The Board of Directors of the Delaware County Foundation have announced that long-time Foundation President Marlene Casini will retire at the end of the year.

“We’ve been fortunate to have someone come to us nearly 15 years ago with a community foundation background and with Ohio roots,” said Board Chair Matt Weller. “Ms. Casini has been instrumental in overseeing the growth of the foundation, not only in terms of the number of charitable funds, but in terms of our visibility within the county.”

During her tenure, the foundation assets have grown 64% to $14 million with donations to the foundation totaling $23 million. The number of charitable funds managed by the foundation grew by 275%. The foundation awarded $13 million to worthy causes during Casini’s tenure.

“I am honored to have been the steward of this great community asset,” Casini said. “Charitable giving is a passion of mine. Being able to connect the needs in the county such as education, homelessness, helping people in poverty, and in need of health care with the charitable gifts of our donors has been extremely gratifying. We’ve seen a lot of changes in the county over the years I’ve been at the foundation, and I’m pleased to have been part of so many impactful, positive outcomes through the nonprofits that provide these services.”

When asked what she thought were the biggest accomplishments during her tenure, Casini said, “Getting more people involved with the foundation is one of the biggest successes. We have many generous donors who are looking to make a difference in our communities. In addition, we have more than 100 volunteers who help with grant and scholarship decisions, attracting new donors, creating new charitable funds, and governance of the foundation’s operations. We have a vast number of legal and financial professionals who advise their clients on how the Delaware County Foundation can help them with the charitable giving process. We are now making larger grants to our non-profit partners, which allows them to better serve our community.”

In 2018 alone, over 500 grants and scholarships were awarded by the foundation.

The Foundation Board appointed a Search Committee to find the new foundation president. A position description and application process are available on the foundation’s website www.delawarecf.org.

The board hopes to have a new president in place by or shortly after Nov. 1.

The Delaware County Foundation strengthens communities by connecting people through charitable giving. Every contribution is an investment in the community that enriches the lives of those who live and work here. The foundation is a pool of charitable dollars, meant to grow over time, to benefit the community now and for generations to come.

Donors support nonprofit organizations in Delaware County and beyond; enabling people to be independent, move out of poverty, find homes and meet their basic needs. Grant dollars also help educate our youth and bring the arts into our communities.