Arsht-Cannon Fund grants $575K to Latino-serving nonprofits

The Arsht-Cannon Fund at the Delaware Community Foundation continues its work to expand the educational opportunities for Delaware’s growing Latino community with close to $10 million in nonprofit grants over the last 15 years.

Executive Director Dr. Christine Cannon began focused grant-making and partnerships with nonprofits in 2007 to strengthen their capacity to serve Latino children and adults with accessible, culturally and linguistically relevant programs. Program funding often supports the development of bilingual leaders and staff, program operations and supplies. Partnerships with and among grantees have fostered learning, collaboration and success in program implementation and outcomes. Over the last 15 years, numerous nonprofits have expanded their abilities to equitably serve their local and statewide diverse Spanish-speaking communities – improving the lives of all Delawareans.

“I am truly honored to partner with Delaware’s nonprofits that are doing the very hard work to provide needed and accessible educational programs for our Latino families,” Cannon said. “The Arsht-Cannon Fund has been very proud to stand with the many exceptional nonprofits over the last 15 years in their efforts to change lives.”

For 2022-23, grants increasing English language and literacy skills of Latino adults and children went to the following organizations serving Sussex County. The ESL Program at the Lutheran Church of Our Savior in Rehoboth received $28,000 to support the director and childcare staff positions for this large, family-focused, multi-level program supported by an educated volunteer teaching staff. Delaware Technical Community College received $5,300, statewide, to support conference participation for four ESL faculty involved with the re-design of language programming to attract and retain more English language leaners.

A grant ensuring equity and access to high quality education from early childhood through high school went to Rodel Foundation Delaware Readiness Teams, in the amount of $25,000 statewide, to support the work of their bilingual hispanic community coordinator to engage and prepare young families for kindergarten.

Delmarva Community WellNet’s School Agri-Culture Program in three Sussex County elementary schools with culturally-designed programs received $25,000 to support the operating costs. This unique hands-on, in-school gardening educational  curriculum serves children in kindergarten through eighth grade, with a high level of engagement of Latino students and parent volunteers.

Rehoboth Art League’s Arts Outreach Program in Georgetown received $3,000 to support art education staff and program supplies for children at La Casita after school program.

Connecting Generations’ Creative Mentoring for Latino Families received $10,000 statewide to recruit Latino and/or bilingual adult and high school student creative mentors to expand access to critical socio-emotional learning and support.  

Leading Youth Through Empowerment received $50,000 statewide to support its position of bilingual Latino manager of middle school programming. The program is building strong pipeline of Latino students to be prepared for admission into high school with strong academic programs. Support continues through the college admission process.

La Plaza Delaware, through the Greater Lewes Foundation as fiscal agent in Sussex County, was granted $100,000. Funds will be used to hire management and develop leadership staff to strengthen the infrastructure of the young and growing Latino business community through business education and financial empowerment. Newly hired staff will facilitate continuing education and the growth of the Delaware Alliance of Latino Entrepreneurs.

Amanecer Counseling and Resource Center’s Strengthening the Continuum of Care Initiative received $50,000 to support statewide operation and bilingual staffing to develop and expand the behavioral health workforce. 

National Alliance on Mental Illness’s Delaware’s Hispanic Services Initiative Program received $25,000 to support two, full-time, bilingual multi-cultural engagement coordinators, expanding their services of recruiting bilingual volunteers and providing educational and peer support programs in Spanish. Their work has consistently addressed the stigma as well as cultural and language barriers that reduce Latinos’ access to mental illness education, support, and resources.

Down Syndrome Association of Delaware’s Bilingual Education and Outreach Program received $20,000 to hire a bilingual program and outreach coordinator to adapt and offer its bilingual, culturally-sensitive programs to an estimated 150 Latino families statewide who are affected by Down Syndrome. The new program will eventually include parent socials, age group play dates, summer camps, educational support and workplace training.

La Esperanza’s La Colectiva de Delaware’s Fellowship Sponsorship received $25,000 to develop and pilot of a collaborative project that benefits Latino youth education in Sussex County starting with a short-term fellowship. (An additional $12,000 was approved for project implementation for 2023 contingent on the successful development of the collaborative project.)

The Annual Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration at the Milton library received $2,400 each to cover performances, presentations, demonstrations, craft supplies, story walks, food, advertising and printing.