Newark, home of the University of Delaware, then south across the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal toward Middletown. Wilmington nonprofits share most funders with suburban and southern county groups, but the city also has funding doors of its own.
Public funding is layered. The City of Wilmington administers its own HUD housing and community development money, and City Council keeps a separate community support fund, while New Castle County’s Department of Community Services runs CDBG, HOME and ESG for areas outside Wilmington and Newark. Private funding sits close by: the Longwood, Welfare, Crestlea and Laffey-McHugh foundations, the Delaware Community Foundation and United Way of Delaware all fund work across the county.
Several of these foundations require a staff meeting or an eligibility form before their portals open, so the work starts before the proposal does. Pursuit tracks those early steps alongside drafts and deadlines, and Granted handles reporting once funds arrive.
Where New Castle County nonprofits find funding.
Foundations, local government and United Way programs that make grants here. Check each funder's site for current guidelines.
- Community foundation
Delaware Community Foundation
The statewide community foundation makes grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits through capital grants, field-of-interest funds and volunteer-led programs such as the Fund for Women and Next Gen North, which focuses on New Castle County. Requests go through its online grants portal, and each program sets its own eligibility.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - County government
New Castle County Department of Community Services
Its Community Development and Housing Division administers the county’s HUD-funded CDBG, HOME and Emergency Solutions Grant programs, funding nonprofit subrecipients for housing, public facilities and public services. It serves the county outside the cities of Wilmington and Newark and posts funding applications for each program year on its federal funding page.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - City government
City of Wilmington Department of Real Estate and Housing
The department administers Wilmington’s own HUD allocations (CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA) and solicits applications from qualified organizations as it prepares the city’s annual action plan. Nonprofits working inside city limits apply here rather than to the county.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - City government
Wilmington City Council Community Support Fund
City Council’s fund supports local nonprofits and community-driven initiatives that serve Wilmington residents. Organizations apply through an online form under the policy and guidelines Council publishes on its site.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - United Way
United Way of Delaware
Based in Wilmington and serving Delaware and Salem County, NJ, United Way partners with community-based organizations on early student achievement, career and college success, financial empowerment and the 211 helpline. Nonprofits start by contacting its community engagement team about partnership and grant opportunities.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - Private foundation
Longwood Foundation
Founded by Pierre S. du Pont, Longwood makes responsive grants to tax-exempt organizations located in or benefiting Delaware, plus a small area around Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA. It looks for proposals that help a nonprofit grow or strengthen its impact and accepts them only through its online grants management system.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - Private foundation
Welfare Foundation
Also established by Pierre S. du Pont, the Welfare Foundation funds 501(c)(3)s in Delaware, with occasional grants in southern Chester County, PA, and traditionally focuses on capital projects. Applicants meet with staff first to receive the code that opens its online application.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - Private foundation
Crestlea Foundation
Crestlea gives first priority to 501(c)(3)s in New Castle County, with emphasis on organizations serving children and on needs other funders overlook. A Zoom or in-person meeting with staff is required before you can open the application.
Visit website (opens in a new tab) - Private foundation
Laffey-McHugh Foundation
This Wilmington-based foundation funds independent 501(c)(3) public charities that primarily serve Delaware residents, in areas including basic needs, education, health, housing, economic mobility and youth enrichment. Organizations request an application on its website and complete a short eligibility form before receiving portal access.
Visit website (opens in a new tab)
What local funders support.
- 01
Housing and homelessness
Federal housing money reaches nonprofits through two doors: the City of Wilmington for work inside the city and New Castle County for the rest of the county outside Wilmington and Newark. The Welfare and Laffey-McHugh foundations both list housing among their giving areas.
- 02
Children and youth
Crestlea gives priority to organizations serving children, and Laffey-McHugh funds education and youth enrichment. United Way of Delaware’s focus areas include early student achievement and career and college success.
- 03
Capital projects
The Welfare Foundation traditionally concentrates on capital grants, and the Delaware Community Foundation runs a statewide capital program for acquisition, construction, repair and renovation. Plan these requests carefully, since both impose waiting periods before past grantees can apply again.
Apply for New Castle County grants. Or award them.
Pursuit is for organizations that apply for grants. Granted is for the authorities, agencies and foundations that award them. Our team sets up either one around your programs.
Pursuit
Find it. Win it.
Pursuit tracks New Castle County opportunities from funders like Delaware Community Foundation and United Way of Delaware alongside Delaware, federal and national foundation grants, ranked against your mission and eligibility.
- Matched opportunities
- Application pipeline & deadlines
- Team tasks & reviews
Granted
Manage every award.
Award grants in New Castle County? Granted runs each round from a public application page through board review and voting, recorded decisions, payments and grantee reports, with every step on the record.
- Public application portal
- Board review & voting
- Awards, payments & reports
Neighboring grant guides.
- Delaware County, PAA local guide to Delaware County funders, from Media-based grantmakers to county housing dollars, from a team based in Glenolden.
- Chester County, PAFrom West Chester to Coatesville and Phoenixville, the community, county and health funders behind Chester County nonprofits.
- Gloucester County, NJThe local United Way, county programs, regrants and giving circles that fund nonprofits in Gloucester County.
- All of DelawareState agencies, statewide resources and every DE county we cover.
New Castle County grant questions.
Does New Castle County’s CDBG program fund work in Wilmington?
No. The county’s Community Development and Housing Division serves New Castle County outside Wilmington and Newark. Wilmington runs its own CDBG, HOME, ESG and HOPWA programs through its Department of Real Estate and Housing, and Newark awards its own community development grants to nonprofits serving city residents.
Which Wilmington-area foundations want to talk before we apply?
The Welfare Foundation and the Crestlea Foundation both require a meeting with staff before they release the code that opens their applications. Laffey-McHugh asks you to request an application and pass a short eligibility check, and Longwood lets you request a pre-meeting and join information sessions.
Is New Castle County the same as Delaware County?
No. This page covers New Castle County in the state of Delaware, while Delaware County, Pennsylvania is a separate county across the state line with its own funders. A few Wilmington-area foundations, including Longwood, Welfare and Crestlea, also fund nearby parts of Chester County, PA.
Can a Wilmington nonprofit get hands-on help setting up Pursuit and Granted?
Yes. Every customer gets white-glove service: our team in Glenolden, Pennsylvania, about a half hour from Wilmington, personalizes the software to your programs, workflows and reports and trains your staff.
Grant software for New Castle County nonprofits.
See how Pursuit and Granted would work for your programs in a short demo built around the grants you go after.
Funder details last reviewed October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Let us know.