How Good Samaritan, Inc. Awards Grants in Delaware and Beyond

Located in Wilmington, Delaware, there is a low-key foundation that funds nonprofits throughout the state and is open to receiving unsolicited grant applications. However, some nonprofits may not be familiar with Good Samaritan, Inc. because this foundation does not have a website and rarely makes the news.

To help you get to know this well-established and accessible grantmaker, here are a few things to know about Good Samaritan, Inc.

It’s been around since 1946

Good Samaritan, Inc.—this is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, despite the “Inc”—has a history that dates back to 1946 and is a tight-knit, family-run foundation. Carroll M. Carpenter serves as the foundation president, while Lea Carpenter Sherrill is the vice-president and Jeffrey M. Nielsen is the secretary and treasurer. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Nielsen, H. Sinclair Sherrill and Rev. Edmund Sherrill II are foundation directors. Very few details are available about the founding family and its charitable strategies and processes.

Broad giving interests

Overall, Good Samaritan, Inc. focuses its attention on local grassroots organizations, but it has a lot of varied interests that the board and officers pursue through grantmaking. For example, college and career pathways, watershed protection, children with severe diseases, and healthy foods are all foundation interests.

In the recent past, the foundation has also supported teacher effectiveness, early literacy, leadership development and the preservation of animals. According to the most recent tax records available, grants have been going toward expanding recreational space, general operations, multi-year strategic plans, testing a new school curriculum and specific nonprofit campaigns. However, the funder does not typically provide grants for building funds, conferences or capital assets.

Wilmington is a big priority

Good Samaritan, Inc. stands out because it is one of the few foundations in the Mid-Atlantic States that focuses pretty much exclusively on the state of Delaware. The city of Wilmington, where the funder is based, is a major hub for grantmaking. A few recent grants have also gone outside the state to organizations elsewhere on the east coast, including contributions to the New York Public Library and Massachusetts General Hospital.

It accepts funding requests

Delaware nonprofits should also know that this is an accessible funder that is open to receiving grant requests throughout the year. There are no specific forms to fill out—organizations should just submit a written narrative report with their requests by mail. The foundation president, Carroll Carpenter, is available by phone for grant-related inquiries. Applicants should submit their requests by April 1 to be considered at the foundation’s May meeting, or by October 1 to be considered at the November meeting.

To read more about this foundation and learn how to get in touch with questions, check out IP’s full profile of Good Samaritan, Inc.

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