About Us

The Laffey-McHugh Foundation is a private non-profit foundation established in Delaware in 1959 by Alice Laffey McHugh, the only child of John P. Laffey and Marie Louise Soutiere Laffey.  Alice was born in Deadwood South Dakota in 1896.  She moved to Wilmington Delaware in 1902 when her father was appointed the first Head of the DuPont Legal Department. Alice and her husband, Frank McHugh, were active in philanthropy throughout their lives.  In 1959, Alice formed the Laffey-McHugh Foundation with her first cousin and closest friend, Gerardine Laffey Connolly and Gerardine’s husband, prominent attorney Arthur G. Connolly, Sr.  They wanted to create a legacy of giving and support for the neediest people in the community. Together, the trio worked to improve the quality of life in Wilmington, the Brandywine Valley and beyond. When Alice died in 1967, she bequeathed her estate to the Laffey-McHugh Foundation.  Over the years, other family members and community leaders were invited to join the Board of Directors to carry on the philanthropic legacy created by Alice and the original  founders.

The Foundation provides funding to worthy 501(c)(3), non-profit organizations primarily meeting the needs of under-served communities in Delaware. These organizations share the Foundation’s areas of focus:

• Concern for the poor.

• Improving the quality of life in communities.

• Creating a level playing field for the neediest.

• Building productive and engaged members of the community.

• Supporting educational and economic opportunity for all.