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Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation Inc.

Annual Giving
$14.0M
Grant Range
$10K - $9.8M

Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation Inc.

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $13,980,500 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $354 million (2023)
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $9,800,000
  • Geographic Focus: Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Florida
  • Number of Awards: 14 grants (2023)
  • Application Process: No public application process

Contact Details

Address: 49 N Federal Highway 146, Pompano Beach, FL 33062-4304

Website: https://www.delucafdn.org/

EIN: 30-1214067

Note: The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation operates alongside the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation, with both foundations led by Elisabeth DeLuca and sharing similar missions while maintaining separate legal entities.

Overview

The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation Inc. was established in December 2020 as a private independent foundation by Elisabeth DeLuca, widow of Subway co-founder Fred DeLuca and a 1969 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Nursing. With total assets of $354 million as of 2023, the foundation focuses on nurturing the wellbeing of individuals, families, and those caring for them by supporting their growth and health. The foundation's strategic approach centers on education as a "connective thread" across all impact areas, with particular emphasis on healthcare workforce development, nursing education, and expanding access to health services. Since Fred DeLuca's passing in 2015, Elisabeth has dramatically expanded her philanthropic impact, having donated $250 million toward conservation and education and earmarking another $600 million to charitable foundations. The foundation has gained recognition for making transformational gifts, including the largest single gift in University of Connecticut history.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation operates as a private foundation making strategic grants through trustee discretion rather than open application cycles. Recent major grants include:

  • University of Connecticut School of Nursing: $50 million (2023) - largest gift in university history for construction, equipment, scholarships, and programming
  • Futuro Health: $10.2 million (2024) - tuition-free training for 2,000 residents in Connecticut and Florida's Tri-County area for allied and behavioral health careers
  • University of Florida: 27,000-acre DeLuca Preserve donation (2020) - largest land gift to a public university for conservation, research, and education

Priority Areas

Health: Expanding access to services supporting optimal physical and mental health

Nurses & Allied Health Workers: Supporting career pathways from youth awareness through post-secondary education and professional development; focus on creating a diverse, practice-ready healthcare workforce

Education: Creating access to educational opportunities that enable economic mobility and healthy, productive lives

Youth & Families: Providing thriving opportunities for young people and households

Economic Mobility: Removing barriers to financial opportunity through education

Arts: Expanding access to arts instruction and experience

Conservation & Environment: Protecting natural areas for research, education, and perpetual preservation

Geographic Focus: Primarily Connecticut, California, Mississippi, and Florida (particularly South Florida's Tri-County area: Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties)

What They Don't Fund

As a private foundation making grants through trustee discretion, the foundation does not publicize specific exclusions. However, funding patterns indicate focus on education, healthcare, and conservation rather than general operating support for organizations outside these priority areas.

Governance and Leadership

Elisabeth DeLuca - President and founder. A registered nurse who graduated from UConn's School of Nursing in 1969, DeLuca worked in medical-surgical units and surgical intensive care before joining her late husband Fred DeLuca in building the Subway restaurant empire. After Fred's death in 2015, she significantly expanded her philanthropic activities and established her own foundation in 2020. She also serves as president of the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation.

Patrick Emans - Treasurer/Secretary

Richard Hutchison - Director

All officers receive zero compensation from the foundation.

Key Collaborators: The foundation works with Kevin Byrne and other team members in developing strategic initiatives, particularly in nursing workforce development.

Foundation Philosophy

Elisabeth DeLuca has articulated a clear vision for the foundation's impact: "Whatever impact we can make, in either nursing education or workforce or perception, it will impact every single individual nurse."

The foundation enables nurses to explore career possibilities within the profession, focusing on individual nurses and their respective journeys. The approach works to "first root the desire to be a nurse within communities, then ensure that early career nurses become practice-ready and develop a career path unique to them."

DeLuca emphasizes "creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship for nursing students," encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration with engineering and pharmacy students to develop innovative products or methods to improve nursing practice.

The foundation's strategic document "Nursing Journey: Root, Grow, Bloom" outlines their comprehensive approach to supporting healthcare's largest care-focused workforce through supporting, catalyzing, and innovating.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation does not have a public application process. As a private independent foundation, it makes grants through trustee discretion and strategic partnerships rather than accepting unsolicited proposals.

Grants are awarded based on:

  • Strategic alignment with foundation priorities
  • Invitation by foundation leadership
  • Pre-existing relationships with trusted organizations
  • Proactive identification of transformational opportunities by foundation trustees

Related Opportunity: The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation (sister foundation) occasionally offers Community Funding RFPs for organizations in Florida (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties) that can re-grant funds to community groups aligned with Youth & Families or Economic Mobility portfolios. Check https://www.delucafdn.org/ for current opportunities.

Decision Timeline

Not applicable - grants are made through trustee discretion on a rolling basis as opportunities are identified.

Application Success Factors

While the foundation does not accept unsolicited applications, understanding their funding patterns and priorities reveals what they value in grantees:

Transformational Scale: The foundation makes bold, large-scale investments. Recent grants range from $10 million to $50 million, indicating preference for significant impact over numerous small grants.

Education-Health Nexus: Projects connecting education and healthcare access align perfectly with foundation priorities. The UConn nursing gift and Futuro Health grant both address healthcare workforce shortages through educational pathways.

Equity and Access: The foundation prioritizes expanding access to underserved communities. The Futuro Health grant specifically provides "tuition-free training" and focuses on building a "diverse workforce" to address health equity.

Innovation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Elisabeth DeLuca values "creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship," particularly when different disciplines collaborate to solve healthcare challenges.

Connecticut and Florida Connection: Geographic ties to these states appear significant given Elisabeth's personal history (UConn alumna) and residence (Pompano Beach, Florida).

Career Pathway Development: Rather than one-time interventions, the foundation invests in comprehensive pathways that "root" interest early, build skills, and support ongoing professional development.

Conservation at Scale: The 27,000-acre DeLuca Preserve donation demonstrates commitment to large-scale environmental protection with educational and research components.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • This foundation operates by invitation only - there is no public application process for the Elisabeth C. DeLuca Foundation itself
  • Scale matters: The foundation makes transformational gifts (typically $10M+) rather than numerous smaller grants, with 14 total grants made in 2023
  • Nursing and healthcare workforce development is the primary focus: Elisabeth's background as a nurse drives passionate investment in addressing healthcare workforce shortages
  • Education serves as the "connective thread": All funding areas link back to expanding educational access and opportunity
  • Geographic concentration: Connecticut and Florida receive particular attention due to personal connections
  • The foundation values comprehensive solutions: Projects addressing entire career pathways from K-12 awareness through professional development align best with their approach
  • Partnership with sister foundation: The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation occasionally has public funding opportunities for organizations that can re-grant to community groups in South Florida

References

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