UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
 
FORM N-1A
 
File No. 002-37707
File No. 811-02071
 
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933 /X/
   
       Pre-Effective Amendment No. ______ /  /
   
       Post-Effective Amendment No.      83     /X/
   
and/or
   
REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT OF 1940 /X/
   
       Amendment No.     83    

(Check appropriate box or boxes.)
 
DELAWARE GROUP INCOME FUNDS
(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)
 
  2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7094
  (Address of Principal Executive Offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code: (800) 523-1918

David F. Connor, Esq., 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094
(Name and Address of Agent for Service)

Approximate Date of Proposed Public Offering: November 28, 2012

It is proposed that this filing will become effective (check appropriate box):
 
/X/    immediately upon filing pursuant to paragraph (b)
/  /   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (b)
/  /   60 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/  /   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(1)
/  /   75 days after filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2)
/  /   on (date) pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of Rule 485.

If appropriate, check the following box:
 
/  /            this post-effective amendment designates a new effective date for a previously filed post-effective amendment.



---   C O N T E N T S   ---
 
     This Post-Effective Amendment No. 83 to Registration File No. 002-37707 includes the following:
 
           1.       Facing Page
       
  2.   Contents Page
       
  3.   Part A - Prospectuses
       
  4.   Part B - Statement of Additional Information
       
  5.   Part C - Other Information
       
  6.   Signatures
       
  7.   Exhibits



Prospectus

Fixed income

Delaware Core Bond Fund

 
November 28, 2012  

Nasdaq ticker symbols

Class A

DPFIX

Class C

DCBCX

Class R

DEBRX

Institutional Class

DCBIX

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Get shareholder reports and prospectuses online instead of in the mail.
Visit delawareinvestments.com/edelivery.

   


Table of contents

Fund summary

1

Delaware Core Bond Fund

1

How we manage the Fund

6

Our investment strategies

6

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

6

The risks of investing in the Fund

9

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

12

Who manages the Fund

13

Investment manager

13

Portfolio managers

13

Manager of managers structure

14

Who's who

14

About your account

16

Investing in the Fund

16

Choosing a share class

16

Dealer compensation

18

Payments to intermediaries

18

How to reduce your sales charge

19

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charge

20

How to buy shares

22

Calculating share price

23

Fair valuation

23

Retirement plans

23

Document delivery

24

Inactive accounts

24

How to redeem shares

24

Account minimums

25

Investor services

25

Frequent trading of Fund shares

26

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

28

Certain management considerations

29

Financial highlights

30

Additional information

37


Fund summary

Delaware Core Bond Fund

What is the Fund's investment objective?

Delaware Core Bond Fund seeks maximum long-term total return, consistent with reasonable risk.

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. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments ® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A C R Inst.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentage of offering price 4.50% 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
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A C R Inst.
Management fees 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.30% 1.00% 0.60% none
Other expenses 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.34% 2.04% 1.64% 1.04%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.44%) 2 (0.39%) 2 (0.49%) 2 (0.39%) 2
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.90% 1.65% 1.15% 0.65%

Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC).

The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any 12b-1 plan, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent annual fund operating expenses from exceeding, in an aggregate amount, 0.65% of the Fund's average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. In addition, the Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor), has contracted to limit the Class A and Class R shares' 12b-1 fee for the Fund from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013 to no more than 0.25% and 0.50% of average daily net assets, respectively. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Fund.

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 reflects the applicable waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

(if not redeemed)
Class A C C R Inst.
1 year $538 $168 $268 $117 $66
3 years $814 $602 $602 $469 $292
5 years $1,111 $1,062 $1,062 $846 $536
10 years $1,953 $2,338 $2,338 $1,903 $1,236

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 517% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

The Fund will invest primarily in a diversified portfolio of investment grade, fixed income obligations, including securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities (U.S. government securities), mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, corporate bonds, and other fixed income securities.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities (80% Policy). The Fund's 80% Policy may be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change.

The Fund will invest principally in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and by U.S. corporations. The U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include a variety of securities that are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government, and by various agencies or instrumentalities that have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government. The corporate debt obligations in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, bonds, notes, debentures, and commercial paper of U.S. companies.

The Fund's assets may also be invested in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or by government-sponsored corporations. Other mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest are issued by certain private, nongovernment entities. Subject to quality limitations, the Fund may also invest in securities that are backed by assets such as receivables on home equity and credit card loans, automobile, mobile home, recreational vehicle and other loans, wholesale dealer floor plans, and leases.

All securities purchased by the Fund will have an investment grade rating at the time of purchase. Investment grade fixed income obligations will be those rated BBB- or higher by S&P, Baa3 or higher by Moody's, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or those that are deemed to be of comparable quality. To the extent that the rating of a debt obligation held by the Fund falls below investment grade, the Fund, as soon as practicable, will dispose of the security, unless such disposal would be detrimental to the Fund in light of market conditions.

The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities. The Fund intends to invest its foreign assets primarily in fixed income securities of issuers organized or having a majority of their assets or deriving a majority of their operating income in foreign countries. These fixed income securities include foreign government securities, debt obligations of foreign companies, and securities issued by supranational entities. The Fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and may hold foreign currencies. Presently, the Fund intends to invest its foreign assets primarily in U.S. dollar-denominated fixed income securities in a manner consistent with the foreign securities weighting in the Fund's benchmark, the Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index.

In unusual market conditions, in order to meet redemption requests, for temporary defensive purposes, and pending investment, the Fund may hold a substantial portion of its assets in cash or short-term fixed income obligations. Subject to certain limitations, the Fund will also be permitted to use various derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, foreign currency transactions, interest rate swaps, and index swap agreements.

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.

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

Credit risk  — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner.

Prepayment risk  — The risk that the principal on a bond that is held by a portfolio will be prepaid prior to maturity at a time when interest rates are lower than what that bond was paying. A portfolio may then have to reinvest that money at a lower interest rate.

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

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).

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.

Currency risk  — The risk that the value of a portfolio's investments may be negatively affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates.

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.

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 Core Bond 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 or lifetime 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 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 delawareinvestments.com/performance.

The Fund is the successor to The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio of the Delaware Pooled ® Trust pursuant to the reorganization (Reorganization) of The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio into the Fund, which occurred on September 30, 2009. Prior to the Reorganization, the Fund had no investment operations. Accordingly, the performance information shown below for periods prior to September 30, 2009 is historical information for The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio. The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio had the same investment objective and a similar investment strategy as the Fund, and was managed by the same portfolio managers. Because the Fund's fees and expenses are higher than those of The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio, the Fund's performance would have been lower than that shown below for The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)*

   

As of September 30, 2012, the Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 4.89%. During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, the Fund's highest quarterly return was 6.18% for the quarter ended September 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -2.30% for the quarter ended June 30, 2004. The maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, 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 returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011*

1 year 5 years 10 years or lifetime
Class A return before taxes 3.12% 5.66% 5.07%
Class A return after taxes on distributions 1.14% 3.94% 3.36%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 2.05% 3.81% 3.30%
Class C return before taxes (lifetime: 9/30/09-12/31/11) 6.17% N/A 5.91%
Class R return before taxes (lifetime: 9/30/09-12/31/11) 7.06% N/A 6.38%
Institutional Class return before taxes (lifetime: 9/30/09-12/31/11) 8.31% N/A 7.23%
Barclays U.S. Aggregate Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 7.84% 6.50% 5.78%

*  Because the Fund has combined its retail and institutional prospectuses, the bar chart and the after tax returns in the average annual total returns table show the performance of the Fund's Class A shares.

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.

Who manages the Fund?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust

 

Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Fund

Paul Grillo, CFA

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer – Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

February 2001

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer – Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

May 2007

Thomas H. Chow, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager

May 2007

Brian McDonnell, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager

November 2011

Purchase and redemption of Fund shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). Shares may be purchased or redeemed: through your financial advisor; through the Fund's website at delawareinvestments.com; by calling 800 523-1918; by regular mail (c/o Delaware Investments, P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076); by overnight courier service (c/o Delaware Service Center, 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); or by wire.

For Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment is generally $1,000 and subsequent investments can be made for as little as $100. The minimum initial investment for IRAs, Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act accounts, direct deposit purchase plans and automatic investment plans is $250 and through Coverdell Education Savings Accounts is $500, and subsequent investments in these accounts can be made for as little as $25. For Institutional Class shares, there is no minimum initial purchase requirement, but certain eligibility requirements must be met. The eligibility requirements are described in the prospectus under "Choosing a share class" and on the Fund's website. We may reduce or waive the minimums or eligibility requirements in certain cases. No new or subsequent investments currently are allowed in the Fund's Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges.

Tax information

The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to broker/dealers and other
financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

How we manage the Fund

We take a disciplined approach to investing, combining investment strategies and risk management techniques that we believe can help shareholders meet their goals.

Our investment strategies

We analyze economic and market conditions, seeking to identify the securities or market sectors that we think are the best investments for the Fund. Following are descriptions of how the portfolio managers pursue the Fund's investment objective.

To meet its investment objective, the Fund will invest principally in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government and by U.S. corporations. The Fund's assets may also be invested in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities or by government-sponsored corporations. The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities.

All securities purchased by the Fund will have an investment grade rating at the time of purchase. Investment grade fixed income obligations will be those rated BBB- or higher by S&P, Baa3 or higher by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO, or those that are deemed to be of comparable quality. To the extent that the rating of a debt obligation held by the Fund falls below investment grade, the Fund, as soon as practicable, will dispose of the security, unless such disposal would be detrimental to the Fund in light of market conditions.

The Fund's investment objective is nonfundamental. This means that the Fund's Board of Trustees (Board) may change the objective without obtaining shareholder approval. If the objective were changed, the Fund would notify shareholders at least 60 days before the change in the objective became effective.

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

Fixed income securities offer the potential for greater income payments than stocks, and also may provide capital appreciation. Please see the Fund's statement of additional information (SAI) for additional information about certain of the securities described below as well as other securities in which the Fund may invest.

U.S. government securities

U.S. government securities are direct U.S. obligations that include bills, notes, and bonds, as well as other debt securities, issued by the U.S. Treasury, and securities of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in direct U.S. government obligations; however, these securities will typically be a smaller percentage of the portfolio because they generally do not offer as high a level of current income as other fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest.

Mortgage-backed securities

Mortgage-backed securities are fixed income securities that represent pools of mortgages, with investors receiving principal and interest payments as the underlying mortgage loans are paid back. Many are issued and guaranteed against default by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, such as the Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and the Ginne Mae. Others are issued by private financial institutions, with some fully collateralized by certificates issued or guaranteed by the government or its agencies or instrumentalities.

How the Fund uses them: There is no limit on government-related mortgage-backed securities. All securities will be rated investment grade at time of purchase.

The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or by government-sponsored corporations.

The Fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities that are secured by the underlying collateral of the private issuer. Such securities are not government securities and are not directly guaranteed by the U.S. government in any way. These include collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs), and commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS).

Asset-backed securities

Asset-backed securities are bonds or notes backed by accounts receivable, including home equity, automobile, or credit loans.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities that are rated investment grade.

Corporate bonds

Corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in corporate bonds rated BBB- or higher by S&P, Baa3 by Moody's, or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO), or those that are deemed to be of comparable quality.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs)

CMOs are privately issued mortgage-backed bonds whose underlying value is the mortgages that are collected into different pools according to their maturity. They are issued by U.S. government agencies and private issuers. REMICs are privately issued mortgage-backed bonds whose underlying value is a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest in real property. Like CMOs, REMICs offer different pools according to the underlying mortgages' maturities.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in CMOs and REMICs. Certain CMOs and REMICs may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped. Stripped mortgage securities are generally considered illiquid and to such extent, together with any other illiquid investments, will not exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets, which is the Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities. In addition, subject to certain quality and collateral limitations, the Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets in CMOs and REMICs issued by private entities that are not collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, so called "nonagency" mortgage-backed securities.

Short-term debt investments

These instruments include: (1) time deposits, certificates of deposit, and banker's acceptances issued by U.S. banks; (2) time deposits and certificates of deposit issued by foreign banks; (3) commercial paper of the highest quality rating; (4) short-term debt obligations with the highest quality rating; (5) U.S. government securities; and (6) repurchase agreements collateralized by those instruments.

How the Fund uses them:   The Fund may invest in these instruments either as a means to achieve its investment objective or, more commonly, as temporary defensive investments or as a pending investment in the Fund's principal investment securities. When investing all or a significant portion of the Fund's assets in these instruments, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Foreign securities

Debt issued by a non-U.S. company or a government other than the United States or by an agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of such government.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in securities of foreign companies or governments.

Foreign currency transactions

A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency on a fixed future date at a price that is set at the time of the contract. The future date may be any number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties involved.

How the Fund uses them: Although the Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Fund may, however, from time to time, purchase or sell foreign currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of Fund transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations.

Bank loans

A bank loan represents an interest in a loan or other direct indebtedness, such as an assignment, that entitles the acquiror of such interest to payments of interest, principal and/or other amounts due under the structure of the loan or other direct indebtedness. In addition to being structured as secured or unsecured loans, such investments could be structured as novations or assignments or represent trade or other claims owed by a company to a supplier.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest without restriction in bank loans that meet the Manager's credit standards. We perform our own independent credit analysis on each borrower and on the collateral securing each loan. We consider the nature of the industry in which the borrower operates, the nature of the borrower's assets, and the general quality and creditworthiness of the borrower. The Fund may invest in bank loans in order to enhance total return, to affect diversification, or to earn additional income. We will not use bank loans for reasons inconsistent with the Fund's investment objective.

Repurchase agreements

A repurchase agreement is an agreement between a buyer of securities, such as a fund, and a seller of securities, in which the seller agrees to buy the securities back within a specified time at the same price the buyer paid for them, plus an amount equal to an agreed-upon interest rate. Repurchase agreements are often viewed as equivalent to cash.

How the Fund uses them: Typically, the Fund may use repurchase agreements as short-term investments for the Fund's cash position. In order to enter into these repurchase agreements, the Fund must have collateral of at least 102% of the repurchase price. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements in which the collateral is U.S. government securities. In the Manager's discretion, the Fund may invest overnight cash balances in short-term discount notes issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or government-sponsored enterprises.

Options and futures

Options represent a right to buy or sell a security or a group of securities at an agreed upon price at a future date. The purchaser of an option may or may not choose to go through with the transaction. The seller of an option, however, must go through with the transaction if its purchaser exercises the option.

Futures contracts are agreements for the purchase or sale of a security or a group of securities at a specified price, on a specified date. Unlike purchasing an option, a futures contract must be executed unless it is sold before the settlement date.

Certain options and futures may be considered derivative securities.

How the Fund uses them: At times when we anticipate adverse conditions, we may want to protect gains on securities without actually selling them. We might use options or futures to neutralize the effect of any price declines, without selling a bond or bonds or a swap agreement or agreements, or as a hedge against changes in interest rates. We may also sell an option contract (often referred to as "writing" an option) to earn additional income for the Fund. The Fund may not engage in such transactions to the extent that obligations resulting from these activities exceed 25% of its assets.

Use of these strategies can increase the operating costs of the Fund and can lead to loss of principal.

The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

Restricted securities

Restricted securities are privately placed securities whose resale is restricted under U.S. securities laws.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in privately placed securities, including those that are eligible for resale only among certain institutional buyers without registration, which are commonly known as "Rule 144A Securities." Restricted securities that are determined to be illiquid may not exceed the Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities. 

Illiquid securities

Illiquid securities are securities that do not have a ready market and cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them. Illiquid securities include repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Interest rate swap, index swap, and credit default swap agreements

In an interest rate swap, a fund receives payments from another party based on a variable or floating interest rate, in return for making payments based on a fixed interest rate. An interest rate swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving payments based on a fixed interest rate and making payments based on a variable or floating interest rate.

In an index swap, a fund receives gains or incurs losses based on the total return of a specified index, in exchange for making interest payments to another party. An index swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving interest payments from another party in exchange for movements in the total return of a specified index.

In a credit default swap, a fund may transfer the financial risk of a credit event occurring (a bond default, bankruptcy, or restructuring, for example) on a particular security or basket of securities to another party by paying that party a periodic premium; likewise, a fund may assume the financial risk of a credit event occurring on a particular security or basket of securities in exchange for receiving premium payments from another party.

Interest rate swaps, index swaps, and credit default swaps may be considered illiquid.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may use interest rate swaps to adjust its sensitivity to interest rates or to hedge against changes in interest rates. Index swaps may be used to gain exposure to markets that the Fund invests in, such as the corporate bond market. The Fund may also use index swaps as a substitute for futures or options contracts if such contracts are not directly available to the Fund on favorable terms. The Fund may enter into credit default swaps in order to hedge against a credit event, to enhance total return, or to gain exposure to certain securities or markets. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in swap agreements.

Use of these strategies can increase the operating costs of the Fund and lead to loss of principal.

The Fund may also invest in other securities, including certificates of deposit and obligations of both U.S. and foreign banks, corporate debt, and commercial paper.

Other investment strategies

Borrowing from banks

The Fund may borrow money from banks as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes or to facilitate redemptions. The Fund will be required to pay interest to the lending banks on the amounts borrowed. As a result, borrowing money could result in the Fund being unable to meet its investment objective.

Lending securities

The Fund may lend up to 25% of its assets to qualified broker/dealers or institutional investors for their use in securities transactions. Borrowers of the Fund's securities must provide collateral to the Fund and adjust the amount of collateral each day to reflect changes in the value of the loaned securities. These transactions may generate additional income for the Fund.

Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis

The Fund may buy or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis; that is, paying for securities before delivery or taking delivery at a later date. The Fund will designate cash or securities in amounts sufficient to cover its obligations, and will value the designated assets daily.

Temporary defensive positions

In response to unfavorable market conditions, the Fund may make temporary investments in cash or cash equivalents or other high-quality, short-term instruments. These investments may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. To the extent that the Fund holds such instruments, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

The risks of investing in the Fund

Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Before you invest in the Fund, you should carefully evaluate the risks. Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider your investment to be a long-term investment that typically provides the best results when held for a number of years. The information below describes the principal risks you assume when investing in the Fund. Please see the SAI for a further discussion of certain of these risks and other risks not discussed here.

Market risk

Market risk is 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 economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Index swaps are subject to the same market risks as the investment market or sector that the index represents. Depending on the actual movements of the index and how well the portfolio manager forecasts those movements, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We maintain a long-term investment approach and focus on securities that we believe can continue to provide returns over an extended time frame regardless of interim market fluctuations. Generally, we do not try to predict overall market movements.

In evaluating the use of an index swap for the Fund, we carefully consider how market changes could affect the swap and how that compares to our investing directly in the market the swap is intended to represent. When selecting dealers with whom we would make interest rate or index swap agreements for the Fund, we focus on those dealers with high-quality ratings and do careful credit analysis before engaging in the transaction.

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise. The risk is greater for bonds with longer maturities than for those with shorter maturities.

Swaps may be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes. Depending on the actual movements of interest rates and how well the portfolio manager anticipates them, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund will not invest in swaps with maturities of more than 10 years. Each business day (as defined below), we will calculate the amount the Fund must pay for swaps it holds and will segregate enough cash or other liquid securities to cover that amount.

Industry and security risks

Industry risk is 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.

Security risk is the risk that the value of an individual stock or bond will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of the individual company issuing the stock or bond (due to situations that could range from decreased sales to events such as a pending merger or actual or threatened bankruptcy).

How the Fund strives to manage them: We limit the amount of the Fund's assets invested in any one industry and in any individual security or issuer. We also follow a rigorous selection process when choosing securities for the portfolio.

Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value, which would impact a fund's performance.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund strives to minimize credit risk by investing primarily in higher quality, investment grade corporate bonds.

Prepayment risk

Prepayment risk is the risk that homeowners will prepay mortgages during periods of low interest rates, forcing a fund to reinvest its money at interest rates that might be lower than those on the prepaid mortgage. Prepayment risk may also affect other types of debt securities, but generally to a lesser extent than mortgage securities.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We take into consideration the likelihood of prepayment when we select mortgages. We may look for mortgage securities that have characteristics that make them less likely to be prepaid, such as low outstanding loan balances or below-market interest rates.

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the possibility that securities cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments, and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. A fund also may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities at a favorable time or price during periods of infrequent trading of an illiquid security.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund limits exposure to illiquid securities to no more than 15% of its net assets.

Derivatives risk

Derivatives risk is the possibility that a fund may experience a significant loss if it employs a derivatives strategy (including a strategy involving futures, options, and swaps) related to a security or a securities index and that security or index moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio management team had anticipated. Derivatives also involve additional expenses, which could reduce any benefit or increase any loss to a fund from using the strategy.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We will use derivatives for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, to neutralize the impact of interest rate changes, to increase diversification, or to earn additional income.

Currency risk

Currency risk is the risk that the value of a fund's investments may be negatively affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Adverse changes in exchange rates may reduce or eliminate any gains produced by investments that are denominated in foreign currencies and may increase any losses.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund, which has exposure to global and international investments, may be affected by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations and may incur costs in connection with conversions between currencies. To hedge this currency risk associated with investments in non-U.S. dollar-denominated securities, we may invest in forward foreign currency contracts. These activities pose special risks that do not typically arise in connection with investments in U.S. securities. In addition, we may engage in foreign currency options and futures transactions.

Foreign risk

Foreign risk is the risk that foreign securities may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, foreign economic or government conditions, increased transaction costs, or inadequate regulatory and accounting standards.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We attempt to reduce the risks presented by such investments by conducting world-wide fundamental research, including country visits. In addition, we monitor current economic and market conditions and trends, the political and regulatory environment, and the value of currencies in different countries in an effort to identify the most attractive countries and securities. Additionally, when currencies appear significantly overvalued compared to average real exchange rates, we may hedge exposure to those currencies for defensive purposes.

Foreign government securities risk

Foreign government securities risk involves the ability of a foreign government or government-related issuer to make timely principal and interest payments on its external debt obligations. This ability to make payments will be strongly influenced by the issuer's balance of payments, including export performance, its access to international credits and investments, fluctuations in interest rates, and the extent of its foreign reserves.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund attempts to reduce the risks associated with investing in foreign governments by limiting the portion of its assets that may be invested in such securities. The Fund will not invest more than 20% of its net assets in foreign securities.

Government and regulatory risks

Governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets. Government involvement in the private sector may, in some cases, include government investment in, or ownership of, companies in certain commercial business sectors; wage and price controls; or imposition of trade barriers and other protectionist measures. For example, an economic or political crisis may lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, the creation of government monopolies, foreign exchange controls, the introduction of new currencies (and the redenomination of financial obligations into those currencies), or other measures that could be detrimental to the investments of a fund.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We evaluate the economic and political climate in the U.S. and abroad before selecting securities for the Fund. We typically diversify the Fund's assets among a number of different securities in a variety of sectors in order to minimize the impact to the Fund of any legislative or regulatory development affecting particular countries, issuers, or market sectors.

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk involves the risk that a fund 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. Loans that are fully secured offer a fund more protection than unsecured loans in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal, although there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower's obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Some loans or claims may be in default at the time of purchase. Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by a fund may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing commitments that obligate a fund to pay additional cash on a certain date or on demand. These commitments may require a fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when that fund might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times hold and maintain, in a segregated account, cash or other high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

As a fund may be required to rely upon another lending institution to collect and pass on to the fund amounts payable with respect to the loan and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan and other direct indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving such amounts. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to the fund.

How the Fund strives to manage it: These risks may not be completely eliminated, but we will attempt to reduce them through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries, and financial markets. Should we determine that any of these securities may be illiquid, they would be subject to the Fund's restriction on illiquid securities.

Counterparty risk

If a fund enters into a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement, it will be subject to the risk that the counterparty to such a contract or agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization). As a result, the fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery, or may obtain no recovery at all.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund tries to minimize this risk by considering the creditworthiness of all parties before it enters into transactions with them. The Fund may hold collateral from counterparties consistent with applicable regulations.

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Who manages the Fund

Investment manager

The Manager is a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, which is a subsidiary of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. (DMHI). DMHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. The Manager makes investment decisions for the Fund, manages the Fund's business affairs, and provides daily administrative services. For its services to the Fund, the Manager was paid an aggregate fee, net of fee waivers, of 0.11% of average daily net assets during the last fiscal year.

A discussion of the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory contract is available in the Fund's semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended January 31, 2012.

Portfolio managers

Paul Grillo, Roger A. Early, Thomas H. Chow, and Brian McDonnell have day-to-day responsibilities for making investment decisions for the Fund.

Paul Grillo, CFA, Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer — Total Return Fixed Income Strategy
Paul Grillo is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation. He is also a member of the firm's asset allocation committee, which is responsible for building and managing multi-asset class portfolios. He joined Delaware Investments in 1992 as a mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities analyst, assuming portfolio management responsibilities in the mid-1990s. Grillo serves as co-lead portfolio manager for the firm's Diversified Income products and has been influential in the growth and distribution of the firm's multisector strategies. Prior to joining Delaware Investments, Grillo was a mortgage strategist and trader at Dreyfus Corporation. He also worked as a mortgage strategist and portfolio manager at Chemical Investment Group and as a financial analyst at Chemical Bank. Grillo holds a bachelor's degree in business management from North Carolina State University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Pace University.

 

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP, Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer — Total Return Fixed Income Strategy
Roger A. Early rejoined Delaware Investments in March 2007 as a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation. During his previous time at the firm, from 1994 to 2001, he was a senior portfolio manager in the same area, and he left Delaware Investments as head of its U.S. investment grade fixed income group. In recent years, Early was a senior portfolio manager at Chartwell Investment Partners and Rittenhouse Financial and was the chief investment officer for fixed income at Turner Investments. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in 1994, he worked for more than 10 years at Federated Investors where he managed more than $25 billion in mutual fund and institutional portfolios in the short-term and investment grade markets. He left the firm as head of institutional fixed income management. Earlier in his career, he held management positions with the Federal Reserve Bank, PNC Financial, Touche Ross, and Rockwell International. Early earned his bachelor's degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia.

 

Thomas H. Chow, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager
Thomas H. Chow is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation in investment grade credit exposures. He is the lead portfolio manager for Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, as well as several institutional mandates. His experience includes significant exposure to asset liability management strategies and credit risk opportunities. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in 2001 as a portfolio manager working on the Lincoln General Account, he was a trader of high grade and high yield securities, and was involved in the portfolio management of collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) and insurance portfolios at SunAmerica/AIG from 1997 to 2001. Before that, he was an analyst, trader, and portfolio manager at Conseco Capital Management from 1989 to 1997. Chow received a bachelor's degree in business analysis from Indiana University, and he is a Fellow of Life Management Institute.

Brian C. McDonnell, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager
Brian C. McDonnell is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and asset allocation. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in March 2007 as a vice president and senior structured products analyst / trader, he was a managing director and head of a fixed income trading at Sovereign Securities, where he was responsible for hedging and risk management of the firm's holdings. Earlier in his career, he spent more than 10 years in various fixed income capacities with Prudential Securities in New York. McDonnell has a bachelor's degree in finance from Boston College, and he is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of Fund shares.

Manager of managers structure

The Fund and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits the Manager, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisors, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (Manager of Managers Structure). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund's sub-advisors and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-advisor that is affiliated with the Fund or the Manager. While the Manager does not currently expect to use the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund, the Manager may, in the future, recommend to the Board the establishment of the Manager of Managers Structure by recommending the hiring of one or more sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Fund's portfolio.

The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the overall management and advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.

Who\'s who

Board of trustees: A mutual fund is governed by a board of trustees, which has oversight responsibility for the management of the fund's business affairs. Trustees establish procedures and oversee and review the performance of the fund's service providers.

Investment manager: An investment manager is a company responsible for selecting portfolio investments consistent with the objective and policies stated in the mutual fund's prospectus. A written contract between a mutual fund and its investment manager specifies the services the investment manager performs and the fee the manager is entitled to receive.

Portfolio managers: Portfolio managers make investment decisions for individual portfolios.

 

   

Distributor: Most mutual funds continuously offer new shares to the public through distributors that are regulated as broker/dealers and are subject to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules governing mutual fund sales practices.

Service agent: Mutual fund companies employ service agents (sometimes called transfer agents) to maintain records of shareholder accounts, calculate and disburse dividends and capital gains, and prepare and mail shareholder statements and tax information, among other functions. Many service agents also provide customer service to shareholders.

Custodian: Mutual funds are legally required to protect their portfolio securities, and most funds place them with a qualified bank custodian that segregates fund securities from other bank assets.

Financial advisors: Financial advisors provide advice to their clients. They are associated with securities broker/dealers who have entered into selling and/or service arrangements with the distributor. Selling broker/dealers and financial advisors are compensated for their services generally through sales commissions, and through 12b-1 fees and/or service fees deducted from a fund's assets.

Shareholders: Mutual fund shareholders have specific voting rights on matters such as material changes in the terms of a fund's management contract and changes to fundamental investment policies.

About your account

Investing in the Fund

You can choose from a number of share classes for the Fund. Because each share class has a different combination of sales charges, fees, and other features, you should consult your financial advisor to determine which class best suits your investment goals and time frame. Delaware Management Trust Company will not accept applications to open new 403(b) custodial accounts or accept contributions to existing 403(b) custodial accounts.

Choosing a share class

Each share class may be eligible for purchase through programs sponsored by financial intermediaries that require the purchase of a specific class of shares.

Class A, Class C, and Class R shares of the Fund have each adopted a separate 12b-1 plan that allows it to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Class A

  • Class A shares have an up-front sales charge of up to 4.50% that you pay when you buy the shares.

  • If you invest $100,000 or more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.

  • You may qualify for other reduced sales charges, and, under certain circumstances, the sales charge may be waived, as described in "How to reduce your sales charge" below.

  • Class A shares are also subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.30% (currently limited to 0.25%) of average daily net assets. See "Dealer compensation" below for further information.

  • Class A shares generally are not subject to a CDSC except in the limited circumstances described in the table below.

  • Class A shares generally are not available for purchase by anyone qualified to purchase Class R shares, except as described below.

Class A sales charges

The table below details your sales charges on purchases of Class A shares. The offering price for Class A shares includes the front-end sales charge. The sales charge as a percentage of the net amount invested is the maximum percentage of the amount invested rounded to the nearest hundredth. The actual sales charge that you pay as a percentage of the offering price and as a percentage of the net amount invested will vary depending on the then-current net asset value (NAV), the percentage rate of the sales charge, and rounding.

Amount of purchase Sales charge as a %
of offering price
Sales charge as a %
of net amount invested
Less than $100,000 4.50% 5.13%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.50% 4.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 3.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 2.00% 2.44%
$1 million or more none* none*

* There is no front-end sales charge when you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares. However, if the Distributor paid your financial advisor a commission on your purchase of $1 million or more of Class A shares, you will have to pay a Limited CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem these shares within the first year after your purchase and 0.50% if you redeem them within the second year, unless a specific waiver of the Limited CDSC applies. The Limited CDSC will be paid to the Distributor and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the NAV at the time the Class A shares being redeemed were purchased; or (2) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of the Class A shares even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund and, in the event of an exchange of Class A shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares acquired in the exchange. In determining whether a Limited CDSC is payable, it will be assumed that shares not subject to the Limited CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. See "Dealer compensation" below for a description of the dealer commission that is paid.

Class C

  • Class C shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. However, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem your shares within 12 months after you buy them.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class C shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than 12 months are redeemed first followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held for 12 months or less. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts. 

  • Class C shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • You may purchase only up to $1 million of Class C shares at any one time. Orders that exceed $1 million will be rejected.  The limitation on maximum purchases varies for retirement plans. 

Class R

  • Class R shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. Class R shares are not subject to a CDSC.

  • Class R shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.60% (currently limited to 0.50%) of average daily net assets.

  • Class R shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • Class R shares generally are available only to: (i) qualified and nonqualified plan shareholders covering multiple employees (including 401(k), 401(a), 457, and noncustodial 403(b) plans, as well as other nonqualified deferred compensation plans) with assets (at the time shares are considered for purchase) of $10 million or less; and (ii) individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers from plans that were previously maintained on the Delaware Investments® retirement recordkeeping system or BISYS's retirement recordkeeping system that are offering Class R shares to participants.

  • Except as noted above, no other IRAs are eligible for Class R shares (for example, no traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs, SARSEPs). For purposes of determining plan asset levels, affiliated plans may be combined at the request of the plan sponsor.

  • Any account holding Class A shares as of the date Class R shares were made available continues to be eligible to purchase Class A shares after that date. Any account holding Class R shares is not eligible to purchase Class A shares.

Institutional Class

  • Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund.

  • Institutional Class shares do not assess a CDSC or a 12b-1 fee;

  • Institutional Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

    • rollover IRAs from retirement plans and retirement plans introduced by persons not associated with brokers or dealers that are primarily engaged in the retail securities business;

    • tax-exempt employee benefit plans of the Manager, its affiliates, and securities dealers that have a selling agreement with the Distributor;

    • institutional advisory clients (including mutual funds) of the Manager or its affiliates, as well as those clients' affiliates, and their corporate sponsors, subsidiaries, related employee benefit plans, and rollover IRAs of, or from, such institutional advisory clients;

    • a bank, trust company, or similar financial institution investing for its own account or for the account of its trust customers for whom the financial institution is exercising investment discretion in purchasing Institutional Class shares, except where the investment is part of a program that requires payment to the financial institution of a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee;

    • RIAs investing on behalf of clients that consist solely of institutions and high net worth individuals having at least $1 million entrusted to an RIA for investment purposes (use of the Institutional Class shares is restricted to RIAs who are not affiliated or associated with a broker or dealer and who derive compensation for their services exclusively from their advisory clients);

    • certain plans qualified under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, for which the Manager, Distributor, or Delaware Service Company, Inc. (DSC), or one or more of their affiliates, provide record keeping, administrative, investment management, marketing, distribution, or similar services;

    • programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries where: (1) such programs allow or require the purchase of Institutional Class shares; (2) the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement covering the arrangement with the Distributor and/or DSC; and (3) the financial intermediary (i) charges clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment consulting or similar services, or (ii) offers the Institutional Class shares through a no-commission network or platform; or

    • private investment vehicles, including, but not limited to, foundations and endowments.

Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class C
CDSCs are charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject to the CDSC. The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the NAV at the time the shares being redeemed were purchased or the NAV of those shares at the time of redemption. No CDSC will be imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price, nor will a CDSC be assessed on redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of Class C shares of the Fund, even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund. In the event of an exchange of the shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares that were acquired in the exchange.

Dealer compensation

The financial advisor that sells you shares of the Fund may be eligible to receive the following amounts as compensation for your investment in the Fund. These amounts are paid by the Distributor to the securities dealer with whom your financial advisor is associated. Institutional Class shares do not have a 12b-1 fee or sales charge so they are not included in the chart below.

Class A 1 Class C 2 Class R 3
Commission (%) 1.00%
Investment less than $100,000 4.00% - -
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 1.60%
$1 million but less than $5 million 1.00%
$5 million but less than $25 million 0.50%
$25 million or more 0.25%
12b-1 fee to dealer 0.30% 1.00% 0.60%


1 On sales of Class A shares, the Distributor reallows to your securities dealer a portion of the front-end sales charge depending upon the amount you invested. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.30% from the date of purchase. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares is 0.30%, however the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.25% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.
2 On sales of Class C shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 1.00%. The up-front commission includes an advance of the first year's 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25%. During the first 12 months, the Distributor retains the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee to partially offset the up-front commission and the prepaid 0.25% service fee advanced at the time of purchase. Starting in the 13th month, your securities dealer may be eligible to receive the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee applicable to Class C. Alternatively, certain intermediaries may not be eligible to receive the up-front commission of 1.00%, but may receive the 12b-1 fee for Class C shares from the date of purchase.
3 On sales of Class R shares, the Distributor does not pay your securities dealer an up-front commission. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.60% from the date of purchase. However, the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.50% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.

Payments to intermediaries

The Distributor and its affiliates may pay additional compensation at their own expense and not as an expense of the Fund to certain affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries (Financial Intermediaries) in connection with the sale or retention of Fund shares and/or shareholder servicing, including providing the Fund with "shelf space" or a higher profile with the Financial Intermediaries' consultants, salespersons, and customers (distribution assistance). For example, the Distributor or its affiliates may pay additional compensation to financial intermediaries for various purposes, including, but not limited to, promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative, or shareholder processing services, marketing, educational support, and ticket charges. Such payments are in addition to any distribution fees, service fees, and/or transfer agency fees that may be payable by the Fund. The additional payments may be based on factors, including level of sales (based on gross or net sales or some specified minimum sales or some other similar criteria related to sales of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), amount of assets invested by the Financial Intermediary's customers (which could include current or aged assets of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), the Fund's advisory fees, some other agreed upon amount, or other measures as determined from time to time by the Distributor. The level of payments made to a qualifying Financial Intermediary in any given year may vary. To the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Distributor may pay, or allow its affiliates to pay, other promotional incentives or payments to Financial Intermediaries.

If a mutual fund sponsor or distributor makes greater payments for distribution assistance to your Financial Intermediary with respect to distribution of shares of that particular mutual fund than sponsors or distributors of other mutual funds make to your Financial Intermediary with respect to the distribution of the shares of their mutual funds, your Financial Intermediary and its salespersons may have a financial incentive to favor sales of shares of the mutual fund making the higher payments over shares of other mutual funds or over other investment options. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a Financial Intermediary may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. You should consult with your Financial Intermediary and review carefully any disclosure provided by such Financial Intermediary as to compensation it receives in connection with investment products it recommends or sells to you. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase sales of the Fund's shares. The Manager or its affiliates may benefit from the Distributor's or its affiliate's payment of compensation to financial intermediaries through increased fees resulting from additional assets acquired through the sale of Fund shares through financial intermediaries. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your Financial Intermediary. Any such payments will not change the net asset value (NAV) or the price of the Fund's shares. 

How to reduce your sales charge

We offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the sales charge on shares. Please refer to the SAI for detailed information and eligibility requirements. You can also get additional information from your financial advisor. You or your financial advisor must notify us at the time you purchase shares if you are eligible for any of these programs. You may also need to provide information to your financial advisor or the Fund in order to qualify for a reduction in sales charges. Such information may include your Delaware Investments ® Funds holdings in any other accounts, including retirement accounts, held indirectly or through an intermediary, and the names of qualifying family members and their holdings. We reserve the right to determine whether any purchase is entitled, by virtue of the foregoing, to the reduced sales charge. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

Letter of intent and rights of accumulation

Through a letter of intent you agree to invest a certain amount in Delaware Investments ® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge) over a 13-month period to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

You can combine your holdings or purchases of all Delaware Investments ® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge) as well as the holdings and purchases of your spouse and children under 21 to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class C
Available Although the letter of intent and rights of accumulation do not apply to Class C, you can combine the value of your Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your letter of intent or qualify for rights of accumulation.

Reinvestment of redeemed shares

Up to 12 months after you redeem shares, you can reinvest the proceeds without paying a sales charge.

Class A Class C
Available. You will not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available

SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase,
403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans

These investment plans may qualify for reduced sales charges by combining the purchases of all members of the group.  Members of these groups may also qualify to purchase shares without a front-end sales charge and may qualify for a waiver of any CDSCs on Class A shares.

Class A Class C
You may not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available.

Buying Class A shares at net asset value

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at NAV under the following circumstances, provided that you notify the Fund in advance that the trade qualifies for this privilege.  The Fund reserves the right to modify or terminate these arrangements at any time.

  • Shares purchased under the Delaware Investments® dividend reinvestment plan and, under certain circumstances, the exchange privilege and the 12-month reinvestment privilege.

  • Purchases by: (i) current and former officers, Trustees/Directors, and employees of any Delaware Investments® Fund, the Manager, or any of the Manager's current affiliates and those that may in the future be created; (ii) legal counsel to the Delaware Investments® Funds; and (iii) registered representatives and employees of broker/dealers who have entered into dealer's agreements with the Distributor. At the direction of such persons, their family members (regardless of age) and any employee benefit plan established by any of the foregoing entities, counsel, or broker/dealers may also purchase shares at NAV.

  • Shareholders who own Class A shares of Delaware Cash Reserve ® Fund as a result of a liquidation of a Delaware Investments ® Fund may exchange into Class A shares of another Delaware Investments® Fund at NAV.

  • Purchases by bank employees who provide services in connection with agreements between the bank and unaffiliated brokers or dealers concerning sales of shares of the Delaware Investments® Funds.

  • Purchases by certain officers, trustees, and key employees of institutional clients of the Manager or any of its affiliates.

  • Purchases for the benefit of the clients of brokers, dealers, and registered investment advisors if such brokers, dealers, or investment advisors have entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for the purchase of Class A shares in connection with special investment products, such as wrap accounts or similar fee-based programs. Investors may be charged a fee when effecting transactions in Class A shares through a broker or agent that offers these special investment products.

  • Purchases by financial institutions investing for the accounts of their trust customers if they are not eligible to purchase shares of the Fund's Institutional Class, if applicable.

  • Purchases by retirement plans that are maintained on retirement platforms sponsored by financial intermediary firms, provided the financial intermediary firms or their trust companies (or entities performing similar trading/clearing functions) have entered into an agreement with respect to such retirement platforms.

  • Purchases by certain legacy bank sponsored retirement plans that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Purchases by certain legacy retirement assets that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Investments made by plan level and/or participant retirement accounts that are for the purpose of repaying a loan taken from such accounts.

  • Purchases by certain participants in defined contribution plans and members of their households whose plan assets will be rolled over into IRA accounts (IRA Program) where the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement specifically relating to such IRA Program with the Distributor and/or the Fund's transfer agent.

  • Purchases by certain participants of particular group retirement plans as described in the SAI.

  • Loan repayments made to a Fund account in connection with loans originated from accounts previously maintained by another investment firm.

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

Certain sales charges may be based on historical cost. Therefore, you should maintain any records that substantiate these costs because the Fund, its transfer agent, and financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Information about existing sales charges and sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge on the Delaware Investments® Funds' website at delawareinvestments.com. Additional information on sales charges can be found in the SAI, which is available upon request. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

The Fund's applicable CDSCs may be waived under the following circumstances:

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan, provided the annual amount selected to be withdrawn under the plan does not exceed 12% of the value of the account on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan was established or modified.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account if the aggregate NAV of the shares held in the account is less than the then-effective minimum account size.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan distributions

Distributions to participants or beneficiaries from a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code).

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan redemptions

Redemptions pursuant to the direction of a participant or beneficiary of a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to that retirement plan.

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans) not subject to a penalty under Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans).

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Distributions by other employee benefit plans

Distributions by other employee benefit plans to pay benefits.

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan that are not subject to a penalty pursuant to Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan 2 as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code. The systematic withdrawal may be pursuant to the systematic withdrawal plan for the Delaware Investments® Funds or a systematic withdrawal permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from death or disability

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from the death or disability (as defined in Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code) of a registered owner or a registered joint owner occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed. In the case of accounts established under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act or trust accounts, the waiver applies upon the death of all beneficial owners.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets that meet the requirements set forth in the SAI.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV, regardless of the size of the purchase. 

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

 

1 The waiver of Class A shares relates to a waiver of the Limited CDSC.  Please note that you or your financial advisor will have to notify us at the time of purchase that the trade qualifies for such waiver.
2 Qualified plans that are fully redeemed at the direction of the plan's fiduciary are subject to any applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan.

How to buy shares

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of purchasing shares, including opening an account. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

Complete an investment slip and mail it with your check, made payable to the fund and class of shares you wish to purchase, to Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed investment application (or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are opening a retirement account) with your check.

Please note that purchase orders submitted by mail will not be accepted until such purchase orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for investments by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. Please do not send purchase orders to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By wire

Ask your bank to wire the amount you want to invest to The Bank of New York Mellon, ABA #011001234, bank account #000073-6910. Include your account number and the name of the fund and class of shares in which you want to invest. If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must first call us at 800 523-1918 so we can assign you an account number.

By exchange

You may exchange all or part of your investment in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds for shares of other Delaware Investments® Funds. Please keep in mind, however, that under most circumstances you are allowed to exchange only between like classes of shares. To open an account by exchange, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A and Class C shares only, you may purchase or exchange shares through our automated telephone service, or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Calculating share price

The price you pay for shares will depend on when we receive your purchase order. If your order is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will pay that day's closing share price, which is based on a fund's NAV. If your order is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will pay the next Business Day's price. We reserve the right to reject any purchase order.

We determine the NAV per share for each class of a Delaware Investments® Fund at the close of regular trading on the NYSE on each Business Day. The NAV per share for each class of a fund is calculated by subtracting the liabilities of each class from its total assets and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding for that class. We generally price securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available at their market value. For a fund that invests primarily in foreign securities, the NAV may change on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem fund shares because foreign markets are open at times and on days when U.S. markets are not. We price fixed income securities on the basis of valuations provided to us by an independent pricing service that uses methods approved by the Board. For all other securities, we use methods approved by the Board that are designed to price securities at their fair market values.

Fair valuation

When the Fund uses fair value pricing, it may take into account any factors it deems appropriate. The Fund may determine fair value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets), and/or U.S. sector or broad stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value pricing may involve subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

The Fund anticipates using fair value pricing for securities primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension of trading in the security. The Fund may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Fund values its securities at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim. To account for this, the Fund may frequently value many foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

The Board has delegated responsibility for valuing the Fund's assets to a Pricing Committee of the Manager, which operates under the policies and procedures approved by the Board and which is subject to the Board's oversight.

Retirement plans

In addition to being an appropriate investment for your IRA, Roth IRA, and Coverdell Education Savings Account, the Fund may be suitable for group retirement plans. You may establish your IRA account even if you are already a participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. For more information on how the Fund can play an important role in your retirement planning or for details about group plans, please consult your financial advisor, or call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Document delivery

To reduce fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of a fund's financial reports and prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. At any time you may view current prospectuses and financial reports on our website.

Inactive accounts

Please note that your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.

How to redeem shares

When you send us a properly completed request to redeem or exchange shares and the request is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), you will receive the NAV next determined after we receive your request. If we receive your request after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will receive the NAV next determined on the next Business Day. We will deduct any applicable CDSCs. You may also have to pay taxes on the proceeds from your sale of shares. We will send you a check, normally the next Business Day, but no later than seven days after we receive your request to sell your shares. If you purchased your shares by check and sell them before your check has cleared, which can take up to 15 days, we will wait until your check has cleared before we send you your redemption proceeds.

If you are required to pay a CDSC when you redeem your shares, the amount subject to the fee will be based on the shares' NAV when you purchased them or their NAV when you redeem them, whichever is less. This arrangement ensures that you will not pay a CDSC on any increase in the value of your shares. You also will not pay the charge on any shares acquired by reinvesting dividends or capital gains. If you exchange shares of one fund for shares of another, you do not pay a CDSC at the time of the exchange. If you later redeem those shares, the purchase price for purposes of the CDSC formula will be the price you paid for the original shares, not the exchange price. The redemption price for purposes of this formula will be the NAV of the shares you are actually redeeming.

If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the certificates with your request to sell the shares. We recommend that you send your certificates by certified mail.

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of redeeming your shares. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

You may redeem your shares by mail by writing to: Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. All owners of the account must sign the request. For redemptions of more than $100,000, you must include a signature guarantee for each owner. Signature guarantees are also required when redemption proceeds are going to an address other than the address of record on the account.

Please note that redemption orders submitted by mail will not be considered accepted until such orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for redemptions by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. Please do not send redemption requests to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By telephone

You may redeem up to $100,000 of your shares by telephone. You may have the proceeds sent to you by check or, if you redeem at least $1,000 of shares, you may have the proceeds sent directly to your bank by wire. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

By wire

You may redeem $1,000 or more of your shares and have the proceeds deposited directly to your bank account, normally the next Business Day after we receive your request. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares only, you may redeem shares through our automated telephone service or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. 

Redemptions-in-kind

The Fund has reserved the right to pay for redemptions with portfolio securities under certain conditions. See the SAI for more information on redemptions-in-kind.

Account minimums

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below the required account minimum of $1,000 ($250 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, or accounts with automatic investing plans, and $500 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) for three or more consecutive months, you will have until the end of the current calendar quarter to raise the balance to the minimum. If your account is not at the minimum by the required time, you may be charged a $9 fee for that quarter and each quarter after that until your account reaches the minimum balance. If your account does not reach the minimum balance, we may redeem your account after 60 days' written notice to you. Any CDSC that would otherwise be applicable will not apply to such a redemption.

For Institutional Class shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below $250, the Fund may redeem your shares after 60 days' written notice to you.

Investor services

To help make investing with us as easy as possible, and to help you build your investments, we offer the following investor services.

Automatic investment plan

The automatic investment plan allows you to make regular monthly or quarterly investments directly from your checking account.

Direct deposit

With direct deposit, you can make additional investments through payroll deductions, recurring government or private payments such as Social Security, or direct transfers from your bank account.

Electronic delivery

With Delaware eDelivery, you can receive your fund documents electronically instead of via U.S. mail. When you sign up for eDelivery, you can access your account statements, shareholder reports, and other fund materials online, in a secure internet environment at any time, from anywhere.

Online account access

Online account access is a password-protected area of the Delaware Investments ® Funds' website that gives you access to your account information and allows you to perform transactions in a secure internet environment.

Systematic exchange option

With the systematic exchange option, you can arrange automatic monthly exchanges between your shares in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds. These exchanges are subject to the same rules as regular exchanges (see below) and require a minimum monthly exchange of $100 per fund.

Dividend reinvestment plan

Through the dividend reinvestment plan, you can have your distributions reinvested in your account or the same share class in another Delaware Investments® Fund. The shares that you purchase through the dividend reinvestment plan are not subject to a front-end sales charge or to a CDSC. Under most circumstances, you may reinvest dividends only into like classes of shares.

Exchanges

You may generally exchange all or part of your shares for shares of the same class of another Delaware Investments® Fund without paying a front-end sales charge or a CDSC at the time of the exchange. However, if you exchange shares from a money market fund that does not have a sales charge, you will pay any applicable sales charge on your new shares. When exchanging Class C shares of one fund for the same class of shares in other funds, your new shares will be subject to the same CDSC as the shares you originally purchased. The holding period for the CDSC will also remain the same, with the amount of time you held your original shares being credited toward the holding period of your new shares. In certain other circumstances, you may also be permitted to exchange your shares for shares of a different class of the Fund, but such exchange may be subject to a sales charge for the new shares. (Please refer to the SAI for more details.) You do not pay sales charges on shares that you acquired through the reinvestment of dividends. You may have to pay taxes on your exchange. When you exchange shares, you are purchasing shares in another fund, so you should be sure to get a copy of the fund's prospectus and read it carefully before buying shares through an exchange. We may refuse the purchase side of any exchange request if, in the Manager's judgment, a fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected.

