Wilmington, Delaware - The Delaware Bar Foundation (DBF), the charitable arm of the Delaware State Bar Association, is pleased to announce the award of $60,750 in community grants to a diverse group of nonprofit organizations advancing access to justice, civic education, and community engagement throughout the State of Delaware.
These grants reflect the Foundation’s ongoing commitment to strengthening communities, promoting the rule of law, and expanding opportunities for Delawareans, particularly those facing economic or systemic barriers.
The Foundation is especially grateful for the support of these grants by the Stargatt family, whose generosity in honoring Bruce Stargatt’s legacy of service, professionalism, and respect for the rule of law enabled the Foundation to expand its funding pool this year and deepen its impact across Delaware.
2026 Community Grant Recipients
The Delaware Bar Foundation is proud to support the following organizations and initiatives:
- Center for Structural Equity: Supporting a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project engaging high school students in examining school discipline policies and constitutional due process protections.
- Delaware Community Reinvestment Action Council (DCRAC): Expanding access to estate planning services for residents facing “tangled title” issues, helping preserve generational wealth and housing stability.
- Delaware State Bar Association – ILYA Backpacks Program: Providing essential household and personal items to youth aging out of foster care, helping ease their transition to independence.
- DSBA Disabilities Survey Initiative: Identifying barriers faced by attorneys with disabilities in Delaware to inform more inclusive policies and practices within the legal profession.
- El Sandalo: Hosting community workshops on tenant rights, family court processes, expungement, and access to legal aid for underserved populations.
- Innocence Project Delaware: Supporting investigative costs, including trial transcripts and expert analysis, to secure justice for individuals who have been wrongfully convicted.
- La Esperanza: Providing citizenship education and support services to immigrants pursuing naturalization and full participation in civic life.
- Latin American Community Center: Expanding a family immigration legal clinic offering direct legal services and civics education to immigrant communities.
- Literacy Delaware: Delivering English language instruction and citizenship education to adult learners, strengthening civic engagement and workforce readiness.
- YMCA of Delaware: Supporting the Youth in Government program, which educates middle and high school students about civics, leadership, and public service.
Advancing Impact Across Delaware
Through these grants, the Delaware Bar Foundation continues to invest in programs that:
- Expand access to legal services and justice
- Promote civic education and community engagement
- Support vulnerable populations, including youth, immigrants, and low-income residents
- Strengthen the legal system’s responsiveness to community needs
“These grants reflect the power of partnership between the legal community and nonprofit organizations working on the front lines,” said Megan Greenberg, Executive Director of the Delaware Bar Foundation. “Together, we are helping to ensure that all Delawareans have meaningful access to justice, opportunity, and the protections of the law.”
About the Delaware Bar Foundation
The Delaware Bar Foundation improves the administration of justice, fosters public respect for the law, promotes the rule of law, and deepens civic understanding. Through its administration of the Interest on Lawyers’ Trust Accounts (IOLTA) program and its community grants, the Foundation has distributed millions of dollars to support civil legal services, law-related education, and community-based initiatives across Delaware.
