The Frederick A Deluca Foundation Inc.

The Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation operates as a preselection-based, relationship-driven funder — it does not accept open unsolicited proposals from individual nonprofits. This is the single most important fact for any grant seeker to internalize before investing time in an approach.

The foundation was created from the estate of Fred DeLuca, the co-founder of Subway, who died of leukemia in September 2015. Its assets grew from $1.2M in FY2011 to $175M in FY2015 and now stand at $719.7M, reflecting the estate settlement. Elisabeth DeLuca (wife) serves as President; Jonathan DeLuca as Director; and Suzanne Greco (Fred's sister and longtime Subway President) as Director. Day-to-day operations are managed by CEO Kevin Byrne and three program officers: Cecilia Rivas-Gonzalez, Judith Fletcher, and Rachel Adomat.

The foundation's giving philosophy centers on education as the common thread — the explicit belief that access to education drives economic mobility, healthier families, stronger communities, and professional advancement for nurses and allied health workers. Six impact areas are prioritized: Economic Mobility, Youth & Families, Health, Nurses & Allied Health Workers, Arts, and Strategically Responsive giving.

For grant seekers, the community foundation gateway is the primary and most reliable pathway. The foundation routes a significant share of its grantmaking through three trusted intermediaries: - Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties — annual Community Impact Grant cycle (2026 cycle active, awards Spring 2026); $9.15M total to this partner - The Miami Foundation — Community Grants program targeting Miami-Dade nonprofits; $13.5M total - Community Foundation of Broward — Broward Community Fund and DeLuca Center for Nonprofit Excellence; $15.76M total

For organizations seeking a direct relationship, the strategy is to earn it through demonstrated impact within the intermediary system first, then build an introduction via program officers. Direct proposals are reserved for established partners — the foundation's top 20 grantees have averaged 7+ separate grants each over multi-year periods, indicating that the relationship deepens over time rather than starting with a large ask.

The foundation deployed $45.7 million in grants in FY2024 on assets of $719.7 million — a payout rate of approximately 6.4%, modestly above the 5% private foundation minimum. Annual grantmaking has grown substantially: $17.3M in FY2019, $24.7M in FY2020, $36.6M in FY2021, and plateauing at $45.7M in both FY2022 and FY2024, suggesting a deliberate steady-state distribution target.

Across 692 documented grants totaling $219.5 million in the grantee database: - Median grant size: $133,400 - Average grant size: $317,212 (skewed upward by large multi-year gifts) - Range: $2,500 (small scholarship/pilot) to $1.5 million (single-year ceiling) - Typical grant count per top grantee: 7-18 transactions over 5-10+ years

Geographic allocation: - Florida: 575 grants (83% of total) — concentrated in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Palm Beach counties - Connecticut: 49 grants (7%) — Bridgeport/New Haven/UConn corridor, reflecting Fred DeLuca's Connecticut origins - Massachusetts: 23 grants (3%) — primarily Boston-area workforce and community college programs - New York: 13 grants (2%); Washington D.C.: 7 grants (1%)

Program area breakdown by documented grantee analysis: - Education and Scholarships: ~35% — UConn, University of Florida Nursing, Palm Beach State College, Broward College, Scholarship America - Workforce Development and Economic Mobility: ~30% — Boys & Girls Clubs Career Bound, JA of South Florida, Lord's Place, Hispanic Unity of Florida - Youth and Families: ~20% — Easter Seals, PACE Center for Girls, SOS Children's Villages, Children's Services Council of Broward - Health and Nursing: ~10% — Yale New Haven Hospital, Baptist Health South Florida, Gilda's Club, Caridad Center - Arts and Culture: ~5% — South Florida Symphony, Turnaround Arts/Broward Arts, Cultural Council of Palm Beach County

Top three grantees by aggregate: Community Foundation of Broward ($15.76M, 11 grants), Miami Foundation ($13.5M, 18 grants), Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties ($9.15M, 11 grants). These three intermediaries together absorbed approximately $38.4M — roughly 17.5% of the $219.5M documented total, underscoring the re-granting model's centrality.

The following table compares the Frederick A. DeLuca Foundation to four asset-comparable peer foundations identified in the foundation database:

Peer giving estimates for Beckman, Hartford, Meadows, and Sherwood are derived from typical private foundation payout rates (3-5% of assets); exact figures were not available in the dataset.