On demand service

Through the on demand service, you or your financial advisor may transfer money between your Fund account and your predesignated bank account by telephone request. This service is not available for retirement plans. There is a minimum transfer of $25 and a maximum transfer of $100,000, except for purchases into IRAs. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one.

Direct deposit service

Through the direct deposit service, you can have $25 or more in dividends and distributions deposited directly into your bank account. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one. This service is not available for retirement plans.

Systematic withdrawal plan

For Class A and Class C shares, you can arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your account made to you or someone you designate. If the value of your account is $5,000 or more, you can make withdrawals of at least $25 monthly, or $75 quarterly. You may also have your withdrawals deposited directly to your bank account through the direct deposit service.

The applicable Limited CDSC for Class A shares and the CDSC for Class C shares redeemed via a systematic withdrawal plan will be waived if the annual amount withdrawn in each year is less than 12% of the account balance on the date that the plan is established. If the annual amount withdrawn in any year exceeds 12% of the account balance on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan is established, all redemptions under the plan will be subject to the applicable CDSC, including an assessment for previously redeemed amounts under the plan.

Frequent trading of Fund shares

The Fund discourages purchases by market timers and purchase orders (including the purchase side of exchange orders) by shareholders identified as market timers may be rejected. The Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect, deter, and prevent trading activity detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders, such as market timing. The Fund will consider anyone who follows a pattern of market timing in any Delaware Investments® Fund or the Optimum Fund Trust to be a market timer and may consider anyone who has followed a similar pattern of market timing at an unaffiliated fund family to be a market timer.

Market timing of a fund occurs when investors make consecutive, rapid, short-term "roundtrips" — that is, purchases into a fund followed quickly by redemptions out of that fund. A short-term roundtrip is any redemption of fund shares within 20 Business Days of a purchase of that fund's shares. If you make a second such short-term roundtrip in a fund within 90 rolling calendar days as a previous short-term roundtrip in that fund, you may be considered a market timer. In determining whether market timing has occurred, the Fund will consider short-term roundtrips to include rapid purchases and sales of Fund shares through the exchange privilege. The Fund reserves the right to consider other trading patterns to be market timing.

Your ability to use the Fund's exchange privilege may be limited if you are identified as a market timer. If you are identified as a market timer, we will execute the redemption side of your exchange order but may refuse the purchase side of your exchange order. The Fund reserves the right to restrict or reject, without prior notice, any purchase order or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase order or exchange order accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary or in any omnibus-type account. Transactions placed in violation of the Fund's market timing policy are not necessarily deemed accepted by the Fund and may be rejected by the Fund on the next Business Day following receipt by the Fund.

Redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance with the Fund's current prospectus. A redemption of shares under these circumstances could be costly to a shareholder if, for example, the shares have declined in value, the shareholder recently paid a front-end sales charge, the shares are subject to a CDSC, or the sale results in adverse tax consequences. To avoid this risk, a shareholder should carefully monitor the purchases, sales, and exchanges of Fund shares and avoid frequent trading in Fund shares.

The Fund reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice, including modifications to the Fund's monitoring procedures and the procedures to close accounts to new purchases. Although the implementation of this policy involves judgments that are inherently subjective and may be selectively applied, we seek to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund's shareholders. While we will take actions designed to detect and prevent market timing, there can be no assurance that such trading activity will be completely eliminated. Moreover, the Fund's market timing policy does not require the Fund to take action in response to frequent trading activity. If the Fund elects not to take any action in response to frequent trading, such frequent trading activity could continue.

Risks of market timing

By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, the Fund may have difficulty implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading activity. Excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash to accommodate short-term trading activity. This could adversely affect the Fund's performance, if, for example, the Fund incurs increased brokerage costs and realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage.

A fund that invests significantly in foreign securities may be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because foreign securities are typically traded on markets that close well before the time a fund calculates its NAV (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Developments that occur between the closing of the foreign market and a fund's NAV calculation may affect the value of these foreign securities. The time-zone differences among international stock markets can allow a shareholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy to exploit differences in fund share prices that are based on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before a fund calculates its own share price.

Any fund that invests in securities that are thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid has the risk that the securities prices used to calculate the fund's NAV may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences. Funds that may be adversely affected by such arbitrage include, in particular, funds that significantly invest in small-cap securities, technology, and other specific industry sector securities, and in certain fixed income securities, such as high yield bonds, asset-backed securities, or municipal bonds.

Transaction monitoring procedures

The Fund, through its transfer agent, maintains surveillance procedures designed to detect excessive or short-term trading in Fund shares. This monitoring process involves several factors, which include scrutinizing transactions in Fund shares for violations of the Fund's market timing policy or other patterns of short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of these transaction monitoring procedures, the Fund may consider trading activity by multiple accounts under common ownership, control, or influence to be trading by a single entity. Trading activity identified by these factors, or as a result of any other available information, will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute market timing. These procedures may be modified from time to time to improve the detection of excessive or short-term trading or to address other concerns. Such changes may be necessary or appropriate, for example, to deal with issues specific to certain retirement plans; plan exchange limits; U.S. Department of Labor regulations; certain automated or pre-established exchange, asset-allocation, or dollar cost averaging programs; or omnibus account arrangements.

Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund, particularly among certain broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries, including sponsors of retirement plans and variable insurance products. The Fund will attempt to have financial intermediaries apply the Fund's monitoring procedures to these omnibus accounts and to the individual participants in such accounts. However, to the extent that a financial intermediary is not able or willing to monitor or enforce the Fund's frequent trading policy with respect to an omnibus account, the Fund or its agents may require the financial intermediary to impose its frequent trading policy, rather than the Fund's policy, to shareholders investing in the Fund through the financial intermediary. In addition, the Fund or its transfer agent may enter into shareholder information agreements with such financial intermediaries under which the Fund may receive information (such as taxpayer identification numbers and Fund transaction activity) in order to identify frequent trading activity.

A financial intermediary may impose different requirements or have additional restrictions on the frequency of trading than the Fund. Such restrictions may include, without limitation, requiring the trades to be placed by U.S. mail, prohibiting purchases for a designated period of time (typically 30 to 90 days) by investors who have recently purchased or redeemed Fund shares, and similar restrictions. The Fund's ability to impose such restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular financial intermediaries may vary depending on systems capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions, and cooperation of those financial intermediaries.

You should consult your financial intermediary regarding the application of such restrictions and to determine whether your financial intermediary imposes any additional or different limitations. In an effort to discourage market timers in such accounts, the Fund may consider enforcement against market timers at the participant level and at the omnibus level, up to and including termination of the omnibus account's authorization to purchase Fund shares.

Limitations on ability to detect and curtail market timing

Shareholders seeking to engage in market timing may employ a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the Fund and its agents to detect market timing in Fund shares, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify these shareholders or curtail their trading practices. In particular, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing attributable to a particular investor who effects purchase, redemption, and/or exchange activity in Fund shares through omnibus accounts. The difficulty of detecting market timing may be further compounded if these entities utilize multiple tiers or omnibus accounts.

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

Dividends and distributions

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund expects to declare dividends daily and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually, usually in December. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. We automatically reinvest all dividends and any capital gains, unless you direct us to do otherwise.

Annual statements

Each year, the Fund will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior to issuing your statement, the Fund makes every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, if the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099.

Avoid "buying a dividend"

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund's NAV may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

Tax considerations

Fund distributions. The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. With respect to income dividends paid on or before December 31, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent), a portion of income dividends reported by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. Because the income of the Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid to you by the Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individuals at long-term capital gain tax rates.

Sale or redemption of Fund shares. A sale or redemption of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different Delaware Investments® Fund is the same as a sale. Beginning with the 2012 calendar year, the Fund will be required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also the cost basis for shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 ("covered shares"). Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund's default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period, or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be affected. Additional information and updates regarding cost basis reporting and available shareholder elections will be on Delaware Investment's website at delawareinvestments.com as the information becomes available.

Medicare tax. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

Backup withholding. By law, if you do not provide the Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. The Fund also must withhold if the Internal Revenue Service instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid (for distributions and proceeds paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent).

State and local taxes. Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

Non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. An exemption from U.S. withholding tax is provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from long-term capital gains, if any. However, notwithstanding such exemption from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% (or the then applicable rate) if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") requires the reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gain distributions (including proceeds arising from the sale Fund shares) paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016 to certain "foreign financial institutions" and "non-financial foreign entities."

This discussion of "Dividends, distributions, and taxes" is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund.

Certain management considerations

Investments by funds of funds and similar investment vehicles

The Fund may accept investments from funds of funds, as well as from similar investment vehicles, such as 529 Plans. A "529 Plan" is a college savings program that operates under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. From time to time, the Fund may experience large investments or redemptions due to allocations or rebalancings by these funds of funds and/or similar investment vehicles. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on portfolio management. For example, the Fund may be required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. These transactions could also have tax consequences if sales of securities result in gains, and could also increase transaction costs or portfolio turnover.

Financial highlights

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years or, if shorter, the period of the Fund's operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the 2012, 2011, and 2010 fiscal periods has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request by calling 800 523-1918. For the fiscal years prior to 2010, the Fund's prior independent registered public accounting firm audited the Fund's financial statements.

Year ended Period from Year ended
Class A Shares 7/31/12 7/31/11 11/1/09
to 7/31/10 1
10/31/09 2 10/31/08 2 10/31/07 2
Net asset value, beginning of period $10.890 $10.750 $10.370 $9.200 $9.880 $9.940
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 3 0.140 0.199 0.159 0.445 0.460 0.457
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.707 0.274 0.434 1.195 (0.643) (0.014)
Total from investment operations 0.847 0.473 0.593 1.640 (0.183) 0.443
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.205) (0.249) (0.213) (0.470) (0.497) (0.503)
Net realized gain (0.382) (0.084)
Total dividends and distributions (0.587) (0.333) (0.213) (0.470) (0.497) (0.503)
Net asset value, end of period $11.150 $10.890 $10.750 $10.370 $9.200 $9.880
Total return 4 8.03% 4.49% 5.89% 18.29% (2.07%) 4.68%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $3,021 $4,348 $4,022 $6,346 $6,757 $13,791
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.90% 0.90% 0.90% 0.70% 0.39% 0.39%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.34% 1.46% 2.25% 1.60% 1.12% 0.66%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 1.27% 1.86% 2.04% 4.35% 4.66% 4.61%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 0.83% 1.30% 0.69% 3.45% 3.93% 4.33%
Portfolio turnover 517% 503% 528% 346% 391% 251%

During the period ended July 31, 2010, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from October to July. Ratios have been annualized and portfolio turnover and total return have not been annualized.

Effective September 30, 2009, the Fund received all of the assets and liabilities of the Delaware Pooled ® Trust — The Intermediate Fixed Income Portfolio (the Portfolio). The Class A shares financial highlights for the periods prior to September 30, 2009 reflect the performance of the Institutional Class shares of the Portfolio. Fees paid by the Portfolio were less than Class A share fees, and performance would have been lower if Class A fees were paid.

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and/or distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Year ended Period from
Class C Shares 7/31/12 7/31/11 11/1/09 to 7/31/10 1 9/30/09 2 to 10/31/09
Net asset value, beginning of period $10.930 $10.790 $10.370 $10.310
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income 3 0.058 0.120 0.103 0.030
Net realized and unrealized gain 0.707 0.273 0.469 0.059
Total from investment operations 0.765 0.393 0.572 0.089
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.123) (0.169) (0.152) (0.029)
Net realized gain (0.382) (0.084)
Total dividends and distributions (0.505) (0.253) (0.152) (0.029)
Net asset value, end of period $11.190 $10.930 $10.790 $10.370
Total return 4 7.20% 3.70% 5.67% 0.86%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $1,483 $347 $145 $2
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.65% 1.65% 1.65% 1.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived 2.04% 2.16% 2.95% 5.32%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 0.52% 1.11% 1.29% 3.33%
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets
prior to fees waived
0.13% 0.60% (0.01%) (0.34%)
Portfolio turnover 517% 503% 528% 346% 5

During the period ended July 31, 2010, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from October to July. Ratios have been annualized and portfolio turnover and total return have not been annualized.

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return has not been annualized. 

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

Portfolio turnover is representative of the Fund for the entire year.

Year ended Period from
Class R Shares 7/31/12 7/31/11 11/1/09 to 7/31/10 1 9/30/09 2 to 10/31/09
Net asset value, beginning of period $10.920 $10.830 $10.370 $10.310
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income 3 0.113 0.174 0.141 0.035
Net realized and unrealized gain 0.700 0.226 4 0.510 0.059
Total from investment operations 0.813 0.400 4 0.651 0.094
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.181) (0.226) (0.191) (0.034)
Net realized gain (0.382) (0.084)
Total dividends and distributions (0.563) (0.310) (0.191) (0.034)
Net asset value, end of period $11.170 $10.920 4 $10.830 $10.370
Total return 5 7.68% 3.76% 4 6.44% 0.90%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $2 $2 $2 $2
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.15% 1.15% 1.15% 1.15%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived 1.64% 1.76% 2.55% 4.92%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 1.02% 1.61% 1.79% 3.83%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived
0.53% 1.00% 0.39% 0.06%
Portfolio turnover 517% 503% 528% 346% 6

During the period ended July 31, 2010, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from October to July. Ratios have been annualized and portfolio turnover and total return have not been annualized.

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return has not been annualized. 

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Includes adjustments from the period ending July 31, 2010 in the amount of $13 (or $0.063 per share) which impacted total return by -0.59%. The adjustment is to correct a mis-allocation of distributions among share classes which had no impact on distribution amounts reported and paid to shareholders.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Portfolio turnover is representative of the Fund for the entire year.

Year ended Period from
Institutional Class Shares 7/31/12 7/30/11 11/1/09 to 7/31/10 1 9/30/09 2 to 10/31/09
Net asset value, beginning of period $10.980 $10.830 $10.370 $10.310
Income from investment operations:
Net investment income 3 0.168 0.227 0.181 0.039
Net realized and unrealized gain 0.708 0.285 0.512 0.060
Total from investment operations 0.876 0.512 0.693 0.099
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net Investment Income (0.234) (0.278) (0.233) (0.039)
Net realized gain (0.382) (0.084)
Total dividends and distributions (0.616) (0.362) (0.233) (0.039)
Net asset value, end of period $11.240 $10.980 $10.830 $10.370
Total return 4 8.25% 4.83% 6.76% 0.96%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $24,937 $21,350 $15,895 $2
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived 1.04% 1.16% 1.95% 4.32%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 1.52% 2.11% 2.29% 4.33%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived
1.13% 1.60% 0.99% 0.66%
Portfolio turnover 517% 503% 528% 346% 5

During the period ended July 31, 2010, the Fund changed its fiscal year end from October to July. Ratios have been annualized and portfolio turnover and total return have not been annualized.

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return has not been annualized. 

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

Portfolio turnover is representative of the Fund for the entire year.

How to read the financial highlights

Net investment income (loss)
Net investment income (loss) includes dividend and interest income earned from a fund's investments; it is calculated after expenses have been deducted.

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
A realized gain occurs when we sell an investment at a profit, while a realized loss occurs when we sell an investment at a loss. When an investment increases or decreases in value but we do not sell it, we record an unrealized gain or loss. The amount of realized gain per share, if any, that we pay to shareholders would be listed under "Less dividends and distributions from: Net realized gain on investments."

Net asset value (NAV)
This is the value of a mutual fund share, calculated by dividing the net assets by the number of shares outstanding.

Total return
This represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a fund. In calculating this figure for the financial highlights table, we include applicable fee waivers, exclude front-end sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges, and assume the shareholder has reinvested all dividends and realized gains.

Net assets
Net assets represent the total value of all the assets in a fund's portfolio, less any liabilities, that are attributable to that class of the fund.

Ratio of expenses to average net assets
The expense ratio is the percentage of net assets that a fund pays annually for operating expenses and management fees. These expenses include accounting and administration expenses, services for shareholders, and similar expenses.

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets
We determine this ratio by dividing net investment income (loss) by average net assets.

Portfolio turnover
This figure tells you the amount of trading activity in a fund's portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur if, for example, a fund bought and sold all of the securities in its portfolio once in the course of a year or frequently traded a single security. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains.

Additional information

Contact information

  • Website: delawareinvestments.com

  • Shareholder Service Center: 800 523-1918 (representatives available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time)

    • For fund information, literature, price, yield, and performance figures.

    • For information on existing regular investment accounts and retirement plan accounts including wire investments, wire redemptions, telephone redemptions, and telephone exchanges.

  • Automated telephone service: 800 523-1918 (seven days a week, 24 hours a day)

    • For convenient access to account information or current performance information on all Delaware Investments ® Funds seven days a week, use this touch-tone service.

  • Written correspondence: P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722.


Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in its annual and semiannual shareholder reports. In the Fund's annual shareholder report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the period covered by the report. You can find more information about the Fund in its current SAI, which is filed electronically with the SEC, and which is legally a part of this Prospectus (it is incorporated by reference). To receive a free copy of the SAI, or the annual or semiannual report, or if you have any questions about investing in the Fund, write to us at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service, or call toll-free 800 523-1918. The SAI and shareholder reports are available, free of charge, through the Fund's website (delawareinvestments.com). You may also obtain additional information about the Fund from your financial advisor.

You can find reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR database on the SEC website (sec.gov). You can get copies of this information, after paying a duplication fee, by e-mailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC,
100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about the Fund, including its SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For information on the Public Reference Room, call
the SEC at 202 551-8090.

PR-592 [7/12] PDF 18235 [11/12]

Investment Company Act file number: 811-03363


Prospectus

Fixed income

 
November 28, 2012  

Nasdaq ticker symbols

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund

Class A

  DGCAX

Class B

  DGCBX

Class C

  DGCCX

Class R

  DGCRX

Institutional Class

  DGCIX

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund

Class A

  DEEAX

Class B

  DEEBX

Class C

  DEECX

Class R

  DEERX

Institutional Class

  DEEIX

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Get shareholder reports and prospectuses online instead of in the mail.
Visit delawareinvestments.com/edelivery.

   


Table of contents

Fund summaries

1

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund

1

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund

6

How we manage the Funds

11

Our investment strategies

11

The securities in which the Funds typically invest

11

The risks of investing in the Funds

14

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

17

Who manages the Funds

18

Investment manager

18

Portfolio managers

18

Manager of managers structure

18

Who's who

19

About your account

20

Investing in the Funds

20

Choosing a share class

20

Dealer compensation

23

Payments to intermediaries

23

How to reduce your sales charge

24

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

25

How to buy shares

27

Calculating share price

28

Fair valuation

28

Retirement plans

28

Document delivery

29

Inactive accounts

29

How to redeem shares

29

Account minimums

30

Investor services

30

Frequent trading of Fund shares

31

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

33

Certain management considerations

34

Financial highlights

35

Additional information

49


Fund summaries

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund

What is the Fund's investment objective?

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund seeks to provide investors with total return.

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. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments ® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as
a percentageof offering price
4.50% none none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as
a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower
none 4.00% 1 1.00% 1 none none
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Management fees 0.48% 0.48% 0.48% 0.48% 0.48%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.30% 1.00% 1.00% 0.60% none
Other expenses 0.23% 0.23% 0.23% 0.23% 0.23%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.01% 1.71% 1.71% 1.31% 0.71%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.07%) 2 (0.02%) 2 (0.02%) 2 (0.12%) 2 (0.02%) 2
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.94% 1.69% 1.69% 1.19% 0.69%

If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 4.00%, which declines to 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), is contractually waiving its investment advisory fees and/or paying expenses (excluding any 12b-1 fees, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) to the extent necessary to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.69% of the Fund's average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor), has also contracted to limit the Class A and Class R shares' 12b-1 fees from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013 to no more than 0.25% and 0.50% of their respective average daily net assets. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Distributor, as applicable, and the Fund.

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 reflects the applicable waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

(if not (if not
redeemed) redeemed)
Class A B B C C R Inst.
1 year $542 $172 $572 $172 $272 $121 $70
3 years $750 $537 $762 $537 $537 $403 $225
5 years $976 $926 $1,076 $926 $926 $707 $393
10 years $1,625 $1,832 $1,832 $2,018 $2,018 $1,569 $881

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 202% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

The Fund invests primarily in corporate bonds. Our focus is on corporate bonds that have investment grade credit ratings from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). The bonds we select for the portfolio are typically rated BBB- and above by Standard & Poor's (S&P), Baa3 and above by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's), or similarly rated by another NRSRO. We may also invest in unrated bonds, if we believe their credit quality is comparable to those that have investment grade ratings.

The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield corporate bonds ("junk bonds").  In addition, the Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in foreign securities, but the Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets.

The average portfolio duration of the Fund will generally vary within two years (plus or minus) of the current average duration of the Barclays U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Index, which as of October 31, 2012, was 7.25 years. Duration measures a bond's sensitivity to interest rates by indicating the approximate change in a bond or bond fund's price given a 1% change in interest rates.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in corporate bonds. This policy is not a fundamental investment policy and can be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change.

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.

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

Credit risk  — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, 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 with less financial strength and therefore less ability to make projected debt payments on the 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.

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.

Forward foreign currency risk  — The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts may substantially change a fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the fund if currencies do not perform as the Manager expects. The use of these investments as a hedging technique to reduce a fund's exposure to currency risks may also reduce its ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates.

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

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).

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 Corporate Bond 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 or lifetime 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 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 delawareinvestments.com/performance.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)*

   

As of September 30, 2012, Delaware Corporate Bond Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 12.02%. During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 14.62% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -6.83% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008.  The maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, which is normally deducted when you purchase shares, is not reflected in the highest/lowest quarterly returns or in the bar chart. If this sales charge were included, the returns would be less than those shown. The average annual returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011*

1 year 5 years 10 years or lifetime
Class A return before taxes 2.41% 6.79% 7.27%
Class A return after taxes on distributions 0.03% 4.32% 4.88%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 1.75% 4.35% 4.82%
Class B return before taxes 2.70% 6.80% 7.12%
Class C return before taxes 5.51% 6.98% 6.97%
Class R return before taxes (lifetime:
6/2/03-12/31/11)
7.04% 7.52% 6.33%
Institutional Class return before taxes 7.57% 8.09% 8.04%
Barclays U.S. Corporate Investment Grade
Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
8.15% 6.82% 6.36%

*  Because the Fund has combined its retail and institutional prospectuses, the bar chart and the after tax returns in the average annual total returns table show the performance of the Fund's Class A shares.

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.

Who manages the Fund?

Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust

 

Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Fund

Thomas H. Chow, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager

May 2007

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer–Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

May 2007

Kevin P. Loome, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments

August 2007

Purchase and redemption of Fund shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). Shares may be purchased or redeemed: through your financial advisor; through the Fund's website at delawareinvestments.com; by calling 800 523-1918; by regular mail (c/o Delaware Investments, P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076); by overnight courier service (c/o Delaware Service Center, 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); or by wire.

For Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment is generally $1,000 and subsequent investments can be made for as little as $100.  The minimum initial investment for IRAs, Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act accounts, direct deposit purchase plans and automatic investment plans is $250 and through Coverdell Education Savings Accounts is $500, and subsequent investments in these accounts can be made for as little as $25. For Class R and Institutional Class shares, there is no minimum initial purchase requirement, but certain eligibility requirements must be met. The eligibility requirements are described in the prospectus under "Choosing a share class" and on the Fund's website. We may reduce or waive the minimums or eligibility requirements in certain cases. No new or subsequent investments currently are allowed in the Fund's Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges.

Tax information

The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to broker/dealers and other
financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund

What is the Fund's investment objective?

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund seeks to provide investors with total return.

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. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments ® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as
a percentageof offering price
4.50% none none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as
a percentage of original purchase price or redemption price, whichever is lower
none 4.00% 1 1.00% 1 none none
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Management fees 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54% 0.54%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.30% 1.00% 1.00% 0.60% none
Other expenses 0.22% 0.22% 0.22% 0.22% 0.22%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.06% 1.76% 1.76% 1.36% 0.76%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.11%) 2 (0.06%) 2 (0.06%) 2 (0.16%) 2 (0.06%) 2
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 0.95% 1.70% 1.70% 1.20% 0.70%

If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 4.00%, which declines to 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), is contractually waiving its investment advisory fees and/or paying expenses (excluding any 12b-1 fees, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) to the extent necessary to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.70% of the Fund's average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor), has also contracted to limit the Class A and Class R shares' 12b-1 fees from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013 to no more than 0.25% and 0.50% of their respective average daily net assets. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Distributor, as applicable, and the Fund.

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 reflects the applicable waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

(if not (if not
redeemed) redeemed)
Class A B B C C R Inst.
1 year $543 $173 $573 $173 $273 $122 $72
3 years $762 $548 $773 $548 $548 $415 $237
5 years $998 $949 $1,099 $949 $949 $729 $416
10 years $1,676 $1,883 $1,883 $2,068 $2,068 $1,621 $937

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 172% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

The Fund invests primarily in corporate bonds. Our focus is on corporate bonds that have investment grade credit ratings from a nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). The bonds we select for the portfolio are typically rated BBB- and above by Standard & Poor's (S&P), Baa3 and above by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's), or similarly rated by another NRSRO. We may also invest in unrated bonds, if we believe their credit quality is comparable to those that have investment grade ratings.

The Fund may also invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield corporate bonds ("junk bonds"). In addition, the Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in foreign securities, but the Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets.

The average portfolio duration of the Fund will generally vary within two years (plus or minus) of the current average duration of the Barclays Long U.S. Corporate Index, which as of October 31, 2012, was 14 years. Duration measures a bond's sensitivity to interest rates by indicating the approximate change in a bond or bond fund's price given a 1% change in interest rates.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in corporate bonds. This policy is not a fundamental investment policy and can be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change.

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.

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

Credit risk  — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, 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 with less financial strength and therefore less ability to make projected debt payments on the 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.

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.

Forward foreign currency risk  — The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts may substantially change a fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the fund if currencies do not perform as the Manager expects. The use of these investments as a hedging technique to reduce a fund's exposure to currency risks may also reduce its ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates.

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

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).

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 Extended Duration Bond 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 or lifetime 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 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 delawareinvestments.com/performance.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)*

   

As of September 30, 2012, the Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 13.80%. During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 14.88% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -8.61% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008. The maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, 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 returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011*

1 year 5 years 10 years or lifetime
Class A return before taxes 11.22% 9.72% 9.44%
Class A return after taxes on distributions 8.14% 7.04% 6.81%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares 7.60% 6.76% 6.59%
Class B return before taxes 11.66% 9.68% 9.27%
Class C return before taxes 14.64% 9.92% 9.13%
Class R return before taxes (lifetime:
10/3/05-12/31/11)
16.20% 10.45% 9.15%
Institutional Class return before taxes 16.81% 10.99% 10.21%
Barclays Long U.S. Corporate Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes) 15.91% 8.51% 7.98%

*  Because the Fund has combined its retail and institutional prospectuses, the bar chart and the after tax returns in the average annual total returns table show the performance of the Fund's Class A shares.

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.

Who manages the Fund?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust

 

Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Fund

Thomas H. Chow, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager

May 2007

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer–Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

May 2007

Kevin P. Loome, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments

August 2007

Purchase and redemption of Fund shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). Shares may be purchased or redeemed: through your financial advisor; through the Fund's website at delawareinvestments.com; by calling 800 523-1918; by regular mail (c/o Delaware Investments, P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076); by overnight courier service (c/o Delaware Service Center, 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); or by wire.

For Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment is generally $1,000 and subsequent investments can be made for as little as $100.  The minimum initial investment for IRAs, Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act accounts, direct deposit purchase plans and automatic investment plans is $250 and through Coverdell Education Savings Accounts is $500, and subsequent investments in these accounts can be made for as little as $25. For Class R and Institutional Class shares, there is no minimum initial purchase requirement, but certain eligibility requirements must be met. The eligibility requirements are described in the prospectus under "Choosing a share class" and on the Fund's website. We may reduce or waive the minimums or eligibility requirements in certain cases. No new or subsequent investments currently are allowed in the Fund's Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges.

Tax information

The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to broker/dealers and other
financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

How we manage the Funds

We take a disciplined approach to investing, combining investment strategies and risk management techniques that we believe can help shareholders meet their goals.

Our investment strategies

The Manager analyzes economic and market conditions, seeking to identify the securities or market sectors that we think are the best investments for the Funds. The following are descriptions of how the portfolio manager pursues the Funds' investment goals.

The Funds strive to provide shareholders with total return through a combination of income and capital appreciation from the bonds in their portfolios. We invest primarily in corporate bonds, with a strong emphasis on those that are rated in the four highest credit categories by an NRSRO. We may also invest in high yielding, lower-quality corporate bonds (also called "junk bonds"). These may involve greater risk because the companies issuing the bonds have lower credit ratings and may have difficulty making interest and principal payments. We may invest up to 35% of each Fund's total assets in foreign securities, but each Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets. Securities of foreign issuers are also subject to certain risks such as political and economic instability, currency fluctuations, and less stringent regulatory standards.

In selecting bonds, we conduct a careful analysis of economic factors, industry-related information, and the underlying financial stability of the company issuing the bond.

Choosing between Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund
We manage both Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund using the same fundamental strategy. The main difference between the two Funds is in their return potential and the corresponding risk associated with each Fund. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund is the more conservative of the two Funds and might be appropriate for investors who desire less potential for fluctuation of their share price. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund's average portfolio duration generally varies within two years (plus or minus) of the current average duration of the Barclays U.S. Corporate Investment Grade Index. Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund's average portfolio duration generally varies within two years (plus or minus) of the current average duration of the Barclays Long U.S. Corporate Index. This longer duration gives Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund greater income potential as well as greater appreciation potential when interest rates decline.

Each Fund's investment objective is nonfundamental. This means that a Fund's Board of Trustees (Board) may change the objective without obtaining shareholder approval. If the objective were changed, a Fund would notify shareholders at least 60 days before the change in the objective became effective.

The securities in which the Funds typically invest

Fixed income securities offer the potential for greater income payments than stocks, and also may provide capital appreciation. Please see the Funds' statement of additional information (SAI) for additional information about certain of the securities described below as well as other securities in which the Funds may invest.

Corporate bonds

Corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation.

Debt securities within the top three rating categories comprise what are known as high-grade bonds and are regarded as having a strong ability to pay principal and interest. Securities in the fourth rating category are known as medium-grade bonds and are regarded as having an adequate capacity to pay principal and interest but with greater vulnerability to adverse economic conditions and speculative characteristics.

How the Funds use them: Under normal circumstances, each Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in corporate bonds.

High yield corporate bonds (junk bonds)

High yield corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation and rated lower than BBB- by S&P and Baa3 by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO. High yield bonds, also known as "junk bonds," are issued by corporations that have lower credit quality and may have difficulty repaying principal and interest.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest up to 20% of its net assets in high yield corporate bonds.

The Manager carefully evaluates an individual company's financial situation, its management, the prospects for its industry, and the technical factors related to its bond offering. Our goal is to identify those companies that we believe will be able to repay their debt obligations in spite of poor ratings. We may invest in unrated bonds if we believe their credit quality is comparable to the rated bonds we are permitted to invest in. Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds.

U.S. government securities

Direct U.S. obligations include bills, notes, and bonds, as well as other debt securities, issued by the U.S. Treasury, and securities of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for the ultimate repayment.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest in direct U.S. government obligations; however, these securities will typically be a smaller percentage of the portfolio because they generally do not offer as high a level of current income as other fixed income securities in which the Funds may invest.

Zero coupon and pay-in-kind bonds

Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest, and therefore are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or par value. Pay-in-kind (PIK) bonds pay interest through the issuance to holders of additional securities.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest in zero coupon bonds and PIK bonds, consistent with its investment objective. The Manager expects PIK bonds to be a less significant component of our strategy. The market prices of these bonds are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to react to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than interest-paying bonds having similar maturities and credit quality. They may have certain tax consequences, which, under certain conditions, could be adverse to the Funds.

Foreign corporate and government securities

Foreign corporate and government securities are debt obligations issued by a foreign corporation and securities issued by foreign governments.

A supranational entity is an entity established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly known as the World Bank) is one example of a supranational entity.

How the Funds use them : Each Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in securities of issuers domiciled in foreign countries including both established countries and those with emerging markets, but each Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets.

Corporate commercial paper

Corporate commercial paper is a short-term debt obligation with maturities ranging from 2 to 270 days, issued by companies.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest in commercial paper that is rated P-1 or P-2 by Moody's and/or A-1 or A-2 by S&P. They may also invest in unrated commercial paper if the Manager determines its quality is comparable to these quality ratings.

Short-term debt or money market instruments

These instruments include: (1) time deposits, certificates of deposit, and banker's acceptances issued by U.S. banks; (2) time deposits and certificates of deposit issued by foreign banks; (3) commercial paper of the highest quality rating; (4) short-term debt obligations with the highest quality rating; (5) U.S. government securities; and (6) repurchase agreements collateralized by those instruments.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest in these instruments either as a means to achieve its investment objective or, more commonly, as temporary defensive instruments or as a pending investment in the Funds' principal investment securities. When investing all or a significant portion of a Fund's assets in these instruments, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Repurchase agreements

A repurchase agreement is an agreement between a buyer of securities, such as a fund, and a seller of securities, in which the seller agrees to buy the securities back within a specified time at the same price the buyer paid for them, plus an amount equal to an agreed-upon interest rate. Repurchase agreements are often viewed as equivalent to cash.

How the Funds use them: Typically, each Fund uses repurchase agreements as a short-term investment for its cash position. In order to enter into these repurchase agreements, a Fund must have collateral of at least 102% of the repurchase price. A Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements in which the collateral comprises U.S. government securities. In the discretion of the Manager, a Fund may invest overnight cash balances in short-term discount notes issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or government-sponsored enterprises.

Restricted securities

Restricted securities are privately placed securities whose resale is restricted under U.S. securities laws.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest in privately placed securities, including those that are eligible for resale only among certain institutional buyers without registration, commonly known as "Rule 144A Securities." Restricted securities that are determined to be illiquid may not exceed a Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities.

Interest rate swap, index swap, and credit default swap agreements

In an interest rate swap, a fund receives payments from another party based on a variable or floating interest rate, in return for making payments based on a fixed interest rate. An interest rate swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving payments based on a fixed interest rate and making payments based on a variable or floating interest rate.

In an index swap, a fund receives gains or incurs losses based on the total return of a specified index, in exchange for making interest payments to another party. An index swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving interest payments from another party in exchange for movements in the total return of a specified index.

In a credit default swap, a fund may transfer the financial risk of a credit event occurring (a bond default, bankruptcy, or restructuring, for example) on a particular security or basket of securities to another party by paying that party a periodic premium; likewise, a fund may assume the financial risk of a credit event occurring on a particular security or basket of securities in exchange for receiving premium payments from another party.

Interest rate swaps, index swaps, and credit default swaps may be considered illiquid.

How the Funds use them: We may use interest rate swaps to adjust the Funds' sensitivity to interest rates or to hedge against changes in interest rates. Index swaps may be used to gain exposure to markets that these Funds invest in, such as the corporate bond market. We may also use index swaps as a substitute for futures or options contracts if such contracts are not directly available to a Fund on favorable terms. The Funds may enter into credit default swaps in order to hedge against a credit event, to enhance total return, or to gain exposure to certain securities or markets. If a Fund has any financial obligation under a swap agreement, it will designate cash and liquid assets sufficient to cover the obligation and will value the designated assets daily as long as the obligation is outstanding.

Options

Options represent a right to buy or sell a security or a group of securities, or a swap agreement or agreements at an agreed upon price at a future date. The purchaser of an option may or may not choose to go through with the transaction. The seller of an option, however, must go through with the transaction if its purchaser exercises the option. Certain options may be considered derivative securities.

How the Funds use them:   At times when we anticipate adverse conditions, we may want to protect gains on securities or swap agreements without actually selling them.  We might use options to neutralize the effect of any price declines, without selling a security or swap agreement, or as a hedge against changes in interest rates.  We may also sell an option contract (often referred to as "writing" an option) to earn additional income for the Funds.  The Funds may write call options and purchase put options on a covered basis only, and will not engage in option writing strategies for speculative purposes.

The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

Bank loans

A bank loan represents an interest in a loan or other direct indebtedness, such as an assignment, that entitles the acquiror of such interest to payments of interest, principal and/or other amounts due under the structure of the loan or other direct indebtedness. In addition to being structured as secured or unsecured loans, such investments could be structured as novations or assignments or represent trade or other claims owed by a company to a supplier.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest without restriction in bank loans that meet the credit standards established by the Manager. The Manager performs its own independent credit analysis on each borrower and on the collateral securing each loan, considers the nature of the industry in which the borrower operates, the nature of the borrower's assets, and considers the general quality and creditworthiness of the borrower. Each Fund may invest in bank loans in order to enhance total return, to affect diversification, or to earn additional income. Each Fund will not use bank loans for reasons inconsistent with its investment objective.

Foreign currency transactions

A fund may invest in securities of foreign issuers and may hold foreign currency. In addition, a fund may enter into contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date (a "forward foreign currency" contract or "forward" contract). A forward contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract, agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.

How the Funds use them:  Although each Fund values its assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, it does not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. It may, however, from time to time, purchase or sell foreign currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of Fund transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations.

Illiquid securities

Illiquid securities are securities that do not have a ready market and cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them.

How the Funds use them: Each Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Other investment strategies

The Funds may also invest in other types of income-producing securities including common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants, futures, options, and forward contracts.

Borrowing from banks

Each Fund may borrow money from banks as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes or to facilitate redemptions. The Funds will be required to pay interest to the lending banks on the amounts borrowed. As a result, borrowing money could result in the Funds being unable to meet their investment objectives.

Lending securities

Each Fund may lend up to 25% of its assets to qualified broker/dealers or institutional investors for their use in securities transactions. Borrowers of a Fund's securities must provide collateral to the Fund and adjust the amount of collateral each day to reflect changes in the value of the loaned securities. These transactions may generate additional income for a Fund.

Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis

Each Fund may buy or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis; that is, paying for securities before delivery or taking delivery at a later date. The Funds will designate cash or securities in amounts sufficient to cover their obligations, and will value the designated assets daily.

Temporary defensive positions

In response to unfavorable market conditions, we may make temporary investments in cash or cash equivalents or other high-quality, short-term instruments.  These investments may not be consistent with a Fund's investment objective.  To the extent that a Fund holds such instruments, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

The risks of investing in the Funds

Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Before you invest in a Fund, you should carefully evaluate the risks. Because of the nature of the Funds, you should consider your investment to be a long-term investment that typically provides the best results when held for a number of years. The information below describes the principal risks you assume when investing in the Funds. Please see the SAI for a further discussion of these risks and other risks not discussed here.

Market risk

Market risk is 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 economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Index swaps are subject to the same market risks as the investment market or sector that the index represents. Depending on the actual movements of the index and how well the portfolio manager forecasts those movements, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Funds strive to manage it: The Funds maintain a long-term investment approach and focus on individual bonds that the Manager believes can provide a steady stream of income regardless of interim fluctuations in the bond market. The Funds generally do not buy and sell securities for short-term purposes.

In evaluating the use of an index swap, the Manager carefully considers how market changes could affect the swap and how that compares to us investing directly in the market the swap is intended to represent.

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that securities, particularly bonds with longer maturities, will decrease in value if interest rates rise and increase in value if interest rates fall. Investments in equity securities issued by small- and medium-size companies, which often borrow money to finance operations, may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates.

Swaps may be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes. Depending on the actual movements of interest rates and how well the portfolio manager anticipates them, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated. For example, if a fund holds interest rate swaps and is required to make payments based on variable interest rates, it will have to make interest payments if interest rates rise, which will not necessarily be offset by the fixed-rate payments it is entitled to receive under the swap agreement.

How the Funds strive to manage it: Interest rate risk is a significant risk for these Funds. In striving to manage this risk, the Manager monitors economic conditions and the interest rate environment and may adjust each Fund's duration or average maturity as a defensive measure against interest rate risk.

Each business day, the Manager will calculate the amount a Fund must pay for any swaps it holds and will designate enough cash or other liquid securities to cover that amount.

High yield corporate bond risk

High yield corporate bonds (commonly known as junk bonds), while generally having higher yields, are subject to reduced creditworthiness of issuers, increased risks of default, and a more limited and less liquid secondary market than higher-rated securities. These securities are subject to greater price volatility and risk of loss of income and principal than are higher rated securities. Lower rated and unrated fixed income securities tend to reflect short-term corporate and market developments to a greater extent than higher rated fixed income securities, which react primarily to fluctuations in the general level of interest rates. Fixed income securities of this type are considered to be of poor standing and primarily speculative. Such securities are subject to a substantial degree of credit risk.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund limits investments in high yield corporate bonds to 20% of its net assets. The Manager also attempts to reduce the risk associated with investment in high yield debt securities through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries, and financial markets.

Credit risk

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

How the Funds strive to manage it: The Funds strive to minimize credit risk by investing primarily in higher quality, investment grade corporate bonds.

Any portion of a portfolio that is invested in high yielding, lower-quality corporate bonds is subject to greater credit risk. The Manager strives to manage that risk through careful bond selection, by limiting the percentage of the portfolio that can be invested in lower quality bonds and by maintaining a diversified portfolio of bonds representing a variety of industries and issuers.

When selecting dealers with whom we would make interest rate or index swap agreements, the Manager focus on those with high quality ratings and do careful credit analysis before investing.

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk involves the risk that a fund 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. Loans that are fully secured offer a fund more protection than unsecured loans in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal, although there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower's obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Some loans or claims may be in default at the time of purchase. Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by a fund may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing commitments that obligate a fund to pay additional cash on a certain date or on demand. These commitments may require a fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when that fund might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times hold and maintain, in a segregated account, cash or other high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

As a fund may be required to rely upon another lending institution to collect and pass on to the fund amounts payable with respect to the loan and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan and other direct indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving such amounts. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to the fund.

How the Funds strive to manage it: These risks may not be completely eliminated, but the Manager will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification, credit analysis and attention to trends in the economy, industries and financial markets. Should we determine that any of these securities are illiquid, these would be subject to each Fund's restrictions on illiquid securities.

Foreign risk

Foreign risk is the risk that foreign securities may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, foreign economic or government conditions, increased transaction costs, or inadequate regulatory and accounting standards.

How the Funds strive to manage it: The Manager carefully evaluates the reward and risk associated with each foreign security that we consider.

Each Fund may invest up to 35% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers, but each Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets.

Emerging markets risk

Emerging markets risk is the possibility that the risks associated with international investing will be greater in emerging markets than in more developed foreign markets because, among other things, emerging markets may have less stable political and economic environments. In addition, in many emerging markets there is substantially less publicly available information about issuers and the information that is available tends to be of a lesser quality. Economic markets and structures tend to be less mature and diverse and the securities markets, which are subject to less government regulation or supervision, may also be smaller, less liquid, and subject to greater price volatility.

How the Funds strive to manage it:   Each Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Funds cannot eliminate these risks but the Manager will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries and financial markets, and other relevant factors.

Currency risk

Currency risk is the risk that the value of a fund's investments may be negatively affected by changes in foreign currency exchange rates. Adverse changes in exchange rates may reduce or eliminate any gains produced by investments that are denominated in foreign currencies and may increase any losses.

How the Funds strive to manage it: The Funds, which have exposure to global and international investments, may be affected by changes in currency rates and exchange control regulations and may incur costs in connection with conversions between currencies. To hedge this currency risk associated with investments in non-U.S.-dollar-denominated securities, we may invest in forward foreign currency contracts. These activities pose special risks which do not typically arise in connection with investments in U.S. securities. In addition, we may engage in foreign currency options and futures transactions.

Forward foreign currency risk

The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts may substantially change a fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the fund if currencies do not perform as the Manager expects. The use of these investments as a hedging technique to reduce a fund's exposure to currency risks may also reduce its ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates.

How the Funds strive to manage it:   The Funds are subject to this risk and may try to hedge currency risk by purchasing foreign currency exchange contracts. By agreeing to purchase or sell foreign securities at a preset price on a future date, the Funds strive to protect the value of the securities it owns from future changes in currency rates.

Liquidity risk

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

How the Funds strive to manage it: Each Fund limits the percentage of its assets that can be invested in illiquid securities.

Derivatives risk

Derivatives risk is the possibility that a fund may experience a significant loss if it employs a derivatives strategy (including a strategy involving options or swaps such as interest rate swaps, index swaps, and credit default swaps) related to a security or a securities index and that security or index moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio management team had anticipated. Derivatives also involve additional expenses, which could reduce any benefit or increase any loss to a fund from using the strategy.

How the Funds strive to manage it: The Funds will use derivatives for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, to neutralize the impact of interest rate changes, to affect diversification or to earn additional income. They will not use derivatives for reasons inconsistent with their respective investment objectives. The Manager also research and continually monitor the creditworthiness of current or potential counterparties.

Counterparty risk

If a fund enters into a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement, it will be subject to the risk that the counterparty to such a contract or agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization). As a result, the fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery, or may obtain no recovery at all.

How the Funds strive to manage it:   We try to minimize this risk by considering the creditworthiness of all parties before we enter into transactions with them. The Funds will hold collateral from counterparties consistent with applicable regulations.

Government and regulatory risks

Governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets. Government involvement in the private sector may, in some cases, include government investment in, or ownership of, companies in certain commercial business sectors; wage and price controls; or imposition of trade barriers and other protectionist measures. For example, an economic or political crisis may lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, the creation of government monopolies, foreign exchange controls, the introduction of new currencies (and the redenomination of financial obligations into those currencies), or other measures that could be detrimental to the investments of a fund.

How the Funds strive to manage it:   We evaluate the economic and political climate in the country or countries in which a Fund may invest before selecting securities. We typically diversify a Fund's assets among a number of different securities in a variety of sectors in order to minimize the impact to the Fund of any legislative or regulatory development affecting particular issuers, or market sectors.

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

A description of the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of their portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Who manages the Funds

Investment manager

The Manager is a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, which is a subsidiary of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. (DMHI). DMHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. The Manager makes investment decisions for the Funds, manages the Funds' business affairs, and provides daily administrative services. For its services to the Funds, the Manager was paid an aggregate fee, net of fee waivers, of 0.46% and 0.48% of the average daily net assets of Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, respectively, during the last fiscal year.

A discussion of the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' investment advisory contract is available in the Funds' semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended January 31, 2012.

Portfolio managers

Thomas H. Chow, Roger A. Early, and Kevin P. Loome have primary responsibility for making day-to-day investment decisions for the Funds.

Thomas H. Chow, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager
Thomas H. Chow is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation in investment grade credit exposures. He is the lead portfolio manager for Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, as well as several institutional mandates. His experience includes significant exposure to asset liability management strategies and credit risk opportunities. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in 2001 as a portfolio manager working on the Lincoln General Account, he was a trader of high grade and high yield securities, and was involved in the portfolio management of collateralized bond obligations (CBOs) and insurance portfolios at SunAmerica/AIG from 1997 to 2001. Before that, he was an analyst, trader, and portfolio manager at Conseco Capital Management from 1989 to 1997. Chow received a bachelor's degree in business analysis from Indiana University, and he is a Fellow of Life Management Institute.

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP, Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer — Total Return Fixed Income Strategy
Roger A. Early rejoined Delaware Investments in March 2007 as a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation. During his previous time at the firm, from 1994 to 2001, he was a senior portfolio manager in the same area, and he left Delaware Investments as head of its U.S. investment grade fixed income group. In recent years, Early was a senior portfolio manager at Chartwell Investment Partners and Rittenhouse Financial and was the chief investment officer for fixed income at Turner Investments. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in 1994, he worked for more than 10 years at Federated Investors where he managed more than $25 billion in mutual fund and institutional portfolios in the short-term and investment grade markets. He left the firm as head of institutional fixed income management. Earlier in his career, he held management positions with the Federal Reserve Bank, PNC Financial, Touche Ross, and Rockwell International. Early earned his bachelor's degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia.

 

Kevin P. Loome, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments
Kevin P. Loome is head of the High Yield fixed income team, responsible for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation of all high yield fixed income assets. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in August 2007 in his current position, Loome spent 11 years at T. Rowe Price, starting as an analyst and leaving the firm as a portfolio manager. He began his career with Morgan Stanley as a corporate finance analyst in the New York and London offices. Loome received his bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of Fund shares.

Manager of managers structure

The Funds and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits the Manager, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisors, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Funds without shareholder approval (Manager of Managers Structure). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Funds' Board, for overseeing the Funds' sub-advisors and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-advisor that is affiliated with the Funds or the Manager. While the Manager does not currently expect to use the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Funds, the Manager may, in the future, recommend to the Funds' Board the establishment of the Manager of Managers Structure by recommending the hiring of one or more sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Funds' portfolios.

The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Funds to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the overall management and advisory fees payable by the Funds without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.

Who's who

Board of trustees: A mutual fund is governed by a board of trustees, which has oversight responsibility for the management of the fund's business affairs. Trustees establish procedures and oversee and review the performance of the fund's service providers.

Investment manager: An investment manager is a company responsible for selecting portfolio investments consistent with the objective and policies stated in the mutual fund's prospectus. A written contract between a mutual fund and its investment manager specifies the services the investment manager performs and the fee the manager is entitled to receive.

Portfolio managers: Portfolio managers make investment decisions for individual portfolios.

 

   

Distributor: Most mutual funds continuously offer new shares to the public through distributors that are regulated as broker/dealers and are subject to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules governing mutual fund sales practices.

Service agent: Mutual fund companies employ service agents (sometimes called transfer agents) to maintain records of shareholder accounts, calculate and disburse dividends and capital gains, and prepare and mail shareholder statements and tax information, among other functions. Many service agents also provide customer service to shareholders.

Custodian: Mutual funds are legally required to protect their portfolio securities, and most funds place them with a qualified bank custodian that segregates fund securities from other bank assets.

Financial advisors: Financial advisors provide advice to their clients. They are associated with securities broker/dealers who have entered into selling and/or service arrangements with the distributor. Selling broker/dealers and financial advisors are compensated for their services generally through sales commissions, and through 12b-1 fees and/or service fees deducted from a fund's assets.

Shareholders: Mutual fund shareholders have specific voting rights on matters such as material changes in the terms of a fund's management contract and changes to fundamental investment policies.

About your account

Investing in the Funds

You can choose from a number of share classes for each Fund. Because each share class has a different combination of sales charges, fees, and other features, you should consult your financial advisor to determine which class best suits your investment goals and time frame. Delaware Management Trust Company will not accept applications to open new403(b) custodial accounts or accept contributions to existing 403(b) custodial accounts .

