Insights & Ideas

Governor Matt Meyer’s 2026 State of the State address outlined an ambitious vision for Delaware, with a focus on early childhood education, healthcare access, education reform, and housing. These are areas where nonprofits play a central role in delivering services. While the governor’s priorities largely align with those of the nonprofit sector, the speech left open questions about sustainability, state/nonprofit contracting practices, and whether nonprofits will be fully resourced to meet growing expectations.  The […]

As Delaware’s General Assembly returns to Dover this week, nonprofits across the state are stepping into another critical advocacy moment. For nonprofits, this is the season when our collective voice matters most.  From housing and homelessness prevention to food security, workforce development, behavioral health, and youth services, the nonprofit sector delivers essential programs in partnership with government. […]

As Delaware approaches the start of the 2026 legislative session, several political and federal policy developments are emerging that could directly affect nonprofits and the communities they serve. State fiscal uncertainty, new budget projections, uncertainty surrounding federal housing policy, and ongoing disputes over food assistance all underscore the importance of nonprofit engagement in the months ahead.  DEFAC Projections for December and Delaware’s Financial […]

WILMINGTON – DANA, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, has received grant funding to bolster southern Delaware nonprofits by strengthening their boards of directors.  The Mid-Del Charitable Foundation has awarded DANA a $1,000 grant to recruit and match community-based leaders from Kent and Sussex counties with local nonprofits through DANA’s Board Connections program.   Board Connections matches community professionals with DANA nonprofit members seeking board members based on skills, interests and values, […]

WILMINGTON – DANA, the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement, is proud to announce the promotion of one of its longest-tenured staff members.  This month, DANA promoted Melissa Hopkins to Executive Vice President & Chief External Affairs Officer. Previously, Hopkins served as Executive Vice President of Sector Advancement.  In her new role, Hopkins will continue to lead DANA’s government affairs and […]

Delaware’s fiscal 2027 operating budget won’t be voted on for more than seven months, but the process to craft the spending plan is well underway. The Delaware Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is completing its round of agency budget hearings this week, and DANA was there to advocate for Delaware’s nonprofit sector.  DANA testified at […]

After 43 days, the federal government shutdown has officially come to an end. Congress passed a bipartisan Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen the government, and President Trump signed it into law on Wednesday, November 12. This action immediately restarts normal federal operations and restores access to critical programs that millions of people rely on.  Below […]

By James Bush and Melissa Hopkins   Governor Matt Meyer has called a special session for November 13, 2025, to address a fiscal issue that could significantly affect Delaware’s budget, and by extension, the nonprofit sector. At the heart of this session is a single question:  Should Delaware “decouple” its state tax code from recent federal […]

WILMINGTON – The recent revelation that online fundraising platform GoFundMe created donation pages for 1.4 million charitable nonprofits without their approval or consent has sparked confusion and turmoil throughout the nonprofit community.  News reports indicated that GoFundMe mined public data of 1.4 million 501(c)(3) organizations, along with information collected from “trusted partners” such as Candid […]