Delco Gives raises more than $2.4M for local nonprofits in its third year

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Hundreds gathered Thursday inside the WSFS Bank Sportsplex in the city of Chester to celebrate the end of Delaware County’s largest day of charitable giving.

More than 12,000 donors contributed $2.4 million to 324 participating nonprofits as part of the third annual Delco Gives, surpassing fundraising from previous years.

According to the Foundation for Delaware County, host of the event, donations are being tabulated through Monday, so the final total is expected to be even higher.

“The numbers speak for themselves in terms of impact and it’s our job to just keep the energy flowing,” said Michael Kellerman, president of the Foundation for Delaware County. “So, we’re really happy with where we wound up.”

Kellerman described the undertaking as “collective action philanthropy.”

“When we come together and use one voice and the foundation provides — the platform, the organization, the megaphone for that voice — we’re able to reach far more people,” Kellerman said.

Lead up to the closing celebration

Delco Gives kicked off Wednesday to coincide with the return of Dining Under the Stars in Media, the weekly outdoor summer dining festival.

As State Street shut down to vehicle traffic and transformed into a comfortable place to eat, patrons were showered with music, dance performances and a brief program to announce the launch of the online donation period.

On Thursday morning, the Foundation for Delaware County organized a series of community tailgates at venues such as Villanova University and Veterans Memorial in Newtown Square to raise awareness of Delco Gives.

“Every amount makes a difference,” Kellerman said.

The closing celebration is usually held at Rose Tree Park in Media. However, two previous years of unfavorable weather conditions forced the party to relocate to the city of Chester, home of the Philadelphia Union.

“Chester is rich in some nonprofit organizations and they’re benefiting from the Delco Gives,” Chester Mayor Stefan Roots said. “They like being close to home too. Sometimes it’s just difficult just to get out to Rose Tree Park. That’s a ride. If you’re bringing a bunch of kids, like five, six, seven kids, that’s three or four cars, it just doesn’t happen. So, to have these events here is great.”

Meet the nonprofits

From Solarize Delco and the Delco Food Bank to ChesPenn Health Services and the Women’s Resource Center, participating organizations showed up to the party in droves.

Andy Jacob, executive director of Chester Eastside, said the longstanding organization does a little bit of everything: food insecurity programs, summer camps and after-school services.

“We wanted to purchase a van because we don’t have a vehicle and a lot of the donations that are available to us, we needed a vehicle to pick it up,” Jacob said. “So, we set a goal of $25,000 and we just a few minutes ago went over $36,000 and so that’s going to pay for the insurance and gas and maintenance.”

Chester Eastside purchased the car Wednesday. The staff named it Clifford for its bright red color. Chester Eastside brought the van to the closing celebration.

“I’m convinced that it was because we were a part of Delco Gives and that we have people who donated for our program who wouldn’t have heard about us otherwise,” Jacob said.

Sandra Samuels, executive director of the Media-Upper Providence Free Library, said Delco Gives provided an opportunity to get the community to “buy in” to their mission. The small dollar donations add up.

“I think we made, the first year, $13,000 off Delco Gives just from having so many people buy into it,” Samuels said.

What does the future hold for Delco Gives?

In 2021, Aimee and Eric Rubin opened Game on State in Media. The arcade was started with the mission of employing and engaging people with disabilities. The Rubins started the nonprofit ANEWAY For Purpose in 2024 as an extension of their business’s mission.

“I love seeing all the other nonprofits and getting to speak with them about what we can do together because ultimately ANEWAY For Purpose is about creating community, about creating opportunity and that extends to the nonprofits themselves,” Aimee Rubin said.

The Foundation for Delaware County organized the first Delco Gives in 2024 after feeling inspired by similar efforts in Lancaster and York counties. The inaugural fundraising marathon raised about $1.6 million for local nonprofits. Last year’s event amassed approximately $1.9 million.

“There will always be fire in the belly to keep doing more,” Kellerman said.

He added that there will be a process for nonprofits to provide feedback on what worked and what could have been done better.

Editor’s note: The Foundation for Delaware County provides support for WHYY. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.