Choosing a share class

Each share class may be eligible for purchase through programs sponsored by financial intermediaries that require the purchase of a specific class of shares.

Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares of the Funds have each adopted a separate 12b-1 plan that allows it to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of a Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Class A

  • Class A shares have an up-front sales charge of up to 4.50% that you pay when you buy the shares.

  • If you invest $100,000 or more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.

  • You may qualify for other reduced sales charges, and, under certain circumstances, the sales charge may be waived, as described in "How to reduce your sales charge" below.

  • Class A shares are also subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.30% (currently limited to 0.25%) of average daily net assets. See "Dealer compensation" below for further information.

  • Class A shares generally are not subject to a CDSC except in the limited circumstances described in the table below.

  • Class A shares generally are not available for purchase by anyone qualified to purchase Class R shares, except as described below.

Class A sales charges

The table below details your sales charges on purchases of Class A shares. The offering price for Class A shares includes the front-end sales charge. The sales charge as a percentage of the net amount invested is the maximum percentage of the amount invested rounded to the nearest hundredth. The actual sales charge that you pay as a percentage of the offering price and as a percentage of the net amount invested will vary depending on the then-current net asset value (NAV), the percentage rate of the sales charge, and rounding.

Amount of purchase Sales charge as a %
of offering price
Sales charge as a %
of net amount invested
Less than $100,000 4.50% 5.13%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.50% 4.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 3.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 2.00% 2.44%
$1 million or more none* none*

* There is no front-end sales charge when you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares. However, if the Distributor paid your financial advisor a commission on your purchase of $1 million or more of Class A shares, you will have to pay a Limited CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem these shares within the first year after your purchase and 0.50% if you redeem them within the second year, unless a specific waiver of the Limited CDSC applies. The Limited CDSC will be paid to the Distributor and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the NAV at the time the Class A shares being redeemed were purchased; or (2) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of the Class A shares even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund and, in the event of an exchange of Class A shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares acquired in the exchange. In determining whether a Limited CDSC is payable, it will be assumed that shares not subject to the Limited CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. See "Dealer compensation" below for a description of the dealer commission that is paid.

Class B

As of May 31, 2007, no new or subsequent investments, including investments through automatic investment plans and by qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) or 457 plans), are allowed in the Funds' Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges. Existing shareholders of Class B shares may continue to hold their Class B shares, reinvest dividends into Class B shares, and exchange their Class B shares of one Delaware Investments Fund for Class B shares of another Fund, as permitted by existing exchange privileges. Existing Class B shareholders wishing to make subsequent purchases in a Fund's shares will be permitted to invest in other classes of the Fund, subject to that class's pricing structure and eligibility requirements, if any.

For Class B shares outstanding as of May 31, 2007, and Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends or capital gains, all Class B share attributes, including the CDSC schedules, conversion to Class A schedule, and distribution and service (12b-1) fees, will continue in their current form. In addition, because the Funds' or their Distributor's ability to assess certain sales charges and fees is dependent on the sale of new shares, the termination of new purchases of Class B shares could ultimately lead to the elimination and/or reduction of such sales charges and fees. The Funds may not be able to provide shareholders with advance notice of the reduction in these sales charges and fees. You will be notified via a Prospectus supplement if there are any changes to any attributes, sales charges, or fees.

  • Class B shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. However, you will pay a CDSC if you redeem your shares within six years after you buy them.

  • If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, the shares will be subject to a CDSC of 4.00%. The CDSC is 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class B shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than six years are redeemed first, followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held longest during the six-year period. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • For approximately eight years after you buy your Class B shares, they are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts.

  • Approximately eight years after you buy them, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares with a 12b-1 fee of no more than 0.25%. Conversion may occur as late as three months after the eighth anniversary of purchase, during which time Class B's higher 12b-1 fee applies.

Class C

  • Class C shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in a Fund. However, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem your shares within 12 months after you buy them.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class C shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than 12 months are redeemed first followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held for 12 months or less. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts. 

  • Class C shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • You may purchase only up to $1 million of Class C shares at any one time. Orders that exceed $1 million will be rejected.  The limitation on maximum purchases varies for retirement plans. 

Class R

  • Class R shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in a Fund. Class R shares are not subject to a CDSC.

  • Class R shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.60% (currently limited to 0.50%) of average daily net assets.

  • Class R shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • Class R shares generally are available only to: (i) qualified and nonqualified plan shareholders covering multiple employees (including 401(k), 401(a), 457, and noncustodial 403(b) plans, as well as other nonqualified deferred compensation plans) with assets (at the time shares are considered for purchase) of $10 million or less; and (ii) individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers from plans that were previously maintained on the Delaware Investments® retirement recordkeeping system or BISYS's retirement recordkeeping system that are offering Class R shares to participants.

  • Except as noted above, no other IRAs are eligible for Class R shares (for example, no traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs, SARSEPs). For purposes of determining plan asset levels, affiliated plans may be combined at the request of the plan sponsor.

  • Any account holding Class A shares as of the date Class R shares were made available continues to be eligible to purchase Class A shares after that date. Any account holding Class R shares is not eligible to purchase Class A shares.

Institutional Class

  • Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in a Fund.

  • Institutional Class shares do not assess a CDSC or a 12b-1 fee;

  • Institutional Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

    • rollover IRAs from retirement plans and retirement plans introduced by persons not associated with brokers or dealers that are primarily engaged in the retail securities business;

    • tax-exempt employee benefit plans of the Manager, its affiliates, and securities dealers that have a selling agreement with the Distributor;

    • institutional advisory clients (including mutual funds) of the Manager or its affiliates, as well as those clients' affiliates, and their corporate sponsors, subsidiaries, related employee benefit plans, and rollover IRAs of, or from, such institutional advisory clients;

    • a bank, trust company, or similar financial institution investing for its own account or for the account of its trust customers for whom the financial institution is exercising investment discretion in purchasing Institutional Class shares, except where the investment is part of a program that requires payment to the financial institution of a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee;

    • RIAs investing on behalf of clients that consist solely of institutions and high net worth individuals having at least $1 million entrusted to an RIA for investment purposes (use of the Institutional Class shares is restricted to RIAs who are not affiliated or associated with a broker or dealer and who derive compensation for their services exclusively from their advisory clients);

    • certain plans qualified under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, for which the Manager, Distributor, or Delaware Service Company, Inc. (DSC), or one or more of their affiliates, provide record keeping, administrative, investment management, marketing, distribution, or similar services;

    • programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries where: (1) such programs allow or require the purchase of Institutional Class shares; (2) the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement covering the arrangement with the Distributor and/or DSC; and (3) the financial intermediary (i) charges clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment consulting or similar services, or (ii) offers the Institutional Class shares through a no-commission network or platform; or

    • private investment vehicles, including, but not limited to, foundations and endowments.

Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C
CDSCs are charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject to the CDSC. The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the NAV at the time the shares being redeemed were purchased or the NAV of those shares at the time of redemption. No CDSC will be imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price, nor will a CDSC be assessed on redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of Class B shares or Class C shares of a Fund, even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund. In the event of an exchange of the shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares that were acquired in the exchange.

Dealer compensation

The financial advisor that sells you shares of the Funds may be eligible to receive the following amounts as compensation for your investment in the Funds. These amounts are paid by the Distributor to the securities dealer with whom your financial advisor is associated.  Institutional Class shares do not have a 12b-1 fee or sales charge so they are not included in the chart below.

Class A 1 Class B 2 Class C 3 Class R 4
Commission (%) 4.00% 1.00%
Investment less than $100,000 4.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 1.60%
$1 million but less than $5 million 1.00%
$5 million but less than $25 million 0.50%
$25 million or more 0.25%
12b-1 fee to dealer 0.30% 0.25% 1.00% 0.60%


1 On sales of Class A shares, the Distributor reallows to your securities dealer a portion of the front-end sales charge depending upon the amount you invested.  Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive up to 0.30% of the 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares is up to 0.30%.  However, the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.25% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.   
2 On sales of Class B shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 4.00%. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25% from the date of purchase. After approximately eight years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares and dealers may then be eligible to receive the 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares.
3 On sales of Class C shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 1.00%. The up-front commission includes an advance of the first year's 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25%. During the first 12 months, the Distributor retains the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee to partially offset the up-front commission and the prepaid 0.25% service fee advanced at the time of purchase. Starting in the 13th month, your securities dealer may be eligible to receive the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee applicable to Class C. Alternatively, certain intermediaries may not be eligible to receive the up-front commission of 1.00%, but may receive the 12b-1 fee for sales of Class C shares from the date of purchase.
4 On sales of Class R shares, the Distributor does not pay your securities dealer an up-front commission. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.60% from the date of purchase. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class R shares is 0.60% of average daily net assets. However, the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.50% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.

Payments to intermediaries

The Distributor and its affiliates may pay additional compensation at their own expense and not as an expense of a Fund to certain affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries (Financial Intermediaries) in connection with the sale or retention of Fund shares and/or shareholder servicing, including providing the Fund with "shelf space" or a higher profile with the Financial Intermediaries' consultants, salespersons, and customers (distribution assistance). For example, the Distributor or its affiliates may pay additional compensation to financial intermediaries for various purposes, including, but not limited to, promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative, or shareholder processing services, marketing, educational support, and ticket charges. Such payments are in addition to any distribution fees, service fees, and/or transfer agency fees that may be payable by a Fund. The additional payments may be based on factors, including level of sales (based on gross or net sales or some specified minimum sales or some other similar criteria related to sales of a Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments® Funds), amount of assets invested by the Financial Intermediary's customers (which could include current or aged assets of a Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments® Funds), a Fund's advisory fees, some other agreed upon amount, or other measures as determined from time to time by the Distributor. The level of payments made to a qualifying Financial Intermediary in any given year may vary. To the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Distributor may pay, or allow its affiliates to pay, other promotional incentives or payments to Financial Intermediaries.

If a mutual fund sponsor or distributor makes greater payments for distribution assistance to your Financial Intermediary with respect to distribution of shares of that particular mutual fund than sponsors or distributors of other mutual funds make to your Financial Intermediary with respect to the distribution of the shares of their mutual funds, your Financial Intermediary and its salespersons may have a financial incentive to favor sales of shares of the mutual fund making the higher payments over shares of other mutual funds or over other investment options. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a Financial Intermediary may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. You should consult with your Financial Intermediary and review carefully any disclosure provided by such Financial Intermediary as to compensation it receives in connection with investment products it recommends or sells to you. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase sales of a Fund's shares. The Manager or its affiliates may benefit from the Distributor's or its affiliate's payment of compensation to financial intermediaries through increased fees resulting from additional assets acquired through the sale of Fund shares through financial intermediaries. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your Financial Intermediary. Any such payments will not change the net asset value (NAV) or the price of a Fund's shares.

How to reduce your sales charge

We offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the sales charge on shares. Please refer to the SAI for detailed information and eligibility requirements. You can also get additional information from your financial advisor. You or your financial advisor must notify us at the time you purchase shares if you are eligible for any of these programs. You may also need to provide information to your financial advisor or the Funds in order to qualify for a reduction in sales charges. Such information may include your Delaware Investments ® Funds holdings in any other accounts, including retirement accounts, held indirectly or through an intermediary, and the names of qualifying family members and their holdings. We reserve the right to determine whether any purchase is entitled, by virtue of the foregoing, to the reduced sales charge. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

Letter of intent

Through a letter of intent you agree to invest a certain amount in Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge) over a 13-month period to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class B Class C
Available Not available Although the letter of intent does not apply to the purchase of Class C shares, you can combine the value of your Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your letter of intent.

Rights of accumulation

You can combine your holdings or purchases of all Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge), as well as the holdings and purchases of your spouse and children under 21 to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class B Class C
Available Although the rights of accumulation do not apply to the purchase of Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends or capital gains, you can combine the value of your Class B shares purchased on or before May 31, 2007 with your purchase of Class A shares to qualify for rights of accumulation. Although the rights of accumulation do not apply to the purchase of Class C shares, you can combine your purchase of Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your rights of accumulation.

Reinvestment of redeemed shares

Up to 12 months after you redeem shares, you can reinvest the proceeds without paying a sales charge.

Class A Class B and Class C
You will not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available

SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase,
403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans

These investment plans may qualify for reduced sales charges by combining the purchases of all members of the group.  Members of these groups may also qualify to purchase shares without a front-end sales charge and may qualify for a waiver of any CDSCs on Class A shares.

Class A Class B and Class C
You may not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available.

Buying Class A shares at net asset value

Class A shares of a Fund may be purchased at NAV under the following circumstances, provided that you notify the Fund in advance that the trade qualifies for this privilege.  The Funds reserve the right to modify or terminate these arrangements at any time.

  • Shares purchased under the Delaware Investments® dividend reinvestment plan and, under certain circumstances, the exchange privilege and the 12-month reinvestment privilege.

  • Purchases by: (i) current and former officers, Trustees/Directors, and employees of any Delaware Investments® Fund, the Manager, or any of the Manager's current affiliates and those that may in the future be created; (ii) legal counsel to the Delaware Investments® Funds; and (iii) registered representatives and employees of broker/dealers who have entered into dealer's agreements with the Distributor. At the direction of such persons, their family members (regardless of age) and any employee benefit plan established by any of the foregoing entities, counsel, or broker/dealers may also purchase shares at NAV.

  • Shareholders who own Class A shares of Delaware Cash Reserve ® Fund as a result of a liquidation of a Delaware Investments® Fund may exchange into Class A shares of another Delaware Investments® Fund at NAV.

  • Purchases by bank employees who provide services in connection with agreements between the bank and unaffiliated brokers or dealers concerning sales of shares of the Delaware Investments® Funds.

  • Purchases by certain officers, trustees, and key employees of institutional clients of the Manager or any of its affiliates.

  • Purchases for the benefit of the clients of brokers, dealers, and registered investment advisors if such brokers, dealers, or investment advisors have entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for the purchase of Class A shares in connection with special investment products, such as wrap accounts or similar fee-based programs. Investors may be charged a fee when effecting transactions in Class A shares through a broker or agent that offers these special investment products.

  • Purchases by financial institutions investing for the accounts of their trust customers if they are not eligible to purchase shares of the Fund's Institutional Class, if applicable.

  • Purchases by retirement plans that are maintained on retirement platforms sponsored by financial intermediary firms, provided the financial intermediary firms or their trust companies (or entities performing similar trading/clearing functions) have entered into an agreement with respect to such retirement platforms.

  • Purchases by certain legacy bank sponsored retirement plans that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Purchases by certain legacy retirement assets that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Investments made by plan level and/or participant retirement accounts that are for the purpose of repaying a loan taken from such accounts.

  • Purchases by certain participants in defined contribution plans and members of their households whose plan assets will be rolled over into IRA accounts (IRA Program) where the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement specifically relating to such IRA Program with the Distributor and/or the Funds' transfer agent.

  • Purchases by certain participants of particular group retirement plans as described in the SAI.

  • Loan repayments made to a Fund account in connection with loans originated from accounts previously maintained by another investment firm.

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

Certain sales charges may be based on historical cost. Therefore, you should maintain any records that substantiate these costs because the Funds, their transfer agent, and financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Information about existing sales charges and sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge on the Delaware Investments ® Funds' website at www.delawareinvestments.com. Additional information on sales charges can be found in the SAI, which is available upon request. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

The Funds' applicable CDSCs may be waived under the following circumstances:

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan, provided the annual amount selected to be withdrawn under the plan does not exceed 12% of the value of the account on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan was established or modified.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account if the aggregate NAV of the shares held in the account is less than the then-effective minimum account size.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan distributions

Distributions to participants or beneficiaries from a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code).

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan redemptions

Redemptions pursuant to the direction of a participant or beneficiary of a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to that retirement plan.

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans) not subject to a penalty under Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans).

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Distributions by other employee benefit plans

Distributions by other employee benefit plans to pay benefits.

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan that are not subject to a penalty pursuant to Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan 2 as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code. The systematic withdrawal may be pursuant to the systematic withdrawal plan for the Delaware Investments® Funds or a systematic withdrawal permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from death or disability

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from the death or disability (as defined in Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code) of a registered owner or a registered joint owner occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed. In the case of accounts established under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act or trust accounts, the waiver applies upon the death of all beneficial owners.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets that meet the requirements set forth in the SAI.

Class A 1 Class B Class C
Available Not available Available

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV, regardless of the size of the purchase. 

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

1 The waiver of Class A shares relates to a waiver of the Limited CDSC.  Please note that you or your financial advisor will have to notify us at the time of purchase that the trade qualifies for such waiver.
2 Qualified plans that are fully redeemed at the direction of the plan's fiduciary are subject to any applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan.

How to buy shares

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of purchasing shares, including opening an account. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

Complete an investment slip and mail it with your check, made payable to the fund and class of shares you wish to purchase, to Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed investment application (or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are opening a retirement account) with your check.

Please note that purchase orders submitted by mail will not be accepted until such purchase orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for investments by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. Please do not send purchase orders to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By wire

Ask your bank to wire the amount you want to invest to The Bank of New York Mellon, ABA #011001234, bank account #000073-6910. Include your account number and the name of the fund and class of shares in which you want to invest. If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must first call us at 800 523-1918 so we can assign you an account number.

By exchange

You may exchange all or part of your investment in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds for shares of other Delaware Investments® Funds. Please keep in mind, however, that under most circumstances you are allowed to exchange only between like classes of shares. To open an account by exchange, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class B, and Class C shares only, you may purchase or exchange shares through our automated telephone service, or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Calculating share price

The price you pay for shares will depend on when we receive your purchase order. If your order is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will pay that day's closing share price, which is based on a fund's NAV. If your order is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will pay the next Business Day's price. We reserve the right to reject any purchase order.

We determine the NAV per share for each class of a Delaware Investments® Fund at the close of regular trading on the NYSE on each Business Day. The NAV per share for each class of a fund is calculated by subtracting the liabilities of each class from its total assets and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding for that class. We generally price securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available at their market value. For a fund that invests primarily in foreign securities, the NAV may change on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem fund shares because foreign markets are open at times and on days when U.S. markets are not. We price fixed income securities on the basis of valuations provided to us by an independent pricing service that uses methods approved by the Board. For all other securities, we use methods approved by the Board that are designed to price securities at their fair market values.

Fair valuation

When the Funds use fair value pricing, they may take into account any factors they deem appropriate. The Funds may determine fair value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets), and/or U.S. sector or broad stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the Funds to calculate their NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value pricing may involve subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

The Funds anticipate using fair value pricing for securities primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension of trading in the security. The Funds may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Funds value their securities at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim. To account for this, the Funds may frequently value many foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

The Boards have delegated responsibility for valuing the Funds' assets to a Pricing Committee of the Manager, which operates under the policies and procedures approved by the Boards and which is subject to the Boards' oversight.

Retirement plans

In addition to being an appropriate investment for your IRA, Roth IRA, and Coverdell Education Savings Account, the Funds may be suitable for group retirement plans. You may establish your IRA account even if you are already a participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. For more information on how the Funds can play an important role in your retirement planning or for details about group plans, please consult your financial advisor, or call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Document delivery

To reduce fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of a fund's financial reports and prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. At any time you may view current prospectuses and financial reports on our website.

Inactive accounts

Please note that your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.

How to redeem shares

When you send us a properly completed request to redeem or exchange shares and the request is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), you will receive the NAV next determined after we receive your request. If we receive your request after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will receive the NAV next determined on the next Business Day. We will deduct any applicable CDSCs. You may also have to pay taxes on the proceeds from your sale of shares. We will send you a check, normally the next Business Day, but no later than seven days after we receive your request to sell your shares. If you purchased your shares by check and sell them before your check has cleared, which can take up to 15 days, we will wait until your check has cleared before we send you your redemption proceeds.

If you are required to pay a CDSC when you redeem your shares, the amount subject to the fee will be based on the shares' NAV when you purchased them or their NAV when you redeem them, whichever is less. This arrangement ensures that you will not pay a CDSC on any increase in the value of your shares. You also will not pay the charge on any shares acquired by reinvesting dividends or capital gains. If you exchange shares of one fund for shares of another, you do not pay a CDSC at the time of the exchange. If you later redeem those shares, the purchase price for purposes of the CDSC formula will be the price you paid for the original shares, not the exchange price. The redemption price for purposes of this formula will be the NAV of the shares you are actually redeeming.

If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the certificates with your request to sell the shares. We recommend that you send your certificates by certified mail.

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of redeeming your shares (selling them back to a Fund). Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

You may redeem your shares by mail by writing to: Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. All owners of the account must sign the request. For redemptions of more than $100,000, you must include a signature guarantee for each owner. Signature guarantees are also required when redemption proceeds are going to an address other than the address of record on the account.

Please note that redemption orders submitted by mail will not be considered accepted until such orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for redemptions by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. Please do not send redemption requests to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By telephone

You may redeem up to $100,000 of your shares by telephone. You may have the proceeds sent to you by check or, if you redeem at least $1,000 of shares, you may have the proceeds sent directly to your bank by wire. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

By wire

You may redeem $1,000 or more of your shares and have the proceeds deposited directly to your bank account, normally the next Business Day after we receive your request. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares only, you may redeem shares through our automated telephone service or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. 

Redemptions-in-kind

The Funds have reserved the right to pay for redemptions with portfolio securities under certain conditions. See the SAI for more information on redemptions-in-kind.

Account minimums

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below the required account minimum of $1,000 ($250 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, or accounts with automatic investing plans, and $500 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) for three or more consecutive months, you will have until the end of the current calendar quarter to raise the balance to the minimum. If your account is not at the minimum by the required time, you may be charged a $9 fee for that quarter and each quarter after that until your account reaches the minimum balance. If your account does not reach the minimum balance, we may redeem your account after 60 days' written notice to you. Any CDSC that would otherwise be applicable will not apply to such a redemption.

For Institutional Class shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below $250, the Fund may redeem your shares after 60 days' written notice to you.

Investor services

To help make investing with us as easy as possible, and to help you build your investments, we offer the following investor services.

Automatic investment plan

The automatic investment plan allows you to make regular monthly or quarterly investments directly from your checking account.

Direct deposit

With direct deposit, you can make additional investments through payroll deductions, recurring government or private payments such as Social Security, or direct transfers from your bank account.

Electronic delivery

With Delaware eDelivery, you can receive your fund documents electronically instead of via U.S. mail. When you sign up for eDelivery, you can access your account statements, shareholder reports, and other fund materials online, in a secure internet environment at any time, from anywhere.

Online account access

Online account access is a password-protected area of the Delaware Investments ® Funds' website that gives you access to your account information and allows you to perform transactions in a secure internet environment.

Systematic exchange option

With the systematic exchange option, you can arrange automatic monthly exchanges between your shares in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds. These exchanges are subject to the same rules as regular exchanges (see below) and require a minimum monthly exchange of $100 per fund.

Dividend reinvestment plan

Through the dividend reinvestment plan, you can have your distributions reinvested in your account or the same share class in another Delaware Investments® Fund. The shares that you purchase through the dividend reinvestment plan are not subject to a front-end sales charge or to a CDSC. Under most circumstances, you may reinvest dividends only into like classes of shares.

Exchanges

You may generally exchange all or part of your shares for shares of the same class of another Delaware Investments® Fund without paying a front-end sales charge or a CDSC at the time of the exchange. However, if you exchange shares from a money market fund that does not have a sales charge, you will pay any applicable sales charge on your new shares. When exchanging Class B and Class C shares of one fund for the same class of shares in other funds, your new shares will be subject to the same CDSC as the shares you originally purchased. The holding period for the CDSC will also remain the same, with the amount of time you held your original shares being credited toward the holding period of your new shares. In certain other circumstances, you may also be permitted to exchange your shares for shares of a different class of the Fund, but such exchange may be subject to a sales charge for the new shares. (Please refer to the SAI for more details.) You do not pay sales charges on shares that you acquired through the reinvestment of dividends. You may have to pay taxes on your exchange. When you exchange shares, you are purchasing shares in another fund, so you should be sure to get a copy of the fund's prospectus and read it carefully before buying shares through an exchange. We may refuse the purchase side of any exchange request if, in the Manager's judgment, a fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected.

On demand service

Through the on demand service, you or your financial advisor may transfer money between your Fund account and your predesignated bank account by telephone request. There is a minimum transfer of $25 and a maximum transfer of $100,000. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one.

Direct deposit service

Through the direct deposit service, you can have $25 or more in dividends and distributions deposited directly into your bank account. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one. This service is not available for retirement plans.

Systematic withdrawal plan

For Class A, Class B, and Class C shares, you can arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your account made to you or someone you designate. If the value of your account is $5,000 or more, you can make withdrawals of at least $25 monthly, or $75 quarterly. You may also have your withdrawals deposited directly to your bank account through the direct deposit service.

The applicable Limited CDSC for Class A shares and the CDSC for Class B and C shares redeemed via a systematic withdrawal plan will be waived if the annual amount withdrawn in each year is less than 12% of the account balance on the date that the plan is established. If the annual amount withdrawn in any year exceeds 12% of the account balance on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan is established, all redemptions under the plan will be subject to the applicable CDSC, including an assessment for previously redeemed amounts under the plan.

Frequent trading of Fund shares

The Funds discourage purchases by market timers and purchase orders (including the purchase side of exchange orders) by shareholders identified as market timers may be rejected. The Funds' Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect, deter and prevent trading activity detrimental to the Funds and their shareholders, such as market timing. The Funds will consider anyone who follows a pattern of market timing in any Delaware Investments® Fund or the Optimum Fund Trust to be a market timer and may consider anyone who has followed a similar pattern of market timing at an unaffiliated fund family to be a market timer.

Market timing of a fund occurs when investors make consecutive rapid short-term "roundtrips," that is, purchases into a fund followed quickly by redemptions out of that fund. A short-term roundtrip is any redemption of fund shares within 20 Business Days of a purchase of that fund's shares. If you make a second such short-term roundtrip in a fund within 90 rolling calendar days of a previous short-term roundtrip in that fund, you may be considered a market timer. In determining whether market timing has occurred, the Funds will consider short-term roundtrips to include rapid purchases and sales of Fund shares through the exchange privilege. The Funds also reserve the right to consider other trading patterns to be market timing.

Your ability to use the Funds' exchange privilege may be limited if you are identified as a market timer. If you are identified as a market timer, we will execute the redemption side of your exchange order but may refuse the purchase side of your exchange order. The Funds reserve the right to restrict or reject, without prior notice, any purchase order or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase order or exchange order accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary or in any omnibus-type account. Transactions placed in violation of the Funds' market timing policy are not necessarily deemed accepted by the Funds and may be rejected by a Fund on the next Business Day following receipt by a Fund.

Redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance with the Funds' current Prospectus. A redemption of shares under these circumstances could be costly to a shareholder if, for example, the shares have declined in value, the shareholder recently paid a front-end sales charge, the shares are subject to a CDSC, or the sale results in adverse tax consequences. To avoid this risk, a shareholder should carefully monitor the purchases, sales, and exchanges of Fund shares and avoid frequent trading in Fund shares.

Each Fund reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice, including modifications to a Fund's monitoring procedures and the procedures to close accounts to new purchases. Although the implementation of this policy involves judgments that are inherently subjective and may be selectively applied, we seek to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of each Fund's shareholders. While we will take actions designed to detect and prevent market timing, there can be no assurance that such trading activity will be completely eliminated. Moreover, a Fund's market timing policy does not require it to take action in response to frequent trading activity. If a Fund elects not to take any action in response to frequent trading, such frequent trading activity could continue.

Risks of market timing

By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales or exchanges of the Funds' shares dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, a Fund may have difficulty implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading activity. Excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of a Fund's shares may also force a Fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash to accommodate short-term trading activity. This could adversely affect a Fund's performance if, for example, a Fund incurs increased brokerage costs and realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage.

A fund that invests significantly in foreign securities may be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because foreign securities are typically traded on markets that close well before the time a fund calculates its NAV (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Developments that occur between the closing of the foreign market and the fund's NAV calculation may affect the value of these foreign securities. The time zone differences among international stock markets can allow a shareholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy to exploit differences in fund share prices that are based on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before a fund calculates its own share price.

Any fund that invests in securities that are thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid has the risk that the securities prices used to calculate the fund's NAV may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences. Funds that may be adversely affected by such arbitrage include, in particular, funds that significantly invest in small-cap securities, technology and other specific industry sector securities, and in certain fixed income securities, such as high yield bonds, asset-backed securities, or municipal bonds.

Transaction monitoring procedures

Each Fund, through its transfer agent, maintains surveillance procedures designed to detect excessive or short-term trading in Fund shares. This monitoring process involves several factors, which include scrutinizing transactions in Fund shares for violations of the Funds' market timing policy or other patterns of short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of these transaction monitoring procedures, the Funds may consider trading activity by multiple accounts under common ownership, control or influence to be trading by a single entity. Trading activity identified by these factors, or as a result of any other available information, will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute market timing. These procedures may be modified from time to time to improve the detection of excessive or short-term trading or to address other concerns. Such changes may be necessary or appropriate, for example, to deal with issues specific to certain retirement plans, plan exchange limits, U.S. Department of Labor regulations, certain automated or pre-established exchange, asset allocation or dollar cost averaging programs, or omnibus account arrangements.

Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of a Fund, particularly among certain broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries, including sponsors of retirement plans and variable insurance products. The Funds will attempt to have financial intermediaries apply the Funds' monitoring procedures to these omnibus accounts and to the individual participants in such accounts. However, to the extent that a financial intermediary is not able or willing to monitor or enforce the Funds' frequent trading policy with respect to an omnibus account, the Funds or their agents may require the financial intermediary to impose its frequent trading policy, rather than the Funds' policy, to shareholders investing in the Fund through the financial intermediary.  In addition, a Fund or its transfer agent may enter into shareholder information agreements with such financial intermediaries under which a Fund may receive information (such as taxpayer identification numbers and Fund transaction activity) in order to identify frequent trading activity.

A financial intermediary may impose different requirements or have additional restrictions on the frequency of trading than the Funds. Such restrictions may include without limitation, requiring the trades to be placed by U.S. mail, prohibiting purchases for a designated period of time (typically 30 to 90 days) by investors who have recently purchased or redeemed Fund shares and similar restrictions. The Funds' ability to impose such restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular financial intermediaries may vary depending on systems capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions, and cooperation of those financial intermediaries.

You should consult your financial intermediary regarding the application of such restrictions and to determine whether your financial intermediary imposes any additional or different limitations. In an effort to discourage market timers in such accounts, the Funds may consider enforcement against market timers at the participant level and at the omnibus level, up to and including termination of the omnibus account's authorization to purchase Fund shares.

Limitations on ability to detect and curtail market timing

Shareholders seeking to engage in market timing may employ a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the Funds and their agents to detect market timing in Fund shares, there is no guarantee that the Funds will be able to identify these shareholders or curtail their trading practices. In particular, the Funds may not be able to detect market timing attributable to a particular investor who effects purchase, redemption and/or exchange activity in Fund shares through omnibus accounts. The difficulty of detecting market timing may be further compounded if these entities utilize multiple tiers or omnibus accounts.

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

Dividends and distributions

Each Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a regulated investment company, a Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. Each Fund expects to declare dividends daily and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. Each Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually, usually in December. A Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee a Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. We automatically reinvest all dividends and any capital gains, unless you direct us to do otherwise.

Annual statements

Each year, the Fund will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior to issuing your statement, the Fund makes every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, if the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099.

Avoid "buying a dividend"

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, a Fund's net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by it. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in a Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

Tax considerations

Fund distributions.  Each Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. With respect to income dividends paid on or before December 31, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent), a portion of income dividends reported by a Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. Because the income of a Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid to you by the Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individuals at long-term capital gain tax rates.

Sale or redemption of Fund shares . A sale or redemption of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different Delaware Investments ® Fund is the same as a sale. Beginning with the 2012 calendar year, the Fund will be required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also the cost basis for shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 ("covered shares"). Cost basis will be calculated using a Fund's default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by a Fund and make any additional basis, holding period, or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be affected. Additional information and updates regarding cost basis reporting and available shareholder elections will be on Delaware Investments ® website at delawareinvestments.com as the information becomes available.

Medicare tax. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from a Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

Backup withholding. By law, if you do not provide a Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. Each Fund also must withhold if the Internal Revenue Service instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid (for distributions and proceeds paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent).

State and local taxes. Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

Non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. An exemption from U.S. withholding tax is provided for capital gain dividends paid by a Fund from long-term capital gains, if any. However, notwithstanding such exemption from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% (or the then applicable rate) if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") requires the reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on: (a) income dividends paid by a Fund after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gain distributions (including proceeds arising from the sale Fund shares) paid by a Fund after December 31, 2016 to certain "foreign financial institutions" and "non-financial foreign entities."

This discussion of "Dividends, distributions, and taxes" is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in a Fund.

Certain management considerations

Investments by funds of funds and similar investment vehicles

The Funds may accept investments from funds of funds, as well as from similar investment vehicles, such as 529 Plans. A "529 Plan" is a college savings program that operates under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. From time to time, a Fund may experience large investments or redemptions due to allocations or rebalancings by these funds of funds and/or similar investment vehicles. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on portfolio management. For example, a Fund may be required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. These transactions could also have tax consequences if sales of securities result in gains, and could also increase transaction costs or portfolio turnover.

Financial highlights

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand each Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in each Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the 2012, 2011, and 2010 fiscal years has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Funds' financial statements, are included in the annual report, which is available upon request by calling 800 523-1918.  For the fiscal years prior to 2010, the Funds' prior independent registered public accounting firm audited the Funds' financial statements.

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class A shares

Class A Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.050 $6.080 $5.460 $5.240 $5.520
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.246 0.268 0.309 0.314 0.279
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.384 0.278 0.647 0.216 (0.272)
Total from investment operations 0.630 0.546 0.956 0.530 0.007
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.284) (0.305) (0.336) (0.310) (0.287)
Net realized gain (0.136) (0.271)
Total dividends and distributions (0.420) (0.576) (0.336) (0.310) (0.287)
Net asset value, end of period $6.260 $6.050 $6.080 $5.460 $5.240
Total return 2 11.04% 9.44% 17.91% 11.04% 0.04%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $638,481 $392,313 $409,671 $459,892 $268,659
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.94% 0.95% 0.94% 0.90% 0.90%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.01% 1.09% 1.10% 1.11% 1.08%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 4.11% 4.45% 5.31% 6.45% 5.10%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 4.04% 4.31% 5.15% 6.24% 4.92%
Portfolio turnover 202% 204% 219% 271% 355%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return during the period shown is based on the change in net asset value of a share and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and/or distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class B shares

Class B Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.050 $6.080 $5.460 $5.230 $5.520
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.200 0.223 0.265 0.278 0.238
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.385 0.278 0.647 0.225 (0.283)
Total from investment operations 0.585 0.501 0.912 0.503 (0.045)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.239) (0.260) (0.292) (0.273) (0.245)
Net realized gain (0.136) (0.271)
Total dividends and distributions (0.375) (0.531) (0.292) (0.273) (0.245)
Net asset value, end of period $6.260 $6.050 $6.080 $5.460 $5.230
Total return 2 10.22% 8.62% 17.04% 10.43% (0.90%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $4,739 $6,705 $9,807 $11,938 $15,525
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.69% 1.70% 1.69% 1.65% 1.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.71% 1.79% 1.80% 1.81% 1.78%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 3.36% 3.70% 4.56% 5.70% 4.35%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 3.34% 3.61% 4.45% 5.54% 4.22%
Portfolio turnover 202% 204% 219% 271% 355%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class C shares

Class C Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240 $5.520
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.202 0.223 0.266 0.278 0.238
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.383 0.268 0.646 0.225 (0.273)
Total from investment operations 0.585 0.491 0.912 0.503 (0.035)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.239) (0.260) (0.292) (0.273) (0.245)
Net realized gain (0.136) (0.271)
Total dividends and distributions (0.375) (0.531) (0.292) (0.273) (0.245)
Net asset value, end of period $6.260 $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240
Total return 2 10.21% 8.44% 17.01% 10.41% (0.71%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $249,029 $135,912 $141,328 $121,901 $62,211
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.69% 1.70% 1.69% 1.65% 1.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.71% 1.79% 1.80% 1.81% 1.78%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 3.36% 3.70% 4.56% 5.70% 4.35%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 3.34% 3.61% 4.45% 5.54% 4.22%
Portfolio turnover 202% 204% 219% 271% 355%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class R shares

Class R Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240 $5.520
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.231 0.253 0.295 0.302 0.265
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.394 0.268 0.646 0.226 (0.272)
Total from investment operations 0.625 0.521 0.941 0.528 (0.007)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.269) (0.290) (0.321) (0.298) (0.273)
Net realized gain (0.136) (0.271)
Total dividends and distributions (0.405) (0.561) (0.321) (0.298) (0.273)
Net asset value, end of period $6.270 $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240
Total return 2 10.94% 8.98% 17.60% 10.97% (0.21%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $22,661 $11,981 $10,209 $11,229 $11,973
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.19% 1.20% 1.19% 1.15% 1.15%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.31% 1.39% 1.40% 1.41% 1.38%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 3.86% 4.20% 5.06% 6.20% 4.85%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 3.74% 4.01% 4.85% 5.94% 4.62%
Portfolio turnover 202% 204% 219% 271% 355%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and/or distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Institutional Class shares

Institutional Class Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240 $5.520
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.261 0.283 0.329 0.327 0.293
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 0.384 0.268 0.641 0.225 (0.273)
Total from investment operations 0.645 0.551 0.970 0.552 0.020
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.299) (0.320) (0.350) (0.322) (0.300)
Net realized gain (0.136) (0.271)
Total dividends and distributions (0.435) (0.591) (0.350) (0.322) (0.300)
Net asset value, end of period $6.260 $6.050 $6.090 $5.470 $5.240
Total return 2 11.32% 9.52% 18.40% 11.53% 0.10%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $507,190 $466,660 $357,801 $50,235 $205,197
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.69% 0.70% 0.69% 0.65% 0.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 0.71% 0.79% 0.80% 0.81% 0.78%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 4.36% 4.70% 5.56% 6.70% 5.35%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 4.34% 4.61% 5.45% 6.54% 5.22%
Portfolio turnover 202% 204% 219% 271% 355%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Class A shares

Class A Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.380 $6.440 $5.600 $5.210 $5.460
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.300 0.318 0.348 0.344 0.296
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.055 0.268 0.850 0.385 (0.245)
Total from investment operations 1.355 0.586 1.198 0.729 0.051
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.319) (0.329) (0.358) (0.339) (0.301)
Net realized gain (0.266) (0.317)
Total dividends and distributions (0.585) (0.646) (0.358) (0.339) (0.301)
Net asset value, end of period $7.150 $6.380 $6.440 $5.600 $5.210
Total return 2 22.48% 9.74% 22.00% 15.17% 0.83%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $402,639 $352,060 $275,312 $184,538 $163,372
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.95% 0.95% 0.94% 0.90% 0.90%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.06% 1.12% 1.18% 1.29% 1.23%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 4.53% 5.07% 5.77% 7.03% 5.42%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 4.42% 4.90% 5.53% 6.64% 5.09%
Portfolio turnover 172% 147% 149% 234% 443%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return during the period shown is based on the change in net asset value of a share and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and/or distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Class B shares

Class B Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.370 $6.430 $5.590 $5.200 $5.450
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.249 0.271 0.301 0.307 0.254
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.057 0.268 0.852 0.384 (0.244)
Total from investment operations 1.306 0.539 1.153 0.691 0.010
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.270) (0.282) (0.313) (0.301) (0.260)
Net realized gain (0.266) (0.317)
Total dividends and distributions (0.536) (0.599) (0.313) (0.301) (0.260)
Net asset value, end of period $7.140 $6.370 $6.430 $5.590 $5.200
Total return 2 21.61% 8.93% 21.13% 14.33% 0.08%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $1,887 $2,219 $3,464 $3,992 $4,718
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.70% 1.70% 1.69% 1.65% 1.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.76% 1.82% 1.88% 1.99% 1.93%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 3.78% 4.32% 5.02% 6.28% 4.67%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 3.72% 4.20% 4.83% 5.94% 4.39%
Portfolio turnover 172% 147% 149% 234% 443%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Class C shares

Class C Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.380 $6.430 $5.600 $5.210 $5.460
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.251 0.272 0.302 0.307 0.254
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.055 0.277 0.841 0.385 (0.244)
Total from investment operations 1.306 0.549 1.143 0.692 0.010
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.270) (0.282) (0.313) (0.302) (0.260)
Net realized gain (0.266) (0.317)
Total dividends and distributions (0.536) (0.599) (0.313) (0.302) (0.260)
Net asset value, end of period $7.150 $6.380 $6.430 $5.600 $5.210
Total return 2 21.57% 9.09% 20.91% 14.32% 0.08%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $62,275 $24,532 $23,115 $19,120 $17,976
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.70% 1.70% 1.69% 1.65% 1.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.76% 1.82% 1.88% 1.99% 1.93%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 3.78% 4.32% 5.02% 6.28% 4.67%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 3.72% 4.20% 4.83% 5.94% 4.39%
Portfolio turnover 172% 147% 149% 234% 443%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Class R shares

Class R Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.390 $6.440 $5.600 $5.210 $5.460
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.284 0.303 0.339 0.332 0.282
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.055 0.278 0.845 0.385 (0.245)
Total from investment operations 1.339 0.581 1.184 0.717 0.037
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.303) (0.314) (0.344) (0.327) (0.287)
Net realized gain (0.266) (0.317)
Total dividends and distributions (0.569) (0.631) (0.344) (0.327) (0.287)
Net asset value, end of period $7.160 $6.390 $6.440 $5.600 $5.210
Total return 2 22.15% 9.63% 21.48% 15.08% 0.39%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $20,080 $10,800 $14,131 $665 $377
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.20% 1.20% 1.19% 1.15% 1.15%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.36% 1.42% 1.48% 1.59% 1.53%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 4.28% 4.82% 5.52% 6.78% 5.17%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 4.12% 4.60% 5.23% 6.34% 4.79%
Portfolio turnover 172% 147% 149% 234% 443%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and/or distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Institutional Class shares

Institutional Class Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $6.370 $6.430 $5.590 $5.200 $5.450
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 1 0.317 0.332 0.364 0.356 0.309
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) 1.055 0.269 0.849 0.385 (0.244)
Total from investment operations 1.372 0.601 1.213 0.741 0.065
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.336) (0.344) (0.373) (0.351) (0.315)
Net realized gain (0.266) (0.317)
Total dividends and distributions (0.602) (0.661) (0.373) (0.351) (0.315)
Net asset value, end of period $7.140 $6.370 $6.430 $5.590 $5.200
Total return 2 22.82% 10.01% 22.33% 15.48% 1.09%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $344,628 $124,076 $49,310 $26,223 $36,494
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.70% 0.70% 0.69% 0.65% 0.65%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 0.76% 0.82% 0.88% 0.99% 0.93%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 4.78% 5.32% 6.02% 7.28% 5.67%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 4.72% 5.20% 5.83% 6.94% 5.39%
Portfolio turnover 172% 147% 149% 234% 443%

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

How to read the financial highlights

Net investment income (loss)
Net investment income (loss) includes dividend and interest income earned from a fund's investments; it is calculated after expenses have been deducted.

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
A realized gain occurs when we sell an investment at a profit, while a realized loss occurs when we sell an investment at a loss. When an investment increases or decreases in value but we do not sell it, we record an unrealized gain or loss. The amount of realized gain per share, if any, that we pay to shareholders would be listed under "Less dividends and distributions from: Net realized gain on investments."

Net asset value (NAV)
This is the value of a mutual fund share, calculated by dividing the net assets by the number of shares outstanding.

Total return
This represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a fund. In calculating this figure for the financial highlights table, we include applicable fee waivers, exclude front-end sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges, and assume the shareholder has reinvested all dividends and realized gains.

Net assets
Net assets represent the total value of all the assets in a fund's portfolio, less any liabilities, that are attributable to that class of the fund.

Ratio of expenses to average net assets
The expense ratio is the percentage of net assets that a fund pays annually for operating expenses and management fees. These expenses include accounting and administration expenses, services for shareholders, and similar expenses.

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets
We determine this ratio by dividing net investment income (loss) by average net assets.

Portfolio turnover
This figure tells you the amount of trading activity in a fund's portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur if, for example, a fund bought and sold all of the securities in its portfolio once in the course of a year or frequently traded a single security. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains.

Additional information

Contact information

  • Website: delawareinvestments.com

  • Shareholder Service Center: 800 523-1918 (representatives available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time)

    • For fund information, literature, price, yield, and performance figures.

    • For information on existing regular investment accounts and retirement plan accounts including wire investments, wire redemptions, telephone redemptions, and telephone exchanges.

  • Automated telephone service: 800 523-1918 (seven days a week, 24 hours a day)

    • For convenient access to account information or current performance information on all Delaware Investments ® Funds seven days a week, use this touch-tone service.

  • Written correspondence: P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722.


Additional information about the Funds' investments is available in their annual and semiannual shareholder reports. In the Funds' annual shareholder report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Funds' performance during the period covered by the report. You can find more information about the Funds in their current SAI, which is filed electronically with the SEC, and which is legally a part of this Prospectus (it is incorporated by reference). To receive a free copy of the SAI, or the annual or semiannual report, or if you have any questions about investing in the Funds, write to us at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service, or call toll-free 800 523-1918. The SAI and shareholder reports are available, free of charge, through the Funds' website (delawareinvestments.com). You may also obtain additional information about the Funds from your financial advisor.

You can find reports and other information about the Funds on the EDGAR database on the SEC website (sec.gov). You can get copies of this information, after paying a duplication fee, by e-mailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC,
100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about the Funds, including their SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For information on the Public Reference Room, call the
SEC at 202 551-8090.

PR-460 [7/12] PDF 18231 [11/12]

Investment Company Act number: 811-02071


Prospectus

Fixed income

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund

 
November 28, 2012  

Nasdaq ticker symbols

Class A

DHOAX

Class B

DHOBX

Class C

DHOCX

Class R

DHIRX

Institutional Class

DHOIX

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Get shareholder reports and prospectuses online instead of in the mail.
Visit delawareinvestments.com/edelivery.

   


Table of contents

Fund summary

1

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund

1

How we manage the Fund

6

Our investment strategies

6

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

6

The risks of investing in the Fund

9

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

12

Who manages the Fund

13

Investment manager

13

Portfolio manager

13

Manager of managers structure

13

Who's who

14

About your account

15

Investing in the Fund

15

Choosing a share class

15

Dealer compensation

18

Payments to intermediaries

18

How to reduce your sales charge

19

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

20

How to buy shares

22

Calculating share price

23

Fair valuation

23

Retirement plans

23

Document delivery

24

Inactive accounts

24

How to redeem shares

24

Account minimums

25

Investor services

25

Frequent trading of Fund shares

26

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

28

Certain management considerations

29

Financial highlights

30

Additional information

37


Fund summary

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund

What are the Fund's investment objectives?

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund seeks total return and, as a secondary objective, high current income.

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. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments ® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as a percentageof offering price 4.50% none none none none
Maximum contingent deferred sales charge (load) as
a percentage of original purchase price or
redemption price, whichever is lower
none 4.00% 1 1.00% 1 none none
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A B C R Inst.
Management fees 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65% 0.65%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.30% 1.00% 1.00% 0.60% none
Other expenses 0.23% 0.23% 0.23% 0.23% 0.23%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.18% 1.88% 1.88% 1.48% 0.88%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.07%) 2 (0.07%) 2 (0.07%) 2 (0.17%) 2 (0.07%) 2
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 1.11% 1.81% 1.81% 1.31% 0.81%

If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, you will pay a contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC) of 4.00%, which declines to 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter. Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% CDSC.

The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), is contractually waiving its investment advisory fees and/or paying expenses (excluding any 12b-1 plan, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) to the extent necessary to prevent total annual fund operating expenses from exceeding 0.81% of the Fund's average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. The Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor), has also contracted to limit the Class R shares' 12b-1 fees to no more than 0.50% of its average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager and the Distributor, as applicable, and the Fund. Additionally, the Fund's Class A shares are subject to a blended 12b-1 fee of 0.10% on all shares acquired prior to June 1, 1992 and 0.30% on all shares acquired on or after June 1, 1992. All Class A shares currently bear 12b-1 fees at the same rate, the blended rate based on the formula described above.  This method of calculating Class A 12b-1 fees may be discontinued at the sole discretion of the Fund's Board.

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 reflects the applicable waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

(if not (if not
redeemed) redeemed)
Class A B B C C R Inst.
1 year $558 $184 $584 $184 $284 $133 $83
3 years $801 $584 $809 $584 $584 $451 $274
5 years $1,063 $1,010 $1,160 $1,010 $1,010 $792 $481
10 years $1,811 $2,013 $2,013 $2,195 $2,195 $1,754 $1,078

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 61% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

The Fund will invest primarily in corporate bonds rated BBB- or lower by Standard & Poor's (S&P), Baa3 or lower by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. (Moody's), or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). These are commonly known as high yield bonds or junk bonds and involve greater risks than investment grade bonds. The Fund will also invest in unrated bonds we judge to be of comparable quality. Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds. The Fund may also invest in U.S. and foreign government securities and corporate bonds of foreign issuers. The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in foreign securities. In selecting bonds for the portfolio, we evaluate the income provided by the bond and the bond's appreciation potential as well as the issuer's ability to make income and principal payments.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities rated at the time of purchase BBB- or lower by S&P, Baa3 or lower by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality. This policy is not a fundamental investment policy and can be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change.

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.

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 with less financial strength and therefore 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.

Credit risk  — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner.

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.

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.

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.

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

Valuation risk  — The risk that a less liquid secondary market may make it more difficult for a fund to obtain precise valuations of certain securities in its portfolio.

Redemption risk  — If investors redeem more shares of a fund than are purchased for an extended period of time, a fund may be required to sell securities without regard to the investment merits of such actions. This could decrease a fund's asset base, potentially resulting in a higher expense ratio.

Counterparty risk  — The risk that a counterparty to a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization).

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 High-Yield OpportunitiesFund 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 or lifetime 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 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 delawareinvestments.com/performance.

