Longwood Foundation (LF)

Longwood Foundation was founded by Pierre S. du Pont in 1937 to maintain Longwood Gardens, which has been managed since 1969 by the foundation-funded Longwood Gardens Inc. LF supports nonprofit organizations in Delaware and the Kennett Square community in addition to the gardens. ²

Organization

Longwood Foundation’s grantmaking activity is focused on strengthening nonprofits that operate in the areas of art, education, environment, health and hospitals, housing, and social services. LF provides support for learning centers from preschool to college, housing and development, performing arts, historical activities, humanities and museums, libraries, community economic development, shelter and residential care, community, senior living facilities, hospitals, state parks, and land and water initiatives. ²

Programs

Catalysts Together was initiated by Longwood Foundation in 2022 to provide investment leader development (“leader capacity”) to aid nonprofit executives in strengthening their organizations. Those accepted to the program are charged $3,500, with scholarships offered to those organizations that have budgets under $1 million. ³

The inaugural class of participants included leaders from 20 organizations including Delaware Art Museum, Center for Structural Equity, La Esperanza, and Metro Wilmington Urban League. ⁴

Grantmaking

Longwood Foundation is named as a supporter of Evident Change (EC), formerly the National Council on Crime and Delinquency, which opposes cash bail and detention of illegal immigrants. Other donors to EC are George Soros’s Open Society Foundations, Walton Family Foundation, Jesse Ball duPont Fund, California Endowment, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation. The organization’s grant to EC was in support of the NCCD Children’s Research Center and to implement the Structured Decision Making assessment into child protection. ^{5 6}

Longwood made grants of $1 million or more in 2021 to Aspira of Delaware, Children and Families First Delaware Inc., Delaware Technical and Community College, Kingswood Community Center Inc., Reading Assist Institute, Longwood Gardens, and the Community Education Building. ⁷

In the fall of 2023, grants were awarded that ranged from $87,500 to $1.75 million to Delaware Shakespeare Festival, First State Ballet Theatre, Joshua M. Freeman Foundation, Stepping Stones Community Federal Credit Union, the Wilmington Delaware Area Rotary Clubs Community Fund, Braven, Delaware State University Foundation, Wilmington University (for the expansion of its Brandywine location to promote inclusivity in the legal field), Greater Lewes Foundation, the Rosa Health Center, Be Ready Community Development Corporation, Dover Interfaith Mission for Housing, Gaudenzia, CHEER, Edge for Tomorrow, Innocence Project Delaware, Keystone Human Services, Limen Recover + Wellness, Toivoa, and West End Neighborhood House. ⁸

People

Eleuthere (There) I. du Pont, the son of former Delaware Governor Pete du Pont (R), is president of Longwood Foundation and member of the board of directors of the DuPont Company, WSFS Bank, and Burris Logistics, a supplier to Wawa Inc. where he was president and chief financial officer. ⁹

Gov. du Pont was the son of Pierre S. du Pont III and grandnephew of Pierre S. du Pont, former president and chairman of E.I. du Pont & Nemours and General Motors Company. ¹⁰