Frequently Asked Questions

The Rodel Foundation—along with the Rodel Foundation of Arizona—was established in 1999 when Rodel, Inc. was sold to Rohm and Haas, a specialty chemical company headquartered in Philadelphia. The Foundations were established to continue to be an essential part of the Rodel company’s vision—to make a significant impact for the improvement of society.

Bill, Don, and Susan Budinger established the Rodel Foundation of Delaware with the belief that education is the key to the sustained leadership of our country in the global arena. Bill, Don, and Susan are passionate about the relationship between education and issues such as poverty, international affairs, economic vitality, and the health of our communities and the environment. To that end, Rodel’s mission is to help Delaware build one of the finest systems of education in the world. The goal is to provide today’s graduates with the knowledge, skills, and opportunities needed to flourish, create, and lead responsibly.

Rodel strategically invests in initiatives and organizations that further its vision, which is for Delaware to become a global leader in educating each of its students to contribute and thrive. Rodel promotes policy changes that can have a significant impact, like raising academic standards, using timely data to make decisions, and investing in our youngest learners. We leverage coinvestments for innovative, potentially high-impact activities. And we help create and lead diverse statewide partnerships that catalyze action. Rodel rarely accepts or responds to unsolicited proposals, inquiries, or letters of intent.

Great teachers and leaders are the most significant part of improving student learning. To help recruit, develop, and retain the best educators in the country we are supporting the state in strengthening all teacher training programs; helping improve the support and development of existing teachers and leaders; and encouraging policies that encourage the best teachers and leaders to work in Delaware and stay in our state. We convened the Rodel Teacher Council to elevate the voices of teachers, represent the diversity of the teaching force in Delaware schools, provide a venue for teachers to weigh in on important issues affecting their work, and help set the course for education improvement in Delaware. Rodel was instrumental in the formation of Teach For America-Delaware, and the RELAY Graduate School of Education.

Personalized learning is an extension of what great teachers already do. It puts the student at the center of the learning environment, and students and teachers work together toward students’ individual learning goals. Rodel supports personalized learning by partnering with school districts to pilot leading-edge, personalized strategies; empowering a diverse set of stakeholders to develop a multi-year innovation plan and vision for the state; and promote policies that invest in innovative, personalized school models. The Rodel Teacher Council is focused on personalized learning and produced the Blueprint for Personalized Learning in Delaware.

Rodel has invested in a range of transformational efforts geared toward improving student achievement in Delaware. Its most significant investment is in the Vision Coalition of Delaware, which produced Vision 2015, Delaware’s nationally-acclaimed plan to transform Delaware’s public school system and as well as an expanded vision for public education, Student Success 2025. Rodel’s president and CEO, Paul Herdman, serves on the coalition’s Leadership Team. This is one of the longest standing, statewide, public-private partnerships of its kind in the nation.

Rodel, a 501(c)(3), is a Type I supporting organization of the Delaware Community Foundation, established under IRC section 509(a)(3). Rodel’s endowment resides within the Delaware Community Foundation and is targeted to Rodel’s mission.

Rodel does not support or oppose any candidate for any level of public office, nor does Rodel invest in other undertakings that are not within appropriate activities for an IRS Section 501(c)(3) organization.