Year-by-year total return (Class A)*

   

As of September 30, 2012, the Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 13.52%.  During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 19.45% for the quarter ended June 30, 2009 and its lowest quarterly return was -18.08% for the quarter ended December 31, 2008. The maximum Class A sales charge of 4.50%, which is normally assessed 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 returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011*

1 year 5 years 10 years or lifetime
Class A return before taxes -2.79% 5.00% 8.31%
Class A return after taxes on distributions -5.42% 2.00% 5.17%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares -1.81% 2.43% 5.21%
Class B return before taxes -2.34% 5.03% 8.18%
Class C return before taxes 0.25% 5.19% 8.03%
Class R return before taxes (lifetime: 6/2/03-12/31/11) 1.71% 5.76% 7.98%
Institutional Class return before taxes 2.20% 6.29% 9.14%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. High Yield ConstrainedIndex (reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses, or taxes)
4.37% 7.55% 8.74%

*  Because the Fund has combined its retail and institutional prospectuses, the bar chart and the after tax returns in the average annual total returns table show the performance of the Fund's Class A shares.

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.

Who manages the Fund?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust

 

Portfolio manager

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Fund

Kevin P. Loome, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments

August 2007

Purchase and redemption of Fund shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). Shares may be purchased or redeemed: through your financial advisor; through the Fund's website at delawareinvestments.com; by calling 800 523-1918; by regular mail (c/o Delaware Investments, P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076); by overnight courier service (c/o Delaware Service Center, 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); or by wire.

For Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment is generally $1,000 and subsequent investments can be made for as little as $100.  The minimum initial investment for IRAs, Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act accounts, direct deposit purchase plans and automatic investment plans is $250 and through Coverdell Education Savings Accounts is $500, and subsequent investments in these accounts can be made for as little as $25. For Class R and Institutional Class shares, there is no minimum initial purchase requirement, but certain eligibility requirements must be met. The eligibility requirements are described in the prospectus under "Choosing a share class" and on the Fund's website. We may reduce or waive the minimums or eligibility requirements in certain cases. No new or subsequent investments currently are allowed in the Fund's Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges.

Tax information

The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a
401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to broker/dealers and other
financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

How we manage the Fund

We take a disciplined approach to investing, combining investment strategies and risk management techniques that we believe can help shareholders meet their goals.

Our investment strategies

The Manager analyzes economic and market conditions, seeking to identify the securities or market sectors that we think are the best investments the Fund. 

We invest primarily in fixed income securities that we believe will have a liberal and consistent yield and will tend to reduce the risk of market fluctuations. We expect to invest the majority of the Fund's assets primarily in high yield bonds or junk bonds, which involve greater risks than investment grade bonds. The Fund may also invest in unrated bonds that we consider to have comparable credit characteristics. Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds. The Fund may invest up to 25% of total assets in foreign securities. Securities of foreign issuers are also subject to certain risks such as political and economic instability, currency fluctuations and less stringent regulatory standards.

Before selecting high yield corporate bonds, we carefully evaluate each individual bond, including its income potential and the size of the bond issuance. The size of the issuance helps us evaluate how easily we may be able to buy and sell the bond.

We also do a thorough credit analysis of the issuer to determine whether that company has the financial ability to meet the bond's payments.

We maintain a well-diversified portfolio of high yield bonds that represents many different sectors and industries. Through diversification we can help to reduce the impact that any individual bond might have on the portfolio should the issuer have difficulty making payments.

The Fund strives to provide total return, with high current income as a secondary objective. Before purchasing a bond, we evaluate both the income level and its potential for price appreciation. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in fixed income securities rated at the time of purchase BBB- or lower by S&P, Baa3 or lower by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO or, if unrated, judged to be of comparable quality. This policy is not a fundamental investment policy and can be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given notice at least 60 days prior to any such change. The Fund also may invest in bonds of foreign issuers in pursuit of its objective.

The Fund's investment objective is nonfundamental. This means that the Fund's Board of Trustees (Board) may change the objective without obtaining shareholder approval. If the objective were changed, the Fund would notify shareholders at least 60 days before the change in the objective became effective.

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

Fixed income securities offer the potential for greater income payments than stocks, and also may provide capital appreciation. Please see the Fund's statement of additional information (SAI) for additional information about certain of the securities described below as well as other securities in which the Fund may invest.

High yield corporate bonds (junk bonds)

High yield corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation and rated lower than BBB- by S&P and Baa3 by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO. High yield bonds, also known as "junk bonds," are issued by corporations that have lower credit quality and may have difficulty repaying principal and interest.

How the Fund uses them:  The Fund may invest without limit in high yield corporate bonds.

U.S. government securities

U.S. government securities are direct U.S. obligations that include bills, notes, and bonds, as well as other debt securities, issued by the U.S. Treasury, and securities of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment.

How the Fund uses them:  The Fund may invest without limit in U.S. government securities. However, they will typically represent a small percentage of the Fund's portfolio because they generally do not offer as high a level of current income as high yield corporate bonds.

Foreign corporate and government securities

Foreign corporate and government securities are debt obligations issued by a foreign corporation and securities issued by foreign governments.

A supranational entity is an entity established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly known as the World Bank) is one example of a supranational entity.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of issuers domiciled in foreign countries, including both established countries and those with emerging markets.

Zero coupon and pay-in-kind bonds

Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest, and therefore are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or par value. Pay-in-kind (PIK) bonds pay interest through the issuance to holders of additional securities.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may purchase fixed income securities, including zero coupon bonds and PIK bonds consistent with its investment objective. The market prices of these bonds are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to react to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than interest-paying bonds having similar maturities and credit quality. They may have certain tax consequences, which, under certain conditions, could be adverse to the Fund.

Equity securities

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stock and securities convertible into common stock.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in equity securities. Generally, the Manager will invest less than 5% of the Fund's total assets in these securities.

Credit default swaps agreements

In a credit default swap, a fund may transfer the financial risk of a credit event occurring (a bond default, bankruptcy, restructuring, etc.) on a particular security or basket of securities to another party by paying that party a periodic premium; likewise, a fund may assume the financial risk of a credit event occurring on a particular security or basket of securities in exchange for receiving premium payments from another party. Credit default swaps may be considered to be illiquid.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may enter into credit default swaps in order to hedge against a credit event, to enhance total return or to gain exposure to certain securities or markets.

Repurchase agreements

A repurchase agreement is an agreement between a buyer of securities, such as a fund, and a seller of securities, in which the seller agrees to buy the securities back within a specified time at the same price the buyer paid for them, plus an amount equal to an agreed-upon interest rate. Repurchase agreements are often viewed as equivalent to cash.

How the Fund uses them: Typically, the Fund may use repurchase agreements as short-term investments for the Fund's cash position. In order to enter into these repurchase agreements, the Fund must have collateral of at least 102% of the repurchase price. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements in which the collateral is U.S. government securities. In the Manager's discretion, the Fund may invest overnight cash balances in short-term discount notes issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or government-sponsored enterprises.

Bank loans

A bank loan represents an interest in a loan or other direct indebtedness, such as an assignment, that entitles the acquiror of such interest to payments of interest, principal and/or other amounts due under the structure of the loan or other direct indebtedness. In addition to being structured as secured or unsecured loans, such investments could be structured as novations or assignments or represent trade or other claims owed by a company to a supplier.

How the Fund uses them:  The Fund may invest without restriction in bank loans that meet the credit standards established by the Manager. The Manager performs its own independent credit analysis on each borrower and on the collateral securing each loan, considers the nature of the industry in which the borrower operates, the nature of the borrower's assets, and the general quality and creditworthiness of the borrower. The Fund may invest in bank loans in order to enhance total return, to affect diversification, or to earn additional income. The Fund will not use bank loans for reasons inconsistent with its investment objective.

Options

Options represent a right to buy or sell a security or a group of securities, or a swap agreement or agreements at an agreed upon price at a future date. The purchaser of an option may or may not choose to go through with the transaction. The seller of an option, however, must go through with the transaction if its purchaser exercises the option. Certain options may be considered derivative securities.

How the Funds use them:   At times when we anticipate adverse conditions, we may want to protect gains on securities or swap agreements without actually selling them.  We might use options to neutralize the effect of any price declines, without selling a security or swap agreement, or as a hedge against changes in interest rates.  We may also sell an option contract (often referred to as "writing" an option) to earn additional income for the Funds.  The Funds may write call options and purchase put options on a covered basis only, and will not engage in option writing strategies for speculative purposes.

The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

Restricted securities

Restricted securities are privately placed securities whose resale is restricted under U.S. securities laws.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in privately placed securities, including those that are eligible for resale only among certain institutional buyers without registration, which are commonly known as "Rule 144A Securities." Restricted securities that are determined to be illiquid may not exceed the Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities. 

Illiquid securities

Illiquid securities are securities that do not have a ready market and cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them. Illiquid securities include repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Other investment strategies

The Fund may also invest in other income producing and non-income producing securities, including common stocks and preferred stocks, some of which may have convertible features or attached warrants.

Borrowing from banks

The Fund may borrow money from banks as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes or to facilitate redemptions. The Fund will be required to pay interest to the lending banks on the amounts borrowed. As a result, borrowing money could result in the Fund being unable to meet its investment objective.

Lending securities

The Fund may lend up to 25% of its assets to qualified broker/dealers or institutional investors for their use in securities transactions. Borrowers of the Fund's securities must provide collateral to the Fund and adjust the amount of collateral each day to reflect changes in the value of the loaned securities. These transactions may generate additional income for the Fund.

Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis

The Fund may buy or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis; that is, paying for securities before delivery or taking delivery at a later date. The Fund will designate cash or securities in amounts sufficient to cover its obligations, and will value the designated assets daily.

Temporary defensive positions

In response to unfavorable market conditions, the Fund may make temporary investments in cash or cash equivalents or other high-quality, short-term instruments. These investments may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. To the extent that the Fund holds such instruments, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

The risks of investing in the Fund

Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Before you invest in the Fund, you should carefully evaluate the risks. Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider your investment to be a long-term investment that typically provides the best results when held for a number of years. The information below describes the principal risks you assume when investing in the Fund. Please see the SAI for a further discussion of certain of these risks and other risks not discussed here.

Market risk

Market risk is the risk that securities or industries in a certain market — such as the stock or bond market — will decline in value because of economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We maintain a long-term investment approach and focus on securities that we believe can appreciate over an extended period of time regardless of interim market fluctuations. We do not try to predict overall stock market movements and though we may hold securities for any amount of time, we generally do not trade for short-term purposes.

Industry and security risks

Industry risk is 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.

Security risk is the risk that the value of an individual stock or bond will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of the individual company issuing the stock or bond (due to situations that could range from decreased sales to events such as a pending merger or actual or threatened bankruptcy).

How the Fund strives to manage them: We limit the amount of the Fund's assets invested in any one industry and in any individual security or issuer. We also follow a rigorous selection process when choosing securities for the portfolio.

High yield fixed income securities (junk bonds)

High yield fixed income securities are debt obligations issued by a corporation and rated lower-than-investment-grade by an NRSRO such as S&P or Moody's. High yield fixed income securities are issued by corporations that have lower credit quality and may have difficulty repaying principal and interest.

How the Fund uses them:  The Manager carefully evaluates an individual company's financial situation, its management, the prospects for its industry and the technical factors related to its bond offering. Our goal is to identify those companies that it believes will be able to repay their debt obligations in spite of poor ratings. The Fund invests in unrated bonds if the Manager believes their credit quality is comparable to the rated bonds we are permitted to invest in. Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds. The Fund may not invest more than 20% of its net assets in high yield bonds.

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise. The risk is greater for bonds with longer maturities than for those with shorter maturities.  Investments in equity securities issued by small- and medium-size companies, which often borrow money to finance operations, may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates.

Swaps may be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes. Depending on the actual movements of interest rates and how well the portfolio manager anticipates them, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Fund strives to manage it:  The Fund is subject to various interest rate risks based upon its investment objectives and policies. The Manager cannot eliminate this risk, but we do try to address it by monitoring economic conditions.

Credit risk

Credit risk is the risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner. Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value, which would impact a fund's performance.

Investing in so-called "junk" or "high yield" bonds entails the risk of principal loss, which may be greater than the risk involved in investment grade bonds. High yield bonds are sometimes issued by companies whose earnings at the time of issuance are less than the projected debt service on the junk bonds.

Investment by a fund in defaulted securities poses additional risk of loss should nonpayment of principal and interest continue in respect of such securities. Even if such securities are held to maturity, recovery by a fund of its initial investment and any anticipated income or appreciation will be uncertain. A fund also may incur additional expenses in seeking recovery on defaulted securities. Defaulted securities may be considered illiquid.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Manager employs a careful, credit-oriented bond selection approach. The Fund also holds a diversified selection of high yield bonds that is designed to manage this risk.

It is likely that protracted periods of economic uncertainty would cause increased volatility in the market prices of high yield bonds, an increase in the number of high yield bond defaults and corresponding volatility in a Fund's net asset value (NAV).

Derivatives risk

Derivatives risk is the possibility that a fund may experience a significant loss if it employs a derivatives strategy (including a strategy involving futures, options, and swaps) related to a security or a securities index and that security or index moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio management team had anticipated. Derivatives also involve additional expenses, which could reduce any benefit or increase any loss to a fund from using the strategy.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We will use derivatives for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, to neutralize the impact of interest rate changes, to increase diversification, or to earn additional income.

Recession risk

Although the market for high yield bonds existed through periods of economic downturns, the high yield market grew rapidly during the long economic expansion which took place in the United States during the 1980s. During that economic expansion, the use of high yield debt securities to finance highly leveraged corporate acquisitions and restructurings increased dramatically. As a result, the high yield market grew substantially. Some analysts believe a protracted economic downturn would severely disrupt the market for high yield bonds, adversely affect the value of outstanding bonds and adversely affect the ability of high yield issuers to repay principal and interest.

How the Fund strives to manage it: It is likely that protracted periods of economic uncertainty would cause increased volatility in the market prices of high yield bonds, an increase in the number of high yield bond defaults and corresponding volatility in the Fund's NAV. In the past, uncertainty and volatility in the high yield market have resulted in volatility in the Fund's NAV.

In striving to manage this risk, the Manager allocates assets across a wide range of industry sectors. We may emphasize industries that have been less susceptible to economic cycles in the past, particularly if we believe that the economy may be entering into a period of slower growth.

Foreign risk

Foreign risk is the risk that foreign securities may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, foreign economic or government conditions, increased transaction costs, or inadequate regulatory and accounting standards.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Manager carefully evaluates the reward and risk associated with each foreign security that we consider.

The Fund may invest up to 25% of its total assets in securities of foreign issuers.

Emerging markets risk

Emerging markets risk is the possibility that the risks associated with international investing will be greater in emerging markets than in more developed foreign markets because, among other things, emerging markets may have less stable political and economic environments. In addition, in many emerging markets there is substantially less publicly available information about issuers and the information that is available tends to be of a lesser quality. Economic markets and structures tend to be less mature and diverse and the securities markets, which are subject to less government regulation or supervision, may also be smaller, less liquid, and subject to greater price volatility.

How the Fund strives to manage it:   The Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. The Fund cannot eliminate these risks but the Manager will attempt to reduce these risks through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries and financial markets, and other relevant factors. The Fund will limit its investments in emerging markets, in the aggregate, to no more than 5% of its net assets.

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk involves the risk that a fund 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. Loans that are fully secured offer a fund more protection than unsecured loans in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal, although there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower's obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Some loans or claims may be in default at the time of purchase. Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by a fund may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing commitments that obligate a fund to pay additional cash on a certain date or on demand. These commitments may require a fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when that fund might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times hold and maintain, in a segregated account, cash or other high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

As a fund may be required to rely upon another lending institution to collect and pass on to the fund amounts payable with respect to the loan and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan and other direct indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving such amounts. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to the fund.

How the Fund strives to manage it: These risks may not be completely eliminated, but we will attempt to reduce them through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries, and financial markets. Should we determine that any of these securities may be illiquid, they would be subject to the Fund's restriction on illiquid securities.

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the possibility that securities cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them.  Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments, and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. A fund also may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities at a favorable time or price during periods of infrequent trading of an illiquid security.

There is generally no established retail secondary market for high yield securities. As a result, the secondary market for high yield securities is more limited and less liquid than other secondary securities markets. The high yield secondary market is particularly susceptible to liquidity problems when the institutions, such as mutual funds and certain financial institutions, which dominate it temporarily stop buying bonds for regulatory, financial or other reasons.

Adverse publicity and investor perceptions may also disrupt the secondary market for high yield securities.

How the Fund strives to manage it: A less liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on the Fund's ability to dispose of particular issues, when necessary, to meet its liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as the deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. In striving to manage this risk, the Manager evaluates the size of a bond issuance as a way to anticipate its likely liquidity level.

The Fund may invest only 15% of net assets in illiquid securities.

Valuation risk

A less liquid secondary market as described above can make it more difficult to obtain precise valuations of the high yield securities in its portfolio. During periods of reduced liquidity, judgment plays a greater role in valuing high yield securities.

How the Fund strives to manage it:  The Fund's privately-placed high yield securities are particularly susceptible to liquidity and valuation risks. The Manager will strive to manage this risk by carefully evaluating individual bonds and by limiting the amount of the portfolio that can be allocated to privately-placed high yield securities.

Government and regulatory risks

Governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets. Government involvement in the private sector may, in some cases, include government investment in, or ownership of, companies in certain commercial business sectors; wage and price controls; or imposition of trade barriers and other protectionist measures. For example, an economic or political crisis may lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, the creation of government monopolies, foreign exchange controls, the introduction of new currencies (and the redenomination of financial obligations into those currencies), or other measures that could be detrimental to the investments of a fund.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We evaluate the economic and political climate in the U.S. and abroad before selecting securities for the Fund. We typically diversify the Fund's assets among a number of different securities in a variety of sectors in order to minimize the impact to the Fund of any legislative or regulatory development affecting particular countries, issuers, or market sectors.

Counterparty risk

If a fund enters into a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement, it will be subject to the risk that the counterparty to such a contract or agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization). As a result, the fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery, or may obtain no recovery at all.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund tries to minimize this risk by considering the creditworthiness of all parties before it enters into transactions with them. The Fund may hold collateral from counterparties consistent with applicable regulations.

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Who manages the Fund

Investment manager

The Manager is a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, which is a subsidiary of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. (DMHI). DMHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. The Manager makes investment decisions for the Fund, manages the Fund's business affairs, and provides daily administrative services. For its services to the Fund, the Manager was paid an aggregate fee, net of fee waivers, of 0.58% of average daily net assets during the last fiscal year.

A discussion of the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory contract is available in the Fund's semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended January 31, 2012.

Portfolio manager

Kevin P. Loome has primary responsibility for making day-to-day investment decisions forthe Funds.

Kevin P. Loome, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments
Kevin P. Loome is head of the High Yield fixed income team, responsible for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation of all high yield fixed income assets. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in August 2007 in his current position, Loome spent 11 years at T. Rowe Price, starting as an analyst and leaving the firm as a portfolio manager. He began his career with Morgan Stanley as a corporate finance analyst in the New York and London offices. Loome received his bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio manager's compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager's ownership of Fund shares.

Manager of managers structure

The Fund and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits the Manager, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisors, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (Manager of Managers Structure). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund's sub-advisors and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-advisor that is affiliated with the Fund or the Manager. While the Manager does not currently expect to use the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund, the Manager may, in the future, recommend to the Board the establishment of the Manager of Managers Structure by recommending the hiring of one or more sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Fund's portfolio.

The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the overall management and advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.

Who's who

Board of trustees: A mutual fund is governed by a board of trustees, which has oversight responsibility for the management of the fund's business affairs. Trustees establish procedures and oversee and review the performance of the fund's service providers.

Investment manager: An investment manager is a company responsible for selecting portfolio investments consistent with the objective and policies stated in the mutual fund's prospectus. A written contract between a mutual fund and its investment manager specifies the services the investment manager performs and the fee the manager is entitled to receive.

Portfolio managers: Portfolio managers make investment decisions for individual portfolios.

 

   

Distributor: Most mutual funds continuously offer new shares to the public through distributors that are regulated as broker/dealers and are subject to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules governing mutual fund sales practices.

Service agent: Mutual fund companies employ service agents (sometimes called transfer agents) to maintain records of shareholder accounts, calculate and disburse dividends and capital gains, and prepare and mail shareholder statements and tax information, among other functions. Many service agents also provide customer service to shareholders.

Custodian: Mutual funds are legally required to protect their portfolio securities, and most funds place them with a qualified bank custodian that segregates fund securities from other bank assets.

Financial advisors: Financial advisors provide advice to their clients. They are associated with securities broker/dealers who have entered into selling and/or service arrangements with the distributor. Selling broker/dealers and financial advisors are compensated for their services generally through sales commissions, and through 12b-1 fees and/or service fees deducted from a fund's assets.

Shareholders: Mutual fund shareholders have specific voting rights on matters such as material changes in the terms of a fund's management contract and changes to fundamental investment policies.

About your account

Investing in the Fund

You can choose from a number of share classes for the Fund. Because each share class has a different combination of sales charges, fees, and other features, you should consult your financial advisor to determine which class best suits your investment goals and time frame. Delaware Management Trust Company will not accept applications to open new 403(b) custodial accounts or accept contributions to existing 403(b) custodial accounts.

Choosing a share class

Each share class may be eligible for purchase through programs sponsored by financial intermediaries that require the purchase of a specific class of shares.

Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares of the Fund have each adopted a separate 12b-1 plan that allows it to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Class A

  • Class A shares have an up-front sales charge of up to 4.50% that you pay when you buy the shares.

  • If you invest $100,000 or more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.

  • You may qualify for other reduced sales charges, and, under certain circumstances, the sales charge may be waived, as described in "How to reduce your sales charge" below.

  • Class A shares are also subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.30% of average daily net assets. See "Dealer compensation" below for further information.

  • Class A shares generally are not subject to a CDSC except in the limited circumstances described in the table below.

  • Class A shares generally are not available for purchase by anyone qualified to purchase Class R shares, except as described below.

  • Any account holding Class A shares as of June 2, 2003 (the date Class R shares were made available) continues to be eligible to purchase Class A shares after that date.

Class A sales charges

The table below details your sales charges on purchases of Class A shares. The offering price for Class A shares includes the front-end sales charge. The sales charge as a percentage of the net amount invested is the maximum percentage of the amount invested rounded to the nearest hundredth. The actual sales charge that you pay as a percentage of the offering price and as a percentage of the net amount invested will vary depending on the then-current net asset value (NAV), the percentage rate of the sales charge, and rounding.

Amount of purchase Sales charge as a %
of offering price
Sales charge as a %
of net amount invested
Less than $100,000 4.50% 5.13%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.50% 4.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.50% 3.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 2.00% 2.44%
$1 million or more none* none*

* There is no front-end sales charge when you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares. However, if the Distributor paid your financial advisor a commission on your purchase of $1 million or more of Class A shares, you will have to pay a Limited CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem these shares within the first year after your purchase and 0.50% if you redeem them within the second year, unless a specific waiver of the Limited CDSC applies. The Limited CDSC will be paid to the Distributor and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the NAV at the time the Class A shares being redeemed were purchased; or (2) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of the Class A shares even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund and, in the event of an exchange of Class A shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares acquired in the exchange. In determining whether a Limited CDSC is payable, it will be assumed that shares not subject to the Limited CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. See "Dealer compensation" below for a description of the dealer commission that is paid.

Class B

No new or subsequent investments, including investments through automatic investment plans and by qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) or 457 plans), are allowed in the Fund's Class B shares, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges. Existing shareholders of Class B shares may continue to hold their Class B shares, reinvest dividends into Class B shares, and exchange their Class B shares of one Delaware Investments® Fund for Class B shares of another Fund, as permitted by existing exchange privileges. Existing Class B shareholders wishing to make subsequent purchases in the Fund's shares will be permitted to invest in other classes of the Fund, subject to that class's pricing structure and eligibility requirements, if any.

For Class B shares outstanding as of May 31, 2007, and Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends or capital gains, all Class B share attributes, including the CDSC schedules, conversion to Class A schedule, and distribution and service (12b-1) fees, will continue in their current form. In addition, because the Fund's or its Distributor's ability to assess certain sales charges and fees is dependent on the sale of new shares, the termination of new purchases of Class B shares could ultimately lead to the elimination and/or reduction of such sales charges and fees. The Fund may not be able to provide shareholders with advance notice of the reduction in these sales charges and fees. You will be notified via a Prospectus supplement if there are any changes to any attributes, sales charges, or fees.

  • Class B shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested. However, you will pay a CDSC if you redeem your shares within six years after you buy them.

  • If you redeem Class B shares during the first year after you buy them, the shares will be subject to a CDSC of 4.00%. The CDSC is 3.00% during the second year, 2.25% during the third year, 1.50% during the fourth and fifth years, 1.00% during the sixth year, and 0% thereafter.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class B shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than six years are redeemed first, followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held longest during the six-year period. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • For approximately eight years after you buy your Class B shares, they are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts.

  • Approximately eight years after you buy them, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares with a 12b-1 fee of no more than 0.25%. Conversion may occur as late as three months after the eighth anniversary of purchase, during which time Class B's higher 12b-1 fee applies.

Class C

  • Class C shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. However, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem your shares within 12 months after you buy them.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class C shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than 12 months are redeemed first, followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held for 12 months or less. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts. 

  • Class C shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • You may purchase only up to $1 million of Class C shares at any one time. Orders that exceed $1 million will be rejected.  The limitation on maximum purchases varies for retirement plans. 

Class R

  • Class R shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. Class R shares are not subject to a CDSC.

  • Class R shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.60% (currently limited to 0.50%) of average daily net assets.

  • Class R shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • Class R shares generally are available only to: (i) qualified and nonqualified plan shareholders covering multiple employees (including 401(k), 401(a), 457, and noncustodial 403(b) plans, as well as other nonqualified deferred compensation plans) with assets (at the time shares are considered for purchase) of $10 million or less; and (ii) individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers from plans that were previously maintained on the Delaware Investments® retirement recordkeeping system or BISYS's retirement recordkeeping system that are offering Class R shares to participants.

  • Except as noted above, no other IRAs are eligible for Class R shares (for example, no traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs, SARSEPs). For purposes of determining plan asset levels, affiliated plans may be combined at the request of the plan sponsor.

  • Any account holding Class A shares as of the date Class R shares were made available continues to be eligible to purchase Class A shares after that date. Any account holding Class R shares is not eligible to purchase Class A shares.

Institutional Class

  • Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund.

  • Institutional Class shares do not assess a CDSC or a 12b-1 fee;

  • Institutional Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

    • rollover IRAs from retirement plans and retirement plans introduced by persons not associated with brokers or dealers that are primarily engaged in the retail securities business;

    • tax-exempt employee benefit plans of the Manager, its affiliates, and securities dealers that have a selling agreement with the Distributor;

    • institutional advisory clients (including mutual funds) of the Manager or its affiliates, as well as those clients' affiliates, and their corporate sponsors, subsidiaries, related employee benefit plans, and rollover IRAs of, or from, such institutional advisory clients;

    • a bank, trust company, or similar financial institution investing for its own account or for the account of its trust customers for whom the financial institution is exercising investment discretion in purchasing Institutional Class shares, except where the investment is part of a program that requires payment to the financial institution of a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee;

    • RIAs investing on behalf of clients that consist solely of institutions and high net worth individuals having at least $1 million entrusted to an RIA for investment purposes (use of the Institutional Class shares is restricted to RIAs who are not affiliated or associated with a broker or dealer and who derive compensation for their services exclusively from their advisory clients);

    • certain plans qualified under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, for which the Manager, Distributor, or Delaware Service Company, Inc. (DSC), or one or more of their affiliates, provide record keeping, administrative, investment management, marketing, distribution, or similar services;

    • programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries where: (1) such programs allow or require the purchase of Institutional Class shares; (2) the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement covering the arrangement with the Distributor and/or DSC; and (3) the financial intermediary (i) charges clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment consulting or similar services, or (ii) offers the Institutional Class shares through a no-commission network or platform; or

    • private investment vehicles, including, but not limited to, foundations and endowments.

Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class B and Class C.   CDSCs are charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject to the CDSC. The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the NAV at the time the shares being redeemed were purchased or the NAV of those shares at the time of redemption. No CDSC will be imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price, nor will a CDSC be assessed on redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of Class B shares or Class C shares of the Fund, even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments® Fund. In the event of an exchange of the shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares that were acquired in the exchange.

Dealer compensation

The financial advisor that sells you shares of the Fund may be eligible to receive the following amounts as compensation for your investment in the Fund. These amounts are paid by the Distributor to the securities dealer with whom your financial advisor is associated. Institutional Class shares do not have a 12b-1 fee or sales charge so they are not included in the chart below.

Class A 1 Class B 2 Class C 3 Class R 4
Commission (%) 4.00% 1.00%
Investment less than $100,000 4.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000 2.00%
$500,000 but less than $1 million 1.60%
$1 million but less than $5 million 1.00%
$5 million but less than $25 million 0.50%
$25 million or more 0.25%
12b-1 fee to dealer 0.30% 0.25% 1.00% 0.60%


1 On sales of Class A shares, the Distributor reallows to your securities dealer a portion of the front-end sales charge depending upon the amount you invested. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive up to 0.30% of the 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares, although under the plan adopted by the Board described herein, a lesser amount may be paid.
2 On sales of Class B shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 4.00%. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25% from the date of purchase. After approximately eight years, Class B shares automatically convert to Class A shares and dealers may then be eligible to receive the 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares.
3 On sales of Class C shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 1.00%. The up-front commission includes an advance of the first year's 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25%. During the first 12 months, the Distributor retains the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee to partially offset the up-front commission and the prepaid 0.25% service fee advanced at the time of purchase. Starting in the 13th month, your securities dealer may be eligible to receive the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee applicable to Class C. Alternatively, certain intermediaries may not be eligible to receive the up-front commission of 1.00%, but may receive the 12b-1 fee for sales of Class C shares from the date of purchase.
4 On sales of Class R shares, the Distributor does not pay your securities dealer an up-front commission. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.60% from the date of purchase. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class R shares is 0.60% of average daily net assets. However, the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.50% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.

Payments to intermediaries

The Distributor and its affiliates may pay additional compensation at their own expense and not as an expense of the Fund to certain affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries (Financial Intermediaries) in connection with the sale or retention of Fund shares and/or shareholder servicing, including providing the Fund with "shelf space" or a higher profile with the Financial Intermediaries' consultants, salespersons, and customers (distribution assistance). For example, the Distributor or its affiliates may pay additional compensation to financial intermediaries for various purposes, including, but not limited to, promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative, or shareholder processing services, marketing, educational support, and ticket charges. Such payments are in addition to any distribution fees, service fees, and/or transfer agency fees that may be payable by the Fund. The additional payments may be based on factors, including level of sales (based on gross or net sales or some specified minimum sales or some other similar criteria related to sales of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), amount of assets invested by the Financial Intermediary's customers (which could include current or aged assets of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), the Fund's advisory fees, some other agreed upon amount, or other measures as determined from time to time by the Distributor. The level of payments made to a qualifying Financial Intermediary in any given year may vary. To the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Distributor may pay, or allow its affiliates to pay, other promotional incentives or payments to Financial Intermediaries.

If a mutual fund sponsor or distributor makes greater payments for distribution assistance to your Financial Intermediary with respect to distribution of shares of that particular mutual fund than sponsors or distributors of other mutual funds make to your Financial Intermediary with respect to the distribution of the shares of their mutual funds, your Financial Intermediary and its salespersons may have a financial incentive to favor sales of shares of the mutual fund making the higher payments over shares of other mutual funds or over other investment options. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a Financial Intermediary may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. You should consult with your Financial Intermediary and review carefully any disclosure provided by such Financial Intermediary as to compensation it receives in connection with investment products it recommends or sells to you. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase sales of the Fund's shares. The Manager or its affiliates may benefit from the Distributor's or its affiliate's payment of compensation to financial intermediaries through increased fees resulting from additional assets acquired through the sale of Fund shares through financial intermediaries. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your Financial Intermediary. Any such payments will not change the net asset value (NAV) or the price of the Fund's shares. 

How to reduce your sales charge

We offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the sales charge on shares. Please refer to the SAI for detailed information and eligibility requirements. You can also get additional information from your financial advisor. You or your financial advisor must notify us at the time you purchase shares if you are eligible for any of these programs. You may also need to provide information to your financial advisor or the Fund in order to qualify for a reduction in sales charges. Such information may include your Delaware Investments ® Funds holdings in any other accounts, including retirement accounts, held indirectly or through an intermediary, and the names of qualifying family members and their holdings. We reserve the right to determine whether any purchase is entitled, by virtue of the foregoing, to the reduced sales charge. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

Letter of intent

Through a letter of intent you agree to invest a certain amount in Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge) over a 13-month period to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class B Class C
Available Not available Although the letter of intent does not apply to the purchase of Class C shares, you can combine the value of your Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your letter of intent.

Rights of accumulation

You can combine your holdings or purchases of all Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge), as well as the holdings and purchases of your spouse and children under 21 to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class B Class C
Available Although the rights of accumulation do not apply to the purchase of Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends or capital gains, you can combine the value of your Class B shares purchased on or before May 31, 2007 with your purchase of Class A shares to qualify for rights of accumulation. Although the rights of accumulation do not apply to the purchase of Class C shares, you can combine your purchase of Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your rights of accumulation.

Reinvestment of redeemed shares

Up to 12 months after you redeem shares, you can reinvest the proceeds without paying a sales charge.

Class A Class B and Class C
You will not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available

SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase,
403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans

These investment plans may qualify for reduced sales charges by combining the purchases of all members of the group.  Members of these groups may also qualify to purchase shares without a front-end sales charge and may qualify for a waiver of any CDSCs on Class A shares.

Class A Class B and Class C
You may not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available.

Buying Class A shares at net asset value

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at NAV under the following circumstances, provided that you notify the Fund in advance that the trade qualifies for this privilege.  The Fund reserves the right to modify or terminate these arrangements at any time.

  • Shares purchased under the Delaware Investments® dividend reinvestment plan and, under certain circumstances, the exchange privilege and the 12-month reinvestment privilege.

  • Purchases by: (i) current and former officers, Trustees/Directors, and employees of any Delaware Investments® Fund, the Manager, or any of the Manager's current affiliates and those that may in the future be created; (ii) legal counsel to the Delaware Investments® Funds; and (iii) registered representatives and employees of broker/dealers who have entered into dealer's agreements with the Distributor. At the direction of such persons, their family members (regardless of age) and any employee benefit plan established by any of the foregoing entities, counsel, or broker/dealers may also purchase shares at NAV.

  • Shareholders who own Class A shares of Delaware Cash Reserve ® Fund as a result of a liquidation of a Delaware Investments ® Fund may exchange into Class A shares of another Delaware Investments® Fund at NAV.

  • Purchases by bank employees who provide services in connection with agreements between the bank and unaffiliated brokers or dealers concerning sales of shares of the Delaware Investments® Funds.

  • Purchases by certain officers, trustees, and key employees of institutional clients of the Manager or any of its affiliates.

  • Purchases for the benefit of the clients of brokers, dealers, and registered investment advisors if such brokers, dealers, or investment advisors have entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for the purchase of Class A shares in connection with special investment products, such as wrap accounts or similar fee-based programs. Investors may be charged a fee when effecting transactions in Class A shares through a broker or agent that offers these special investment products.

  • Purchases by financial institutions investing for the accounts of their trust customers if they are not eligible to purchase shares of the Fund's Institutional Class, if applicable.

  • Purchases by retirement plans that are maintained on retirement platforms sponsored by financial intermediary firms, provided the financial intermediary firms or their trust companies (or entities performing similar trading/clearing functions) have entered into an agreement with respect to such retirement platforms.

  • Purchases by certain legacy bank sponsored retirement plans that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Purchases by certain legacy retirement assets that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Investments made by plan level and/or participant retirement accounts that are for the purpose of repaying a loan taken from such accounts.

  • Purchases by certain participants in defined contribution plans and members of their households whose plan assets will be rolled over into IRA accounts (IRA Program) where the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement specifically relating to such IRA Program with the Distributor and/or the Fund's transfer agent.

  • Purchases by certain participants of particular group retirement plans as described in the SAI.

  • Loan repayments made to a Fund account in connection with loans originated from accounts previously maintained by another investment firm.

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

Certain sales charges may be based on historical cost. Therefore, you should maintain any records that substantiate these costs because the Fund, its transfer agent, and financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Information about existing sales charges and sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge on the Delaware Investments® Funds' website at delawareinvestments.com. Additional information on sales charges can be found in the SAI, which is available upon request. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

The Fund's applicable CDSCs may be waived under the following circumstances:

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan, provided the annual amount selected to be withdrawn under the plan does not exceed 12% of the value of the account on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan was established or modified.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account if the aggregate NAV of the shares held in the account is less than the then-effective minimum account size.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan distributions

Distributions to participants or beneficiaries from a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code).

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan redemptions

Redemptions pursuant to the direction of a participant or beneficiary of a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to that retirement plan.

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans) not subject to a penalty under Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans).

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Distributions by other employee benefit plans

Distributions by other employee benefit plans to pay benefits.

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan that are not subject to a penalty pursuant to Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan 2 as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code. The systematic withdrawal may be pursuant to the systematic withdrawal plan for the Delaware Investments® Funds or a systematic withdrawal permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from death or disability

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from the death or disability (as defined in Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code) of a registered owner or a registered joint owner occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed. In the case of accounts established under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act or trust accounts, the waiver applies upon the death of all beneficial owners.

Classes A 1 , B, and C
Available

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets that meet the requirements set forth in the SAI.

Class A 1 Class B Class C
Available Not available Available

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV, regardless of the size of the purchase. 

Class A 1 Classes B and C
Available Not available

1 The waiver of Class A shares relates to a waiver of the Limited CDSC.  Please note that you or your financial advisor will have to notify us at the time of purchase that the trade qualifies for such waiver.
2 Qualified plans that are fully redeemed at the direction of the plan's fiduciary are subject to any applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan.

How to buy shares

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of purchasing shares, including opening an account. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

Complete an investment slip and mail it with your check, made payable to the fund and class of shares you wish to purchase, to Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed investment application (or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are opening a retirement account) with your check.

Please note that purchase orders submitted by mail will not be accepted until such purchase orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for investments by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. Please do not send purchase orders to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By wire

Ask your bank to wire the amount you want to invest to The Bank of New York Mellon, ABA #011001234, bank account #000073-6910. Include your account number and the name of the fund and class of shares in which you want to invest. If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must first call us at 800 523-1918 so we can assign you an account number.

By exchange

You may exchange all or part of your investment in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds for shares of other Delaware Investments® Funds. Please keep in mind, however, that under most circumstances you are allowed to exchange only between like classes of shares. To open an account by exchange, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class B, and Class C shares only, you may purchase or exchange shares through our automated telephone service, or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Calculating share price

The price you pay for shares will depend on when we receive your purchase order. If your order is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will pay that day's closing share price, which is based on a fund's NAV. If your order is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will pay the next Business Day's price. We reserve the right to reject any purchase order.

We determine the NAV per share for each class of a Delaware Investments® Fund at the close of regular trading on the NYSE on each Business Day. The NAV per share for each class of a fund is calculated by subtracting the liabilities of each class from its total assets and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding for that class. We generally price securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available at their market value. For a fund that invests primarily in foreign securities, the NAV may change on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem fund shares because foreign markets are open at times and on days when U.S. markets are not. We price fixed income securities on the basis of valuations provided to us by an independent pricing service that uses methods approved by the Board. For all other securities, we use methods approved by the Board that are designed to price securities at their fair market values.

Fair valuation

When the Fund uses fair value pricing, it may take into account any factors it deems appropriate. The Fund may determine fair value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets), and/or U.S. sector or broad stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value pricing may involve subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

The Fund anticipates using fair value pricing for securities primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension of trading in the security. The Fund may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Fund values its securities at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim. To account for this, the Fund may frequently value many foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

The Board has delegated responsibility for valuing the Fund's assets to a Pricing Committee of the Manager, which operates under the policies and procedures approved by the Board and which is subject to the Board's oversight.

Retirement plans

In addition to being an appropriate investment for your IRA, Roth IRA, and Coverdell Education Savings Account, the Fund may be suitable for group retirement plans. You may establish your IRA account even if you are already a participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. For more information on how the Fund can play an important role in your retirement planning or for details about group plans, please consult your financial advisor, or call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Document delivery

To reduce fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of a fund's financial reports and prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. At any time you may view current prospectuses and financial reports on our website.

Inactive accounts

Please note that your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.

How to redeem shares

When you send us a properly completed request to redeem or exchange shares and the request is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), you will receive the NAV next determined after we receive your request. If we receive your request after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will receive the NAV next determined on the next Business Day. We will deduct any applicable CDSCs. You may also have to pay taxes on the proceeds from your sale of shares. We will send you a check, normally the next Business Day, but no later than seven days after we receive your request to sell your shares. If you purchased your shares by check and sell them before your check has cleared, which can take up to 15 days, we will wait until your check has cleared before we send you your redemption proceeds.

If you are required to pay a CDSC when you redeem your shares, the amount subject to the fee will be based on the shares' NAV when you purchased them or their NAV when you redeem them, whichever is less. This arrangement ensures that you will not pay a CDSC on any increase in the value of your shares. You also will not pay the charge on any shares acquired by reinvesting dividends or capital gains. If you exchange shares of one fund for shares of another, you do not pay a CDSC at the time of the exchange. If you later redeem those shares, the purchase price for purposes of the CDSC formula will be the price you paid for the original shares, not the exchange price. The redemption price for purposes of this formula will be the NAV of the shares you are actually redeeming.

If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the certificates with your request to sell the shares. We recommend that you send your certificates by certified mail.

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of redeeming your shares. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

You may redeem your shares by mail by writing to: Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. All owners of the account must sign the request. For redemptions of more than $100,000, you must include a signature guarantee for each owner. Signature guarantees are also required when redemption proceeds are going to an address other than the address of record on the account.

Please note that redemption orders submitted by mail will not be considered accepted until such orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for redemptions by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. Please do not send redemption requests to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By telephone

You may redeem up to $100,000 of your shares by telephone. You may have the proceeds sent to you by check or, if you redeem at least $1,000 of shares, you may have the proceeds sent directly to your bank by wire. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

By wire

You may redeem $1,000 or more of your shares and have the proceeds deposited directly to your bank account, normally the next Business Day after we receive your request. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares only, you may redeem shares through our automated telephone service or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. 

Redemptions-in-kind

The Fund has reserved the right to pay for redemptions with portfolio securities under certain conditions. See the SAI for more information on redemptions-in-kind.

Account minimums

For Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below the required account minimum of $1,000 ($250 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, or accounts with automatic investing plans, and $500 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) for three or more consecutive months, you will have until the end of the current calendar quarter to raise the balance to the minimum. If your account is not at the minimum by the required time, you may be charged a $9 fee for that quarter and each quarter after that until your account reaches the minimum balance. If your account does not reach the minimum balance, we may redeem your account after 60 days' written notice to you. Any CDSC that would otherwise be applicable will not apply to such a redemption.

For Institutional Class shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below $250, the Fund may redeem your shares after 60 days' written notice to you.

Investor services

To help make investing with us as easy as possible, and to help you build your investments, we offer the following investor services.

Automatic investment plan

The automatic investment plan allows you to make regular monthly or quarterly investments directly from your checking account.

Direct deposit

With direct deposit, you can make additional investments through payroll deductions, recurring government or private payments such as Social Security, or direct transfers from your bank account.

Electronic delivery

With Delaware eDelivery, you can receive your fund documents electronically instead of via U.S. mail. When you sign up for eDelivery, you can access your account statements, shareholder reports, and other fund materials online, in a secure internet environment at any time, from anywhere.

Online account access

Online account access is a password-protected area of the Delaware Investments ® Funds' website that gives you access to your account information and allows you to perform transactions in a secure internet environment.

Systematic exchange option

With the systematic exchange option, you can arrange automatic monthly exchanges between your shares in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds. These exchanges are subject to the same rules as regular exchanges (see below) and require a minimum monthly exchange of $100 per fund.

Dividend reinvestment plan

Through the dividend reinvestment plan, you can have your distributions reinvested in your account or the same share class in another Delaware Investments® Fund. The shares that you purchase through the dividend reinvestment plan are not subject to a front-end sales charge or to a CDSC. Under most circumstances, you may reinvest dividends only into like classes of shares.

Exchanges

You may generally exchange all or part of your shares for shares of the same class of another Delaware Investments® Fund without paying a front-end sales charge or a CDSC at the time of the exchange. However, if you exchange shares from a money market fund that does not have a sales charge, you will pay any applicable sales charge on your new shares. When exchanging Class B and Class C shares of one fund for the same class of shares in other funds, your new shares will be subject to the same CDSC as the shares you originally purchased. The holding period for the CDSC will also remain the same, with the amount of time you held your original shares being credited toward the holding period of your new shares. In certain other circumstances, you may also be permitted to exchange your shares for shares of a different class of the Fund, but such exchange may be subject to a sales charge for the new shares. (Please refer to the SAI for more details.) You do not pay sales charges on shares that you acquired through the reinvestment of dividends. You may have to pay taxes on your exchange. When you exchange shares, you are purchasing shares in another fund, so you should be sure to get a copy of the fund's prospectus and read it carefully before buying shares through an exchange. We may refuse the purchase side of any exchange request if, in the Manager's judgment, a fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected.

On demand service

Through the on demand service, you or your financial advisor may transfer money between your Fund account and your predesignated bank account by telephone request. There is a minimum transfer of $25 and a maximum transfer of $100,000. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one.

Direct deposit service

Through the direct deposit service, you can have $25 or more in dividends and distributions deposited directly into your bank account. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one. This service is not available for retirement plans.

Systematic withdrawal plan

For Class A and Class C shares, you can arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your account made to you or someone you designate. If the value of your account is $5,000 or more, you can make withdrawals of at least $25 monthly, or $75 quarterly. You may also have your withdrawals deposited directly to your bank account through the direct deposit service.

The applicable Limited CDSC for Class A shares and the CDSC for Class C shares redeemed via a systematic withdrawal plan will be waived if the annual amount withdrawn in each year is less than 12% of the account balance on the date that the plan is established. If the annual amount withdrawn in any year exceeds 12% of the account balance on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan is established, all redemptions under the plan will be subject to the applicable CDSC, including an assessment for previously redeemed amounts under the plan.

Frequent trading of Fund shares

The Fund discourages purchases by market timers and purchase orders (including the purchase side of exchange orders) by shareholders identified as market timers may be rejected. The Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect, deter, and prevent trading activity detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders, such as market timing. The Fund will consider anyone who follows a pattern of market timing in any Delaware Investments® Fund or the Optimum Fund Trust to be a market timer and may consider anyone who has followed a similar pattern of market timing at an unaffiliated fund family to be a market timer.

Market timing of a fund occurs when investors make consecutive, rapid, short-term "roundtrips" — that is, purchases into a fund followed quickly by redemptions out of that fund. A short-term roundtrip is any redemption of fund shares within 20 Business Days of a purchase of that fund's shares. If you make a second such short-term roundtrip in a fund within 90 rolling calendar days as a previous short-term roundtrip in that fund, you may be considered a market timer. In determining whether market timing has occurred, the Fund will consider short-term roundtrips to include rapid purchases and sales of Fund shares through the exchange privilege. The Fund reserves the right to consider other trading patterns to be market timing.

Your ability to use the Fund's exchange privilege may be limited if you are identified as a market timer. If you are identified as a market timer, we will execute the redemption side of your exchange order but may refuse the purchase side of your exchange order. The Fund reserves the right to restrict or reject, without prior notice, any purchase order or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase order or exchange order accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary or in any omnibus-type account. Transactions placed in violation of the Fund's market timing policy are not necessarily deemed accepted by the Fund and may be rejected by the Fund on the next Business Day following receipt by the Fund.

Redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance with the Fund's current prospectus. A redemption of shares under these circumstances could be costly to a shareholder if, for example, the shares have declined in value, the shareholder recently paid a front-end sales charge, the shares are subject to a CDSC, or the sale results in adverse tax consequences. To avoid this risk, a shareholder should carefully monitor the purchases, sales, and exchanges of Fund shares and avoid frequent trading in Fund shares.

The Fund reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice, including modifications to the Fund's monitoring procedures and the procedures to close accounts to new purchases. Although the implementation of this policy involves judgments that are inherently subjective and may be selectively applied, we seek to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund's shareholders. While we will take actions designed to detect and prevent market timing, there can be no assurance that such trading activity will be completely eliminated. Moreover, the Fund's market timing policy does not require the Fund to take action in response to frequent trading activity. If the Fund elects not to take any action in response to frequent trading, such frequent trading activity could continue.

Risks of market timing

By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, the Fund may have difficulty implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading activity. Excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash to accommodate short-term trading activity. This could adversely affect the Fund's performance, if, for example, the Fund incurs increased brokerage costs and realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage.

A fund that invests significantly in foreign securities may be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because foreign securities are typically traded on markets that close well before the time a fund calculates its NAV (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Developments that occur between the closing of the foreign market and a fund's NAV calculation may affect the value of these foreign securities. The time-zone differences among international stock markets can allow a shareholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy to exploit differences in fund share prices that are based on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before a fund calculates its own share price.

Any fund that invests in securities that are thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid has the risk that the securities prices used to calculate the fund's NAV may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences. Funds that may be adversely affected by such arbitrage include, in particular, funds that significantly invest in small-cap securities, technology, and other specific industry sector securities, and in certain fixed income securities, such as high yield bonds, asset-backed securities, or municipal bonds.

Transaction monitoring procedures

The Fund, through its transfer agent, maintains surveillance procedures designed to detect excessive or short-term trading in Fund shares. This monitoring process involves several factors, which include scrutinizing transactions in Fund shares for violations of the Fund's market timing policy or other patterns of short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of these transaction monitoring procedures, the Fund may consider trading activity by multiple accounts under common ownership, control, or influence to be trading by a single entity. Trading activity identified by these factors, or as a result of any other available information, will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute market timing. These procedures may be modified from time to time to improve the detection of excessive or short-term trading or to address other concerns. Such changes may be necessary or appropriate, for example, to deal with issues specific to certain retirement plans; plan exchange limits; U.S. Department of Labor regulations; certain automated or pre-established exchange, asset-allocation, or dollar cost averaging programs; or omnibus account arrangements.

Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund, particularly among certain broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries, including sponsors of retirement plans and variable insurance products. The Fund will attempt to have financial intermediaries apply the Fund's monitoring procedures to these omnibus accounts and to the individual participants in such accounts. However, to the extent that a financial intermediary is not able or willing to monitor or enforce the Fund's frequent trading policy with respect to an omnibus account, the Fund or its agents may require the financial intermediary to impose its frequent trading policy, rather than the Fund's policy, to shareholders investing in the Fund through the financial intermediary. In addition, the Fund or its transfer agent may enter into shareholder information agreements with such financial intermediaries under which the Fund may receive information (such as taxpayer identification numbers and Fund transaction activity) in order to identify frequent trading activity.

A financial intermediary may impose different requirements or have additional restrictions on the frequency of trading than the Fund. Such restrictions may include, without limitation, requiring the trades to be placed by U.S. mail, prohibiting purchases for a designated period of time (typically 30 to 90 days) by investors who have recently purchased or redeemed Fund shares, and similar restrictions. The Fund's ability to impose such restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular financial intermediaries may vary depending on systems capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions, and cooperation of those financial intermediaries.

You should consult your financial intermediary regarding the application of such restrictions and to determine whether your financial intermediary imposes any additional or different limitations. In an effort to discourage market timers in such accounts, the Fund may consider enforcement against market timers at the participant level and at the omnibus level, up to and including termination of the omnibus account's authorization to purchase Fund shares.

Limitations on ability to detect and curtail market timing

Shareholders seeking to engage in market timing may employ a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the Fund and its agents to detect market timing in Fund shares, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify these shareholders or curtail their trading practices. In particular, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing attributable to a particular investor who effects purchase, redemption, and/or exchange activity in Fund shares through omnibus accounts. The difficulty of detecting market timing may be further compounded if these entities utilize multiple tiers or omnibus accounts.

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

Dividends and distributions

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund expects to declare dividends daily and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually, usually in December. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. We automatically reinvest all dividends and any capital gains, unless you direct us to do otherwise.

Annual statements

Each year, the Fund will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior to issuing your statement, the Fund makes every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, if the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099.

Avoid "buying a dividend"

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund's NAV may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

Tax considerations

Fund distributions. The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. With respect to income dividends paid on or before December 31, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent), a portion of income dividends reported by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. Because the income of the Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid to you by the Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individuals at long-term capital gain tax rates.

Sale or redemption of Fund shares. A sale or redemption of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different Delaware Investments® Fund is the same as a sale. Beginning with the 2012 calendar year, the Fund will be required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also the cost basis for shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 ("covered shares"). Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund's default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period, or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be affected. Additional information and updates regarding cost basis reporting and available shareholder elections will be on Delaware Investment's website at delawareinvestments.com as the information becomes available.

Medicare tax. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

Backup withholding. By law, if you do not provide the Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. The Fund also must withhold if the Internal Revenue Service instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid (for distributions and proceeds paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent).

State and local taxes. Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

Non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. An exemption from U.S. withholding tax is provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from long-term capital gains, if any. However, notwithstanding such exemption from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% (or the then applicable rate) if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") requires the reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gain distributions (including proceeds arising from the sale Fund shares) paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016 to certain "foreign financial institutions" and "non-financial foreign entities."

This discussion of "Dividends, distributions, and taxes" is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund.

Certain management considerations

Investments by funds of funds and similar investment vehicles

The Fund may accept investments from funds of funds, as well as from similar investment vehicles, such as 529 Plans. A "529 Plan" is a college savings program that operates under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. From time to time, the Fund may experience large investments or redemptions due to allocations or rebalancings by these funds of funds and/or similar investment vehicles. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on portfolio management. For example, the Fund may be required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. These transactions could also have tax consequences if sales of securities result in gains, and could also increase transaction costs or portfolio turnover.

Financial highlights

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the past 5 years. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). The information for the 2012, 2011, and 2010 fiscal years has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included in the Fund's annual report, which is available upon request by calling 800 523-1918. For the fiscal years prior to 2010, the Fund's prior independent registered public accounting firm audited the Fund's financial statements.

Class A Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $4.200 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880 $4.260
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 0.308 0.315 0.356 0.323 0.299
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.090) 0.231 0.412 (0.347) (0.368)
Total from investment operations 0.218 0.546 0.768 (0.024) (0.069)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.308) (0.326) (0.348) (0.296) (0.311)
Total dividends and distributions (0.308) (0.326) (0.348) (0.296) (0.311)
Net asset value, end of period $4.110 $4.200 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880
Total return 1 5.73% 14.11% 22.30% 0.81% (1.74%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $311,859 $306,304 $335,684 $261,286 $86,809
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.11% 1.11% 1.11% 1.15% 1.13%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees
waived and expense paid indirectly
1.18% 1.20% 1.25% 1.37% 1.31%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 7.71% 7.60% 9.25% 9.92% 7.28%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly
7.64% 7.51% 9.11% 9.70% 7.10%
Portfolio turnover 61% 115% 141% 89% 143%

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Class B Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $4.190 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880 $4.260
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 0.280 0.286 0.329 0.300 0.271
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.080) 0.221 0.412 (0.347) (0.368)
Total from investment operations 0.200 0.507 0.741 (0.047) (0.097)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.280) (0.297) (0.321) (0.273) (0.283)
Total dividends and distributions (0.280) (0.297) (0.321) (0.273) (0.283)
Net asset value, end of period $4.110 $4.190 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880
Total return 1 5.24% 13.06% 21.46% 0.11% (2.42%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $4,924 $7,527 $10,143 $11,966 $7,827
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.81% 1.81% 1.81% 1.85% 1.83%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees
waived and expense paid indirectly
1.88% 1.90% 1.95% 2.07% 2.01%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 7.01% 6.90% 8.55% 9.22% 6.58%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly
6.94% 6.81% 8.41% 9.00% 6.40%
Portfolio turnover 61% 115% 141% 89% 143%

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Class C Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $4.200 $3.990 $3.560 $3.880 $4.260
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 0.280 0.287 0.329 0.300 0.270
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.080) 0.221 0.422 (0.347) (0.368)
Total from investment operations 0.200 0.508 0.751 (0.047) (0.098)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.280) (0.298) (0.321) (0.273) (0.282)
Total dividends and distributions (0.280) (0.298) (0.321) (0.273) (0.282)
Net asset value, end of period $4.120 $4.200 $3.990 $3.560 $3.880
Total return 1 5.24% 13.04% 21.75% 0.10% (2.44%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $65,771 $53,151 $36,060 $31,415 $21,146
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.81% 1.81% 1.81% 1.85% 1.83%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees
waived and expense paid indirectly
1.88% 1.90% 1.95% 2.07% 2.01%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 7.01% 6.90% 8.55% 9.22% 6.58%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly
6.94% 6.81% 8.41% 9.00% 6.40%
Portfolio turnover 61% 115% 141% 89% 143%

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver(s) not been in effect.

Class R Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $4.210 $3.990 $3.570 $3.890 $4.270
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 0.301 0.308 0.349 0.316 0.291
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.090) 0.231 0.412 (0.347) (0.368)
Total from investment operations 0.211 0.539 0.761 (0.031) (0.077)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.301) (0.319) (0.341) (0.289) (0.303)
Total dividends and distributions (0.301) (0.319) (0.341) (0.289) (0.303)
Net asset value, end of period $4.120 $4.210 $3.990 $3.570 $3.890
Total return 1 5.51% 13.87% 22.01% 0.62% (1.93%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $14,637 $19,046 $14,708 $15,323 $11,305
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.31% 1.31% 1.31% 1.35% 1.33%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees
waived and expense paid indirectly
1.48% 1.50% 1.55% 1.67% 1.61%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 7.51% 7.40% 9.05% 9.72% 7.08%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly
7.34% 7.21% 8.81% 9.40% 6.80%
Portfolio turnover 61% 115% 141% 89% 143%

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects waivers by the manager and distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Institutional Class Shares 2012 2011 2010 2009 Year ended
July 31, 2008
Net asset value, beginning of period $4.200 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880 $4.260
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 0.320 0.328 0.367 0.332 0.312
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.090) 0.231 0.412 (0.347) (0.368)
Total from investment operations 0.230 0.559 0.779 (0.015) (0.056)
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net Investment Income (0.320) (0.339) (0.359) (0.305) (0.324)
Total dividends and distributions (0.320) (0.339) (0.359) (0.305) (0.324)
Net asset value, end of period $4.110 $4.200 $3.980 $3.560 $3.880
Total return 1 6.03% 14.45% 22.65% 1.11% (1.45%)
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $185,843 $122,855 $59,831 $45,166 $37,465
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.81% 0.81% 0.81% 0.85% 0.83%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees
waived and expense paid indirectly
0.88% 0.90% 0.95% 1.07% 1.01%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 8.01% 7.90% 9.55% 10.22% 7.58%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets
prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly
7.94% 7.81% 9.41% 10.00% 7.40%
Portfolio turnover 61% 115% 141% 89% 143%

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

How to read the financial highlights

Net investment income (loss)
Net investment income (loss) includes dividend and interest income earned from a fund's investments; it is calculated after expenses have been deducted.

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
A realized gain occurs when we sell an investment at a profit, while a realized loss occurs when we sell an investment at a loss. When an investment increases or decreases in value but we do not sell it, we record an unrealized gain or loss. The amount of realized gain per share, if any, that we pay to shareholders would be listed under "Less dividends and distributions from: Net realized gain on investments."

Net asset value (NAV)
This is the value of a mutual fund share, calculated by dividing the net assets by the number of shares outstanding.

Total return
This represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a fund. In calculating this figure for the financial highlights table, we include applicable fee waivers, exclude front-end sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges, and assume the shareholder has reinvested all dividends and realized gains.

Net assets
Net assets represent the total value of all the assets in a fund's portfolio, less any liabilities, that are attributable to that class of the fund.

Ratio of expenses to average net assets
The expense ratio is the percentage of net assets that a fund pays annually for operating expenses and management fees. These expenses include accounting and administration expenses, services for shareholders, and similar expenses.

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets
We determine this ratio by dividing net investment income (loss) by average net assets.

Portfolio turnover
This figure tells you the amount of trading activity in a fund's portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur if, for example, a fund bought and sold all of the securities in its portfolio once in the course of a year or frequently traded a single security. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains.

Additional information

Contact information

  • Website: delawareinvestments.com

  • Shareholder Service Center: 800 523-1918 (representatives available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time)

    • For fund information, literature, price, yield, and performance figures.

    • For information on existing regular investment accounts and retirement plan accounts including wire investments, wire redemptions, telephone redemptions, and telephone exchanges.

  • Automated telephone service: 800 523-1918 (seven days a week, 24 hours a day)

    • For convenient access to account information or current performance information on all Delaware Investments ® Funds seven days a week, use this touch-tone service.

  • Written correspondence: P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in its annual and semiannual shareholder reports. In the Fund's annual shareholder report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the period covered by the report. You can find more information about the Fund in its current SAI, which is filed electronically with the SEC, and which is legally a part of this Prospectus (it is incorporated by reference). To receive a free copy of the SAI, or the annual or semiannual report, or if you have any questions about investing in the Fund, write to us at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service, or call toll-free 800 523-1918. The SAI and shareholder reports are available, free of charge, through the Fund's website (delawareinvestments.com). You may also obtain additional information about the Fund from your financial advisor.

You can find reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR database on the SEC website (sec.gov). You can get copies of this information, after paying a duplication fee, by e-mailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC,
100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about the Fund, including its SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For information on the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202 551-8090.

PR-137 [7/12] PDF 18232 [11/12]

Investment Company Act number: 811-02071


Prospectus

Fixed income

Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund

 
November 28, 2012  

Nasdaq ticker symbols

Class A

DDFAX

Class C

DDFCX

Class R

DDFFX

Institutional Class

DDFLX

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

Get shareholder reports and prospectuses online instead of in the mail.
Visit delawareinvestments.com/edelivery.

   


Table of contents

Fund summary

1

Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund

1

How we manage the Fund

6

Our investment strategies

6

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

7

The risks of investing in the Fund

12

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

15

Who manages the Fund

16

Investment manager

16

Portfolio managers

16

Manager of managers structure

17

Who's who

17

About your account

19

Investing in the Fund

19

Choosing a share class

19

Dealer compensation

21

Payments to intermediaries

21

How to reduce your sales charge

22

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

23

How to buy shares

25

Calculating share price

26

Fair valuation

26

Retirement plans

26

Document delivery

26

Inactive accounts

27

How to redeem shares

27

Account minimums

28

Investor services

28

Frequent trading of Fund shares

29

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

31

Certain management considerations

32

Financial highlights

33

How to read the financial highlights

37

Additional information

41


Fund summary

Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund

What is the Fund's investment objective?

Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund seeks total return.

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. You may qualify for sales-charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Delaware Investments ® Funds. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial advisor, in the Fund's prospectus under the section entitled "About your account," and in the Fund's statement of additional information under the section entitled "Purchasing shares."

Shareholder fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Class A C R Inst.
Maximum sales charge (load) imposed on purchases as
a percentage of offering price
2.75% 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
Annual fund operating expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Class A C R Inst.
Management fees 0.50% 0.50% 0.50% 0.50%
Distribution and service (12b-1) fees 0.30% 1.00% 0.60% none
Other expenses 0.32% 0.32% 0.32% 0.32%
Total annual fund operating expenses 1.12% 1.82% 1.42% 0.82%
Fee waivers and expense reimbursements (0.07%) 2 (0.02%) 2 (0.12%) 2 (0.02%) 2
Total annual fund operating expenses after fee waivers and expense reimbursements 1.05% 1.80% 1.30% 0.80%

Class C shares redeemed within one year of purchase are subject to a 1.00% contingent deferred sales charge (CDSC).

The Fund's investment manager, Delaware Management Company (Manager), has contractually agreed to waive all or a portion of its investment advisory fees and/or pay/reimburse expenses (excluding any 12b-1 plan, taxes, interest, inverse floater program expenses, short sale and dividend interest expenses, brokerage fees, certain insurance costs, and nonroutine expenses or costs, including, but not limited to, those relating to reorganizations, litigation, conducting shareholder meetings, and liquidations) in order to prevent annual fund operating expenses from exceeding, in an aggregate amount, 0.80% of the Fund's average daily net assets from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. In addition, the Fund's distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (Distributor), has contracted to limit the Class A and Class R shares' 12b-1 fee for the Fund to no more than 0.25% and 0.50% of average daily net assets, respectively, from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013. These waivers and reimbursements may only be terminated by agreement of the Manager or Distributor, as applicable, and the Fund.

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 reflects the applicable waivers and reimbursements for the 1-year contractual period and the total operating expenses without waivers for years 2 through 10. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

(if not redeemed)
Class A C C R Inst.
1 year $379 $183 $283 $132 $82
3 years $614 $571 $571 $438 $260
5 years $868 $983 $983 $765 $453
10 years $1,595 $2,136 $2,136 $1,692 $1,012

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 97% of the average value of its portfolio.

What are the Fund's principal investment strategies?

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in floating-rate securities, including but not limited to, investment grade corporate bonds, bank loans, high yield bonds, nonagency mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, municipal bonds, securities of foreign issuers in both developed and emerging markets, and may include derivative instruments that attempt to achieve a floating rate of income for the Fund when they are combined with a group of fixed-rate securities (the 80% Policy). The Manager will determine how much of the Fund's assets to allocate among the different types of securities in which the Fund may invest based on our evaluation of economic and market conditions and our assessment of the returns and potential for appreciation that can be achieved from various sectors of the fixed income market.

The instruments listed in the preceding paragraph may be variable and floating-rate fixed income securities that generally pay interest at rates that adjust whenever a specified interest rate changes and/or reset on predetermined dates (such as the last day of a month or calendar quarter). Derivative instruments may be utilized to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments from a group of certain Fund portfolio securities into floating-rate interest payments. The Fund may also invest in securities other than those listed above. The average portfolio duration (that is, the sensitivity to general changes in interest rates) of this Fund will generally not exceed one year.

Up to 50% of the Fund's total assets may be allocated to below-investment-grade securities within the Fund. Investments in emerging markets will, in the aggregate, be limited to no more than 15% of the Fund's total assets. We will limit non-U.S.-dollar-denominated securities to no more than 50% of net assets, but total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets. The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its total assets in a wide range of derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps. In addition, the Fund may hold a portion of its assets in cash or cash equivalents. The Fund's 80% Policy described above may be changed without shareholder approval. However, shareholders will be given at least 60 days' notice prior to any such change.

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.

Credit risk  — The risk that an issuer of a debt security, including a governmental issuer, may be unable to make interest payments and repay principal in a timely manner.

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.

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

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.

Prepayment risk  — The risk that the principal on a bond that is held by a portfolio will be prepaid prior to maturity at a time when interest rates are lower than what that bond was paying. A portfolio may then have to reinvest that money at a lower interest rate.

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.

Forward foreign currency risk  — The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts may substantially change a fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the fund if currencies do not perform as the Manager expects. The use of these investments as a hedging technique to reduce a fund's exposure to currency risks may also reduce its ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates.

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

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).

Valuation risk  — The risk that a less liquid secondary market may make it more difficult for a fund to obtain precise valuations of certain securities in its portfolio.

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 Diversified Floating Rate
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-year and lifetime 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 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)*

   

As of September 30, 2012, the Fund's Class A shares had a calendar year-to-date return of 4.64%. During the periods illustrated in this bar chart, Class A's highest quarterly return was 1.68% for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 and its lowest quarterly return was -2.42% for the quarter ended September 30,2011. The maximum Class A sales charge of 2.75%, which is normally deducted when you purchase shares, is not reflected in the highest/lowest quarterly returns or in the bar chart. If this sales charge were included, the returns would be less than those shown. The average annual returns in the table below do include the sales charge.

Average annual total returns for periods ended December 31, 2011*

1 year Lifetime
2/26/10-
12/31/11)
Class A return before taxes -2.56% 0.07%
Class A return after taxes on distributions -3.26% -0.68%
Class A return after taxes on distributions and sale of Fund shares -1.67% -0.37%
Class C return before taxes -1.54% 0.85%
Class R return before taxes -0.79% 1.33%
Institutional Class before taxes 0.44% 1.86%
BofA Merrill Lynch U.S. Dollar 3-Month LIBOR Constant Maturity Index
(reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
0.27% 0.31%

*  Because the Fund has combined its retail and institutional prospectuses, the bar chart and the after tax returns in the average annual total returns table show the performance of the Fund's Class A shares.

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.

Who manages the Fund?

Investment manager

Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust

 

Portfolio managers

Title with Delaware Management Company

Start date on the Fund

Paul Grillo, CFA

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer – Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

February 2010

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP

Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer - Total Return Fixed Income Strategy

February 2010

Kevin P. Loome, CFA

Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments

February 2010

J. David Hillmeyer, CFA

Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager

February 2010

Adam H. Brown, CFA

Vice President, Portfolio Manager

November 2011

Purchase and redemption of Fund shares

You may purchase or redeem shares of the Fund on any day that the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) is open for business (Business Day). Shares may be purchased or redeemed: through your financial advisor; through the Fund's website at delawareinvestments.com; by calling 800 523-1918; by regular mail (c/o Delaware Investments, P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076); by overnight courier service (c/o Delaware Service Center,
4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); or by wire.

For Class A and Class C shares, the minimum initial investment is $1,000 and subsequent investments can be made for as little as $100. The minimum initial investment for IRAs, Uniform Gifts/Transfers to Minors Act accounts, direct deposit purchase plans and automatic investment plans is $250 and through Coverdell Education Savings Accounts is $500, and subsequent investments in these accounts can be made for as little as $25. For Class R and Institutional Class shares, there is no minimum initial purchase requirement, but certain eligibility requirements must be met. The eligiblity requirements are described in the prospectus under "Choosing a share class" and on the Fund's website. We may reduce or waive the minimums or eligbility requirements in certain cases.

Tax information

The Fund's distributions generally are taxable to you as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an IRA.

Payments to broker/dealers and other
financial intermediaries

If you purchase shares of the Fund through a broker/dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker/dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

How we manage the Fund

We take a disciplined approach to investing, combining investment strategies and risk management techniques that we believe can help shareholders meet their goals.

Our investment strategies

We analyze economic and market conditions, seeking to identify the securities or market sectors that we think are the best investments for the Fund. Securities in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Investment grade and below-investment-grade corporate bonds;

  • Loan participations (also known as bank loans);

  • Securities of foreign issuers in both developed and emerging markets, denominated in foreign currencies and U.S. dollars;

  • Nonagency mortgage-backed securities, asset-backed securities, commercial mortgage-backed securities (CMBS), collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs), and real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs);

  • Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, such as U.S. Treasurys;

  • Securities issued by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities, such as securities of the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae);

  • U.S. municipal securities;

  • Various types of structured product securities; and

  • Short-term investments, cash and cash equivalents.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in floating-rate securities, including but not limited to the securities listed above, and may include derivative instruments that attempt to achieve a floating rate of income for the Fund when they are combined with a group of fixed-rate securities (the 80% Policy). The instruments listed in the preceding paragraph may be variable and floating-rate fixed income securities that generally pay interest at rates that adjust whenever a specified interest rate changes and/or reset on predetermined dates (such as the last day of a month or calendar quarter). The average portfolio duration of this Fund will generally not exceed one year.

Before selecting securities for the Fund, we carefully evaluate each individual security, including its income potential and the size of bond issuance. The size of the issuance helps us evaluate how easily we may be able to buy and sell the security. We also do a thorough credit analysis of the issuer to determine whether that company or entity has the financial ability to meet the security's payments. We maintain a well-diversified portfolio of investments that represent many different asset classes, sectors, industries and global markets. Through diversification we can help to reduce the impact that any individual security might have on the portfolio should the issuer have difficulty making payments.

The investment grade corporate debt obligations in which the Fund may invest include, but are not limited to, bonds, notes (which may be convertible or nonconvertible), units consisting of bonds with stock or warrants to buy stock attached, debentures and convertible debentures, and commercial paper of U.S. companies. The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its total assets in below-investment-grade securities. The Fund will invest in both rated and unrated bonds. The rated bonds that the Fund may purchase in the high-yield sector will generally be rated lower than BBB- by Standard & Poor's (S&P) and Baa3 by Moody's Investors Service, Inc. (Moody's), or similarly rated by another nationally recognized statistical rating organization (NRSRO). Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds.

The Fund may also invest in loan participations. These types of securities are also commonly known as bank loans. Bank loans are an interest in a loan or other direct indebtedness, such as an assignment, that entitles the acquirer of such interest to payments of interest, principal, and/or other amounts due under the structure of the loan or other direct indebtedness. In addition to being structured as secured or unsecured loans, such investments could be structured as novations or assignments, or represent trade or other claims owed by a company to a supplier. Some of the Fund's investments in bank loans may also include a "Libor floor." Bank loans with Libor floors generally ensure investors a minimum level of coupon payment, but the coupon rates for these types of securities may not adjust upward as quickly when rates rise since the coupon rate only adjusts when rates go higher than the applied Libor floor.

The Fund may also invest in non-U.S. securities, including up to 15% of its total assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets. These fixed income securities may include foreign government securities, debt obligations of foreign companies, and securities issued by supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote reconstruction or development. Examples of supranational entities include, among others, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (more commonly known as the World Bank), the European Economic Community, the European Investment Bank, the Inter-Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank.

The Fund may invest in securities issued in any currency and may hold non-U.S. currencies. Securities of issuers within a given country may be denominated in the currency of another country or in multinational currency units, such as the euro. The Manager will limit non-U.S.-dollar-denominated securities to no more than 50% of net assets. The Fund's total non-U.S.-dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets. The Fund may, from time to time, purchase or sell foreign currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of Fund transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations.

The Fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or by government-sponsored corporations. Other mortgage-backed securities in which the Fund may invest are issued by certain private, nongovernment entities. The Fund may also invest in securities that are backed by assets such as receivables on home equity and credit card loans, automobile, mobile home, recreational vehicle and other loans, wholesale dealer floor plans, and leases.

The Fund may invest in debt obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. The U.S. government securities in which the Fund may invest include a variety of securities which are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government, and by various agencies or instrumentalities which have been established or are sponsored by the U.S. government. The Fund may also invest in municipal debt obligations that are issued by state and local governments to raise funds for various public purposes such as hospitals, schools, and general capital expenses.

The Fund may also invest up to 50% of its total assets in a wide range of derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swaps. Derivative instruments may be utilized to effectively convert the fixed-rate interest payments from a group of certain Fund portfolio securities into floating-rate interest payments.

The Fund's investment objective is nonfundamental. This means that the Fund's Board of Trustees (Board) may change the objective without obtaining shareholder approval. If the objective were changed, the Fund would notify shareholders at least 60 days before the change in the objective became effective.

The securities in which the Fund typically invests

Fixed income securities offer the potential for greater income payments than stocks, and also may provide capital appreciation. Please see the Fund's statement of additional information (SAI) for additional information about certain of the securities described below as well as other securities in which the Fund may invest.

U.S. government securities

Direct U.S. obligations include bills, notes, and bonds, as well as other debt securities, issued by the U.S. Treasury, and securities of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities. U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government-sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for the ultimate repayment.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in U.S. government securities for temporary purposes or otherwise, as is consistent with the Fund's investment objective and policies. These securities are issued or guaranteed as to the payment of principal and interest by the U.S. government, or by various agencies or instrumentalities which have been established or sponsored by the U.S. government.

Mortgage-backed securities

Mortgage-backed securities are fixed income securities that represent pools of mortgages, with investors receiving principal and interest payments as the underlying mortgage loans are paid back. Many are issued and guaranteed against default by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, such as Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, and Ginnie Mae. Others are issued by private financial institutions, with some fully collateralized by certificates issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities or by government-sponsored corporations.

The Fund may also invest in mortgage-backed securities that are secured by the underlying collateral of the private issuer. Such securities are not government securities and are not directly guaranteed by the U.S. government in any way. These include CMOs, REMICs, and CMBS.

Asset-backed securities

Asset-backed securities are bonds or notes backed by accounts receivable, including home equity, automobile, or credit loans.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in asset-backed securities that are rated investment grade.

Corporate bonds

Corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in bonds rated in one of the four highest rating categories by an NRSRO (for example, rated BBB- or higher by S&P or Baa3 or higher by Moody's), and the Fund may invest in high yield corporate bonds as described below.

High yield corporate bonds (junk bonds)

High yield corporate bonds are debt obligations issued by a corporation and rated lower than BBB- by S&P and Baa3 by Moody's, or similarly rated by another NRSRO. High yield bonds, also known as "junk bonds," are issued by corporations that have lower credit quality and may have difficulty repaying principal and interest.

How the Fund uses them:   The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in below-investment grade securities.

We carefully evaluate an individual company's financial situation, its management, the prospects for its industry, and the technical factors related to its bond offering. Our goal is to identify those companies that we believe will be able to repay their debt obligations in spite of poor ratings. We may invest in unrated bonds if we believe their credit quality is comparable to the rated bonds we are permitted to invest in. Unrated bonds may be more speculative in nature than rated bonds.

Collateralized mortgage obligations (CMOs) and real estate mortgage investment conduits (REMICs)

CMOs are privately issued mortgage-backed bonds whose underlying value is the mortgages that are collected into different pools according to their maturity. They are issued by U.S. government agencies and private issuers. REMICs are privately issued mortgage-backed bonds whose underlying value is a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest in real property. Like CMOs, REMICs offer different pools.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in CMOs and REMICs. Certain CMOs and REMICs may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped. Stripped mortgage securities are generally considered illiquid and to such extent, together with any other illiquid investments, will not exceed 15% of the Fund's net assets, which is the Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities. In addition, subject to certain quality and collateral limitations, the Fund may invest in CMOs and REMICs issued by private entities that are not collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies, or instrumentalities, so called "nonagency" mortgage-backed securities.

Short-term debt instruments

These instruments include: (1) time deposits, certificates of deposit, and banker's acceptances issued by U.S. banks; (2) time deposits and certificates of deposit issued by foreign banks; (3) commercial paper of the highest quality rating; (4) short-term debt obligations with the highest quality rating; (5) U.S. government securities; and (6) repurchase agreements collateralized by those instruments.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in these instruments either as a means of achieving its investment objective or, more commonly, as temporary defensive investments or pending investment in the Fund's principal investment securities. When investing all or a significant portion of the Fund's assets in these instruments, the Fund may not be able to achieve its investment objective.

Foreign securities

Debt issued by a non-U.S. company or a government other than the United States or by an agency, instrumentality, or political subdivision of such government.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in securities of foreign companies or governments. The Fund may invest up to 15% of its total assets in securities of issuers located in emerging markets.

Forward foreign currency transactions

A forward foreign currency exchange contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency on a fixed future date at a price that is set at the time of the contract. The future date may be any number of days from the date of the contract as agreed by the parties involved.

How the Fund uses them:  Although we value the Fund's assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, we do not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. We may, however, from time to time, purchase or sell foreign currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of Fund transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations. The Manager will limit non-U.S.-dollar denominated securities to no more than 50% of net assets. The Fund's total non-U.S.- dollar currency exposure will be limited, in the aggregate, to no more than 25% of net assets.

Bank loans

A bank loan represents an interest in a loan or other direct indebtedness, such as an assignment, that entitles the acquiror of such interest to payments of interest, principal and/or other amounts due under the structure of the loan or other direct indebtedness. In addition to being structured as secured or unsecured loans, such investments could be structured as novations or assignments or represent trade or other claims owed by a company to a supplier.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest without restriction in bank loans that meet the Manager's credit standards. We perform our own independent credit analysis on each borrower and on the collateral securing each loan. We consider the nature of the industry in which the borrower operates, the nature of the borrower's assets, and the general quality and creditworthiness of the borrower. The Fund may invest in bank loans in order to enhance total return, to affect diversification, or to earn additional income. We will not use bank loans for reasons inconsistent with the Fund's investment objective.

Repurchase agreements

A repurchase agreement is an agreement between a buyer of securities, such as a fund, and a seller of securities, in which the seller agrees to buy the securities back within a specified time at the same price the buyer paid for them, plus an amount equal to an agreed-upon interest rate. Repurchase agreements are often viewed as equivalent to cash.

How the Fund uses them: Typically, the Fund may use repurchase agreements as short-term investments for the Fund's cash position. In order to enter into these repurchase agreements, the Fund must have collateral of at least 102% of the repurchase price. The Fund will only enter into repurchase agreements in which the collateral is U.S. government securities. In the Manager's discretion, the Fund may invest overnight cash balances in short-term discount notes issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or government-sponsored enterprises.

Futures and options

Futures contracts are agreements for the purchase or sale of a security or a group of securities at a specified price, on a specified date. Unlike purchasing an option, a futures contract must be executed unless it is sold before the settlement date.

Options represent a right to buy or sell a swap agreement or a security or a group of securities at an agreed-upon price at a future date. The purchaser of an option may or may not choose to go through with the transaction. The seller of an option, however, must go through with the transaction if the purchaser exercises the option.

Certain options and futures may be considered derivative securities.

How the Fund uses them : At times when we anticipate adverse conditions, we may want to protect gains on swap agreements or securities without actually selling them. We might use options or futures to neutralize the effect of any price declines, without selling a swap agreement or security, or as a hedge against changes in interest rates. We may also sell an option contract (often referred to as "writing" an option) to earn additional income for the Fund.

Use of these strategies can increase the operating costs of the Fund and can lead to loss of principal.

The Fund has claimed an exclusion from the definition of the term "commodity pool operator" under the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and, therefore, is not subject to registration or regulation as a commodity pool operator under the CEA.

Restricted securities

Restricted securities are privately placed securities whose resale is restricted under U.S. securities laws.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in privately placed securities, including those that are eligible for resale only among certain institutional buyers without registration, which are commonly known as "Rule 144A Securities." Restricted securities that are determined to be illiquid may not exceed the Fund's limit on investments in illiquid securities. 

Illiquid securities

Illiquid securities are securities that do not have a ready market and cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest up to 15% of its net assets in illiquid securities.

Interest rate swap, index swap, and credit default swap agreements

In an interest rate swap, a fund receives payments from another party based on a variable or floating interest rate, in return for making payments based on a fixed interest rate. An interest rate swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving payments based on a fixed interest rate and making payments based on a variable or floating interest rate.

In an index swap, a fund receives gains or incurs losses based on the total return of a specified index, in exchange for making interest payments to another party. An index swap can also work in reverse with a fund receiving interest payments from another party in exchange for movements in the total return of a specified index.

In a credit default swap, a fund may transfer the financial risk of a credit event occurring (a bond default, bankruptcy, or restructuring, for example) on a particular security or basket of securities to another party by paying that party a periodic premium; likewise, a fund may assume the financial risk of a credit event occurring on a particular security or basket of securities in exchange for receiving premium payments from another party.

Interest rate swaps, index swaps, and credit default swaps may be considered illiquid.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may use interest rate swaps to adjust its sensitivity to interest rates or to hedge against changes in interest rates. Index swaps may be used to gain exposure to markets that the Fund invests in, such as the corporate bond market. The Fund may also use index swaps as a substitute for futures or options contracts if such contracts are not directly available to the Fund on favorable terms. The Fund may enter into credit default swaps in order to hedge against a credit event, to enhance total return, or to gain exposure to certain securities or markets. The Fund may invest up to 50% of its total assets in a wide range of derivative instruments, including options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts and swaps.

Use of these strategies can increase the operating costs of the Fund and lead to loss of principal.

Time deposits

Time deposits are nonnegotiable deposits maintained in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a stated interest rate.

How the Fund uses them:  The Fund will not purchase time deposits maturing in more than seven days and time deposits maturing from two business days through seven calendar days will not exceed 15% of the Fund's total assets.

Zero coupon and pay-in-kind bonds

Zero coupon bonds are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest, and therefore are issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or par value. Pay-in-kind (PIK) bonds pay interest through the issuance to holders of additional securities.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may purchase fixed income securities, including zero coupon bonds and PIK bonds consistent with its investment objective.

American depositary receipts (ADRs), European depositary receipts (EDRs), and global depositary receipts (GDRs)

ADRs are receipts issued by a U.S. depositary (usually a U.S. bank) and EDRs and GDRs are receipts issued by a depositary outside of the U.S. (usually a non-U.S. bank or trust company or a foreign branch of a U.S. bank). Depositary receipts represent an ownership interest in an underlying security that is held by the depositary. Generally, the underlying security represented by an ADR is issued by a foreign issuer and the underlying security represented by an EDR or GDR may be issued by a foreign or U.S. issuer. Sponsored depositary receipts are issued jointly by the issuer of the underlying security and the depositary, and unsponsored depositary receipts are issued by the depositary without the participation of the issuer of the underlying security. Generally, the holder of the depositary receipt is entitled to all payments of interest, dividends, or capital gains that are made on the underlying security.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in sponsored and unsponsored ADRs. The Fund will typically invest in ADRs that are actively traded in the United States.

In conjunction with the Fund's investments in foreign securities, it may also invest in sponsored and unsponsored EDRs and GDRs.

Tax-exempt obligations

Tax-exempt obligations are commonly known as municipal bonds. These are debt obligations issued by or for a state or territory, its agencies or instrumentalities, municipalities, or other political subdivisions. The interest on these debt obligations can generally be excluded from federal income tax as well as personal income tax in the state where the bond is issued. Determination of a bond's tax-exempt status is based on the opinion of the bond issuer's legal counsel.

How the Fund uses them: The Fund may invest in tax-exempt debt obligations rated in the top four quality grades by Standard & Poor's (S&P) or another NRSRO, or in unrated tax-exempt obligations if, in the Manager's opinion, they are equivalent in quality to the top four quality grades. These bonds may include general obligation bonds and revenue bonds.

Other investment strategies

The Fund may also invest in other securities, including certificates of deposit and obligations of both U.S. and foreign banks, corporate debt, and commercial paper.

Borrowing from banks

The Fund may borrow money from banks as a temporary measure for extraordinary or emergency purposes or to facilitate redemptions. The Fund will be required to pay interest to the lending banks on the amounts borrowed. As a result, borrowing money could result in the Fund being unable to meet its investment objective.

Lending securities

The Fund may lend up to 25% of its assets to qualified broker/dealers or institutional investors for their use in securities transactions. Borrowers of the Fund's securities must provide collateral to the Fund and adjust the amount of collateral each day to reflect changes in the value of the loaned securities. These transactions may generate additional income for the Fund.

Purchasing securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis

The Fund may buy or sell securities on a when-issued or delayed-delivery basis; that is, paying for securities before delivery or taking delivery at a later date. The Fund will designate cash or securities in amounts sufficient to cover its obligations, and will value the designated assets daily.

Temporary defensive positions

In response to unfavorable market conditions, the Fund may make temporary investments in cash or cash equivalents or other high-quality, short-term instruments. These investments may not be consistent with the Fund's investment objective. To the extent that the Fund holds such instruments, it may be unable to achieve its investment objective.

The risks of investing in the Fund

Investing in any mutual fund involves risk, including the risk that you may receive little or no return on your investment, and the risk that you may lose part or all of the money you invest. Before you invest in the Fund, you should carefully evaluate the risks. Because of the nature of the Fund, you should consider your investment to be a long-term investment that typically provides the best results when held for a number of years. The information below describes the principal risks you assume when investing in the Fund. Please see the SAI for a further discussion of these risks and other risks not discussed here.

Market risk

Market risk is 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 economic conditions, future expectations, investor confidence, or heavy institutional selling.

Index swaps are subject to the same market risks as the investment market or sector that the index represents. Depending on the actual movements of the index and how well the portfolio manager forecasts those movements, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We maintain a long-term investment approach and focus on securities that we believe can continue to provide returns over an extended time frame regardless of interim market fluctuations. Generally, we do not try to predict overall market movements.

In evaluating the use of an index swap for the Fund, we carefully consider how market changes could affect the swap and how that compares to our investing directly in the market the swap is intended to represent. When selecting dealers with whom we would make interest rate or index swap agreements for the Fund, we focus on those dealers with high-quality ratings and do careful credit analysis before engaging in the transaction.

Industry and security risks

Industry risk is 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.

Security risk is the risk that the value of an individual stock or bond will decline because of changing expectations for the performance of the individual company issuing the stock or bond (due to situations that could range from decreased sales to events such as a pending merger or actual or threatened bankruptcy).

How the Fund strives to manage them: We limit the amount of the Fund's assets invested in any one industry and in any individual security or issuer. We also follow a rigorous selection process when choosing securities for the portfolio.

Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that securities will decrease in value if interest rates rise. The risk is greater for bonds with longer maturities than for those with shorter maturities.  Investments in equity securities issued by small- and medium-size companies, which often borrow money to finance operations, may also be adversely affected by rising interest rates.

Swaps may be particularly sensitive to interest rate changes. Depending on the actual movements of interest rates and how well the portfolio manager anticipates them, a fund could experience a higher or lower return than anticipated.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We limit the amount of the Fund's assets invested in any one industry and in any individual security.

The Fund is subject to various interest rate risks depending upon its investment objectives and policies. We cannot eliminate this risk, but we do try to address it by monitoring economic conditions, especially interest rate trends and their potential impact on the Fund. We do not try to increase returns on the Fund's investments in debt securities by predicting and aggressively capitalizing on interest rate movements.

By investing in swaps, the Fund is subject to additional interest rate risk. Each business day, we will calculate the amount the Fund must pay for any swaps it holds and will designate enough cash or other liquid securities to cover that amount.

Credit risk

Credit risk is the possibility that a bond's issuer (or an entity that insures the bond) will be unable to make timely payments of interest and principal.  Changes in an issuer's financial strength or in a security's credit rating may affect a security's value, which would impact a fund's performance.

Investing in so-called "junk" or "high yield" bonds entails the risk of principal loss, which may be greater than the risk involved in investment grade bonds. High yield bonds are sometimes issued by companies whose earnings at the time the bond is issued are less than the projected debt payments on the bonds.

A protracted economic downturn may severely disrupt the market for high yield bonds, adversely affect the value of outstanding bonds, and adversely affect the ability of high yield issuers to repay principal and interest.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We carefully evaluate the financial situation of each entity whose bonds are held in the portfolio. We also tend to hold a relatively large number of different bonds to minimize the risk should any individual issuer be unable to pay its interest or repay principal. This is a substantial risk for the Fund because it may invest up to 50% of net assets in fixed income securities rated below investment grade.

Prepayment risk

Prepayment risk is the risk that homeowners will prepay mortgages during periods of low interest rates, forcing a fund to reinvest its money at interest rates that might be lower than those on the prepaid mortgage. Prepayment risk may also affect other types of debt securities, but generally to a lesser extent than mortgage securities.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We take into consideration the likelihood of prepayment when we select mortgages. We may look for mortgage securities that have characteristics that make them less likely to be prepaid, such as low outstanding loan balances or below-market interest rates.

Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the possibility that securities cannot be readily sold within seven days at approximately the price at which a fund has valued them. Illiquid securities may trade at a discount from comparable, more liquid investments, and may be subject to wide fluctuations in market value. A fund also may not be able to dispose of illiquid securities at a favorable time or price during periods of infrequent trading of an illiquid security.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund limits exposure to illiquid securities to no more than 15% of its net assets.

Derivatives risk

Derivatives risk is the possibility that a fund may experience a significant loss if it employs a derivatives strategy (including a strategy involving swaps such as interest rate swaps, index swaps, and credit default swaps) related to a security or a securities index and that security or index moves in the opposite direction from what the portfolio manager had anticipated. Another risk of derivative transactions is the creditworthiness of the counterparty because the transaction depends on the willingness and ability of the counterparty to fulfill its contractual obligations. Derivatives also involve additional expenses, which could reduce any benefit or increase any loss to a fund from using the strategy.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We will use derivatives for defensive purposes, such as to protect gains or hedge against potential losses in the portfolio without actually selling a security, to neutralize the impact of interest rate changes, to increase diversification, or to earn additional income.

Forward foreign currency risk

The use of forward foreign currency exchange contracts may substantially change a fund's exposure to currency exchange rates and could result in losses to the fund if currencies do not perform as the Manager expects. The use of these investments as a hedging technique to reduce a fund's exposure to currency risks may also reduce its ability to benefit from favorable changes in currency exchange rates.

How the Fund strives to manage it:   The Fund is subject to this risk and may try to hedge currency risk by purchasing foreign currency exchange contracts. By agreeing to purchase or sell foreign securities at a preset price on a future date, the Fund strives to protect the value of the securities it owns from future changes in currency rates.

Foreign risk

Foreign risk is the risk that foreign securities may be adversely affected by political instability, changes in currency exchange rates, foreign economic or government conditions, increased transaction costs, or inadequate regulatory and accounting standards.

How the Fund strives to manage it: We attempt to reduce the risks presented by such investments by conducting world-wide fundamental research, including country visits. In addition, we monitor current economic and market conditions and trends, the political and regulatory environment, and the value of currencies in different countries in an effort to identify the most attractive countries and securities. Additionally, when currencies appear significantly overvalued compared to average real exchange rates, we may hedge exposure to those currencies for defensive purposes.

Foreign government securities risk

Foreign government securities risk involves the ability of a foreign government or government-related issuer to make timely principal and interest payments on its external debt obligations. This ability to make payments will be strongly influenced by the issuer's balance of payments, including export performance, its access to international credits and investments, fluctuations in interest rates, and the extent of its foreign reserves.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund attempts to reduce the risks associated with investing in foreign governments by limiting the portion of its assets that may be invested in such securities. The Fund will not invest more than 50% of its total assets in foreign securities and not more than 15% in securities of issuers located in emerging markets.

Government and regulatory risks

Governments or regulatory authorities have, from time to time, taken or considered actions that could adversely affect various sectors of the securities markets. Government involvement in the private sector may, in some cases, include government investment in, or ownership of, companies in certain commercial business sectors; wage and price controls; or imposition of trade barriers and other protectionist measures. For example, an economic or political crisis may lead to price controls, forced mergers of companies, expropriation, the creation of government monopolies, foreign exchange controls, the introduction of new currencies (and the redenomination of financial obligations into those currencies), or other measures that could be detrimental to the investments of a fund.

How the Fund strives to manage them:   We evaluate the economic and political climate in the U.S. before selecting securities for the Fund. We typically diversify the Fund's assets among a number of different securities in a variety of sectors in order to minimize the impact to the Fund of any legislative or regulatory development affecting particular issuers, or market sectors.

Bank loans and other indebtedness risk

Bank loans and other direct indebtedness risk is the risk that a fund 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. Loans that are fully secured offer a fund more protection than unsecured loans in the event of nonpayment of scheduled interest or principal, although there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower's obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. Some loans or claims may be in default at the time of purchase. Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by a fund may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing commitments, which obligate a fund to pay additional cash on a certain date or on demand. These commitments may require a fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when that fund might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company's financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will at all times hold and maintain cash or other high grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments.

As a fund may be required to rely upon another lending institution to collect and pass on to the fund amounts payable with respect to the loan and to enforce the fund's rights under the loan and other direct indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the fund from receiving such amounts. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to the fund.

How the Fund strives to manage it: These risks may not be completely eliminated, but we will attempt to reduce them through portfolio diversification, credit analysis, and attention to trends in the economy, industries, and financial markets. Should we determine that any of these securities may be illiquid, they would be subject to the Fund's restriction on illiquid securities.

Counterparty risk

If a fund enters into a derivative contract (such as a swap, futures, or options contract) or a repurchase agreement, it will be subject to the risk that the counterparty to such a contract or agreement may fail to perform its obligations under the contract or agreement due to financial difficulties (such as a bankruptcy or reorganization). As a result, the fund may experience significant delays in obtaining any recovery, may obtain only a limited recovery, or may obtain no recovery at all.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund tries to minimize this risk by considering the creditworthiness of all parties before it enters into transactions with them. The Fund may hold collateral from counterparties consistent with applicable regulations.

Zero coupon and pay-in-kind bonds

Zero coupon and pay-in-kind (PIK) bonds are generally considered to be more interest sensitive than income-bearing bonds, to be more speculative than interest-bearing bonds, and to have certain tax consequences that could, under certain circumstances, be adverse to a fund. For example, a fund accrues, and is required to distribute to shareholders, income on its zero coupon bonds. However, a fund may not receive the cash associated with this income until the bonds are sold or mature. If a fund does not have sufficient cash to make the required distribution of accrued income, the Fund could be required to sell other securities in its portfolio or to borrow to generate the cash required.

How the Fund strives to manage it: The Fund may invest in zero coupon and PIK bonds to the extent consistent with its investment objective. We cannot eliminate the risks of zero coupon bonds, but we do try to address them by monitoring economic conditions, especially interest rate trends and their potential impact on the Fund.

Valuation risk

A less liquid secondary market as described above can make it more difficult for a fund to obtain precise valuations of the high yield securities in its portfolio. During periods of reduced liquidity, judgment plays a greater role in valuing high yield securities.

How the Fund strives to manage it:  We will strive to manage this risk by carefully evaluating individual bonds and by limiting the amount of the Fund's assets that can be allocated to privately placed high yield securities.

Disclosure of portfolio holdings information

A description of the Fund's policies and procedures with respect to the disclosure of its portfolio securities is available in the SAI.

Who manages the Fund

Investment manager

The Manager is a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, which is a subsidiary of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. (DMHI). DMHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group, Ltd. The Manager makes investment decisions for the Fund, manages the Fund's business affairs, and provides daily administrative services. For its services to the Fund, the Manager was paid an aggregate fee, net of fee waivers, of 0.48% of average daily net assets during the last fiscal year.

A discussion of the basis for the Board's approval of the Fund's investment advisory contract is available in the Fund's semiannual report to shareholders for the period ended January 31, 2012.

Portfolio managers

Paul Grillo, Roger Early, Kevin Loome, and Adam Brown, with David Hillmeyer as part of the daily management team, will have primary portfolio management responsibilities for the Fund.

Paul Grillo, CFA, Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer — Total Return Fixed Income Strategy
Paul Grillo is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation. He is also a member of the firm's asset allocation committee, which is responsible for building and managing multi-asset class portfolios. He joined Delaware Investments in 1992 as a mortgage-backed and asset-backed securities analyst, assuming portfolio management responsibilities in the mid-1990s. Grillo serves as co-lead portfolio manager for the firm's Diversified Income products and has been influential in the growth and distribution of the firm's multisector strategies. Prior to joining Delaware Investments, Grillo was a mortgage strategist and trader at Dreyfus Corporation. He also worked as a mortgage strategist and portfolio manager at Chemical Investment Group and as a financial analyst at Chemical Bank. Grillo holds a bachelor's degree in business management from North Carolina State University and an MBA with a concentration in finance from Pace University.

 

Roger A. Early, CPA, CFA, CFP, Senior Vice President, Co-Chief Investment Officer — Total Return Fixed Income Strategy
Roger A. Early rejoined Delaware Investments in March 2007 as a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation. During his previous time at the firm, from 1994 to 2001, he was a senior portfolio manager in the same area, and he left Delaware Investments as head of its U.S. investment grade fixed income group. In recent years, Early was a senior portfolio manager at Chartwell Investment Partners and Rittenhouse Financial and was the chief investment officer for fixed income at Turner Investments. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in 1994, he worked for more than 10 years at Federated Investors where he managed more than $25 billion in mutual fund and institutional portfolios in the short-term and investment grade markets. He left the firm as head of institutional fixed income management. Earlier in his career, he held management positions with the Federal Reserve Bank, PNC Financial, Touche Ross, and Rockwell International. Early earned his bachelor's degree in economics from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA with concentrations in finance and accounting from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia.

 

Kevin P. Loome, CFA, Senior Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager, Head of High Yield Investments
Kevin P. Loome is head of the High Yield fixed income team, responsible for portfolio construction and strategic asset allocation of all high yield fixed income assets. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in August 2007 in his current position, Loome spent 11 years at T. Rowe Price, starting as an analyst and leaving the firm as a portfolio manager. He began his career with Morgan Stanley as a corporate finance analyst in the New York and London offices. Loome received his bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of Virginia and earned an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.

J. David Hillmeyer, CFA, Vice President, Senior Portfolio Manager
J. David Hillmeyer is a member of the firm's taxable fixed income portfolio management team, with primary responsibility for portfolio construction and asset allocation of the diversified floating rate strategy. Additionally, he serves as co-portfolio manager for the fixed rate multisector and core plus strategies. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in August 2007 as a vice president and corporate bond trader, he worked for more than 11 years in various roles at Hartford Investment Management Company, including senior corporate bond trader, high yield portfolio manager / trader, and quantitative analyst. He began his career as an investment advisor in January 1989 at Shawmut Bank, leaving the firm as an investment officer in November 1995. Hillmeyer earned his bachelor's degree from Colorado State University, and he is a member of the CFA Society of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Council for Business Economics.

Adam H. Brown, CFA,    Vice President, Portfolio Manager
Adam H. Brown is a portfolio manager on the firm's taxable fixed income team, with specific responsibilities for the bank loan portfolio. Prior to joining Delaware Investments in April 2011 as part of the firm's integration of Macquarie Four Corners Capital Management, he spent more than nine years with Four Corners, where he was a co-portfolio manager on four collateralized loan obligation (CLO) funds and a senior research analyst supporting noninvestment grade portfolios. Before that, Brown was with Wachovia Securities, where he worked in the leveraged finance group arranging senior secured bank loans and high yield bond financings for financial sponsors and corporate issuers. He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Florida and an MBA from the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio managers, and the portfolio managers' ownership of Fund shares.

Manager of managers structure

The Fund and the Manager have received an exemptive order from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to operate under a manager of managers structure that permits the Manager, with the approval of the Board, to appoint and replace sub-advisors, enter into sub-advisory agreements, and materially amend and terminate sub-advisory agreements on behalf of the Fund without shareholder approval (Manager of Managers Structure). Under the Manager of Managers Structure, the Manager has ultimate responsibility, subject to oversight by the Board, for overseeing the Fund's sub-advisors and recommending to the Board their hiring, termination, or replacement. The SEC order does not apply to any sub-advisor that is affiliated with the Fund or the Manager. While the Manager does not currently expect to use the Manager of Managers Structure with respect to the Fund, the Manager may, in the future, recommend to the Board the establishment of the Manager of Managers Structure by recommending the hiring of one or more sub-advisors to manage all or a portion of the Fund's portfolio.

The Manager of Managers Structure enables the Fund to operate with greater efficiency and without incurring the expense and delays associated with obtaining shareholder approvals for matters relating to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements. The Manager of Managers Structure does not permit an increase in the overall management and advisory fees payable by the Fund without shareholder approval. Shareholders will be notified of any changes made to sub-advisors or sub-advisory agreements within 90 days of the changes.

Who's who

Board of trustees: A mutual fund is governed by a board of trustees, which has oversight responsibility for the management of the fund's business affairs. Trustees establish procedures and oversee and review the performance of the fund's service providers.

Investment manager: An investment manager is a company responsible for selecting portfolio investments consistent with the objective and policies stated in the mutual fund's prospectus. A written contract between a mutual fund and its investment manager specifies the services the investment manager performs and the fee the manager is entitled to receive.

Portfolio managers: Portfolio managers make investment decisions for individual portfolios.

 

   

Distributor: Most mutual funds continuously offer new shares to the public through distributors that are regulated as broker/dealers and are subject to the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) rules governing mutual fund sales practices.

Service agent: Mutual fund companies employ service agents (sometimes called transfer agents) to maintain records of shareholder accounts, calculate and disburse dividends and capital gains, and prepare and mail shareholder statements and tax information, among other functions. Many service agents also provide customer service to shareholders.

Custodian: Mutual funds are legally required to protect their portfolio securities, and most funds place them with a qualified bank custodian that segregates fund securities from other bank assets.

Financial advisors: Financial advisors provide advice to their clients. They are associated with securities broker/dealers who have entered into selling and/or service arrangements with the distributor. Selling broker/dealers and financial advisors are compensated for their services generally through sales commissions, and through 12b-1 fees and/or service fees deducted from a fund's assets.

Shareholders: Mutual fund shareholders have specific voting rights on matters such as material changes in the terms of a fund's management contract and changes to fundamental investment policies.

About your account

Investing in the Fund

You can choose from a number of share classes for the Fund. Because each share class has a different combination of sales charges, fees, and other features, you should consult your financial advisor to determine which class best suits your investment goals and time frame. Delaware Management Trust Company will not accept applications to open new 403(b) custodial accounts or accept contributions to existing 403(b) custodial accounts.

Choosing a share class

Each share class may be eligible for purchase through programs sponsored by financial intermediaries that require the purchase of a specific class of shares.

Class A, Class C, and Class R shares of the Fund have each adopted a separate 12b-1 plan that allows it to pay distribution fees for the sale and distribution of its shares. Because these fees are paid out of the Fund's assets on an ongoing basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges.

 

Class A

  • Class A shares have an up-front sales charge of up to 2.75% that you pay when you buy the shares.

  • If you invest $100,000 or more, your front-end sales charge will be reduced.

  • You may qualify for other reduced sales charges, and, under certain circumstances, the sales charge may be waived, as described in "How to reduce your sales charge" below.

  • Class A shares are also subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.30% (currently limited to 0.25%) of average daily net assets. See "Dealer compensation" below for further information.

  • Class A shares generally are not subject to a CDSC except in the limited circumstances described in the table below.

  • Class A shares generally are not available for purchase by anyone qualified to purchase Class R shares, except as described below.

Class A sales charges

The table below details your sales charges on purchases of Class A shares. The offering price for Class A shares includes the front-end sales charge. The sales charge as a percentage of the net amount invested is the maximum percentage of the amount invested rounded to the nearest hundredth. The actual sales charge that you pay as a percentage of the offering price and as a percentage of the net amount invested will vary depending on the then-current net asset value (NAV), the percentage rate of the sales charge, and rounding.

Amount of purchase Sales charge as a % of offering price Sales charge as a % of net amount invested
Less than $100,000 2.75% 3.23%
$100,000 but less than $250,000 2.00% 2.44%
$250,000 but less than $1 million 1.00% 1.34%
$1 million or more none* none*

* There is no front-end sales charge when you purchase $1 million or more of Class A shares. However, if the Distributor paid your financial advisor a commission on your purchase of $1 million or more of Class A shares, you will have to pay a limited contingent deferred sales charge (Limited CDSC) of 0.75% if you redeem these shares within the first year after your purchase, unless a specific waiver of the Limited CDSC applies. The Limited CDSC will be paid to the Distributor and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of: (1) the NAV at the time the Class A shares being redeemed were purchased; or (2) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of the Class A shares even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund and, in the event of an exchange of Class A shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares acquired in the exchange. In determining whether a Limited CDSC is payable, it will be assumed that shares not subject to the Limited CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. See "Dealer compensation" below for a description of the dealer commission that is paid.

Class C

  • Class C shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. However, you will pay a CDSC of 1.00% if you redeem your shares within 12 months after you buy them.

  • In determining whether the CDSC applies to a redemption of Class C shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than 12 months are redeemed first followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held for 12 months or less. For further information on how the CDSC is determined, please see "Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class C" below.

  • Under certain circumstances, the CDSC may be waived; please see "Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges" below for further information.

  • Class C shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 1.00% of average daily net assets (of which 0.25% is a service fee) paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing services and maintaining shareholder accounts. 

  • Class C shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • You may purchase only up to $1 million of Class C shares at any one time. Orders that exceed $1 million will be rejected.  The limitation on maximum purchases varies for retirement plans. 

Class R

  • Class R shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund. Class R shares are not subject to a CDSC.

  • Class R shares are subject to an annual 12b-1 fee no greater than 0.60% (currently limited to 0.50%) of average daily net assets.

  • Class R shares do not automatically convert to another class.

  • Class R shares generally are available only to: (i) qualified and nonqualified plan shareholders covering multiple employees (including 401(k), 401(a), 457, and noncustodial 403(b) plans, as well as other nonqualified deferred compensation plans) with assets (at the time shares are considered for purchase) of $10 million or less; and (ii) individual retirement account (IRA) rollovers from plans that were previously maintained on the Delaware Investments® retirement recordkeeping system or BISYS's retirement recordkeeping system that are offering Class R shares to participants.

  • Except as noted above, no other IRAs are eligible for Class R shares (for example, no traditional IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE IRAs, SEPs, SARSEPs). For purposes of determining plan asset levels, affiliated plans may be combined at the request of the plan sponsor.

  • Any account holding Class A shares as of the date Class R shares were made available continues to be eligible to purchase Class A shares after that date. Any account holding Class R shares is not eligible to purchase Class A shares.

Institutional Class

  • Institutional Class shares have no up-front sales charge, so the full amount of your purchase is invested in the Fund.

  • Institutional Class shares do not assess a CDSC or a 12b-1 fee;

  • Institutional Class shares are available for purchase only by the following:

    • rollover IRAs from retirement plans and retirement plans introduced by persons not associated with brokers or dealers that are primarily engaged in the retail securities business;

    • tax-exempt employee benefit plans of the Manager, its affiliates, and securities dealers that have a selling agreement with the Distributor;

    • institutional advisory clients (including mutual funds) of the Manager or its affiliates, as well as those clients' affiliates, and their corporate sponsors, subsidiaries, related employee benefit plans, and rollover IRAs of, or from, such institutional advisory clients;

    • a bank, trust company, or similar financial institution investing for its own account or for the account of its trust customers for whom the financial institution is exercising investment discretion in purchasing Institutional Class shares, except where the investment is part of a program that requires payment to the financial institution of a Rule 12b-1 Plan fee;

    • RIAs investing on behalf of clients that consist solely of institutions and high net worth individuals having at least $1 million entrusted to an RIA for investment purposes (use of the Institutional Class shares is restricted to RIAs who are not affiliated or associated with a broker or dealer and who derive compensation for their services exclusively from their advisory clients);

    • certain plans qualified under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code, for which the Manager, Distributor, or Delaware Service Company, Inc. (DSC), or one or more of their affiliates, provide record keeping, administrative, investment management, marketing, distribution, or similar services;

    • programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries where: (1) such programs allow or require the purchase of Institutional Class shares; (2) the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement covering the arrangement with the Distributor and/or DSC; and (3) the financial intermediary (i) charges clients an ongoing fee for advisory, investment consulting or similar services, or (ii) offers the Institutional Class shares through a no-commission network or platform; or

    • private investment vehicles, including, but not limited to, foundations and endowments.

Calculation of contingent deferred sales charges — Class C
CDSCs are charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject to the CDSC. The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the NAV at the time the shares being redeemed were purchased or the NAV of those shares at the time of redemption. No CDSC will be imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price, nor will a CDSC be assessed on redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. For purposes of this formula, the "NAV at the time of purchase" will be the NAV at purchase of Class C shares of the Fund, even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund. In the event of an exchange of the shares, the "NAV of such shares at the time of redemption" will be the NAV of the shares that were acquired in the exchange.

Dealer compensation

The financial advisor that sells you shares of the Fund may be eligible to receive the following amounts as compensation for your investment in the Fund. These amounts are paid by the Distributor to the securities dealer with whom your financial advisor is associated. Institutional Class shares do not have a 12b-1 fee or sales charge so they are not included in the chart below.

Class A 1 Class C 2 Class R 3
Commission (%) 1.00%
Investment less than $100,000 2.35% - -
$100,000 but less than $250,000 1.75%
$250,000 but less than $1 million 0.75%
$1 million but less than $5 million 0.75%
$5 million but less than $25 million 0.50%
$25 million or more 0.25%
12b-1 fee to dealer 0.30% 1.00% 0.60%


1 On sales of Class A shares, the Distributor reallows to your securities dealer a portion of the front-end sales charge depending upon the amount you invested. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.30% from the date of purchase. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class A shares is 0.30%, however the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.25% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.

2 On sales of Class C shares, the Distributor may pay your securities dealer an up-front commission of 1.00%. The up-front commission includes an advance of the first year's 12b-1 service fee of up to 0.25%. During the first 12 months, the Distributor retains the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee to partially offset the up-front commission and the prepaid 0.25% service fee advanced at the time of purchase. Starting in the 13th month, your securities dealer may be eligible to receive the full 1.00% 12b-1 fee applicable to Class C. Alternatively, certain intermediaries may not be eligible to receive the up-front commission of 1.00%, but may receive the 12b-1 fee for Class C shares from the date of purchase.

3 On sales of Class R shares, the Distributor does not pay your securities dealer an up-front commission. Your securities dealer may be eligible to receive a 12b-1 fee of up to 0.60% from the date of purchase. The maximum 12b-1 fee applicable to Class R shares is 0.60%; however, the Distributor has contracted to limit this amount to 0.50% from November 28, 2012 through November 28, 2013.

Payments to intermediaries

The Distributor and its affiliates may pay additional compensation at their own expense and not as an expense of the Fund to certain affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, or other financial intermediaries (Financial Intermediaries) in connection with the sale or retention of Fund shares and/or shareholder servicing, including providing the Fund with "shelf space" or a higher profile with the Financial Intermediaries' consultants, salespersons, and customers (distribution assistance). For example, the Distributor or its affiliates may pay additional compensation to financial intermediaries for various purposes, including, but not limited to, promoting the sale of Fund shares, maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative, or shareholder processing services, marketing, educational support, and ticket charges. Such payments are in addition to any distribution fees, service fees, and/or transfer agency fees that may be payable by the Fund. The additional payments may be based on factors, including level of sales (based on gross or net sales or some specified minimum sales or some other similar criteria related to sales of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), amount of assets invested by the Financial Intermediary's customers (which could include current or aged assets of the Fund and/or some or all other Delaware Investments ® Funds), the Fund's advisory fees, some other agreed upon amount, or other measures as determined from time to time by the Distributor. The level of payments made to a qualifying Financial Intermediary in any given year may vary. To the extent permitted by SEC and FINRA rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Distributor may pay, or allow its affiliates to pay, other promotional incentives or payments to Financial Intermediaries.

If a mutual fund sponsor or distributor makes greater payments for distribution assistance to your Financial Intermediary with respect to distribution of shares of that particular mutual fund than sponsors or distributors of other mutual funds make to your Financial Intermediary with respect to the distribution of the shares of their mutual funds, your Financial Intermediary and its salespersons may have a financial incentive to favor sales of shares of the mutual fund making the higher payments over shares of other mutual funds or over other investment options. In addition, depending on the arrangements in place at any particular time, a Financial Intermediary may also have a financial incentive for recommending a particular share class over other share classes. You should consult with your Financial Intermediary and review carefully any disclosure provided by such Financial Intermediary as to compensation it receives in connection with investment products it recommends or sells to you. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase sales of the Fund's shares. The Manager or its affiliates may benefit from the Distributor's or its affiliate's payment of compensation to financial intermediaries through increased fees resulting from additional assets acquired through the sale of Fund shares through financial intermediaries. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your Financial Intermediary. Any such payments will not change the net asset value (NAV) or the price of the Fund's shares. 

How to reduce your sales charge

We offer a number of ways to reduce or eliminate the sales charge on shares. Please refer to the SAI for detailed information and eligibility requirements. You can also get additional information from your financial advisor. You or your financial advisor must notify us at the time you purchase shares if you are eligible for any of these programs. You may also need to provide information to your financial advisor or the Fund in order to qualify for a reduction in sales charges. Such information may include your Delaware Investments ® Funds holdings in any other accounts, including retirement accounts, held indirectly or through an intermediary, and the names of qualifying family members and their holdings. We reserve the right to determine whether any purchase is entitled, by virtue of the foregoing, to the reduced sales charge. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

Letter of intent

Through a letter of intent, you agree to invest a certain amount in Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge) over a 13-month period to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class C
Available Although the letter of intent and rights of accumulation do not apply to Class C, you can combine the value of your Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your letter of intent or qualify for rights of accumulation.

Rights of accumulation

You can combine your holdings or purchases of all Delaware Investments® Funds (except money market funds with no sales charge), as well as the holdings and purchases of your spouse and children under 21 to qualify for reduced front-end sales charges.

Class A Class C
Available Although the letter of intent and rights of accumulation do not apply to Class C, you can combine the value of your Class A shares with your purchase of Class C shares to fulfill your letter of intent or qualify for rights of accumulation.

Reinvestment of redeemed shares

Up to 12 months after you redeem shares, you can reinvest the proceeds without paying a sales charge.

Class A Class C
You may not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available.

SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase,
403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans

These investment plans may qualify for reduced sales charges by combining the purchases of all members of the group.  Members of these groups may also qualify to purchase shares without a front-end sales charge and may qualify for a waiver of any CDSCs on Class A shares.

Class A Class C
You may not have to pay an additional front-end sales charge. Not available.

Buying Class A shares at net asset value

Class A shares of the Fund may be purchased at NAV under the following circumstances, provided that you notify the Fund in advance that the trade qualifies for this privilege.  The Fund reserves the right to modify or terminate these arrangements at any time.

  • Shares purchased under the Delaware Investments® dividend reinvestment plan and, under certain circumstances, the exchange privilege and the 12-month reinvestment privilege.

  • Purchases by: (i) current and former officers, Trustees/Directors, and employees of any Delaware Investments® Fund, the Manager, or any of the Manager's current affiliates and those that may in the future be created; (ii) legal counsel to the Delaware Investments® Funds; and (iii) registered representatives and employees of broker/dealers who have entered into dealer's agreements with the Distributor. At the direction of such persons, their family members (regardless of age) and any employee benefit plan established by any of the foregoing entities, counsel, or broker/dealers may also purchase shares at NAV.

  • Shareholders who own Class A shares of Delaware Cash Reserve ® Fund as a result of a liquidation of a Delaware Investments ® Fund may exchange into Class A shares of another Delaware Investments® Fund at NAV.

  • Purchases by bank employees who provide services in connection with agreements between the bank and unaffiliated brokers or dealers concerning sales of shares of the Delaware Investments® Funds.

  • Purchases by certain officers, trustees, and key employees of institutional clients of the Manager or any of its affiliates.

  • Purchases for the benefit of the clients of brokers, dealers, and registered investment advisors if such brokers, dealers, or investment advisors have entered into an agreement with the Distributor providing specifically for the purchase of Class A shares in connection with special investment products, such as wrap accounts or similar fee-based programs. Investors may be charged a fee when effecting transactions in Class A shares through a broker or agent that offers these special investment products.

  • Purchases by financial institutions investing for the accounts of their trust customers if they are not eligible to purchase shares of the Fund's Institutional Class, if applicable.

  • Purchases by retirement plans that are maintained on retirement platforms sponsored by financial intermediary firms, provided the financial intermediary firms or their trust companies (or entities performing similar trading/clearing functions) have entered into an agreement with respect to such retirement platforms.

  • Purchases by certain legacy bank sponsored retirement plans that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Purchases by certain legacy retirement assets that meet requirements set forth in the SAI.

  • Investments made by plan level and/or participant retirement accounts that are for the purpose of repaying a loan taken from such accounts.

  • Purchases by certain participants in defined contribution plans and members of their households whose plan assets will be rolled over into IRA accounts (IRA Program) where the financial intermediary has entered into an agreement specifically relating to such IRA Program with the Distributor and/or the Fund's transfer agent.

  • Purchases by certain participants of particular group retirement plans as described in the SAI.

  • Loan repayments made to a Fund account in connection with loans originated from accounts previously maintained by another investment firm.

Waivers of contingent deferred sales charges

Certain sales charges may be based on historical cost. Therefore, you should maintain any records that substantiate these costs because the Fund, its transfer agent, and financial intermediaries may not maintain this information. Information about existing sales charges and sales charge reductions and waivers is available free of charge on the Delaware Investments® Funds' website at delawareinvestments.com. Additional information on sales charges can be found in the SAI, which is available upon request. Class R and Institutional Class shares have no upfront sales charge or CDSC so they are not included in the chart below.

The Fund's applicable CDSCs may be waived under the following circumstances:

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan

Redemptions in accordance with a systematic withdrawal plan, provided the annual amount selected to be withdrawn under the plan does not exceed 12% of the value of the account on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan was established or modified.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account

Redemptions that result from the right to liquidate a shareholder's account if the aggregate NAV of the shares held in the account is less than the then-effective minimum account size.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan distributions

Distributions to participants or beneficiaries from a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (Internal Revenue Code).

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Section 401(a) qualified retirement plan redemptions

Redemptions pursuant to the direction of a participant or beneficiary of a retirement plan qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to that retirement plan.

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account

Periodic distributions from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans) not subject to a penalty under Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit

Returns of excess contributions due to any regulatory limit from an individual retirement account (traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP,  SARSEP,  Coverdell ESA) or a qualified plan 2 (401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, 403(b)(7), and 457 Retirement Plans).

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Distributions by other employee benefit plans

Distributions by other employee benefit plans to pay benefits.

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan

Systematic withdrawals from a retirement account or qualified plan that are not subject to a penalty pursuant to Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code or a hardship or unforeseen emergency provision in the qualified plan 2 as described in Treas. Reg. §1.401(k)-1(d)(3) and Section 457(d)(1)(A)(iii) of the Internal Revenue Code. The systematic withdrawal may be pursuant to the systematic withdrawal plan for the Delaware Investments® Funds or a systematic withdrawal permitted by the Internal Revenue Code.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from death or disability

Distributions from an account of a redemption resulting from the death or disability (as defined in Section 72(t)(2)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code) of a registered owner or a registered joint owner occurring after the purchase of the shares being redeemed. In the case of accounts established under the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act or trust accounts, the waiver applies upon the death of all beneficial owners.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets

Redemptions by certain legacy retirement assets that meet the requirements set forth in the SAI.

Classes A 1 and C
Available

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV

Redemptions by the classes of shareholders who are permitted to purchase shares at NAV, regardless of the size of the purchase. 

Class A 1 Class C
Available Not available

1 The waiver of Class A shares relates to a waiver of the Limited CDSC.  Please note that you or your financial advisor will have to notify us at the time of purchase that the trade qualifies for such waiver.
2 Qualified plans that are fully redeemed at the direction of the plan's fiduciary are subject to any applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC, unless the redemption is due to the termination of the plan.

How to buy shares

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of purchasing shares, including opening an account. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

Complete an investment slip and mail it with your check, made payable to the fund and class of shares you wish to purchase, to Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. If you are making an initial purchase by mail, you must include a completed investment application (or an appropriate retirement plan application if you are opening a retirement account) with your check.

Please note that purchase orders submitted by mail will not be accepted until such purchase orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for investments by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for investments by overnight courier service. Please do not send purchase orders to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By wire

Ask your bank to wire the amount you want to invest to The Bank of New York Mellon, ABA #011001234, bank account #000073-6910. Include your account number and the name of the fund and class of shares in which you want to invest. If you are making an initial purchase by wire, you must first call us at 800 523-1918 so we can assign you an account number.

By exchange

You may exchange all or part of your investment in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds for shares of other Delaware Investments® Funds. Please keep in mind, however, that under most circumstances you are allowed to exchange only between like classes of shares. To open an account by exchange, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A and Class C shares only, you may purchase or exchange shares through our automated telephone service, or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Calculating share price

The price you pay for shares will depend on when we receive your purchase order. If your order is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time, you will pay that day's closing share price, which is based on a fund's NAV. If your order is received after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will pay the next Business Day's price. We reserve the right to reject any purchase order.

We determine the NAV per share for each class of a Delaware Investments® Fund at the close of regular trading on the NYSE on each Business Day. The NAV per share for each class of a fund is calculated by subtracting the liabilities of each class from its total assets and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding for that class. We generally price securities and other assets for which market quotations are readily available at their market value. For a fund that invests primarily in foreign securities, the NAV may change on days when a shareholder will not be able to purchase or redeem fund shares because foreign markets are open at times and on days when U.S. markets are not. We price fixed income securities on the basis of valuations provided to us by an independent pricing service that uses methods approved by the Board. For all other securities, we use methods approved by the Board that are designed to price securities at their fair market values.

Fair valuation

When the Fund uses fair value pricing, it may take into account any factors it deems appropriate. The Fund may determine fair value based upon developments related to a specific security, current valuations of foreign stock indices (as reflected in U.S. futures markets), and/or U.S. sector or broad stock market indices. The prices of securities used by the Fund to calculate its NAV may differ from quoted or published prices for the same securities. Fair value pricing may involve subjective judgments and it is possible that the fair value determined for a security is materially different than the value that could be realized upon the sale of that security.

The Fund anticipates using fair value pricing for securities primarily traded on U.S. exchanges only under very limited circumstances, such as the early closing of the exchange on which a security is traded or suspension of trading in the security. The Fund may use fair value pricing more frequently for securities traded primarily in non-U.S. markets because, among other things, most foreign markets close well before the Fund values its securities at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. The earlier close of these foreign markets gives rise to the possibility that significant events, including broad market moves, may have occurred in the interim. To account for this, the Fund may frequently value many foreign equity securities using fair value prices based on third-party vendor modeling tools to the extent available.

The Board has delegated responsibility for valuing the Fund's assets to a Pricing Committee of the Manager, which operates under the policies and procedures approved by the Board and which is subject to the Board's oversight.

Retirement plans

In addition to being an appropriate investment for your IRA, Roth IRA, and Coverdell Education Savings Account, the Fund may be suitable for group retirement plans. You may establish your IRA account even if you are already a participant in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. For more information on how the Fund can play an important role in your retirement planning or for details about group plans, please consult your financial advisor, or call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

Document delivery

To reduce fund expenses, we try to identify related shareholders in a household and send only one copy of a fund's financial reports and prospectus. This process, called "householding," will continue indefinitely unless you instruct us otherwise. If you prefer not to have these documents householded, please call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. At any time you may view current prospectuses and financial reports on our website.

Inactive accounts

Please note that your account may be transferred to the appropriate state if no activity occurs in the account within the time period specified by state law.

How to redeem shares

When you send us a properly completed request to redeem or exchange shares and the request is received by an authorized agent or us before the close of regular trading on the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time), you will receive the NAV next determined after we receive your request. If we receive your request after the close of regular trading on the NYSE, you will receive the NAV next determined on the next Business Day. We will deduct any applicable CDSCs. You may also have to pay taxes on the proceeds from your sale of shares. We will send you a check, normally the next Business Day, but no later than seven days after we receive your request to sell your shares. If you purchased your shares by check and sell them before your check has cleared, which can take up to 15 days, we will wait until your check has cleared before we send you your redemption proceeds.

If you are required to pay a CDSC when you redeem your shares, the amount subject to the fee will be based on the shares' NAV when you purchased them or their NAV when you redeem them, whichever is less. This arrangement ensures that you will not pay a CDSC on any increase in the value of your shares. You also will not pay the charge on any shares acquired by reinvesting dividends or capital gains. If you exchange shares of one fund for shares of another, you do not pay a CDSC at the time of the exchange. If you later redeem those shares, the purchase price for purposes of the CDSC formula will be the price you paid for the original shares, not the exchange price. The redemption price for purposes of this formula will be the NAV of the shares you are actually redeeming.

If you hold your shares in certificates, you must submit the certificates with your request to sell the shares. We recommend that you send your certificates by certified mail.

Through your financial advisor

Your financial advisor can handle all the details of redeeming your shares. Your financial advisor may charge a separate fee for this service.

By mail

You may redeem your shares by mail by writing to: Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. All owners of the account must sign the request. For redemptions of more than $100,000, you must include a signature guarantee for each owner. Signature guarantees are also required when redemption proceeds are going to an address other than the address of record on the account.

Please note that redemption orders submitted by mail will not be considered accepted until such orders are received by Delaware Investments at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 for redemptions by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 for redemptions by overnight courier service. Please do not send redemption requests to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA.

By telephone

You may redeem up to $100,000 of your shares by telephone. You may have the proceeds sent to you by check or, if you redeem at least $1,000 of shares, you may have the proceeds sent directly to your bank by wire. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

By wire

You may redeem $1,000 or more of your shares and have the proceeds deposited directly to your bank account, normally the next Business Day after we receive your request. If you request a wire deposit, a bank wire fee may be deducted from your proceeds. Bank information must be on file before you request a wire redemption.

Through automated shareholder services

For Class A, Class C, and Class R shares only, you may redeem shares through our automated telephone service or through our website, delawareinvestments.com. For more information about how to sign up for these services, call our Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. 

Redemptions-in-kind

The Fund has reserved the right to pay for redemptions with portfolio securities under certain conditions. See the SAI for more information on redemptions-in-kind.

Account minimums

For Class A, Class C, and Class R shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below the required account minimum of $1,000 ($250 for IRAs, Roth IRAs, Uniform Gifts to Minors Act and Uniform Transfers to Minors Act accounts, or accounts with automatic investing plans, and $500 for Coverdell Education Savings Accounts) for three or more consecutive months, you will have until the end of the current calendar quarter to raise the balance to the minimum. If your account is not at the minimum by the required time, you may be charged a $9 fee for that quarter and each quarter after that until your account reaches the minimum balance. If your account does not reach the minimum balance, we may redeem your account after 60 days' written notice to you. Any CDSC that would otherwise be applicable will not apply to such a redemption.

For Institutional Class shares, if you redeem shares and your account balance falls below $250, the Fund may redeem your shares after 60 days' written notice to you.

Investor services

To help make investing with us as easy as possible, and to help you build your investments, we offer the following investor services.

Automatic investment plan

The automatic investment plan allows you to make regular monthly or quarterly investments directly from your checking account.

Direct deposit

With direct deposit, you can make additional investments through payroll deductions, recurring government or private payments such as Social Security, or direct transfers from your bank account.

Electronic delivery

With Delaware eDelivery, you can receive your fund documents electronically instead of via U.S. mail. When you sign up for eDelivery, you can access your account statements, shareholder reports, and other fund materials online, in a secure internet environment at any time, from anywhere.

Online account access

Online account access is a password-protected area of the Delaware Investments ® Funds' website that gives you access to your account information and allows you to perform transactions in a secure internet environment.

Systematic exchange option

With the systematic exchange option, you can arrange automatic monthly exchanges between your shares in one or more Delaware Investments® Funds. These exchanges are subject to the same rules as regular exchanges (see below) and require a minimum monthly exchange of $100 per fund.

Dividend reinvestment plan

Through the dividend reinvestment plan, you can have your distributions reinvested in your account or the same share class in another Delaware Investments® Fund. The shares that you purchase through the dividend reinvestment plan are not subject to a front-end sales charge or to a CDSC. Under most circumstances, you may reinvest dividends only into like classes of shares.

Exchanges

You may generally exchange all or part of your shares for shares of the same class of another Delaware Investments® Fund without paying a front-end sales charge or a CDSC at the time of the exchange. However, if you exchange shares from a money market fund that does not have a sales charge, you will pay any applicable sales charge on your new shares. When exchanging Class B and Class C shares of one fund for the same class of shares in other funds, your new shares will be subject to the same CDSC as the shares you originally purchased. The holding period for the CDSC will also remain the same, with the amount of time you held your original shares being credited toward the holding period of your new shares. In certain other circumstances, you may also be permitted to exchange your shares for shares of a different class of the Fund, but such exchange may be subject to a sales charge for the new shares. (Please refer to the SAI for more details.) You do not pay sales charges on shares that you acquired through the reinvestment of dividends. You may have to pay taxes on your exchange. When you exchange shares, you are purchasing shares in another fund, so you should be sure to get a copy of the fund's prospectus and read it carefully before buying shares through an exchange. We may refuse the purchase side of any exchange request if, in the Manager's judgment, a fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objective and policies or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected.

On demand service

Through the on demand service, you or your financial advisor may transfer money between your Fund account and your predesignated bank account by telephone request. This service is not available for retirement plans. There is a minimum transfer of $25 and a maximum transfer of $100,000, except for purchases into IRAs. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one.

Direct deposit service

Through the direct deposit service, you can have $25 or more in dividends and distributions deposited directly into your bank account. Delaware Investments does not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may assess one. This service is not available for retirement plans.

Systematic withdrawal plan

For Class A, Class B, and Class C shares, you can arrange a regular monthly or quarterly payment from your account made to you or someone you designate. If the value of your account is $5,000 or more, you can make withdrawals of at least $25 monthly, or $75 quarterly. You may also have your withdrawals deposited directly to your bank account through the direct deposit service.

The applicable Limited CDSC for Class A shares and the CDSC for Class B and C shares redeemed via a systematic withdrawal plan will be waived if the annual amount withdrawn in each year is less than 12% of the account balance on the date that the plan is established. If the annual amount withdrawn in any year exceeds 12% of the account balance on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan is established, all redemptions under the plan will be subject to the applicable CDSC, including an assessment for previously redeemed amounts under the plan.

Frequent trading of Fund shares

The Fund discourages purchases by market timers and purchase orders (including the purchase side of exchange orders) by shareholders identified as market timers may be rejected. The Board has adopted policies and procedures designed to detect, deter, and prevent trading activity detrimental to the Fund and its shareholders, such as market timing. The Fund will consider anyone who follows a pattern of market timing in any Delaware Investments® Fund or the Optimum Fund Trust to be a market timer and may consider anyone who has followed a similar pattern of market timing at an unaffiliated fund family to be a market timer.

Market timing of a fund occurs when investors make consecutive, rapid, short-term "roundtrips" — that is, purchases into a fund followed quickly by redemptions out of that fund. A short-term roundtrip is any redemption of fund shares within 20 Business Days of a purchase of that fund's shares. If you make a second such short-term roundtrip in a fund within 90 rolling calendar days as a previous short-term roundtrip in that fund, you may be considered a market timer. In determining whether market timing has occurred, the Fund will consider short-term roundtrips to include rapid purchases and sales of Fund shares through the exchange privilege. The Fund reserves the right to consider other trading patterns to be market timing.

Your ability to use the Fund's exchange privilege may be limited if you are identified as a market timer. If you are identified as a market timer, we will execute the redemption side of your exchange order but may refuse the purchase side of your exchange order. The Fund reserves the right to restrict or reject, without prior notice, any purchase order or exchange order for any reason, including any purchase order or exchange order accepted by any shareholder's financial intermediary or in any omnibus-type account. Transactions placed in violation of the Fund's market timing policy are not necessarily deemed accepted by the Fund and may be rejected by the Fund on the next Business Day following receipt by the Fund.

Redemptions will continue to be permitted in accordance with the Fund's current prospectus. A redemption of shares under these circumstances could be costly to a shareholder if, for example, the shares have declined in value, the shareholder recently paid a front-end sales charge, the shares are subject to a CDSC, or the sale results in adverse tax consequences. To avoid this risk, a shareholder should carefully monitor the purchases, sales, and exchanges of Fund shares and avoid frequent trading in Fund shares.

The Fund reserves the right to modify this policy at any time without notice, including modifications to the Fund's monitoring procedures and the procedures to close accounts to new purchases. Although the implementation of this policy involves judgments that are inherently subjective and may be selectively applied, we seek to make judgments and applications that are consistent with the interests of the Fund's shareholders. While we will take actions designed to detect and prevent market timing, there can be no assurance that such trading activity will be completely eliminated. Moreover, the Fund's market timing policy does not require the Fund to take action in response to frequent trading activity. If the Fund elects not to take any action in response to frequent trading, such frequent trading activity could continue.

Risks of market timing

By realizing profits through short-term trading, shareholders that engage in rapid purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares dilute the value of shares held by long-term shareholders. Volatility resulting from excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of Fund shares, especially involving large dollar amounts, may disrupt efficient portfolio management. In particular, the Fund may have difficulty implementing its long-term investment strategies if it is forced to maintain a higher level of its assets in cash to accommodate significant short-term trading activity. Excessive purchases and sales or exchanges of the Fund's shares may also force the Fund to sell portfolio securities at inopportune times to raise cash to accommodate short-term trading activity. This could adversely affect the Fund's performance, if, for example, the Fund incurs increased brokerage costs and realization of taxable capital gains without attaining any investment advantage.

A fund that invests significantly in foreign securities may be particularly susceptible to short-term trading strategies. This is because foreign securities are typically traded on markets that close well before the time a fund calculates its NAV (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern time). Developments that occur between the closing of the foreign market and a fund's NAV calculation may affect the value of these foreign securities. The time-zone differences among international stock markets can allow a shareholder engaging in a short-term trading strategy to exploit differences in fund share prices that are based on closing prices of foreign securities established some time before a fund calculates its own share price.

Any fund that invests in securities that are thinly traded, traded infrequently, or relatively illiquid has the risk that the securities prices used to calculate the fund's NAV may not accurately reflect current market values. A shareholder may seek to engage in short-term trading to take advantage of these pricing differences. Funds that may be adversely affected by such arbitrage include, in particular, funds that significantly invest in small-cap securities, technology, and other specific industry sector securities, and in certain fixed income securities, such as high yield bonds, asset-backed securities, or municipal bonds.

Transaction monitoring procedures

The Fund, through its transfer agent, maintains surveillance procedures designed to detect excessive or short-term trading in Fund shares. This monitoring process involves several factors, which include scrutinizing transactions in Fund shares for violations of the Fund's market timing policy or other patterns of short-term or excessive trading. For purposes of these transaction monitoring procedures, the Fund may consider trading activity by multiple accounts under common ownership, control, or influence to be trading by a single entity. Trading activity identified by these factors, or as a result of any other available information, will be evaluated to determine whether such activity might constitute market timing. These procedures may be modified from time to time to improve the detection of excessive or short-term trading or to address other concerns. Such changes may be necessary or appropriate, for example, to deal with issues specific to certain retirement plans; plan exchange limits; U.S. Department of Labor regulations; certain automated or pre-established exchange, asset-allocation, or dollar cost averaging programs; or omnibus account arrangements.

Omnibus account arrangements are common forms of holding shares of the Fund, particularly among certain broker/dealers and other financial intermediaries, including sponsors of retirement plans and variable insurance products. The Fund will attempt to have financial intermediaries apply the Fund's monitoring procedures to these omnibus accounts and to the individual participants in such accounts. However, to the extent that a financial intermediary is not able or willing to monitor or enforce the Fund's frequent trading policy with respect to an omnibus account, the Fund or its agents may require the financial intermediary to impose its frequent trading policy, rather than the Fund's policy, to shareholders investing in the Fund through the financial intermediary. In addition, the Fund or its transfer agent may enter into shareholder information agreements with such financial intermediaries under which the Fund may receive information (such as taxpayer identification numbers and Fund transaction activity) in order to identify frequent trading activity.

A financial intermediary may impose different requirements or have additional restrictions on the frequency of trading than the Fund. Such restrictions may include, without limitation, requiring the trades to be placed by U.S. mail, prohibiting purchases for a designated period of time (typically 30 to 90 days) by investors who have recently purchased or redeemed Fund shares, and similar restrictions. The Fund's ability to impose such restrictions with respect to accounts traded through particular financial intermediaries may vary depending on systems capabilities, applicable contractual and legal restrictions, and cooperation of those financial intermediaries.

You should consult your financial intermediary regarding the application of such restrictions and to determine whether your financial intermediary imposes any additional or different limitations. In an effort to discourage market timers in such accounts, the Fund may consider enforcement against market timers at the participant level and at the omnibus level, up to and including termination of the omnibus account's authorization to purchase Fund shares.

Limitations on ability to detect and curtail market timing

Shareholders seeking to engage in market timing may employ a variety of strategies to avoid detection and, despite the efforts of the Fund and its agents to detect market timing in Fund shares, there is no guarantee that the Fund will be able to identify these shareholders or curtail their trading practices. In particular, the Fund may not be able to detect market timing attributable to a particular investor who effects purchase, redemption, and/or exchange activity in Fund shares through omnibus accounts. The difficulty of detecting market timing may be further compounded if these entities utilize multiple tiers or omnibus accounts.

Dividends, distributions, and taxes

Dividends and distributions

The Fund intends to qualify each year as a regulated investment company under the Code. As a regulated investment company, the Fund generally pays no federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to you. The Fund expects to declare dividends daily and distribute all of its net investment income, if any, to shareholders as dividends monthly. The Fund will distribute net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually, usually in December. The Fund may distribute such income dividends and capital gains more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund. The amount of any distribution will vary, and there is no guarantee the Fund will pay either an income dividend or a capital gains distribution. We automatically reinvest all dividends and any capital gains, unless you direct us to do otherwise.

Annual statements

Each year, the Fund will send you an annual statement (Form 1099) of your account activity to assist you in completing your federal, state and local tax returns. Distributions declared in December to shareholders of record in such month, but paid in January, are taxable as if they were paid in December. Prior to issuing your statement, the Fund makes every effort to reduce the number of corrected forms mailed to you. However, if the Fund finds it necessary to reclassify its distributions or adjust the cost basis of any covered shares sold or exchanged after you receive your tax statement, the Fund will send you a corrected Form 1099.

Avoid "buying a dividend"

At the time you purchase your Fund shares, the Fund's NAV may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation in value of portfolio securities held by the Fund. For taxable investors, a subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable. Buying shares in the Fund just before it declares an income dividend or capital gains distribution is sometimes known as "buying a dividend."

Tax considerations

Fund distributions. The Fund expects, based on its investment objective and strategies, that its distributions, if any, will be taxable as ordinary income, capital gains, or some combination of both. This is true whether you reinvest your distributions in additional Fund shares or receive them in cash.

For federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions of short-term capital gains are taxable to you as ordinary income. Fund distributions of long-term capital gains are taxable to you as long-term capital gains no matter how long you have owned your shares. With respect to income dividends paid on or before December 31, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent), a portion of income dividends reported by the Fund may be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individual shareholders at long-term capital gain rates provided certain holding period requirements are met. Because the income of the Fund is primarily derived from investments earning interest rather than dividend income, generally none or only a small portion of the income dividends paid to you by the Fund is anticipated to be qualified dividend income eligible for taxation by individuals at long-term capital gain tax rates.

Sale or redemption of Fund shares. A sale or redemption of Fund shares is a taxable event and, accordingly, a capital gain or loss may be recognized. For tax purposes, an exchange of your Fund shares for shares of a different Delaware Investments® Fund is the same as a sale. Beginning with the 2012 calendar year, the Fund will be required to report to you and the Internal Revenue Service annually on Form 1099-B not only the gross proceeds of Fund shares you sell or redeem but also the cost basis for shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 ("covered shares"). Cost basis will be calculated using the Fund's default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. Shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund and make any additional basis, holding period, or other adjustments that are required when reporting these amounts on their federal income tax returns. If your account is held by your investment representative (financial advisor or other broker), please contact that representative with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account. Tax-advantaged retirement accounts will not be affected. Additional information and updates regarding cost basis reporting and available shareholder elections will be on Delaware Investment's website at delawareinvestments.com as the information becomes available.

Medicare tax. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012, an additional 3.8% Medicare tax will be imposed on certain net investment income (including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares) of U.S. individuals, estates and trusts to the extent that such person's "modified adjusted gross income" (in the case of an individual) or "adjusted gross income" (in the case of an estate or trust) exceeds a threshold amount.

Backup withholding. By law, if you do not provide the Fund with your proper taxpayer identification number and certain required certifications, you may be subject to backup withholding on any distributions of income, capital gains, or proceeds from the sale of your shares. The Fund also must withhold if the Internal Revenue Service instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid (for distributions and proceeds paid after December 31, 2012, the rate is scheduled to rise to 31% unless the 28% rate is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent).

State and local taxes. Fund distributions and gains from the sale or exchange of your Fund shares generally are subject to state and local taxes.

Non-U.S. investors. Non-U.S. investors may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate and U.S. estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements to avoid backup withholding and claim any treaty benefits. An exemption from U.S. withholding tax is provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from long-term capital gains, if any. However, notwithstanding such exemption from U.S. withholding at the source, any such dividends and distributions of income and capital gains will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% (or the then applicable rate) if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

Other Reporting and Withholding Requirements. The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act ("FATCA") requires the reporting to the Internal Revenue Service of certain direct and indirect ownership of foreign financial accounts by U.S. persons. Failure to provide this required information can result in a generally nonrefundable 30% tax on: (a) income dividends paid by the Fund after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gain distributions (including proceeds arising from the sale Fund shares) paid by the Fund after December 31, 2016 to certain "foreign financial institutions" and "non-financial foreign entities."

This discussion of "Dividends, distributions, and taxes" is not intended or written to be used as tax advice. Because everyone's tax situation is unique, you should consult your tax professional about federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences before making an investment in the Fund.

Certain management considerations

Investments by funds of funds and similar investment vehicles

The Fund may accept investments from funds of funds, as well as from similar investment vehicles, such as 529 Plans. A "529 Plan" is a college savings program that operates under Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. From time to time, the Fund may experience large investments or redemptions due to allocations or rebalancings by these funds of funds and/or similar investment vehicles. While it is impossible to predict the overall impact of these transactions over time, there could be adverse effects on portfolio management. For example, the Fund may be required to sell securities or invest cash at times when it would not otherwise do so. These transactions could also have tax consequences if sales of securities result in gains, and could also increase transaction costs or portfolio turnover.

Financial highlights

The financial highlights table is intended to help you understand the Fund's financial performance for the period of the Fund's operations. Certain information reflects financial results for a single Fund share. The total returns in the table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all dividends and distributions). This information has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, whose report, along with the Fund's financial statements, is included in the annual report, which is available upon request by calling 800 523-1918.

Class A Shares 2012 2011 2/26/10 1 to 7/31/10
Net asset value, beginning of period $8.590 $8.490 $8.500
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 2 0.193 0.166 0.088
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.005) 0.114 (0.014)
Total from investment operations 0.188 0.280 0.074
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.208) (0.180) (0.084)
Total dividends and distributions (0.208) (0.180) (0.084)
Net asset value, end of period $8.570 $8.590 $8.490
Total return 3 2.24% 3.33% 0.87%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $49,009 $55,209 $2,959
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.05% 1.05% 1.04%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.12% 1.34% 4.92%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 2.28% 1.92% 2.43%
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 2.21% 1.63% (1.45%)
Portfolio turnover 97% 75% 39%

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return and portfolio turnover have not been annualized.

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods reflects waivers by the manager and distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waivers not been in effect.

Class C Shares 2012 2011 2/26/10 1 to 7/31/10
Net asset value, beginning of period $8.590 $8.490 $8.500
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 2 0.130 0.102 0.062
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.006) 0.116 (0.014)
Total from investment operations 0.124 0.218 0.048
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.144) (0.118) (0.058)
Total dividends and distributions (0.144) (0.118) (0.058)
Net asset value, end of period $8.570 $8.590 $8.490
Total return 3 1.47% 2.58% 0.56%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $25,495 $25,769 $1,714
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.80% 1.80% 1.79%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.82% 2.04% 5.62%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 1.53% 1.17% 1.68%
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.51% 0.93% (2.15%)
Portfolio turnover 97% 75% 39%

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return and portfolio turnover have not been annualized.

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value and does not reflect the impact of a sales charge. Total investment return during all of the periods shown reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

Class R Shares 2012 2011 2/26/10 1 to 7/31/10
Net asset value, beginning of period $8.590 $8.500 $8.500
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 2 0.173 0.145 0.079
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.011) 0.106 3 (0.004)
Total from investment operations 0.162 0.251 3 0.075
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net investment income (0.182) (0.161) (0.075)
Total dividends and distributions (0.182) (0.161) (0.075)
Net asset value, end of period $8.570 $8.590 3 $8.500
Total return 4 1.93% 2.96% 0.89%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $5 $5 $5
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 1.30% 1.30% 1.29%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.42% 1.64% 5.22%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 2.03% 1.67% 2.18%
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 1.91% 1.33% (1.75%)
Portfolio turnover 97% 75% 39%

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return and portfolio turnover have not been annualized.

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Includes adjustments from the period ending July 31, 2010 in the amount of $9 (or $0.010 per share) which impacted total return by -0.12%. The adjustment is to correct a mis-allocation of distributions among share classes which had no impact on distribution amounts reported and paid to shareholders.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods reflects a waiver by the manager and distributor. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

Institutional Class Shares 2012 2011 2/26/10 1 to 7/31/10
Net asset value, beginning of period $8.590 $8.490 $8.500
Income (loss) from investment operations:
Net investment income 2 0.214 0.187 0.098
Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) (0.005) 0.117 (0.016)
Total from investment operations 0.209 0.304 0.082
Less dividends and distributions from:
Net Investment Income (0.229) (0.204) (0.092)
Total dividends and distributions (0.229) (0.204) (0.092)
Net asset value, end of period $8.570 $8.590 $8.490
Total return 3 2.49% 3.61% 0.97%
Ratios and supplemental data:
Net assets, end of period (000 omitted) $31,663 $33,231 $3,394
Ratio of expenses to average net assets 0.80% 0.80% 0.79%
Ratio of expenses to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 0.82% 1.04% 4.62%
Ratio of net investment income to average net assets 2.53% 2.17% 2.68%
Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets prior to fees waived and expense paid indirectly 2.51% 1.93% (1.15%)
Portfolio turnover 97% 75% 39%

Date of commencement of operations; ratios have been annualized and total return and portfolio turnover have not been annualized.

The average shares outstanding method has been applied for per share information.

Total investment return is based on the change in net asset value of a share during the period and assumes reinvestment of dividends and distributions at net asset value. Total investment return during all of the periods reflects a waiver by the manager. Performance would have been lower had the waiver not been in effect.

How to read the financial highlights

Net investment income (loss)
Net investment income (loss) includes dividend and interest income earned from a fund's investments; it is calculated after expenses have been deducted.

Net realized and unrealized gain (loss) on investments
A realized gain occurs when we sell an investment at a profit, while a realized loss occurs when we sell an investment at a loss. When an investment increases or decreases in value but we do not sell it, we record an unrealized gain or loss. The amount of realized gain per share, if any, that we pay to shareholders would be listed under "Less dividends and distributions from: Net realized gain on investments."

Net asset value (NAV)
This is the value of a mutual fund share, calculated by dividing the net assets by the number of shares outstanding.

Total return
This represents the rate that an investor would have earned or lost on an investment in a fund. In calculating this figure for the financial highlights table, we include applicable fee waivers, exclude front-end sales charges and contingent deferred sales charges, and assume the shareholder has reinvested all dividends and realized gains.

Net assets
Net assets represent the total value of all the assets in a fund's portfolio, less any liabilities, that are attributable to that class of the fund.

Ratio of expenses to average net assets
The expense ratio is the percentage of net assets that a fund pays annually for operating expenses and management fees. These expenses include accounting and administration expenses, services for shareholders, and similar expenses.

Ratio of net investment income (loss) to average net assets
We determine this ratio by dividing net investment income (loss) by average net assets.

Portfolio turnover
This figure tells you the amount of trading activity in a fund's portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur if, for example, a fund bought and sold all of the securities in its portfolio once in the course of a year or frequently traded a single security. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains.

Additional information

Contact information

  • Website: delawareinvestments.com

  • Shareholder Service Center: 800 523-1918 (representatives available weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time)

    • For fund information, literature, price, yield, and performance figures.

    • For information on existing regular investment accounts and retirement plan accounts including wire investments, wire redemptions, telephone redemptions, and telephone exchanges.

  • Automated telephone service: 800 523-1918 (seven days a week, 24 hours a day)

    • For convenient access to account information or current performance information on all Delaware Investments ® Funds seven days a week, use this touch-tone service.

  • Written correspondence: P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Additional information about the Fund's investments is available in its annual and semiannual shareholder reports. In the Fund's annual shareholder report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund's performance during the period covered by the report. You can find more information about the Fund in its current SAI, which is filed electronically with the SEC, and which is legally a part of this Prospectus (it is incorporated by reference). To receive a free copy of the SAI, or the annual or semiannual report, or if you have any questions about investing in the Fund, write to us at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service, or call toll-free 800 523-1918. The SAI and shareholder reports are available, free of charge, through the Fund's website (delawareinvestments.com). You may also obtain additional information about the Fund from your financial advisor.

You can find reports and other information about the Fund on the EDGAR database on the SEC website (sec.gov). You can get copies of this information, after paying a duplication fee, by e-mailing the SEC at publicinfo@sec.gov or by writing to the Public Reference Section of the SEC,
100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549-1520. Information about the Fund, including its SAI, can be reviewed and copied at the SEC's Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. For information on the Public Reference Room, call the SEC at 202 551-8090.

PR-215 [7/12] POD 18234 [11/12]

Investment Company Act number: 811-02071


STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
November 28, 2012

DELAWARE GROUP INCOME FUNDS

Nasdaq ticker symbols
Institutional
Fund Class A Class B Class C Class R Class
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund DGCAX DGCBX DGCCX DGCRX DGCIX
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund DEEAX DEEBX DEECX DEERX DEEIX
Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund DHOAX DHOBX DHOCX DHIRX DHOIX
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund DDFAX n/a DDFCX DDFFX DDFLX
Delaware Core Bond Fund DPFIX n/a DCBCX DEBRX DCBIX

P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 (regular mail)
4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 (overnight courier service)

For Prospectuses, Performance, and Information on Existing Accounts: 800 523-1918
For Dealer Services (Broker/Dealers only): 800 362-7500

     This Statement of Additional Information (“Part B”) supplements the information contained in the current prospectuses (the “Prospectuses”), each dated November 28, 2012, as they may be amended from time to time, for Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund (each, a “Fund” and collectively, the “Funds”). This Part B should be read in conjunction with the applicable Prospectus. This Part B is not itself a Prospectus but is, in its entirety, incorporated by reference into each Prospectus. A Prospectus may be obtained through our website at delawareinvestments.com; by writing or calling your financial adviser; or by contacting the Funds’ distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P. (the “Distributor”), at the above address, or by calling the above phone numbers. Please do not send any correspondence to 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA. The Funds’ financial statements, the notes relating thereto, the financial highlights, and the report of the independent registered public accounting firm are incorporated by reference from each Fund’s annual report (“Annual Report”) into this Part B. An Annual Report will accompany any request for Part B. An Annual Report can be obtained, without charge, by calling 800 523-1918 .

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page Page
Organization and Classification 2 Purchasing Shares 56
Investment Objectives, Restrictions, and Policies 2 Investment Plans 68
Investment Strategies and Risks 4 Determining Offering Price and Net Asset Value 71
Disclosure of Portfolio Holdings Information 34 Redemption and Exchange 72
Management of the Trust 35 Distributions and Taxes 78
Investment Manager and Other Service Providers 46 Performance 93
Portfolio Managers 52 Financial Statements 93
Trading Practices and Brokerage 54 Principal Holders 94
Capital Structure 56 Appendix A – Description of Ratings 103



     This Part B describes the Funds, which are series of Delaware Group Income Funds (the “Trust”). The Funds offer Class A, Class B, Class C, and Class R shares (except Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund, which do not offer Class B shares) (collectively, the “Retail Classes”). Each Fund also offers an Institutional Class (collectively the “Institutional Classes”). All references to “shares” in this Part B refer to all classes of shares of the Funds, except where noted. The Funds’ investment manager is Delaware Management Company (the “Manager”), a series of Delaware Management Business Trust.

ORGANIZATION AND CLASSIFICATION

Organization
     The Trust was originally organized as a Delaware corporation in 1970 and was subsequently reorganized as a Maryland corporation on March 4, 1983 and as a Delaware statutory trust on September 29, 1999.

Classification
    
The Trust is an open-end management investment company. Each Fund’s portfolio of assets is diversified as defined by the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”). The 1940 Act requires a “diversified” fund, with respect to 75% of the value of its total assets, to invest (1) no more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in the securities of any one issuer and (2) in no more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer. This limitation generally requires a diversified fund to invest in securities issued by a minimum of 16 issuers.

INVESTMENT OBJECTIVES, RESTRICTIONS, AND POLICIES

Investment Objectives 
    
Each Fund’s investment objective is described in the Prospectuses. Each Fund’s investment objective is nonfundamental, and may be changed without shareholder approval. However, the Trust’s Board of Trustees (“Board”) must approve any changes to nonfundamental investment objectives and a Fund will notify shareholders at least 60 days prior to a material change in the Fund’s investment objective.

Fundamental Investment Restrictions
     Each Fund has adopted the following restrictions that cannot be changed without approval by the holders of a “majority” of the Fund’s outstanding shares, which is a vote by the holders of the lesser of (i) 67% or more of the voting securities present in person or by proxy at a meeting, if the holders of more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities are present or represented by proxy; or (ii) more than 50% of the outstanding voting securities. The percentage limitations contained in the restrictions and policies set forth herein apply at the time of purchase of securities.

     Each Fund may not:

     1. Make investments that will result in the concentration (as that term may be defined in the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) staff interpretation thereof) of its investments in the securities of issuers primarily engaged in the same industry, provided that this restriction does not limit the Fund from investing in obligations issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or in tax-exempt securities or certificates of deposit. The Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may, from time to time, make investments that will result in the concentration (as that term may be defined in the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof) of its investments in the securities of issuers within various industries or industry groupings.

     2. Borrow money or issue senior securities, except as the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof, may permit.

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     3. Underwrite the securities of other issuers, except that the Fund may engage in transactions involving the acquisition, disposition, or resale of its portfolio securities, under circumstances where it may be considered to be an underwriter under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “1933 Act”).

     4. Purchase or sell real estate, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments, and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from investing in issuers which invest, deal or otherwise engage in transactions in real estate or interests therein, or investing in securities that are secured by real estate or interests therein.

     5. Purchase or sell physical commodities, unless acquired as a result of ownership of securities or other instruments and provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from engaging in transactions involving futures contracts and options thereon or investing in securities that are secured by physical commodities.

     6. Make loans, provided that this restriction does not prevent the Fund from purchasing debt obligations, entering into repurchase agreements, loaning its assets to broker/dealers or institutional investors and investing in loans, including assignments and participation interests.

Nonfundamental Investment Restrictions
    
In addition to the fundamental policies and investment restrictions described above, and the various general investment policies described in the Prospectuses, each Fund will be subject to the following investment restriction, which is considered nonfundamental and may be changed by the Board without shareholder approval: Each Fund may not invest more than 15% of its net assets in securities that it cannot sell or dispose of in the ordinary course of business within seven days at approximately the value at which the Fund has valued the investment.

     For purposes of each Fund’s concentration policy, each Fund intends to comply with the SEC staff position that securities issued or guaranteed as to principal and interest by any single foreign government are considered to be securities of issuers in the same industry. In applying each Fund’s policy on concentration: (i) utility companies will be divided according to their services, for example, gas, gas transmission, electric, and telephone will each be considered a separate industry; (ii) financial service companies will be classified according to the end users of their services, for example, automobile finance, bank finance, and diversified finance will each be considered a separate industry; and (iii) asset-backed securities will be classified according to the underlying assets securing such securities.

     Except for the Funds’ policy with respect to borrowing, any investment restriction or limitation that involves a maximum percentage of securities or assets shall not be considered to be violated unless an excess over the percentage occurs immediately after an acquisition of securities or a utilization of assets and such excess results therefrom.

Portfolio Turnover
    
Portfolio trading will be undertaken principally to accomplish each Fund’s respective investment objective. The Funds are free to dispose of portfolio securities at any time, subject to complying with the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Internal Revenue Code”), and the 1940 Act, when changes in circumstances or conditions make such a move desirable in light of each Fund’s respective investment objective. The Funds will not attempt to achieve or be limited to a predetermined rate of portfolio turnover. Such turnover always will be incidental to transactions undertaken with a view to achieving each Fund’s respective investment objective.

     The portfolio turnover rate tells you the amount of trading activity in a Fund’s portfolio. A turnover rate of 100% would occur, for example, if all of a Fund’s investments held at the beginning of a year were replaced by the end of the year, or if a single investment was frequently traded. The turnover rate also may be affected by cash requirements from redemptions and repurchases of a Fund’s shares. A high rate of portfolio turnover in any year may increase brokerage commissions paid and could generate taxes for shareholders on realized investment gains. In investing to achieve its investment objective, a Fund may hold securities for any period of time.

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     The Funds may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities, which means that portfolio turnover can be expected to exceed 100%. The Funds have, in the past, experienced portfolio turnover rates that were significantly in excess of 100%.

     For the fiscal years ended July 31, 2011 and 2012, the Funds’ portfolio turnover rates were as follows:

2011 2012
Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund 115% 61%
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund 204% 202%
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund 147% 172%
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund 75% 97%
Delaware Core Bond Fund 503% 517%

INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS

     The Prospectuses discuss the Funds’ investment objectives, strategies and risks. The following discussion supplements the description of the Funds’ investment strategies and risks that are included in the Prospectuses. The Funds’ investment strategies are nonfundamental and may be changed without shareholder approval.

Asset-Backed Securities
    
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each invest a portion of its assets in asset-backed securities. All such securities must be rated in one of the four highest rating categories by a reputable credit rating agency (for example, higher than BBB- as rated by Standard & Poor’s Group, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. (“S&P”), or higher than Baa3 as rated by Moody’s Investor Services, Inc. (“Moody’s”)). Such receivables are securitized in either a pass-through or a pay-through structure. Pass-through securities provide investors with an income stream consisting of both principal and interest payments in respect of the receivables in the underlying pool. Pay-through asset-backed securities are debt obligations issued usually by a special purpose entity, which are collateralized by the various receivables and in which the payments on the underlying receivables provide the income stream to pay the debt service on the debt obligations issued.

     The rate of principal payment on asset-backed securities will be affected by the principal payments received on the underlying assets. Such rate of payments may be affected by economic and various other factors such as changes in interest rates or the concentration of collateral in a particular geographic area. Therefore, the yield may be difficult to predict and actual yield to maturity may be more or less than the anticipated yield to maturity. The credit quality of most asset-backed securities depends primarily on the credit quality of the assets underlying such securities, how well the entities issuing the securities are insulated from the credit risk of the originator or affiliated entities, and the amount of credit support provided to the securities. Due to the shorter maturity of the collateral backing such securities, there tends to be less of a risk of substantial prepayment than with mortgage-backed securities but the risk of such a prepayment does exist. Such asset-backed securities do, however, involve certain risks not associated with mortgage-backed securities, including the risk that security interest cannot be adequately or in many cases, ever, established as well as other risks which may be peculiar to the collateral backing such securities. For example, with respect to credit card receivables, a number of state and federal consumer credit laws give debtors the right to set off certain amounts owed on the credit cards, thereby reducing the outstanding balance. In the case of automobile receivables, there is a risk that the holders may not have either a proper or first security interest in all of the obligations backing such receivables due to the large number of vehicles involved in a typical issuance and technical requirements under state laws. Therefore, recoveries on repossessed collateral may not always be available to support payments on the securities.

     Asset-backed securities are often backed by a pool of assets representing the obligations of a number of different parties. To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, such securities may contain elements of credit support. Such credit support falls into two categories: (i) liquidity protection, and (ii) protection against losses resulting from ultimate default by an obligor on the underlying assets. Liquidity protection refers to the provision of advances, generally by the entity administering the pool of assets, to ensure that the receipt of payments due on the underlying pool is timely. Protection against losses resulting from ultimate default enhances the likelihood of payments of the obligations on at least some of the assets in the pool. Such protection may be provided through guarantees, insurance policies, or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, through various means of structuring the transaction or through a combination of such approaches. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will not pay any additional fees for such credit support, although the existence of credit support may increase the price of a security. 

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     Examples of credit support arising out of the structure of the transaction include “senior-subordinated securities” (multiple class securities with one or more classes subordinate to other classes as to the payment of principal thereof and interest thereon, with the result that defaults on the underlying assets are borne first by the holders of the subordinated class), creation of “reserve funds” (where cash or investments, sometimes funded from a portion of the payments on the underlying assets, are held in reserve against future losses) and “over collateralization” (where the scheduled payments on, or the principal amount of, the underlying assets exceeds that required to make payments of the securities and pay any servicing or other fees). The degree of credit support provided for each issue is generally based on historical information respecting the level of credit risk associated with the underlying assets. Delinquencies or losses in excess of those anticipated could adversely affect the return on an investment in such issue.

Borrowing From Banks  
    
Each Fund may borrow money as a temporary measure for extraordinary purposes or to facilitate redemptions. A Fund will not borrow money in excess of one-third of the value of its net assets. A Fund has no intention of increasing its net income through borrowing. Any borrowing will be done from a bank and, to the extent that such borrowing exceeds 5% of the value of a Fund’s net assets, asset coverage of at least 300% is required. In the event that such asset coverage shall at any time fall below 300%, a Fund shall, within three days thereafter (not including Sundays or holidays, or such longer period as the SEC may prescribe by rules and regulations), reduce the amount of its borrowings to such an extent that the asset coverage of such borrowings shall be at least 300%. A Fund will not pledge more than 10% of its net assets, or issue senior securities as defined in the 1940 Act, except for notes to banks. Investment securities will not be purchased while a Fund has an outstanding borrowing.

Combined Transactions  
    
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may enter into multiple transactions, including multiple options transactions, multiple futures transactions, multiple currency transactions (including forward currency contracts) and multiple interest rate transactions and any combination of futures, options, currency, and interest rate transactions (“component” transactions), instead of a single transaction, as part of a single or combined strategy when, in the opinion of the Manager, it is in the best interests of the Fund to do so. A combined transaction will usually contain elements of risk that are present in each of its component transactions. Although combined transactions are normally entered into based on the Manager’s judgment that the combined strategies will reduce risk or otherwise more effectively achieve the desired portfolio management goal, it is possible that the combination will instead increase such risks or hinder achievement of the portfolio management objective.

Convertible Debt and Non-Traditional Equity Securities 
    
From time to time, a portion of Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund, and Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s assets may be invested in convertible and debt securities of issuers in any industry. A convertible security is a security which may be converted at a stated price within a specified period of time into a certain quantity of the common stock of the same or a different issuer. Convertible and debt securities are senior to common stocks in a corporation’s capital structure, although convertible securities are usually subordinated to similar nonconvertible securities. Convertible and debt securities provide a fixed-income stream and the opportunity, through its conversion feature, to participate in the capital appreciation resulting from a market price advance in the convertible security’s underlying common stock. Just as with debt securities, convertible securities tend to increase in market value when interest rates decline and tend to decrease in value when interest rates rise. However, the price of a convertible security is also influenced by the market value of the security’s underlying common stock and tends to increase as the market value of the underlying stock rises, whereas it tends to decrease as the market value of the underlying stock declines. Convertible and debt securities acquired by a Fund may be rated below investment grade, or unrated. These lower rated convertible and debt securities are subject to credit risk considerations substantially similar to such considerations affecting high risk, high-yield bonds, commonly referred to as “junk bonds.” See High-Yield, High Risk Securities for a further discussion of these types of investments. 

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     Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund and Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund may invest in convertible preferred stocks that offer enhanced yield features, such as Preferred Equity Redemption Cumulative Stock (“PERCS”), which provide an investor, such as the Fund, with the opportunity to earn higher dividend income than is available on a company’s common stock. A PERCS is a preferred stock which generally features a mandatory conversion date, as well as a capital appreciation limit which is usually expressed in terms of a stated price. Upon the conversion date, most PERCS convert into common stock of the issuer (PERCS are generally not convertible into cash at maturity). Under a typical arrangement, if after a predetermined number of years the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price below that set by the capital appreciation limit, each PERCS would convert to one share of common stock. If, however, the issuer’s common stock is trading at a price above that set by the capital appreciation limit, the holder of the PERCS would receive less than one full share of common stock. The amount of that fractional share of common stock received by the PERCS holder is determined by dividing the price set by the capital appreciation limit of the PERCS by the market price of the issuer’s common stock. PERCS can be called at any time prior to maturity, and hence do not provide call protection. However, if called early, the issuer may pay a call premium over the market price to the investor. This call premium declines at a preset rate daily, up to the maturity date of the PERCS.

     Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund and Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund may also invest in other enhanced convertible securities. These include but are not limited to ACES (Automatically Convertible Equity Securities), PEPS (Participating Equity Preferred Stock), PRIDES (Preferred Redeemable Increased Dividend Equity Securities), SAILS (Stock Appreciation Income Linked Securities), TECONS (Term Convertible Notes), QICS (Quarterly Income Cumulative Securities) and DECS (Dividend Enhanced Convertible Securities). ACES, PEPS, PRIDES, SAILS, TECONS, QICS, and DECS all have the following features: they are company-issued convertible preferred stock; unlike PERCS, they do not have capital appreciation limits; they seek to provide the investor with high current income, with some prospect of future capital appreciation; they are typically issued with three to four-year maturities; they typically have some built-in call protection for the first two to three years; investors have the right to convert them into shares of common stock at a preset conversion ratio or hold them until maturity; and upon maturity, they will automatically convert to either cash or a specified number of shares of common stock.

Credit Default Swaps 
     Each Fund may enter into credit default swap (“CDS”) contracts to the extent consistent with its investment objectives and strategies. A CDS contract is a risk-transfer instrument (in the form of a derivative security) through which one party (the “purchaser of protection”) transfers to another party (the “seller of protection”) the financial risk of a Credit Event (as defined below), as it relates to a particular reference security or basket of securities (such as an index). In exchange for the protection offered by the seller of protection, the purchaser of protection agrees to pay the seller of protection a periodic premium. In the most general sense, the benefit for the purchaser of protection is that, if a Credit Event should occur, it has an agreement that the seller of protection will make it whole in return for the transfer to the seller of protection of the reference security or securities. The benefit for the seller of protection is the premium income it receives. A Fund might use CDS contracts to limit or to reduce the risk exposure of the Fund to defaults of the issuer or issuers of the Fund’s portfolio holdings (i.e., to reduce risk when the Fund owns or has exposure to such securities). A Fund also might use CDS contracts to create or vary exposure to securities or markets.

     CDS transactions may involve general market, illiquidity, counterparty, and credit risks. CDS prices may also be subject to rapid movements in response to news and events affecting the underlying securities. The aggregate notional amount (typically, the principal amount of the reference security or securities) of a Fund’s investments in the CDS contracts will be limited to 15% (50% for Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund) of the Fund’s total net assets. As the purchaser or seller of protection, a Fund may be required to segregate cash or other liquid assets to cover its obligations under certain CDS contracts. 

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     Where a Fund is a purchaser of protection, it will designate on its books and records cash or liquid securities sufficient to cover its premium payments under the CDS. To the extent that the Fund, as a purchaser of protection, may be required in the event of a credit default to deliver to the counterparty (1) the reference security (or basket of securities), (2) a security (or basket of securities) deemed to be the equivalent of the reference security (or basket of securities), or (3) the negotiated monetary value of the obligation, the Fund will designate the reference security (or basket of securities) on its books and records as being held to satisfy its obligation under the CDS or, where the Fund does not own the reference security (or basket of securities), the Fund will designate on its books and records cash or liquid securities sufficient to satisfy the potential obligation. To the extent that the Fund, as a seller of protection, may be required, in the event of a credit default, to deliver to the counterparty some or all of the notional amount of the CDS, it will designate on its books and records cash or liquid securities sufficient to cover the obligation. If the CDS permits a Fund to offset its obligations against the obligations of the counterparty under the CDS, then the Fund will only designate on its books and records cash or liquid securities sufficient to cover the Fund’s net obligation to the counterparty, if any. All cash and liquid securities designated by a Fund to cover its obligations under CDSs will be marked to market daily to cover these obligations.

     As the seller of protection in a CDS contract, a Fund would be required to pay the par (or other agreed-upon) value of a reference security (or basket of securities) to the counterparty in the event of a default, bankruptcy, failure to pay, obligation acceleration, modified restructuring or agreed upon event (each of these events is a “Credit Event”). If a Credit Event occurs, a Fund generally would receive the security or securities to which the Credit Event relates in return for the payment to the purchaser of the par value. Provided that no Credit Event occurs, a Fund would receive from the counterparty a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract in return for this credit protection. In addition, if no Credit Event occurs during the term of the CDS contract, a Fund would have no delivery requirement or payment obligation to the purchaser of protection. As the seller of protection, a Fund would have credit exposure to the reference security (or basket of securities). A Fund will not sell protection in a CDS contract if it cannot otherwise hold the security (or basket of securities).

     As the purchaser of protection in a CDS contract, the Fund would pay a premium to the seller of protection. In return, the Fund would be protected by the seller of protection from a Credit Event on the reference security (or basket of securities). A risk in this type of transaction is that the seller of protection may fail to satisfy its payment obligations to a Fund if a Credit Event should occur. This risk is known as counterparty risk and is described in further detail below.

     If the purchaser of protection does not own the reference security (or basket of securities), the purchaser of protection may be required to purchase the reference security (or basket of securities) in the case of a Credit Event on the reference security (or basket of securities). If the purchaser of protection cannot obtain the security (or basket of securities), it may be obligated to deliver a security (or basket of securities) that is deemed to be equivalent to the reference security (or basket of securities) or the negotiated monetary value of the obligation.

     Each CDS contract is individually negotiated. The term of a CDS contract, assuming no Credit Event occurs, is typically between two and five years. CDS contracts may be unwound through negotiation with the counterparty. Additionally, a CDS contract may be assigned to a third party. In either case, the unwinding or assignment involves the payment or receipt of a separate payment by a Fund to terminate the CDS contract.

     Counterparty risk. A significant risk in CDS transactions is the creditworthiness of the counterparty because the integrity of the transaction depends on the willingness and ability of the counterparty to meet its contractual obligations. If there is a default by a counterparty who is a purchaser of protection, a Fund’s potential loss is the agreed upon periodic stream of payments from the purchaser of protection. If there is a default by a counterparty that is a seller of protection, a Fund’s potential loss is the failure to receive the par value or other agreed upon value from the seller of protection if a Credit Event occurs. As with any contractual remedy, there is no guarantee that a Fund would be successful in pursuing such remedies. For example, the counterparty may be judgment proof due to insolvency. A Fund thus assumes the risk that it will be delayed or prevented from obtaining payments owed to it. 

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Duration  
     Most debt obligations provide interest (coupon) payments in addition to a final (par) payment at maturity. Some obligations also have call provisions. Depending on the relative magnitude of these payments and the nature of the call provisions, the market values of debt obligations may respond differently to changes in the level and structure of interest rates. Traditionally, a debt security’s term-to-maturity has been used as a proxy for the sensitivity of the security’s price to changes in interest rates (which is the interest rate risk or volatility of the security). However, term-to-maturity measures only the time until a debt security provides its final payment, taking no account of the pattern of the security’s payments prior to maturity.

     Duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed income security that was developed as a more precise alternative to the concept of term-to-maturity. Duration incorporates a bond’s yield, coupon interest payments, final maturity and call features into one measure. Duration is one of the fundamental tools used by the Manager in the selection of fixed income securities. Duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed income security on a present value basis. Duration takes the length of the time intervals between the present time and the time that the interest and principal payments are scheduled or, in the case of a callable bond, expected to be received, and weights them by the present values of the cash to be received at each future point in time. For any fixed income security with interest payments occurring prior to the payment of principal, duration is always less than maturity. In general, all other factors being the same, the lower the stated or coupon rate of interest of a fixed income security, the longer the duration of the security; conversely, the higher the stated or coupon rate of interest of a fixed income security, the shorter the duration of the security.

     There are some situations where even the standard duration calculation does not properly reflect the interest rate exposure of a security. For example, floating and variable rate securities often have final maturities of ten or more years; however, their interest rate exposure corresponds to the frequency of the coupon reset. Another example where the interest rate exposure is not properly captured by duration is the case of mortgage pass-through securities. The stated final maturity of such securities is generally 30 years, but current prepayment rates are more critical in determining the securities’ interest rate exposure. In these and other similar situations, the Manager will use sophisticated analytical techniques that incorporate the economic life of a security into the determination of its interest rate exposure.

Equity Securities 
     Each Fund, except for Delaware Core Bond Fund, may invest in income-producing equity securities. In addition, Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund may make limited use of non-income producing equity securities.

     Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants to acquire common stocks and securities convertible into common stock. Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate.

Foreign and Emerging Markets Securities  
     A Fund may be subject to foreign withholding taxes on income from certain foreign securities. This, in turn, could reduce a Fund’s distributions paid to shareholders.

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     Special rules govern the federal income tax treatment of certain transactions denominated in terms of a currency other than the U.S. dollar or determined by reference to the value of one or more currencies other than the U.S. dollar. The types of transactions covered by the special rules generally include the following: (i) the acquisition of, or becoming the obligor under, a bond or other debt instrument (including, to the extent provided in Treasury Regulations, preferred stock); (ii) the accruing of certain trade receivables and payables; and (iii) the entering into or acquisition of any forward contract, futures contract, option and similar financial instruments other than any “regulated futures contract” or “non-equity option” marked to market. The disposition of a currency other than the U.S. dollar by a U.S. taxpayer is also treated as a transaction subject to the special currency rules. However, foreign currency-related regulated futures contracts and non-equity options are generally not subject to the special currency rules, if they are or would be treated as sold for their fair market value at year-end under the marking to market rules applicable to other futures contracts, unless an election is made to have such currency rules apply. With respect to transactions covered by the special rules, foreign currency gain or loss is calculated separately from any gain or loss on the underlying transaction and is normally taxable as ordinary gain or loss. A taxpayer may elect to treat as capital gain or loss foreign currency gain or loss arising from certain identified forward contracts, futures contracts and options that are capital assets in the hands of the taxpayer and which are not part of a straddle. Certain transactions subject to the special currency rules that are part of a “section 988 hedging transaction” (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code and U.S. Treasury Regulations) will be integrated and treated as a single transaction or otherwise treated consistently for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code. The income tax effects of integrating and treating a transaction as a single transaction are generally to create a synthetic debt instrument that is subject to the original discount provisions. It is anticipated that some of the non-U.S. dollar denominated investments and foreign currency contracts the Funds may make or enter into will be subject to the special currency rules described above.

Foreign Currency Transactions  
     The Funds may each purchase or sell currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of portfolio transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations.

     When the Funds enters into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or other appropriate currency, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of its assets denominated in such foreign currency, its custodian bank will place or will cause to be placed cash or liquid equity or debt securities in a separate account of the Fund in an amount not less than the value of the Fund’s total assets committed to the consummation of such forward contracts. If the additional cash or securities placed in the separate account declines, additional cash or securities will be placed in the account on a daily basis so that the value of the account will equal the amount of the Fund’s commitments with respect to such contracts. Forward foreign currency contracts are traded in the interbank market conducted directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their customers. A forward contract generally has no deposit requirement, and no commissions are charged at any stage for trades. The Funds will account for forward contracts by marking to market each day at daily exchange rates.

     Foreign currency options are traded in a manner substantially similar to options on securities. In particular, an option on foreign currency provides the holder with the right to purchase, in the case of a call option, or to sell, in the case of a put option, a stated quantity of a particular currency for a fixed price up to a stated expiration date. The writer of the option undertakes the obligation to deliver, in the case of a call option, or to purchase, in the case of a put option, the quantity of the currency called for in the option, upon exercise of the option by the holder. The purchase of an option on a foreign currency may constitute an effective hedge against fluctuations in exchange rates, although, in the event of a rate movement adverse to the Funds’ position, the Fund may forfeit the entire amount of the premium plus any related transaction costs. As in the case of other types of options, the writing of an option on a foreign currency will constitute only a partial hedge, up to the amount of the premium received, and the Funds could be required to purchase or sell foreign currencies at disadvantageous exchange rates, thereby incurring losses.

     The Funds will write call options only if they are “covered” and put options only if they are secured. A call written by the Funds will be considered covered if the Fund owns short-term debt securities with a value equal to the face amount of the option contract and denominated in the currency upon which the call is written. A put option written by the Funds will be considered secured if, so long as the Fund is obligated as the writer of the put, it segregates with its custodian bank cash or liquid high grade debt securities equal at all times to the aggregate exercise price of the put.

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     As in the case of other types of options, the holder of an option on foreign currency is required to pay a one-time, non-refundable premium, which represents the cost of purchasing the option. The holder can lose the entire amount of this premium, as well as related transaction costs, but not more than this amount. The writer of the option, in contrast, generally is required to make initial and variation margin payments, similar to margin deposits required in the trading of futures contacts and the writing of other types of options. The writer is therefore subject to risk of loss beyond the amount originally invested and above the value of the option at the time it is entered into.

     Certain options on foreign currencies, like forward contracts, are traded over-the-counter through financial institutions acting as market-makers in such options and the underlying currencies. Such transactions therefore involve risks not generally associated with exchange-traded instruments. Options on foreign currencies may also be traded on national securities exchanges regulated by the SEC or commodities exchanges regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

     A foreign currency futures contract is a bilateral agreement providing for the purchase and sale of a specified type and amount of a foreign currency. By its terms, a futures contract provides for a specified settlement date on which, in the case of the majority of foreign currency futures contracts, the currency underlying the contract is delivered by the seller and paid for by the purchaser, or on which, in the case of certain futures contracts, the difference between the price at which the contract was entered into and the contract’s closing value is settled between the purchaser and seller in cash. Futures contracts differ from options in that they are bilateral agreements, with both the purchaser and the seller equally obligated to complete the transactions. In addition, futures contracts call for settlement only on the expiration date, and cannot be “exercised” at any other time during their term. The purchase or sale of a futures contract also differs from the purchase or sale of a security or the purchase of an option in that no purchase price is paid or received. Instead, an amount of cash or cash equivalents, which varies but may be as low as 5% or less of the value of the contract, must be deposited with the broker as “initial margin” as a good faith deposit. Subsequent payments to and from the broker referred to as “variation margin” are made on a daily basis as the value of the currency underlying the futures contract fluctuates, making positions in the futures contract more or less valuable, a process known as “marking to the market.”

     A futures contract may be purchased or sold only on an exchange, known as a “contract market,” designated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission for the trading of such contract, and only through a registered futures commission merchant which is a member of such contract market. A commission must be paid on each completed purchase and sale transaction. The contract market clearinghouse guarantees the performance of each party to a futures contract by in effect taking the opposite side of such contract. At any time prior to the expiration of a futures contract, a trader may elect to close out its position by taking an opposite position on the contract market on which the position was entered into, subject to the availability of a secondary market, which will operate to terminate the initial position. At that time, a final determination of variation margin is made and any loss experienced by the trader is required to be paid to the contract market clearing house while any profit due to the trader must be delivered to it.

     A call option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to purchase, or enter into a “long” position in, the underlying futures contract. A put option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to sell, or enter into a “short” position, in the underlying futures contract. In both cases, the option provides for a fixed exercise price up to a stated expiration date. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearinghouse establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option, in the case of a call option, or a corresponding long position in the case of a put option, and the writer delivers to the holder the accumulated balance in the writer’s margin account which, represents the amount by which the market price of the futures contract at exercise exceeds, in the case of a call, or is less than, in the case of a put, the exercise price of the option on the futures contract. In the event that an option written by a Fund is exercised, the Fund will be subject to all the risks associated with the trading of futures contracts, such as payment of variation margin deposits. In addition, the writer of an option on a futures contract, unlike the holder, is subject to initial and variation margin requirements on the option position.

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     A position in an option on a futures contract may be terminated by the purchaser or seller prior to expiration by effecting a closing purchase or sale transaction, subject to the availability of a liquid secondary market, which is the purchase or sale of an option of the same series (i.e., the same exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or sold. The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the trader’s profit or loss on the transaction.

     An option becomes worthless to the holder when it expires. Upon exercise of an option, the exchange or contract market clearinghouse assigns exercise notices on a random basis to those of its members which have written options of the same series and with the same expiration date. A brokerage firm receiving such notices then assigns them on a random basis to those of its customers which have written options of the same series and expiration date. A writer, therefore, has no control over whether an option will be exercised against it, nor over the timing of such exercise.

Foreign Investments
    
Investors should recognize that investing in securities issued by foreign corporations and foreign governments involves certain considerations, including those set forth in the Prospectus, which are not typically associated with investments in United States issuers. Since the securities of foreign issuers are frequently denominated in foreign currencies, and since the Funds may temporarily hold un-invested reserves in bank deposits in foreign currencies, the Funds will be affected favorably or unfavorably by changes in currency rates and in exchange control regulations, and may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. The investment policies of the Funds permit them to enter into forward foreign currency exchange contracts and to engage in certain options and futures activities in order to hedge holdings and commitments against changes in the level of future currency rates. See “Foreign Currency Transactions” above.

     Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund each have the right to purchase securities in any developed, underdeveloped or emerging country. Investors should consider carefully the substantial risks involved in investing in securities issued by companies and governments of foreign nations. These risks are in addition to the usual risks inherent in domestic investments. There is the possibility of expropriation, nationalization or confiscatory taxation, taxation of income earned in foreign nations or other taxes imposed with respect to investments in foreign nations, foreign exchange control (which may include suspension of the ability to transfer currency from a given country), default in foreign government securities, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments which could affect investments in securities of issuers in those nations.

     In addition, in many countries, there is substantially less publicly available information about issuers than is available in reports about companies in the United States, and this information tends to be of a lesser quality. Foreign companies are not subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards, and auditing practices and requirements may not be comparable to those applicable to United States companies. In particular, the assets and profits appearing on the financial statements of a developing or emerging country issuer may not reflect its financial position or results of operations in the way they would be reflected had the financial statements been prepared in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles. Also, for an issuer that keeps accounting records in local currency, inflation accounting rules may require for both tax and accounting purposes that certain assets and liabilities be restated on the issuer’s balance sheet in order to express items in terms of currency or constant purchasing power. Inflation accounting may indirectly generate losses or profits. Consequently, financial data may be materially affected by restatements for inflation and may not accurately reflect the real condition of those issuers and securities markets.

     It is also expected that the expenses for custodial arrangements of the Funds will be somewhat greater than the expenses for the custodial arrangements for U.S. securities of equal value. Dividends and interest paid by foreign issuers may be subject to withholding and other foreign taxes. Although in some countries a portion of these taxes is recoverable, the non-recovered portion of foreign withholding taxes will reduce the income the Funds receive from the companies comprising the Funds’ investments. See “Dividends, Distributions, and Taxes.”

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     Further, the Funds may encounter difficulty or be unable to pursue legal remedies and obtain judgments in foreign courts. Commission rates on securities transactions in foreign countries, which are sometimes fixed rather than subject to negotiation as in the United States, are likely to be higher. Further, the settlement period of securities transactions in foreign markets may be longer than in domestic markets, and may be subject to administrative uncertainties. In many foreign countries, there is less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, brokers, and listed companies than in the United States, and capital requirements for brokerage firms are generally lower. The foreign securities markets of many of the countries in which the Funds may invest may also be smaller, less liquid, and subject to greater price volatility than those in the United States.

     Compared to the United States and other developed countries, emerging countries may have volatile social conditions, relatively unstable governments and political systems, economies based on only a few industries and economic structures that are less diverse and mature, and securities markets that trade a small number of securities, which can result in a low or nonexistent volume of trading. Prices in these securities markets tend to be volatile and, in the past, securities in these countries have offered greater potential for gain (as well as loss) than securities of companies located in developed countries. Until recently, there has been an absence of a capital market structure or market-oriented economy in certain emerging countries. Further, investments and opportunities for investments by foreign investors are subject to a variety of national policies and restrictions in many emerging countries. These restrictions may take the form of prior governmental approval, limits on the amount or type of securities held by foreigners, limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest, and prohibitions on foreign investments in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests. Additional restrictions may be imposed at any time by these or other countries in which the Funds invest. Also, the repatriation of both investment income and capital from several foreign countries is restricted and controlled under certain regulations, including, in some cases, the need for certain governmental consents. Although these restrictions may in the future make it undesirable to invest in emerging countries, the Manager does not believe that any current repatriation restrictions would affect their decision to invest in such countries. Countries such as those in which the Funds may invest have historically experienced and may continue to experience, substantial, and in some periods extremely high rates of inflation for many years, high interest rates, exchange rate fluctuations or currency depreciation, large amounts of external debt, balance of payments and trade difficulties, and extreme poverty and unemployment. Other factors which may influence the ability or willingness to service debt include, but are not limited to, a country’s cash-flow situation, the availability of sufficient foreign exchange on the date a payment is due, the relative size of its debt service burden to the economy as a whole, its government’s policy towards the IMF, the World Bank and other international agencies, and the political constraints to which a government debtor may be subject.

     With respect to investment in debt issues of foreign governments, the ability of a foreign government or government-related issuer to make timely and ultimate payments on its external debt obligations will also be strongly influenced by the issuer’s balance of payments, including export performance, its access to international credits and investments, fluctuations in interest rates, and the extent of its foreign reserves. A country whose exports are concentrated in a few commodities or whose economy depends on certain strategic imports could be vulnerable to fluctuations in international prices of these commodities or imports. To the extent that a country receives payment for its exports in currencies other than dollars, its ability to make debt payments denominated in dollars could be adversely affected. If a foreign government or government-related issuer cannot generate sufficient earnings from foreign trade to service its external debt, it may need to depend on continuing loans and aid from foreign governments, commercial banks and multilateral organizations, and inflows of foreign investment. The commitment on the part of these foreign governments, multilateral organizations and others to make such disbursements may be conditioned on the government’s implementation of economic reforms and/or economic performance and the timely service of its obligations. Failure to implement such reforms, achieve such levels of economic performance, or repay principal or interest when due may curtail the willingness of such third parties to lend funds, which may further impair the issuer’s ability or willingness to service its debts in a timely manner. The cost of servicing external debt will also generally be adversely affected by rising international interest rates because many external debt obligations bear interest at rates which are adjusted based upon international interest rates. The ability to service external debt will also depend on the level of the relevant government’s international currency reserves and its access to foreign exchange. Currency devaluations may affect the ability of a government issuer to obtain sufficient foreign exchange to service its external debt.

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     As a result of the foregoing, a foreign governmental issuer may default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, the Funds may have limited effective legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. Remedies must, in some cases, be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of foreign government and government-related debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt will not contest payments to the holders of other foreign government and government-related debt obligations in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements.

     With respect to forward foreign currency exchanges, the precise matching of forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved is generally not possible since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The projection of short-term currency strategy is highly uncertain. See “Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts” below.

     With reference to the Funds’ investments in foreign government securities, there is the risk that a foreign governmental issuer may default on its obligations. If such a default occurs, the Funds may have limited effective legal recourse against the issuer and/or guarantor. Remedies must, in some cases, be pursued in the courts of the defaulting party itself, and the ability of the holder of foreign government and government-related debt securities to obtain recourse may be subject to the political climate in the relevant country. In addition, no assurance can be given that the holders of commercial bank debt will not contest payments to the holders of other foreign government and government-related debt obligations in the event of default under their commercial bank loan agreements. The issuers of foreign government and government-related debt securities have in the past experienced substantial difficulties in servicing their external debt obligations, which have led to defaults on certain obligations and the restructuring of certain indebtedness. Restructuring arrangements have included, among other things, reducing and rescheduling interest and principal payments by negotiating new or amended credit agreements or converting outstanding principal and unpaid interest to Brady Bonds, and obtaining new credit to finance interest payments. Holders of certain foreign government and government-related high yield securities may be requested to participate in the restructuring of such obligations and to extend further loans to their issuers. There can be no assurance that Brady Bonds and other foreign government and government-related securities will not be subject to similar defaults or restructuring arrangements which may adversely affect the value of such investments. Furthermore, certain participants in the secondary market for such debt may be directly involved in negotiating the terms of these arrangements and may therefore have access to information not available to other market participants.

     Investments and opportunities for investments by foreign investors in emerging market countries are subject to a variety of national policies and restrictions. These restrictions may take the form of prior governmental approval, limits on the amount or type of securities held by foreigners, limits on the types of companies in which foreigners may invest and prohibitions on foreign investments in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests. Additional restrictions may be imposed at any time by these or other countries in which the Funds invest. Although these restrictions may in the future make it undesirable to invest in emerging countries, the Manager does not believe that any current registration restrictions would affect its decision to invest in such countries.

     As disclosed in the Funds’ Prospectuses, the foreign short-term fixed income securities in which the Fund may invest may be U.S. dollar or foreign currency denominated, including the euro. Such securities may include those issued by supranational entities. A supranational entity is an entity established or financially supported by the national governments of one or more countries to promote development or reconstruction. They include: The Work Bank, European Investment Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Economic Community, and the Inter-American Development Bank. Such fixed income securities will be typically rated, at the time of purchase, AA or higher by S&P or Aa or higher by Moody’s, or of comparable quality as determined by the Manager.

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Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts
     The foreign investments made by the Funds present currency considerations which pose special risks, as described in the Prospectuses.

     Although the Funds each value their assets daily in terms of U.S. dollars, they do not intend to convert its holdings of foreign currencies into U.S. dollars on a daily basis. The Funds will, however, from time to time, purchase or sell foreign currencies and/or engage in forward foreign currency transactions in order to expedite settlement of Fund transactions and to minimize currency value fluctuations. The Funds may conduct their foreign currency exchange transactions on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the spot rate prevailing in the foreign currency exchange market or through entering into contracts to purchase or sell foreign currencies at a future date (i.e., a “forward foreign currency” contract or “forward” contract). The Funds will convert currency on a spot basis from time to time, and investors should be aware of the costs of currency conversion.

     A forward contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date, which may be any fixed number of days from the date of the contract, agreed upon by the parties, at a price set at the time of the contract.

     The Funds may enter into forward contracts to “lock in” the price of a security it has agreed to purchase or sell, in terms of U.S. dollars or other currencies in which the transaction will be consummated. By entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or foreign currency, of the amount of foreign currency involved in the underlying security transaction, a Fund will be able to protect itself against a possible loss resulting from an adverse change in currency exchange rates during the period between the date the security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received.

     For example, when the Manager believes that the currency of a particular foreign country may suffer a significant decline against the U.S. dollar or against another currency, the Funds may enter into a forward contract to sell, for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars or other appropriate currency, the amount of foreign currency approximating the value of some or all of a Fund’s securities denominated in such foreign currency. The Funds will not enter into forward contracts or maintain a net exposure to such contracts where the consummation of the contracts would obligate the Funds to deliver an amount of foreign currency in excess of the value of the Funds’ securities or other assets denominated in that currency.

     The Funds may enter into forward contracts to hedge the currency risk associated with the purchase of individual securities denominated in particular currencies. In the alternative, the Funds may also engage in currency “cross hedging” when, in the opinion of the Manager, the historical relationship among foreign currencies suggests that the Funds may achieve the same protection for a foreign security at reduced cost and/or administrative burden through the use of a forward contract relating to a currency other than the U.S. dollar or the foreign currency in which the security is denominated.

     At the maturity of a forward contract, the Funds may either sell the portfolio security and make delivery of the foreign currency, or it may retain the security and terminate its contractual obligation to deliver the foreign currency by purchasing an “offsetting” contract with the same currency trader obligating it to purchase, on the same maturity date, the same amount of the foreign currency. The Funds may realize gain or loss from currency transactions.

     With respect to forward foreign currency contracts, the precise matching of forward contract amounts and the value of the securities involved is generally not possible since the future value of such securities in foreign currencies will change as a consequence of market movements in the value of those securities between the date the forward contract is entered into and the date it matures. The projection of short-term currency strategy is highly uncertain.

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     It is impossible to forecast the market value of Fund securities at the expiration of the contract. Accordingly, it may be necessary for the Funds to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot market (and bear the expense of such purchase) if the market value of the security is less than the amount of foreign currency the Funds are obligated to deliver and if a decision is made to sell the security and make delivery of the foreign currency. Conversely, it may be necessary to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency received upon the sale of the Fund security if its market value exceeds the amount of foreign currency a Fund is obligated to deliver.

Futures and Options on Futures
     In order to remain fully invested, to facilitate investments in portfolio securities, and to reduce transaction costs, Delaware Core Bond Fund may, to a limited extent, enter into futures contracts, purchase or sell options on futures contracts and engage in certain transactions in options on securities, and may enter into closing transactions with respect to such activities. Delaware Core Bond Fund will only enter into these transactions for hedging purposes if it is consistent with the Funds’ investment objectives and policies, and the Funds will not engage in such transactions to the extent that obligations relating to futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and options on securities, in the aggregate, exceed 25% of the Fund’s assets.

     Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may enter into contract for the purchase or sale for future delivery of securities or foreign currencies. When the Funds engage in futures transactions, to the extent required by the SEC, they will maintain with their custodian bank, assets in a segregated account to cover their obligations with respect to such contracts, which assets will consist of cash, cash equivalents, or high quality debt securities from their portfolios, in an amount equal to the difference between the fluctuating market value of such futures contracts and the aggregate value of the margin payments made by the Funds with respect to such futures contracts.

     The Funds may enter into such futures contracts to protect against the adverse affects of fluctuations in interest or foreign exchange rates without actually buying or selling the securities or foreign currency. For example, if interest rates are expected to increase, the Funds might enter into futures contracts for the sale of debt securities. Such a sale would have much the same effect as selling an equivalent value of the debt securities owned by the Funds. If interest rates did increase, the value of the debt securities in the portfolio would decline, but the value of the futures contracts to the Funds would increase at approximately the same rate, thereby keeping the net asset value of the Funds from declining as much as it otherwise would have. Similarly, when it is expected that interest rates may decline, futures contracts may be purchased to hedge in anticipation of subsequent purchases of securities at higher prices. Since the fluctuations in the value of futures contracts should be similar to those of debt securities, the Funds could take advantage of the anticipated rise in value of debt securities without actually buying them until the market had stabilized. At that time, the futures contracts could be liquidated and the Funds could then buy debt securities on the cash market.

     With respect to options on futures contracts, when either Delaware Corporate Bond Fund or Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund is not fully invested, it may purchase a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance due to declining interest rates. The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against declining prices of the U.S. government securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at the expiration of the option is below the exercise price, the a Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the portfolio holdings. The writing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against increasing prices of the securities which are deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, a Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of U.S. government securities which the Fund intend to purchase.

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     Consistent with the limited purposes for which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may engage in these transactions, the Fund may enter into such futures contracts to protect against the adverse effects of fluctuations in interest rates without actually buying or selling the securities. For example, if interest rates are expected to increase, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund might enter into futures contracts for the sale of debt securities. Such a sale would have much the same effect as selling an equivalent value of the debt securities owned by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund. If interest rates did increase, the value of the debt securities in the portfolio would decline, but the value of the futures contracts to Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund would increase at approximately the same rate, thereby keeping the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund from declining as much as it otherwise would have. Similarly, when it is expected that interest rates may decline, futures contracts may be purchased to hedge in anticipation of subsequent purchases of securities at higher prices. Because the fluctuations in the value of futures contracts should be similar to those of debt securities, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund could take advantage of the anticipated rise in value of debt securities without actually buying them until the market had stabilized. At that time, the futures contracts could be liquidated and Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund could then buy debt securities on the cash market.

     Foreign currency futures contracts operate similarly to futures contracts concerning securities. When Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund sells a futures contract on a foreign currency, they are obligated to deliver that foreign currency at a specified future date. Similarly, a purchase by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund gives it a contractual right to receive a foreign currency. This enables Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund to “lock in” exchange rates. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may also purchase and write options to buy or sell futures contracts in which the Fund may invest and enter into related closing transactions. Options on futures are similar to options except that options on futures give the purchaser the right, in return for the premium paid, to assume a position in a futures contract, rather than actually to purchase or sell the futures contract, at a specified exercise price at any time during the period of the option. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will not enter into futures contracts and options thereon to the extent that more than 5% of the Fund’s assets are required as futures contract margin deposits and premiums on options, and only to the extent that obligations under such futures contracts and options thereon would not exceed 50% of the Fund’s total assets. In the case of an option that is in-the-money at the time of purchase, the in-the-money amount may be excluded in calculating the 5% limit.

     With respect to options on futures contracts, when Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund are not fully invested, they may purchase a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a market advance due to declining interest rates. The purchase of a call option on a futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of a call option on an individual security. Depending on the pricing of the option compared to either the price of the futures contract upon which it is based or the price of the underlying debt securities, it may or may not be less risky than ownership of the futures contract or underlying debt securities.

     The writing of a call option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against the declining price of the security which is deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at the expiration of the option is below the exercise price, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will retain the full amount of the option premium which provides a partial hedge against any decline that may have occurred in the Funds’ holdings. The writing of a put option on a futures contract constitutes a partial hedge against the increasing price of the security which is deliverable upon exercise of the futures contract. If the futures price at the expiration of the option is higher than the exercise price, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will retain the full amount of option premium, which provides a partial hedge against any increase in the price of securities which the Funds intend to purchase.

     If a put or call option that Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund or Delaware Core Bond Fund has written is exercised, the Fund will incur a loss, which will be reduced by the amount of the premium it receives. Depending on the degree of correlation between changes in the value of its portfolio securities and changes in the value of its futures positions, the Fund’s losses from existing options on futures may, to some extent, be reduced or increased by changes in the value of portfolio securities. The purchase of a put option on a futures contract is similar in some respects to the purchase of protective puts on portfolio securities. For example, consistent with the limited purposes for which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will engage in these activities, the Funds will purchase a put option on a futures contract to hedge the Funds’ securities against the risk of rising interest rates.

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     To the extent that interest rates move in an unexpected direction, Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may not achieve the anticipated benefits of futures contracts or options on futures contracts, or may realize a loss. For example, if a Fund is hedged against the possibility of an increase in interest rates, which would adversely affect the price of securities held in its portfolio, and interest rates decrease instead, the Fund will lose part or all of the benefit of the increased value of its securities because it will have offsetting losses in its futures position. In addition, in such situations, if the Fund had insufficient cash, it may be required to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements. Such sales of securities may, but will not necessarily, be at increased prices which reflect the rising market. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may be required to sell securities at a time when it may be disadvantageous to do so.

     Further, with respect to options on futures contracts, Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may seek to close out an option position by writing or buying an offsetting position covering the same securities or contracts and have the same exercise price and expiration date. The ability to establish and close out positions on options will be subject to the maintenance of a liquid secondary market, which cannot be assured.

     Lastly, it should be noted that the Trust on behalf of the Funds has filed with the National Futures Association a notice claiming an exclusion from the definition of the term “commodity pool operator” (“CPO”) under the Commodity Exchange Act, as amended, and the rules of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission promulgated thereunder, with respect to each Fund’s operation. Accordingly, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO.

     Although not a fundamental policy, Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund currently intend to limit their investments in futures contracts and options thereon to the extent that not more than 5% of each Funds’ assets are required as futures contract margin deposits and premiums on options and only to the extent that obligations under such contracts and transactions represent not more than 20% of each Fund’s assets.

