The Laffey-McHugh Foundation

What The Laffey-McHugh Foundation does

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation is a private non-profit foundation established in Delaware in 1959 by Alice Laffey McHugh, together with her first cousin Gerardine Laffey Connolly and Gerardine's husband Arthur G. Connolly, Sr. Upon Alice's death in 1967, she bequeathed her estate to the foundation, substantially augmenting its endowment. The foundation's purpose is to provide grant funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that primarily serve Delaware residents and communities, with the stated mission of supporting underserved populations to reach their full potential. Grantmaking is organized around seven programmatic Focus Areas: Basic Needs & Relief Services, Communities & Quality of Life, Economic Mobility & Empowerment, Education, Health & Wellness, Housing, and Youth Enrichment.

The foundation distributes capital exclusively through a structured grantmaking process rather than technology products. Applicants first submit a "Request to Apply" through the foundation website during one of two annual funding cycles (Spring cycle: opens February 1, deadline April 1, funds disbursed by end of June; Fall cycle: opens August 1, deadline October 1, funds disbursed by end of December). Eligible organizations are then invited to complete a full application via the GivingData-based Grantee Portal. Typical grant sizes range from $25,000 to $35,000; the foundation does not provide multi-year grants and does not fund requests that primarily benefit communities outside Delaware. Roughly 50% of grants go to organizations with fewer than ten employees and 40% to organizations with annual revenue under $1 million, reflecting an intentional focus on small, under-resourced nonprofits.

The foundation is governed by a Board of Directors comprising family members and community leaders, and operates with a small staff including Executive Director Todd Veale, Program Director Kyle Sheppard, and Administrative Contact Patty Hoffman. It maintains a single office in the Community Service Building at 100 W. 10th St., Suite 815, Wilmington, Delaware. Revenue is generated from the investment returns on the original endowment and Alice Laffey McHugh's bequest; the foundation does not earn commercial revenue, and its financial figures are not publicly disclosed. The foundation's only meaningful digital surface is its website (laffeymchugh.org), its Grantee Portal, and a LinkedIn organizational page.

Name

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation

Legal name

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation

Website

https://laffeymchugh.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation established in 1959 that awards grants — typically $25,000 to $35,000 — to small nonprofit organizations serving underserved Delaware communities across education, housing, health, youth, and basic needs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAKAA

Private Foundations

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Philanthropy, Foundations & Grantmaking

Keywords

• Private foundation grants
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Community philanthropy
• Philanthropic foundation
• Grant funding programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Wilmington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Endowment: The foundation operates as a private non-profit established in 1959 by Alice Laffey McHugh. The foundation provides funding to worthy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations primarily meeting the needs of underserved communities in Delaware. The foundation does not generate commercial revenue but distributes funds from its endowment to grant recipients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation is a private non-profit foundation that provides grant funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations serving underserved communities in Delaware. It operates two annual funding cycles (Spring and Fall) with typical grant sizes ranging from $25,000 to $35,000, supporting programs across seven focus areas: Basic Needs & Relief Services, Communities & Quality of Life, Economic Mobility & Empowerment, Education, Health & Wellness, Housing, and Youth Enrichment. The foundation does not provide multi-year grants and manages applications through a two-step Request to Apply and Full Application process via its online Grantee Portal.

Product overview

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation operates as a private foundation providing grant funding to eligible 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations primarily serving Delaware communities. The Foundation's product offerings consist of a grant application system (featuring a two-step Request to Apply and full application process accessible through the Grantee Portal), seven programmatic Focus Areas (Basic Needs & Relief Services, Communities & Quality of Life, Economic Mobility & Empowerment, Education, Health & Wellness, Housing, and Youth Enrichment), and supporting resources such as an Application Preparation Checklist. The Foundation does not provide a technology product but rather manages a philanthropic grantmaking process with typical grant sizes ranging from $25,000 to $35,000 through bi-annual funding cycles (Spring and Fall).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grantee Portal An online portal allowing nonprofit grant applicants to view and edit grant applications in progress, review previously submitted applications, and manage grant-related documentation through the GivingData platform. Used by 501(c)(3) nonprofits applying for funding from the foundation.
• Grant Application System A two-step grant application process consisting of a Request to Apply eligibility form followed by a full application for eligible nonprofit organizations serving Delaware communities. Two annual funding cycles: Spring (February 1 - April 1) and Fall (August 1 - October 1), with funds disbursed by end of June and end of December respectively.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 50% of Foundation grants awarded to organizations with fewer than ten employees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Longwood Foundation: A large Delaware-based private foundation supporting education, health, social services, and the environment in the state. Most directly comparable as another Delaware-focused private family foundation operating alongside Laffey-McHugh.
• Crystal Trust: A Delaware-based private foundation established by the du Pont family. Closely mirrors Laffey-McHugh as a long-standing Delaware family-led private foundation making grants to Delaware nonprofits.
• Welfare Foundation, Inc. A Delaware-based private foundation funding health, education, human services, and community programs in Delaware. Direct peer given shared geography, mission focus, and Delaware nonprofit funding model.
• Delaware Community Foundation: Delaware's community foundation serving as a philanthropic hub for the state. Comparable to Laffey-McHugh in serving Delaware nonprofits but operates under a community foundation rather than private foundation structure.

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: A major national private foundation funding education, health, environment, and human services. Comparable in grantmaking function and multi-sector focus area approach, but operates at much larger scale and national scope.
• The Annie E. Casey Foundation: A large private foundation focused on children, youth, and families, including youth enrichment programs that overlap with Laffey-McHugh's Youth Enrichment focus area. Operates nationally at far greater scale.
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: A large national private foundation focused on health and health equity. Overlaps with Laffey-McHugh's Health & Wellness focus area and its grantmaking model to underserved populations, but at much larger scale.

Regional players

• Nemours Children's Health Foundation: Delaware-based foundation associated with Nemours Children's Hospital, funding children's health programs in Delaware. Comparable as a Delaware-focused philanthropic entity with similar community-driven grantmaking, though with a narrower health/children's mission.
• The Philadelphia Foundation: A regional community foundation serving the greater Philadelphia area. Comparable as a community-focused grantmaking organization supporting underserved populations, though primarily serving Pennsylvania rather than Delaware.
• The William Penn Foundation: A Greater Philadelphia-focused private foundation funding education, human services, and community development. Comparable in private foundation structure and multi-focus area approach, though serving a different geographic region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-laffey-mchugh-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Laffey-McHugh Foundation