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(Institutional) | (Delaware Dividend Income Fund)

What are the Fund's investment objectives?

Delaware Dividend Income Fund seeks to provide high current income and an investment that has the potential for capital appreciation.

What are the Fund's fees and expenses?

The following table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)

Annual Fund Operating Expenses (Delaware Dividend Income Fund)
Institutional Class
(Institutional)
Management fees 0.65%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees none
Other expenses 0.29%
Total annual fund operating expenses 0.94%

Example

The example below is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund to the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example shows the cumulative amount of Fund expenses on a hypothetical investment of $10,000 with an annual 5% return over the time shown. This example assumes that the Fund's total operating expenses remain unchanged in each of the periods shown. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example (Delaware Dividend Income Fund) (USD $)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Institutional Class (Institutional)
96 300 520 1,155

Portfolio turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 110% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

The Fund invests primarily in income generating securities (debt and equity), which may include equity securities of large, well-established companies, and debt securities, including high yield, high-risk corporate bonds, investment-grade fixed income securities, and U.S. government securities.

Under normal circumstances, at least 50% of the Fund's total assets will be invested in income generating equity securities. In making investments in income generating equity securities, the Fund may invest an unlimited portion of its total assets in convertible securities without regard to credit quality. While debt securities may comprise up to 50% of the Fund's total assets, no more than 45% of the Fund's total assets will be invested in high yield, high-risk debt securities. No more than 25% of the Fund's total assets will be invested in any one industry sector nor, as to 75% of the Fund's total assets, will more than 5% be invested in securities of any one issuer. The Fund may invest up to 30% of its total assets in foreign equity and debt securities. The Fund will not, however, invest more than 5% of its total assets in securities of issuers principally located or principally operating in markets of emerging countries.

Within the percentage guidelines noted above, the Manager will determine the proportion of the Fund's assets that will be allocated to income generating equity securities and equity equivalents and to debt securities, based on its analysis of economic and market conditions and its assessment of the income and potential for appreciation that can be achieved from investments in such asset classes. It is expected that the proportion of the Fund's total assets invested in income generating equity securities and equity equivalent securities will vary from 50% to 100% of the Fund's total assets. The proportion of the Fund's total assets in debt securities will correspondingly vary from 0% to 50% of the Fund's total assets.

The Fund may use a wide range of derivative instruments, typically including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps. The Fund will use derivatives for both hedging and nonhedging purposes. For example, the Fund may invest in: futures and options to manage duration and for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, or to stay fully invested; forward foreign currency contracts to manage foreign currency exposure; and credit default swaps to hedge against bond defaults, to manage credit exposure or to enhance total return.

What are the principal risks of investing in the Fund?

Investing in any mutual fund involves the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Over time, the value of your investment in the Fund will increase and decrease according to changes in the value of the securities in the Fund's portfolio. Principal risks include:

Investments not guaranteed by the Manager or its affiliates — Investments in the Fund are not and will not be deposits with or liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited ABN 46 008 583 542 and its holding companies, including their subsidiaries or related companies (Macquarie Group), and are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the Fund, the repayment of capital from the Fund, or any particular rate of return.

Market risk — The risk that all or a majority of the securities in a certain market — such as the stock or bond market — will decline in value because of factors such as adverse political or economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Industry risk — The risk that the value of securities in a particular industry (such as financial services or manufacturing) will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of that industry.

Credit risk — The risk that a bond's issuer will be unable to make timely payments of interest and principal. Investing in so-called "junk" or "high yield" bonds entails greater risk of principal loss than the risk involved in investment grade bonds.

Interest rate risk — The risk that securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise. This risk is generally associated with bonds.

Bank loans and other indebtedness risk — The risk that the portfolio will not receive payment of principal, interest, and other amounts due in connection with these investments and will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower and the lending institution.

High yield (junk bond) risk — The risk that high yield securities, commonly known as "junk bonds," are subject to reduced creditworthiness of issuers; increased risk of default and a more limited and less liquid secondary market; and greater price volatility and risk of loss of income and principal than are higher rated securities.

Foreign risk — The risk that foreign securities (particularly in emerging markets) may be adversely affected by political instability; changes in currency exchange rates; inefficient markets and higher transaction costs; foreign economic conditions; or inadequate or different regulatory and accounting standards.

Real estate industry risk — This risk includes, among others: possible declines in the value of real estate; risks related to general and local economic conditions; possible lack of availability of mortgage funds; overbuilding; extended vacancies of properties; increases in competition, property taxes, and operating expenses; changes in zoning laws; costs resulting from the cleanup of, and liability to third parties resulting from, environmental problems; casualty for condemnation losses; uninsured damages from floods, earthquakes, or other natural disasters; limitations on and variations in rents; and changes in interest rates.

Derivatives risk — Derivative contracts, such as options, futures, and swaps, may involve additional expenses (such as the payment of premiums) and are subject to significant loss if a security, or a securities index to which a derivative contract is associated, moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager anticipated. Derivative contracts are also subject to the risk that the counterparty may fail to perform its obligations under the contract due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization).

Liquidity risk — The possibility that securities cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them.

Government and regulatory risk — The risk that governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets.

How has Delaware Dividend Income Fund performed?

The bar chart and table below provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. Prior to October 1, 2003, the Fund had not engaged in a broad distribution effort of its shares and had been subject to limited redemption requests. The Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. The returns reflect expense caps in effect during certain of these periods. The returns would be lower without the expense caps. You may obtain the Fund's most recently available month-end performance by calling 800 523-1918 or by visiting our website at www.delawareinvestments.com/performance .

Year-by-year total return (Institutional Class)

Bar Chart

During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, the Institutional Class' highest quarterly return was 15.66% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -18.88% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011

Average Annual Total Returns (Delaware Dividend Income Fund) (Institutional)
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Institutional Class
2.34% 0.75% 5.89%
Institutional Class return after taxes on distributions
1.27% (0.72%) 4.46%
Institutional Class return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares
1.76% (0.13%) 4.34%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
2.11% (0.25%) 2.92%

Actual after-tax returns depend on the investor's individual tax situation and may differ from the returns shown. After-tax returns are not relevant for shares held in tax-deferred investment vehicles such as employer-sponsored 401(k) plans and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). The after-tax returns shown are calculated using the highest individual federal marginal income tax rates in effect during the periods presented and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes.