Frances M Sheehan, President of The Foundation for Delaware County, received the Delaware County 2022 Citizen of the Year award at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce award luncheon Nov. 1 at Drexelbrook Catering and Corporate Events Center in Drexel Hill.

She has also been named to the City and State, Pennsylvania’s Top 100 Nonprofit Leaders list.

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Frances M Sheehan, a 30-year resident of Swarthmore, is the first president of The Foundation for Delaware County, a community organization that invests in area nonprofits to support programs addressing housing, food access, racial inequity, public health, and other social priorities.

The Foundation for Delaware County congratulates Frances Sheehan on the well-deserved recognition for her leadership and impact in Delaware County.

Prior to her role as Foundation president, Sheehan spent 15 years overseeing the Brandywine Health Foundation in Coatesville, Chester County, as its founding president and CEO, and previously headed Planned Parenthood of Chester County.

Sheehan is currently board treasurer of the Delaware County Estate Planning Council and of Children First (formerly Public Citizens for Children and Youth).

She has served on a variety of boards of directors, including the Chester County Chamber of Business & Industry and as president of the Philanthropy Network of Greater Philadelphia.

Sheehan holds an MBA from Temple University and a BA with honors from Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT.

She also holds Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) and Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP) certifications and has won several awards over the years.

Those awards include the March of Dimes Woman of Achievement in the Field of Health and the Chester County Chamber of Commerce’s Robert J. Thompson Citizen of the Year Award.

About the Foundation for Delaware County

One of 780 community foundations across the U.S., the foundation encourages philanthropy by providing efficient giving vehicles like donor-advised funds, gift annuities, and estate planning advice to generous individuals who want to have an impact in Delaware County and beyond. In April, the foundation awarded more than $1.8M in Impact Grants to area nonprofits. In addition, the foundation operates the Center for Nonprofit Excellence to strengthen Delaware County’s nonprofit community.

The Foundation also operates the prestigious evidence-based programs Healthy Start, the WIC nutrition program, and Nurse-Family Partnership. Other programs include El Centro (a Hispanic resource center), a health resource center for students in the Chester Upland School District, and the new Housing Opportunities Program for Equity (HOPE).