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(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 table below describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Delaware Investments® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information (SAI) under the section entitled "Purchasing Shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)

Shareholder Fees - (Delaware Dividend Income Fund)
Class A
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 5.75% none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower none 1.00% [1] none none
[1] Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC).

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)
Class A
Class C
Class R
Institutional Class
Management fees 0.63% 0.63% 0.63% 0.63%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.25% 1.00% 0.50% none
Other expenses 0.20% 0.20% 0.20% 0.20%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.08% 1.83% 1.33% 0.83%

Example

This example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

Expense Example - (Delaware Dividend Income Fund) - USD ($)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class A 679 899 1,136 1,816
Class C 286 576 990 2,148
Class R 135 421 729 1,601
Institutional Class 85 265 460 1,025
Expense Example, No Redemption - (Delaware Dividend Income Fund)
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class C | USD ($) 186 576 990 2,148

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 the 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 67% 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 10% 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 Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (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 credit default 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:

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 an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer or an entity that insures a bond, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner.

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. High yield bonds are sometimes issued by municipalities that have less financial strength and therefore have less ability to make projected debt payments on the bonds.

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

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. A portfolio's ability to sell its loans or to realize their full value upon sale may also be impaired due to the lack of an active trading market, irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads, contractual restrictions, and extended trade settlement periods. In addition, certain loans in which a fund invests may not be considered securities. A fund therefore may not be able to rely upon the anti-fraud provisions of the federal securities laws with respect to these investments.

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, the imposition of economic or trade sanctions, 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 — Derivatives contracts, such as futures, options, 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 derivatives contract is associated, moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager anticipated. Derivatives contracts are also subject to the risk that the counterparty may fail to perform its obligations under the contract due to, among other reasons, 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 portfolio 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 and significantly affect fund performance.

Investments not guaranteed by Delaware Management Company (Manager) or its affiliates — Neither the Manager nor its affiliates noted in this document are authorized deposit-taking institutions for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia). The obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of Macquarie Bank Limited (MBL). MBL does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities, unless noted otherwise.

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 total returns for the 1-, 5-, and 10-year periods compare with those of a broad measure of market performance. 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 any expense caps in effect during 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 delawareinvestments.com/performance.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)

Bar Chart

During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 15.58% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009, and its lowest quarterly return was -18.93% for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2008. The maximum Class A sales charge of 5.75%, which is normally deducted when you purchase shares, is not reflected in the highest/lowest quarterly returns or in the bar chart. If this fee were included, the returns would be less than those shown. The average annual total returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

The primary benchmark index for the Fund has been changed to a blended index to better reflect the nature of the underlying securities held by the Fund.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2015

Average Annual Total Returns - (Delaware Dividend Income Fund)
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A (8.17%) 6.59% 5.15%
Class A | return after taxes on distributions (8.85%) 5.75% 4.00%
Class A | return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares (4.32%) 4.95% 3.70%
Class C (4.25%) 7.06% 4.99%
Class R (2.81%) 7.59% 5.52%
Institutional Class (2.40%) 8.13% 6.04%
60% S&P 500® Index / 40% Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (new benchmark) 1.28% 8.95% 6.48%
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) (previous benchmark) 1.38% 12.57% 7.31%

After-tax performance is presented only for Class A shares of the Fund. The after-tax returns for other Fund classes may vary. 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.