Originally formed in 1930 by Pierre S. du Pont and headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, the Welfare Foundation is an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that uses its assets and the income they generate to promote the social welfare of people and communities in Delaware and southern Chester County, Pennsylvania.

AREAS OF GIVING
Focus Areas

Grantmaking is the primary strategy used by Welfare Foundation in its philanthropic work. Depending on the performance of its investments, the Foundation will typically award approximately $5 million in grants each year and has made grants to nonprofits totaling approximately $130 million in the past 25 years. 

Traditionally, the Welfare Foundation has primarily focused on capital grants (but not endowments) in the the following seven nonprofit sub-sectors:

- Social Services
- Housing
- Health/Hospitals
- Environment
- Education
- Arts
- Civic
​