Several characteristics distinguish DeLuca from its asset-tier peers. First, its payout rate of ~6.4% is notably higher than the peer average, making it one of the more active distributors relative to assets among similarly-sized foundations. Second, its South Florida geographic concentration is unusual at this asset level — most $700M+ foundations operate nationally, whereas DeLuca directs 83% of grants to Florida. Third, its intermediary-heavy distribution model (routing significant dollars through community foundations) contrasts with peers that maintain predominantly direct grantee relationships. Finally, DeLuca's combination of workforce development and nursing workforce as co-equal priorities alongside youth and education is a distinctive niche that Beckman and Hartford do not share.

The foundation's most significant recent announcement is a $8.4 million, three-year grant to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, announced in early 2026. The grant effectively doubles that foundation's competitive grantmaking capacity and carries specific allocations: $1.5 million for nonprofits serving the Glades communities of Belle Glade, South Bay, and Pahokee; $3 million for youth and family service organizations; $3 million for economic mobility organizations; and $600,000 for capacity-building grants. The 2026 competitive cycle funded by this grant drew nearly 500 applicants — a 20% increase in need from the prior year — with awards expected late Spring 2026. In 2025, the foundation awarded over $5.6 million to 159 organizations through this channel alone.

The foundation's operational team was formalized with CEO Kevin Byrne leading a professional staff that includes three named program officers (Cecilia Rivas-Gonzalez, Judith Fletcher, Rachel Adomat) and a Director of Grant Systems and Operations (Jennifer Lew), indicating increased administrative infrastructure since the foundation scaled from $17M to $45M+ in annual grantmaking.

A notable recent direct grant: $1,643,930 to TSIC Inc. (Take Stock in Children) for HopeForce AI integration and college completion coaching, representing the foundation's first documented foray into AI-augmented program delivery. Other recent commitments visible in the grantee data include ongoing multi-year support for Easter Seals South Florida, Pace Center for Girls, and the Fort Lauderdale Independence Training & Education Center — all consistent with the Youth and Families and Economic Mobility priorities. Elisabeth DeLuca remains President with $0 officer compensation; total officer compensation in FY2024 reached $630,000, attributable to the professional CEO and staff infrastructure.

Given the foundation's preselection model, direct cold outreach rarely succeeds. The following tips reflect what the foundation's actual grantee history and current RFP structure reveal:

Use the community foundation gateway. The most reliable path to DeLuca funding is applying through one of three partner community foundations: - Community Foundation for Palm Beach & Martin Counties (yourcommunityfoundation.org) — for organizations serving Palm Beach County, Martin County, and the Glades. The 2026 Community Impact cycle is currently accepting applications; contact their program staff for RFP details. - The Miami Foundation (miamifoundation.org) — for Miami-Dade County organizations; DeLuca-funded Community Grants cycles run annually. - Community Foundation of Broward (cfbroward.org) — for Broward County organizations; also home to the DeLuca Center for Nonprofit Excellence, which offers capacity-building support.

Align language precisely. The foundation's own vocabulary is specific: "economic mobility," "access to opportunity through education," "removing barriers," "youth and families." Proposals that use these exact phrases in context — not generically — signal alignment. Avoid vague "community development" framing; be explicit about educational attainment, career pathway entry, or workforce credential outcomes.

Propose multi-year investment from the start. Every top DeLuca grantee has a multi-year track record. Even in a first proposal, include a scaling narrative: what does the program look like in year 3 if adequately resourced? Single-year pilots without a clear growth theory are less competitive.

For health and nursing organizations: Frame the proposal around workforce pipeline and education access. Grants to Yale New Haven Hospital centered on nursing residencies and oncology education — not clinical care. Baptist Health South Florida received $1.5M for CNA and Nursing Scholars programs, not patient services.

Common mistakes to avoid: Applying directly to the DeLuca Foundation without a prior intermediary relationship or personal introduction; framing proposals around organizational financial needs rather than community outcome metrics; submitting without understanding which community foundation intermediary serves your geography; proposing arts programs without a strong youth or economic mobility integration (pure arts grants are a small share of giving).

For Connecticut and Massachusetts organizations: Identify Subway workforce connections, Connecticut community college partnerships, or Massachusetts economic mobility work. The foundation has funded UConn nursing, Mercy Learning Center (Bridgeport), and Bunker Hill Community College — all in New England. Frame CT/MA proposals around Fred DeLuca's legacy and geographic roots.