High-Yield, High Risk Securities
    
Investing in so-called “high-yield” or “high risk” securities entails certain risks, including the risk of loss of principal, which may be greater than the risks involved in investment grade securities, and which should be considered by investors contemplating an investment in the Funds. Such securities are sometimes issued by companies whose earnings at the time of issuance are less than the projected debt service on the high-yield securities. The risks include the following:

     Youth and Volatility of the High-Yield Market . Although the market for high-yield securities has been in existence for many years, including periods of economic downturns, the high-yield market grew rapidly during the long economic expansion which took place in the United States during the 1980s. During that economic expansion, the use of high-yield debt securities to fund highly leveraged corporate acquisitions and restructurings increased dramatically. As a result, the high-yield market grew substantially during that economic expansion. Although experts disagree on the impact recessionary periods have had and will have on the high-yield market, some analysts believe a protracted economic downturn would severely disrupt the market for high-yield securities, would adversely affect the value of outstanding bonds and would adversely affect the ability of high-yield issuers to repay principal and interest. Those analysts cite volatility experienced in the high-yield market in the past as evidence for their position. It is likely that protracted periods of economic uncertainty would result in increased volatility in the market prices of high-yield securities, an increase in the number of high-yield bond defaults and corresponding volatility in a Fund’s net asset value.

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     Liquidity and Valuation . The secondary market for high-yield securities is currently dominated by institutional investors, including mutual funds and certain financial institutions. There is generally no established retail secondary market for high-yield securities. As a result, the secondary market for high-yield securities is more limited and less liquid than other secondary securities markets. The high-yield secondary market is particularly susceptible to liquidity problems when the institutions which dominate it temporarily cease buying such securities for regulatory, financial or other reasons, such as the savings and loan crisis. A less liquid secondary market may have an adverse effect on a Fund’s ability to dispose of particular issues, when necessary, to meet a Fund’s liquidity needs or in response to a specific economic event, such as the deterioration in the creditworthiness of the issuer. In addition, a less liquid secondary market makes it more difficult for a Fund to obtain precise valuations of the high-yield securities in its portfolio. During periods involving such liquidity problems, judgment plays a greater role in valuing high-yield securities than is normally the case. The secondary market for high-yield securities is also generally considered to be more likely to be disrupted by adverse publicity and investor perceptions than the more established secondary securities markets. Privately placed high-yield securities are particularly susceptible to the liquidity and valuation risks outlined above.

     Legislative and Regulatory Action and Proposals . There are a variety of legislative actions which have been taken or which are considered from time to time by the United States Congress which could adversely affect the market for high-yield bonds. For example, Congressional legislation limited the deductibility of interest paid on certain high-yield bonds used to finance corporate acquisitions. Also, Congressional legislation has, with some exceptions, generally prohibited federally-insured savings and loan institutions from investing in high-yield securities. Regulatory actions have also affected the high-yield market. For example, many insurance companies have restricted or eliminated their purchases of high-yield bonds as a result of, among other factors, actions taken by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. If similar legislative and regulatory actions are taken in the future, they could result in further tightening of the secondary market for high-yield issues and could reduce the number of new high-yield securities being issued.

     Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund may invest up to 20% of their respective net assets in securities rated BBB- by Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) or Baa3 by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc.’s (“Moody’s”).

Interest Rate and Index Swaps
    
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may invest in interest rate and index swaps to the extent consistent with their respective investment objectives and strategies. A Fund will only invest in swaps in which all the reference rates are related to or derived from instruments or markets in which the Fund is otherwise eligible to invest, and subject to the investment limitations on the instruments to which the purchased reference rate relates.

     Swaps are agreements to exchange payment streams over a period of time with another party, called a counterparty. Each payment stream is based on a specified rate, which could be a fixed or variable interest rate, the rate of return on an index, or some other reference rate. The payment streams are calculated with reference to a hypothetical principal amount, called the notional principal or the notional amount. For example, in an interest rate swap one party may agree to pay a fixed interest rate to a counterparty and to receive in return variable interest rate payments from the counterparty. The amount that each party pays is calculated by multiplying the fixed and variable rates, respectively, by the notional amount. The payment streams may thus be thought of as interest payments on the notional amount. The notional amount does not actually change hands at any point in the swap transaction; it is used only to calculate the value of the payment streams.

     When two counterparties each wish to swap interest rate payments, they typically each enter into a separate interest rate swap contract with a broker/dealer intermediary, who is the counterparty in both transactions, rather than entering into a swap contract with each other directly. The broker/dealer intermediary enters into numerous transactions of this sort, and attempts to manage its portfolio of swaps so as to match and offset its payment receipts and obligations.

     The typical minimum notional amount is $5 million. Variable interest rates are usually set by reference to the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). The typical maximum term of an interest rate swap agreement ranges from one to 12 years. Index swaps tend to be shorter term, often for one year.

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     The Funds may also engage in index swaps, also called total return swaps. In an index swap, a Fund may enter into a contract with a counterparty in which the counterparty will make payments to the Fund based on the positive returns of an index, such as a corporate bond index, in return for the Fund paying to the counterparty a fixed or variable interest rate, as well as paying to the counterparty any negative returns on the index. In a sense, the Fund is purchasing exposure to an index in the amount of the notional principal in return for making interest rate payments on the notional principal. As with interest rate swaps, the notional principal does not actually change hands at any point in the transaction. The counterparty, typically an investment bank, manages its obligations to make total return payments by maintaining an inventory of the fixed-income securities that are included in the index.

     Swap transactions provide several benefits to the Funds. Interest rate swaps may be used as a duration management tool. Duration is a measure of a bond’s interest-rate sensitivity, expressed in terms of years because it is related to the length of time remaining on the life of a bond. In general, the longer a bond’s duration, the more sensitive the bond’s price will be to changes in interest rates. The average duration of a Fund is the weighted average of the durations of the Fund’s fixed-income securities.

     If a Fund wished to shorten the duration of certain of its assets, longer term assets could be sold and shorter term assets acquired, but these transactions have potential tax and return differential consequences. By using an interest rate swap, the Fund could agree to make semi-annual fixed rate payments and receive semi-annual floating rate LIBOR payments adjusted every six months. The duration of the floating rate payments received by the Fund will now be six months. In effect, the Fund has reduced the duration of the notional amount invested from a longer term to six months over the life of the swap agreement.

     The Funds may also use swaps to gain exposure to specific markets. For example, suppose bond dealers have particularly low inventories of corporate bonds, making it difficult for a fixed-income fund to increase its exposure to the corporate bond segment of the market. It is generally not possible to purchase exchange-traded options on a corporate bond index. A Fund could replicate exposure to the corporate bond market, however, by engaging in an index swap in which the Fund gains exposure to a corporate bond index in return for paying a LIBOR-based floating interest rate.

     Other uses of swaps could help permit the Funds to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio or to protect against an increase in the price of securities a Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. Interest rate swaps may also be considered as a substitute for interest rate futures in many cases where the hedging horizon is longer than the maturity of the typical futures contract, and may be considered to provide more liquidity than similar forward contracts, particularly long-term forward contracts.

     The Funds will not be permitted to enter into any swap transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the unsecured long-term debt of the actual counterparty, combined with any credit enhancements, is rated at least BBB- by S&P or Baa3 by Moody's or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Manager.

     Counterparty risk. The primary risk of swap transactions is the creditworthiness of the counterparty, since the integrity of the transaction depends on the willingness and ability of the counterparty to maintain the agreed upon payment stream. This risk is often referred to as counterparty risk. If there is a default by a counterparty in a swap transaction, the Fund’s potential loss is the net amount of payments the Fund is contractually entitled to receive for one payment period (if any – the Fund could be in a net payment position), not the entire notional amount, which does not change hands in a swap transaction. Swaps do not involve the delivery of securities or other underlying assets or principal as collateral for the transaction. A Fund will have contractual remedies pursuant to the swap agreement but, as with any contractual remedy, there is no guarantee that a Fund would be successful in pursuing them -- the counterparty may be judgment proof due to insolvency, for example. The Funds thus assume the risk that they will be delayed or prevented from obtaining payments owed to them. The standard industry swap agreements do, however, permit a Fund to terminate a swap agreement (and thus avoid making additional payments) in the event that a counterparty fails to make a timely payment to the Fund.

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     In response to this counterparty risk, several securities firms have established separately capitalized subsidiaries that have a higher credit rating, permitting them to enter into swap transactions as a dealer. The Funds will not be permitted to enter into any swap transaction unless, at the time of entering into such transaction, the unsecured long-term debt of the actual counterparty, combined with any credit enhancements, is rated at least A by S&P or Moody’s or is determined to be of equivalent credit quality by the Manager. In addition, the Manager will closely monitor the ongoing creditworthiness of swap counterparties in order to minimize the risk of swaps.

     In addition to counterparty risk, the use of swaps also involves risks similar to those associated with ordinary portfolio security transactions. If the portfolio manager is incorrect in his or her forecast of market values or interest rates, the investment performance of a Fund which has entered into a swap transaction could be less favorable than it would have been if this investment technique were not used. It is important to note, however, that there is no upper limit on the amount a Fund might theoretically be required to pay in a swap transaction.

     In order to ensure that a Fund will only engage in swap transactions to the extent consistent with its investment objectives and strategies, a Fund will only engage in a swap transaction if all of the reference rates used in the swap are related to or derived from securities, instruments, or markets that are otherwise eligible investments for the Fund. Similarly, the extent to which a Fund may invest in a swap, as measured by the notional amount, will be subject to the same limitations as the eligible investments to which the purchased reference rate relates.

     The Funds will, consistent with industry practice, segregate and mark-to-market daily cash or other liquid assets having an aggregate market value at least equal to the net amount of the excess, if any, of the Fund’s payment obligations over its entitled payments with respect to each swap contract. To the extent that a Fund is obligated by a swap to pay a fixed or variable interest rate, the Fund may segregate securities that are expected to generate income sufficient to meet the Fund’s net payment obligations.

     There is not a well developed secondary market for interest rate or index swaps. Most interest rate swaps are nonetheless relatively liquid because they can be sold back to the counterparty/dealer relatively quickly at a determinable price. Many index swaps, on the other hand, are considered to be illiquid because the counterparty/dealer will typically not unwind an index swap prior to its termination (and, not surprisingly, index swaps tend to have much shorter terms). A Fund may therefore treat all swaps as subject to their limitation on illiquid investments. For purposes of calculating these percentage limitations, a Fund will refer to the notional amount of the swap. For example, if a Fund holds interest rate swaps and is required to make payments based on variable interest rates, it will have to make increased payments if interest rates rise, which will not necessarily be offset by the fixed-rate payments it is entitled to receive under the swap agreement.

     Swaps will be priced using fair value pricing. The income provided by a swap should be qualifying income for purposes of Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. Swaps should not otherwise result in any significant diversification or valuation issues under Subchapter M.

     Caps, Floors, and Collars. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may purchase or sell caps, floors, and collars related to swap transactions. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund expects to enter into these transactions primarily to preserve a return or spread on a particular investment or portion of its portfolio, to protect against currency fluctuations, as a duration management technique or to protect against any increase in the price of securities the Fund anticipates purchasing at a later date. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund intends to use these transactions as hedges and not speculative investments and will not sell interest rate caps or floors where it does not own securities or other instruments providing the income stream that the Fund may be obligated to pay. Interest rate swaps involve the exchange by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund with another party of their respective commitments to pay or receive interest, e.g. , an exchange of floating rate payments for fixed rate payments with respect to a nominal amount of principal. A currency swap is an agreement to exchange cash flows on a notional amount of two or more currencies based on the relative value differential among them and an index swap is an agreement to swap cash flows on a notional amount based on changes in the values of the reference indices. The purchase of a cap entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such cap to the extent that a specified index exceeds a predetermined interest rate or amount. The purchase of a floor entitles the purchaser to receive payments on a notional principal amount from the party selling such floor to the extent that a specified index falls below a predetermined interest rate or amount. A collar is a combination of a cap and a floor that preserves a certain return within a predetermined range of interest rates or values.

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       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will usually enter into swaps on a net basis, i.e. , the two payment streams are netted out in a cash settlement on the payment date or dates specified in the instrument, with the Fund receiving or paying, as the case may be, only the net amount of the two payments. Inasmuch as these swaps, caps, floors, and collars are entered into for good faith hedging purposes, the Manager and Fund believes such obligations constitute senior securities under the 1940 Act and, accordingly, will not treat them as being subject to its borrowing restrictions. If there is a default by the counterparty, the Fund may have contractual remedies pursuant to the agreements related to the transaction. Caps, floors, and collars are more recent innovations for which standardized documentation has not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, they are less liquid than swaps.

Investment Companies  
       Each Fund is permitted to invest in other investment companies, including open-end, closed-end or unregistered investment companies, either within the percentage limits set forth in the 1940 Act, any rule or order thereunder, or SEC staff interpretation thereof, or without regard to percentage limits in connection with a merger, reorganization, consolidation, or other similar transaction. However, each Fund may not operate as a “fund of funds” which invests primarily in the shares of other investment companies as permitted by Section 12(d)(1)(F) or (G) of the 1940 Act, if its own shares are utilized as investments by such a “fund of funds.”

Lending of Portfolio Securities  
       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund has the ability to lend securities from its portfolio to brokers, dealers, and other financial organizations. Such loans, if and when made, may not exceed one-third of Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s total assets. Loans of securities by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will be collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, which will be maintained at all times in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities. From time to time, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may return a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral received for securities loaned to the borrower and/or a third party, which is unaffiliated with the Fund, and which is acting as a “finder.”

       In lending its portfolio securities, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund can increase its income by continuing to receive interest on the loaned securities as well as by either investing the cash collateral in short-term instruments or obtaining yield in the form of interest paid by the borrower when government securities are used as collateral. Requirements of the SEC, which may be subject to future modifications, currently provide that the following conditions must be met whenever portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 102% cash collateral or equivalent securities from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the loaned securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan at any time; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as an amount equal to any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities, and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower; however, if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund’s Board must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. The risks in lending portfolio securities, as with other extensions of secured credit, consist of possible delay in receiving additional collateral or in the recovery of the securities or possible loss of rights in the collateral should the borrower fail financially.

       The cash collateral received by the Fund in connection with securities lending may be invested by, or on behalf of, the Fund. The earnings from collateral investments are typically shared among the Fund, its securities lending agent, and the borrower. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may incur investment losses as a result of investing securities lending collateral.

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Loans and Other Direct Indebtedness 
       Each Fund may purchase loans and other direct indebtedness. In purchasing a loan, a Fund acquires some or all of the interest of a bank or other lending institution in a loan to a corporate, governmental, or other borrower. Many such loans are secured, although some may be unsecured. Such loans may be in default at the time of purchase. Loans that are fully secured offer a Fund more protection than an unsecured loan in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal. However, there is no assurance that the liquidation of collateral from a secured loan would satisfy the corporate borrower’s obligation, or that the collateral can be liquidated. These loans are made generally to finance internal growth, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, leveraged buy-outs, and other corporate activities. Such loans are typically made by a syndicate of lending institutions, represented by an agent lending institution that has negotiated and structured the loan and is responsible for collecting interest, principal, and other amounts due on its own behalf and on behalf of the others in the syndicate, and for enforcing its and their other rights against the borrower. Alternatively, such loans may be structured as a novation, pursuant to which a Fund would assume all of the rights of the lending institution in a loan or as an assignment, pursuant to which the Fund would purchase an assignment of a portion of a lender’s interest in a loan either directly from the lender or through an intermediary.

       Each Fund may also purchase trade or other claims against companies, which generally represent money owned by the company to a supplier of goods or services. These claims may also be purchased at a time when the company is in default.

       Certain of the loans and the other direct indebtedness acquired by the Funds may involve revolving credit facilities or other standby financing commitments which obligate a Fund to pay additional cash on a certain date or on demand. These commitments may require a Fund to increase its investment in a company at a time when that Fund might not otherwise decide to do so (including at a time when the company’s financial condition makes it unlikely that such amounts will be repaid). To the extent that a Fund is committed to advance additional funds, it will, at all times, hold and maintain cash or other high grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet such commitments. A Fund’s ability to receive payment of principal, interest, and other amounts due in connection with these investments will depend primarily on the financial condition of the borrower. In selecting the loans and other direct indebtedness that a Fund will purchase, the Manager will rely upon its own (and not the original lending institution’s) credit analysis of the borrower. As a Fund may be required to rely upon another lending institution to collect and pass on to the Fund amounts payable with respect to the loan and to enforce the Fund’s rights under the loan and other direct indebtedness, an insolvency, bankruptcy, or reorganization of the lending institution may delay or prevent the Fund from receiving such amounts. In such cases, a Fund will evaluate as well the creditworthiness of the lending institution and will treat both the borrower and the lending institution as an “issuer” of the loan for purposes of compliance with applicable law pertaining to the diversification of the Fund’s portfolio investments. The highly leveraged nature of many such loans and other direct indebtedness may make such loans and other direct indebtedness especially vulnerable to adverse changes in economic or market conditions. Investments in such loans and other direct indebtedness may involve additional risk to the Funds.

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Mortgage-Backed Securities
      
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each invest in mortgage-backed securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, or by government-sponsored corporations. Those securities include, but are not limited to, Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”) certificates. Such securities differ from other fixed income securities in that principal is paid back by the borrower over the length of the loan rather than returned in a lump sum at maturity. When prevailing interest rates rise, the value of a GNMA security may decrease as do other debt securities. When prevailing interest rates decline, however, the value of GNMA securities may not rise on a comparable basis with other debt securities because of the prepayment feature of GNMA securities. Additionally, if a GNMA certificate is purchased at a premium above its principal value because its fixed rate of interest exceeds the prevailing level of yields, the decline in price to par may result in a loss of the premium in the event of prepayment. Funds received from prepayments may be reinvested at the prevailing interest rates which may be lower than the rate of interest that had previously been earned.

       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund also may each invest in collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMOs”) and real estate mortgage investment conduits (“REMICs”). CMOs are debt securities issued by U.S. government agencies or by financial institutions and other mortgage lenders and collateralized by a pool of mortgages held under an indenture. CMOs are issued in a number of classes or series with different maturities. The classes or series are retired in sequence as the underlying mortgages are repaid. REMICs, which were authorized under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, are private entities formed for the purpose of holding a fixed pool of mortgages secured by an interest in real property. REMICs are similar to CMOs in that they issue multiple classes of securities. To the extent any privately-issued CMOs or REMICs in which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may invest are considered by the SEC to be investment companies, the Fund will limit their investments in such securities in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

       The mortgages backing these securities include conventional 30-year fixed rate mortgages, graduated payment mortgages and adjustable rate mortgages. These mortgages may be supported by various types of insurance, may be backed by GNMA certificates or other mortgage pass-throughs issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities. However, the guarantees do not extend to the mortgage-backed securities’ value, which is likely to vary inversely with fluctuations in interest rates. These certificates are in most cases “pass-through” instruments, through which the holder receives a share of all interest and principal payments from the mortgages underlying the certificate. Because the prepayment characteristics of the underlying mortgages vary, it is not possible to predict accurately the average life or realized yield of a particular issue of pass-through certificates. During periods of declining interest rates, prepayment of mortgages underlying mortgage-backed securities can be expected to accelerate. When the mortgage obligations are prepaid, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may reinvest the prepaid amounts in securities, the yield of which reflects interest rates prevailing at the time. Moreover, prepayments of mortgages which underlie securities purchased at a premium could result in capital losses.

       Certain CMOs and REMICs may have variable or floating interest rates and others may be stripped. Stripped mortgage securities have greater market volatility than other types of mortgage securities in which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may invest.

       Stripped mortgage securities are usually structured with two classes that receive different proportions of the interest and principal distributions on a pool of mortgage assets. A common type of stripped mortgage security will have one class receiving some of the interest and most of the principal from the mortgage assets, while the other class will receive most of the interest and the remainder of the principal. In the most extreme case, one class will receive all of the interest (the “interest-only” class), while the other class will receive all of the principal (the “principal-only” class). The yield to maturity on an interest-only class is extremely sensitive, not only to changes in prevailing interest rates, but also to the rate of principal payments (including prepayments) on the related underlying mortgage assets, and a rapid rate of principal payments may have a material adverse effect on Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s or Delaware Core Bond Fund’s yield to maturity. If the underlying mortgage assets experience greater than anticipated prepayments of principal, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may fail to fully recoup their initial investment in these securities even if the securities are rated in the highest rating categories.

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       Although stripped mortgage securities are purchased and sold by institutional investors through several investment banking firms acting as brokers or dealers, these securities were only recently developed. As a result, established trading markets have not yet been fully developed and, accordingly, these securities are generally illiquid and to such extent, together with any other illiquid investments, will not exceed 15% of Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s or Delaware Core Bond Fund’s net assets.

       CMOs and REMICs issued by private entities are not government securities and are not directly guaranteed by any government agency. They are secured by the underlying collateral of the private issuer. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may invest in CMOs and REMICs issued by private entities which are not collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government, its agencies or instrumentalities, and non-agency mortgage-backed securities (Delaware Core Bond Fund may invest up to 20% of its total assets). Investments in these securities may be made only if the securities: (i) are rated at the time of purchase in the four top rating categories by an NRSRO (for example, BBB or better by S&P or Baa or better by Moody’s) and (ii) represent interests in whole-loan mortgages, multi-family mortgages, commercial mortgages and other mortgage collateral supported by a first mortgage lien on real estate. Non-agency mortgage-backed securities are subject to the interest rate and prepayment risks, described above, to which other CMOs and REMICs issued by private issuers are subject. Non-agency mortgage-backed securities may also be subject to a greater risk of loss of interest and principal because they are not collateralized by securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government. In addition, timely information concerning the loans underlying these securities may not be as readily available and the market for these securities may be less liquid than other CMOs and REMICs.

       Although the market for the foregoing securities has become increasingly liquid over the past few years, currently, the market for such securities is experiencing a period of extreme volatility, which has negatively impacted market liquidity positions. Initially, the market participants’ concerns were focused on the subprime segment of the mortgage-backed securities market. However, these concerns have since expanded to include a broad range of mortgaged-backed and asset-backed securities, as well as other fixed income securities. These securities are more difficult to value and may be hard to sell. In addition, in general, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.

Municipal Securities  
       Municipal securities are issued to obtain funds for various public purposes, including the construction of a wide range of public facilities such as bridges, highways, roads, schools, water and sewer works, and other utilities. Other public purposes for which municipal securities may be issued include refunding outstanding obligations, obtaining funds for general operating expenses and obtaining funds to lend to other public institutions and facilities. In addition, certain debt obligations known as “private activity bonds” may be issued by or on behalf of municipalities and public authorities to obtain funds to provide certain water, sewage and solid waste facilities, qualified residential rental projects, certain local electric, gas and other heating or cooling facilities, qualified hazardous waste facilities, high-speed intercity rail facilities, governmentally owned airports, docks and wharves and mass commuting facilities, certain qualified mortgages, student loan and redevelopment bonds and bonds used for certain organizations exempt from federal income taxation. Certain debt obligations known as “industrial development bonds” under prior federal tax law may have been issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide certain privately operated housing facilities, sports facilities, industrial parks, convention or trade show facilities, airport, mass transit, port or parking facilities, air or water pollution control facilities, sewage or solid waste disposal facilities, and certain facilities for water supply. Other private activity bonds and industrial development bonds issued to finance the construction, improvement, equipment or repair of privately operated industrial, distribution, research, or commercial facilities may also be municipal securities, but the size of such issues is limited under current and prior federal tax law.

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       Information about the financial condition of issuers of municipal securities may be less available than about corporations with a class of securities registered under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “1934 Act”).

Options 
       Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund may purchase call options or put options and may write put options. Such options may relate to individual fixed income or equity securities or to a securities index. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund will not engage in option strategies for speculative purposes. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may purchase call options, write call options on a covered basis, purchase put options and write put options. Writing put options will require the Funds to segregate assets sufficient to cover the put while the option is outstanding.

       Purchasing Call Options. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may purchase call options to the extent that premiums paid by a Fund do not aggregate more than 2% of the Fund's total assets. When the Funds purchase a call option, in return for a premium paid by the Funds to the writer of the option, the Funds obtain the right to buy the security underlying the option at a specified exercise price at any time during the term of the option. The writer of the call option, who receives the premium upon writing the option, has the obligation, upon exercise of the option, to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. The advantage of purchasing call options is that Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, and Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may alter portfolio characteristics and modify portfolio maturities without incurring the cost associated with portfolio transactions.

       Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may, following the purchase of a call option, liquidate their position by effecting a closing sale transaction. This is accomplished by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund will realize a profit from a closing sale transaction if the price received on the transaction is more than the premium paid to purchase the original call option; the Funds will realize a loss from a closing sale transaction if the price received on the transaction is less than the premium paid to purchase the original call option.

       Although Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund will generally purchase only those call options for which there appears to be an active secondary market, there is no assurance that a liquid secondary market on an exchange will exist for any particular option, or at any particular time, and for some options no secondary market on an exchange may exist. In such event, it may not be possible to effect closing transactions in particular options, with the result that the Funds would have to exercise their options in order to realize any profit and would incur brokerage commissions upon the exercise of such options and upon the subsequent disposition of the underlying securities acquired through the exercise of such options. Further, unless the price of the underlying security changes sufficiently, a call option purchased by the Funds may expire without any value to the Funds.

       Purchasing Put Options on Individual Securities. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each invest up to 2% of their total assets in the purchase of put options. The Funds will, at all times during which they hold a put option, own the security covered by such option.

       A put option purchased by Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund gives the Funds the right to sell one of their securities for an agreed price up to an agreed date. The Funds intend to purchase put options in order to protect against a decline in the market value of the underlying security below the exercise price less the premium paid for the option ("protective puts"). The ability to purchase put options will allow the Funds to protect unrealized gain in an appreciated security in their portfolios without actually selling the security. If the security does not drop in value, Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund will lose the value of the premium paid.

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       Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund, and Delaware Core Bond Fund may sell a put option that they have previously purchased prior to the sale of the securities underlying such option. Such sale will result in a net gain or loss depending on whether the amount received on the sale is more or less than the premium and other transaction costs paid on the put option that is sold. Additionally, the Funds may enter into closing sale transactions. A closing sale transaction is one in which the Funds, when they are the holder of an outstanding option, liquidate their position by selling an option of the same series as the option previously purchased.

       Covered Call Writing. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each write covered call options from time to time on such portion of their securities as the Manager determines is appropriate given the limited circumstances under which the Funds intend to engage in this activity. A call option gives the purchaser of such option the right to buy and the writer (in this case Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund) the obligation to sell the underlying security at the exercise price during the option period. The advantage is that the writer receives a premium and the purchaser may hedge against an increase in the price of the securities it ultimately wishes to buy. If the security rises in value, however, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may not fully participate in the market appreciation.

       During the option period, a covered call option writer may be assigned an exercise notice by the broker/dealer through whom such call option was sold requiring the writer to deliver the underlying security against payment of the exercise price. This obligation is terminated upon the expiration of the option period or at such earlier time in which the writer effects a closing purchase transaction. A closing purchase transaction cannot be effected with respect to an option once the option writer has received an exercise notice for such option.

       With respect to options on actual portfolio securities owned by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund, the Funds may enter into closing purchase transactions. A closing purchase transaction is one in which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund, when obligated as a writer of an option, terminate their obligation by purchasing an option of the same series as the option previously written.

       Consistent with the limited purposes for which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund intend to engage in the writing of covered calls, closing purchase transactions will ordinarily be effected to realize a profit on an outstanding call option, to prevent an underlying security from being called, to permit the sale of the underlying security or to enable the Funds to write another call option on the underlying security with either a different exercise price or expiration date or both.

       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may realize a net gain or loss from a closing purchase transaction depending upon whether the net amount of the original premium received on the call option is more or less than the cost of effecting the closing purchase transaction. Any loss incurred in a closing purchase transaction may be partially or entirely offset by the premium received from a sale of a different call option on the same underlying security. Such a loss may also be wholly or partially offset by unrealized appreciation in the market value of the underlying security. Conversely, a gain resulting from a closing purchase transaction could be offset in whole or in part by a decline in the market value of the underlying security.

       If a call option expires unexercised, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will realize a short-term capital gain in the amount of the premium on the option, less the commission paid. Such a gain, however, may be offset by depreciation in the market value of the underlying security during the option period. If a call option is exercised, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will realize a gain or loss from the sale of the underlying security equal to the difference between the cost of the underlying security and the proceeds of the sale of the security, plus the amount of the premium on the option, less the commission paid. The market value of a call option generally reflects the market price of an underlying security. Other principal factors affecting market value include supply and demand, interest rates, the price volatility of the underlying security and the time remaining until the expiration date.

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       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will each write call options only on a covered basis, which means that the Funds will own the underlying security subject to a call option at all times during the option period. Unless a closing purchase transaction is effected, the Funds would be required to continue to hold a security that they might otherwise wish to sell, or deliver a security they would want to hold. Options written by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund will normally have expiration dates between one and nine months from the date written. The exercise price of a call option may be below, equal to, or above the current market value of the underlying security at the time the option is written.

       Writing Put Options - Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund . A put option written by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund obligates them to buy the security underlying the option at the exercise price during the option period, and the purchaser of the option has the right to sell the security to the Funds. During the option period, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund, as writer of the put option, may be assigned an exercise notice by the broker/dealer through whom the option was sold, requiring the Funds to make payment of the exercise price against delivery of the underlying security. The obligation terminates upon expiration of the put option or at such earlier time at which the writer effects a closing purchase transaction. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each write put options only if the Fund will maintain in a segregated account with its custodian bank, cash, U.S. government securities or other assets in an amount not less than the exercise price of the option at all times during the option period. The amount of cash, U.S. government securities or other assets held in the segregated account will be adjusted on a daily basis to reflect changes in the market value of the securities covered by the put option written by Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund or Delaware Core Bond Fund. Consistent with the limited purposes for which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund intend to engage in the writing of put options, such put options will generally be written in circumstances where the Manager wishes to purchase the underlying security for the Funds at a price lower than the current market price of the security. In such event, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund would write a put option at an exercise price which, reduced by the premium received on the option, reflects the lower price it is willing to pay. Following the writing of a put option, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund or Delaware Core Bond Fund may wish to terminate the obligation to buy the security underlying the option by effecting a closing purchase transaction. This is accomplished by buying an option of the same series as the option previously written. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may not, however, effect such a closing transaction after they have been notified of the exercise of the option.

       Writing Put Options - Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund. Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund may write put options on a securities index. A securities index assigns relative values to the securities included in the index with the index fluctuating with changes in the market values of the underlying securities.

       Options on securities indices are similar to options on stocks but have different delivery requirements. Stock options provide the right to take or make delivery of the underlying stock at a specified price. A securities index option gives the holder the right to receive a cash "exercise settlement amount" equal to (i) the amount by which the fixed exercise price of the option exceeds the closing value of the underlying index on the date of exercise, multiplied by (ii) a fixed "index multiplier." Receipt of this cash amount will depend upon the closing level of the securities index upon which the option is based being less than the exercise price of the option. The amount of cash received will be equal to such difference between the closing price of the index and exercise price of the option expressed in dollars times a specified multiple. The writer of the option is obligated, in return for the premium received, to make delivery of this amount. Gain or loss to a Fund on transactions in securities index options will depend on price movements in the market generally (or in a particular industry or segment of the market) that the index tracks, rather than price movements of individual securities.

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       As with other options, a Fund may offset its position in a securities index option prior to expiration by entering into a closing transaction on an exchange or the Fund may let the option expire unexercised.

       Positions in securities index options may be closed out only on an exchange that provides a secondary market. There can be no assurance that a liquid secondary market will exist for any particular securities index option. Thus, it may not be possible to close such an option. The inability to close options positions could have an adverse impact on a Fund's ability to effectively hedge its securities. A Fund will enter into an option position only if there appears to be a liquid secondary market for such options.

       The Funds will not engage in transactions in options on securities indices for speculative purposes but only to protect appreciation attained, to offset capital losses and to take advantage of the liquidity available in the option markets. Accordingly, the Funds will not engage in put options on securities indices that have unmanaged loss exposure.

Portfolio Loan Transactions  
       Each Fund may loan up to 25% of its assets to qualified broker/dealers or institutional investors for their use relating to short sales or other security transactions.

       It is the understanding of the Manager that the staff of the SEC permits portfolio lending by registered investment companies if certain conditions are met. These conditions are as follows: (1) each transaction must have 100% collateral in the form of cash, short-term U.S. government securities, or irrevocable letters of credit payable by banks acceptable to the Fund involved from the borrower; (2) this collateral must be valued daily and should the market value of the loaned securities increase, the borrower must furnish additional collateral to the Fund; (3) the Fund must be able to terminate any loan after notice, at any time; (4) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on any loan, and any dividends, interest or other distributions on the lent securities, and any increase in the market value of such securities; (5) the Fund may pay reasonable custodian fees in connection with the loan; (6) the voting rights on the lent securities may pass to the borrower; however, if the Trustees of the Trust know that a material event will occur affecting an investment loan, they must either terminate the loan in order to vote the proxy or enter into an alternative arrangement with the borrower to enable the Trustees to vote the proxy.

       The major risk to which a Fund would be exposed on a loan transaction is the risk that the borrower would go bankrupt at a time when the value of the security goes up. Therefore, each Fund will only enter into loan arrangements after a review of all pertinent facts by the Manager, under the supervision of the Board, including the creditworthiness of the borrowing broker, dealer or institution and then only if the consideration to be received from such loans would justify the risk. Creditworthiness will be monitored on an ongoing basis by the Manager.

Repurchase Agreements  
       The Funds are permitted to invest in repurchase agreements, but they normally do so only to invest cash balances. A repurchase agreement is a short-term investment by which the purchaser acquires ownership of a debt security and the seller agrees to repurchase the obligation at a future time and set price, thereby determining the yield during the purchaser’s holding period. Should an issuer of a repurchase agreement fail to repurchase the underlying security, the loss to a Fund, if any, would be the difference between the repurchase price and the market value of the security. Each Fund will limit its investments in repurchase agreements to those which the Manager determines present minimal credit risks and which are of high quality. In addition, each Fund must have collateral of 102% of the repurchase price, including the portion representing the Fund’s yield under such agreements, which is monitored on a daily basis.

       The funds in the Delaware Investments ® family (each a Delaware Investments ® Fund” and collectively, the “Delaware Investments ® Funds”) have obtained an exemption from the joint-transaction prohibitions of Section 17(d) of the 1940 Act to allow certain funds jointly to invest cash balances. The Funds may invest cash balances in a joint repurchase agreement in accordance with the terms of the Order and subject generally to the conditions described above.

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Restricted/Illiquid Securities
      
The Funds may purchase privately-placed debt and other securities whose resale is restricted under applicable securities laws. Such restricted securities generally offer a higher return than comparable registered securities but involve some additional risk since they can be resold only in privately-negotiated transactions or after registration under applicable securities laws. The registration process may involve delays which could result in the Funds obtaining a less favorable price on a resale. Each Fund will not purchase illiquid assets if more than 15% of its respective net assets would then consist of such illiquid securities.

       Illiquid securities, for purposes of this policy, include repurchase agreements maturing in more than seven days.

       Each Fund may invest in restricted securities, including securities eligible for resale without registration pursuant to Rule 144A (“Rule 144A Securities”) under the 1933 Act. Rule 144A exempts many privately placed and legally restricted securities from the registration requirements of the 1933 Act and permits such securities to be freely traded among certain institutional buyers such as the Funds.

       While maintaining oversight, the Board has delegated to the Manager the day-to-day functions of determining whether or not individual Rule 144A Securities are liquid for purposes of a Fund’s limitation on investments in illiquid assets. The Board has instructed the Manager to consider the following factors in determining the liquidity of a Rule 144A Security: (i) the frequency of trades and trading volume for the security; (ii) whether at least three dealers are willing to purchase or sell the security and the number of potential purchasers; (iii) whether at least two dealers are making a market in the security; and (iv) the nature of the security and the nature of the marketplace trades (e.g., the time needed to dispose of the security, the method of soliciting offers, and the mechanics of transfer).

       If the Manager determines that a Rule 144A Security which was previously determined to be liquid is no longer liquid and, as a result, a Fund’s holdings of illiquid securities exceed the Fund’s limit on investment in such securities, the Manager will determine what action shall be taken to ensure that the Fund continues to adhere to such limitation.

       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund may each purchase privately placed securities whose resale is restricted under applicable securities laws. Such restricted securities generally offer a higher return potential than comparable registered securities but involve some additional risk since they can be resold only in privately negotiated transactions or after registration under applicable securities laws. The registration process may involve delays which would result in Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund and Delaware Core Bond Fund obtaining a less favorable price on a resale.

“Roll” Transactions  
       Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may engage in “roll” transactions. A “roll” transaction is the sale of securities together with a commitment (for which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may receive a fee) to purchase similar, but not identical, securities at a future date. Under the 1940 Act, these transactions may be considered borrowings by the Fund; accordingly, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will limit their use of these transactions, together with any other borrowings, to no more than one-third of each of their total assets. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will segregate liquid assets such as cash, U.S. government securities, or other high-grade debt obligations in an amount sufficient to meet their payment obligations in these transactions. Although these transactions will not be entered into for leveraging purposes, to the extent Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s aggregate commitments under these transactions exceed its holdings of cash and securities that do not fluctuate in value (such as short-term money market instruments), the Fund temporarily will be in a leveraged position ( i.e. , it will have an amount greater than its net assets subject to market risk). Should the market value of the Fund’s portfolio securities decline while it is in a leveraged position, greater depreciation of its net assets would likely occur than were it not in such a position. As the Fund’s aggregate commitments under these transactions increase, its leverage risk similarly increases.

29



Short-Term Investments  
       The short-term investments in which the Funds may invest include, but are not limited to:

       (1) Time deposits, certificates of deposit (including marketable variable rate certificates of deposit) and bankers’ acceptances issued by a U.S. commercial bank. Time deposits are non-negotiable deposits maintained in a banking institution for a specified period of time at a stated interest rate. Time deposits maturing in more than seven days will not be purchased by the Funds, and time deposits maturing from two business days through seven calendar days will not exceed 15% of the total assets of a Fund. Certificates of deposit are negotiable short-term obligations issued by commercial banks against funds deposited in the issuing institution. Variable rate certificates of deposit are certificates of deposit on which the interest rate is periodically adjusted prior to their stated maturity based upon a specified market rate. A bankers’ acceptance is a time draft drawn on a commercial bank by a borrower usually in connection with an international commercial transaction (to finance the import, export, transfer or storage of goods).

       The Funds will not invest in any security issued by a commercial bank unless (i) the bank has total assets of at least $1 billion or, in the case of a bank which does not have total assets of at least $1 billion, the aggregate investment made in any one such bank is limited to $100,000 and the principal amount of such investment is insured in full by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, (ii) it is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and (iii) the bank or its securities have received the highest quality rating by a nationally-recognized statistical rating organization;

       (2) Commercial paper with the highest quality rating by a nationally-recognized statistical rating organization (e.g., A-1 by S&P or Prime-1 by Moody’s) or, if not so rated, of comparable quality as determined by the Manager;

       (3) Short-term corporate obligations with the highest quality rating by a nationally-recognized statistical rating organization (e.g., AAA by S&P or Aaa by Moody’s) or, if not so rated, of comparable quality as determined by the Manager;

       (4) U.S. government securities (see U.S. Government Securities); and

       (5) Repurchase agreements collateralized by securities listed above.

Unseasoned Companies  
       Delaware Corporate Bond Fund, Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund, and Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund may invest in relatively new or unseasoned companies which are in their early stages of development, or small companies positioned in new and emerging industries where the opportunity for rapid growth is expected to be above average. Securities of unseasoned companies present greater risks than securities of larger, more established companies. The companies in which a Fund may invest may have relatively small revenues, limited product lines, and may have a small share of the market for their products or services. Small companies may lack depth of management, they may be unable to internally generate funds necessary for growth or potential development or to generate such funds through external financing or favorable terms, or they may be developing or marketing new products or services for which markets are not yet established and may never become established. Due to these and other factors, small companies may suffer significant losses as well as realize substantial growth, and investments in such companies tend to be volatile and are therefore speculative.

U.S. Government Securities  
       U.S. Treasury securities are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the United States. Securities issued or guaranteed by federal agencies and U.S. government sponsored instrumentalities may or may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. In the case of securities not backed by the full faith and credit of the United States, investors in such securities look principally to the agency or instrumentality issuing or guaranteeing the obligation for ultimate repayment, and may not be able to assert a claim against the United States itself in the event the agency or instrumentality does not meet its commitment. Agencies which are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States include the Export-Import Bank, Farmers Home Administration, Federal Financing Bank, the Federal Housing Administration, the Maritime Administration, the Small Business Administration, and others. Certain agencies and instrumentalities, such as the Government National Mortgage Association (“GNMA”), are, in effect, backed by the full faith and credit of the United States through provisions in their charters that they may make “indefinite and unlimited” drawings on the Treasury, if needed to service its debt. Debt from certain other agencies and instrumentalities, including the Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”), are not guaranteed by the United States, but those institutions are protected by the discretionary authority for the U.S. Treasury to purchase certain amounts of their securities to assist the institutions in meeting their debt obligations. Finally, other agencies and instrumentalities, such as the Farm Credit System, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), are federally chartered institutions under U.S. government supervision, but their debt securities are backed only by the creditworthiness of those institutions, not the U.S. government.

30



     An instrumentality of a U.S. government agency is a government agency organized under Federal charter with government supervision. Instrumentalities issuing or guaranteeing securities include, among others, Federal Home Loan Banks, the Federal Land Banks, Central Bank for Cooperatives, Federal Intermediate Credit Banks and the FNMA.

     The maturities of such securities usually range from three months to 30 years. While such securities are guaranteed as to principal and interest by the U.S. government or its instrumentalities, their market values may fluctuate and are not guaranteed, which may, along with the other securities in a Fund’s portfolio, cause a Class’ daily net asset value to fluctuate.

     In September 2008, the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Housing Finance Administration (“FHFA”) announced that FNMA and FHLMC would be placed into a conservatorship under FHFA. The effect that this conservatorship will have on these companies’ debt and equity securities is unclear.

Variable and Floating Rate Notes
    
Variable rate master demand notes, in which Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may invest, are unsecured demand notes that permit the indebtedness thereunder to vary and provide for periodic adjustments in the interest rate according to the terms of the instrument. Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund will not invest over 5% of its assets in variable rate master demand notes. Because master demand notes are direct lending arrangements between the Fund and the issuer, they are not normally traded. Although there is no secondary market in the notes, Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund may demand payment of principal and accrued interest at any time. While the notes are not typically rated by credit rating agencies, issuers of variable amount master demand notes (which are normally manufacturing, retail, financial, and other business concerns) must satisfy the same criteria as set forth above for commercial paper. In determining average weighted portfolio maturity, a variable amount master demand note will be deemed to have a maturity equal to the period of time remaining until the principal amount can be recovered from the issuer through demand.

When-Issued and Delayed Delivery Securities
    
Each Fund may purchase securities on a when-issued or delayed delivery basis. In such transactions, instruments are purchased with payment and delivery taking place in the future in order to secure what is considered to be an advantageous yield or price at the time of the transaction. Delivery of and payment for these securities may take as long as a month or more after the date of the purchase commitment. A Fund will designate cash or securities in amounts sufficient to cover its obligations and will value the designated assets daily. The payment obligation and the interest rates that will be received are each fixed at the time the Fund enters into the commitment and no interest accrues to the Fund until settlement. Thus, it is possible that the market value at the time of settlement could be higher or lower than the purchase price if the general level of interest rates has changed.

Zero Coupon and Pay-In-Kind Bonds
     The credit risk factors pertaining to lower rated securities also apply to lower rated zero coupon, deferred interest and pay-in-kind bonds. These bonds carry an additional risk in that, unlike bonds that pay interest throughout the period to maturity, a Fund will realize no cash until the cash payment date and, if the issuer defaults, the Fund may obtain no return at all on its investment. Zero coupon, deferred interest and pay-in-kind bonds involve additional special considerations.

31



     Zero coupon or deferred interest securities are debt obligations that do not entitle the holder to any periodic payments of interest prior to maturity or a specified date when the securities begin paying current interest (the “cash payment date”) and therefore are generally issued and traded at a discount from their face amounts or par value. The discount varies depending on the time remaining until maturity or cash payment date, prevailing interest rates, liquidity of the security and the perceived credit quality of the issuer. The discount, in the absence of financial difficulties of the issuer, typically decreases as the final maturity or cash payment date of the security approaches. The market prices of zero coupon securities are generally more volatile than the market prices of securities that pay interest periodically and are likely to respond to changes in interest rates to a greater degree than do non-zero coupon or deferred interest securities having similar maturities and credit quality. Current federal income tax law requires that a holder of a zero coupon security report as income each year the portion of the original issue discount on the security that accrues that year, even though the holder receives no cash payments of interest during the year.

     Pay-in-kind bonds are securities that pay interest through the issuance of additional bonds. The Fund will be deemed to receive interest over the life of these bonds and be treated as if interest were paid on a current basis for federal income tax purposes, although no cash interest payments are received by the Fund until the cash payment date or until the bonds mature. Accordingly, during periods when the Fund receive no cash interest payments on its zero coupon securities or deferred interest or pay-in-kind bonds, it may be required to dispose of portfolio securities to meet the distribution requirements and these sales may be subject to the risk factors discussed above. The Fund is not limited in the amount of its assets that may be invested in these types of securities.

Special Risks related to Cybersecurity Issues
    
As an open-end management investment company, the Trust has delegated its operational activities to third-party service providers, subject to the oversight of the Board. Because the Trust operates its business through third-party service providers, it does not itself have any operational or security systems or infrastructure that is potentially subject to cyber attacks. The third-party service providers that facilitate the Trust’s business activities, including, but not limited to, fund management, custody of Trust assets, fund accounting and financial administration, and transfer agent services, could be sources of operational and informational security risk to the Trust and its shareholders, including from breakdowns or failures of the third-party service providers’ own systems or capacity constraints. A failure or breach of the operational or security systems or infrastructure of the Trust’s third-party service providers could disrupt the Trust’s operations, result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, and cause losses. Although the Trust and its third-party service providers have business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, the operations of the Trust’s third-party service providers may be adversely affected by significant disruption of their operating systems or physical infrastructure that support the Trust and its shareholders.

     The proliferation of new technologies, the use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct business, as well as the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists, activists, and others, have significantly increased the information security risks to which the Trust’s third-party service providers are subject. The third-party service providers rely on digital technologies, computer and email systems, software, and networks to conduct their business and the business of the Trust. The Trust’s third-party service providers have robust information security procedures; however, their technologies may become the target of cyber attacks or information security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of the Trust’s or its shareholders’ confidential and other information, or otherwise disrupt the business operations of the Trust or its third-party service providers. Although to date the Trust has not experienced any material losses relating to cyber attacks or other information security breaches, there can be no assurance that the Trust or its third-party service providers will not suffer such losses in the future.

32



     Disruptions or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Trust’s third-party service providers, or cyber attacks or security breaches of the networks, systems, or devices that the Trust’s third-party service providers use to service the Trust’s operations, could result in financial losses, the inability of Trust shareholders to transact business, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensation costs, and/or additional compliance costs. The business continuity policies and procedures that the Trust and its third-party service providers have established seek to identify and mitigate the types of risk to which the Trust and its third-party service providers are subject. As with any risk management system, there are inherent limitations to these business continuity policies and procedures as there may exist, or develop in the future, risks that have not been anticipated or identified.

33



DISCLOSURE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION

     Each Fund has adopted a policy generally prohibiting the disclosure of portfolio holdings information to any person until after 30 calendar days have passed. The Trust posts a list of each Fund’s portfolio holdings monthly, with a 30-day lag, on the Funds’ web site, delawareinvestments.com. In addition, on a 10-day lag, we also make available on the web site a month-end summary listing of the number of each Fund’s securities, country and asset allocations, and top 10 securities and sectors by percentage of holdings for each Fund. This information is available publicly to any and all shareholders free of charge once posted on the web site by calling 800 523-1918.

     Other entities, including institutional investors and intermediaries that distribute the Funds’ shares, are generally treated similarly and are not provided with the Funds’ portfolio holdings in advance of when they are generally available to the public.

     The Funds may, from time to time, provide statistical data derived from publicly available information to third parties, such as shareholders, prospective shareholders, financial intermediaries, consultants, and ratings and ranking organizations.

     Third-party service providers and affiliated persons of the Funds are provided with the Funds’ portfolio holdings only to the extent necessary to perform services under agreements relating to the Funds. In accordance with the policy, third-party service providers who receive non-public portfolio holdings information on an ongoing basis are: the Manager’s affiliates (Delaware Management Business Trust, Delaware Service Company, Inc., and the Distributor) and the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm, custodian, legal counsel, financial printer (DG3), and proxy voting service. These entities are obligated to keep such information confidential.

     Third-party rating and ranking organizations and consultants who have signed agreements (“Non-Disclosure Agreements”) with the Funds or the Manager may receive portfolio holdings information more quickly than the 30-day lag. The Non-Disclosure Agreements require that the receiving entity hold the information in the strictest confidence and prohibit the receiving entity from disclosing the information or trading on the information (either in Fund shares or in shares of the Funds’ portfolio securities). In addition, the receiving party must agree to provide copies of any research or reports generated using the portfolio holdings information in order to allow for monitoring of use of the information. Neither the Funds, the Manager, nor any affiliate receive any compensation or consideration with respect to these agreements.

     To protect shareholders’ interests and to avoid conflicts of interest, Non-Disclosure Agreements must be approved by a member of the Manager’s Legal Department and Compliance Department and any deviation in the use of the portfolio holdings information by the receiving party must be approved in writing by the Funds’ Chief Compliance Officer prior to such use.

     The Board will be notified of any substantial change to the foregoing procedures. The Board also receives an annual report from the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer which, among other things, addresses the operation of the Trust’s procedures concerning the disclosure of portfolio holdings information.

34



MANAGEMENT OF THE TRUST

     The business and affairs of the Trust are managed under the direction of its Board. Certain officers and Trustees of the Trust hold identical positions in each of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds. As of October 31, 2012 the officers and Trustees of the Trust directly owned less than 1% of the outstanding shares of each Class of each Fund. The Trust’s Trustees and principal officers are noted below along with their birthdates and their business experience for the past five years. The Trustees serve for indefinite terms until their resignation, death, or removal.

Number of
Funds in
Fund Complex
Name, Address, and Position(s) Held Length of Time Principal Occupation(s) Overseen Other Directorships
Birthdate with the Trust Served During Past 5 Years by Trustee Held by Trustee
Interested Trustee

Patrick P. Coyne 1
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

April 1963

Chairman,
President, Chief
Executive Officer,
and Trustee

Chairman and
Trustee since
August 16,
2006

President and
Chief Executive
Officer since
August 1, 2006

Patrick P. Coyne has served in various executive capacities at different times at Delaware Investments 2 71

Director and Audit
Committee Member
— Kaydon Corp.

Board of Governors
Member —
Investment Company
Institute (ICI)

Finance Committee
Member — St. John
Vianney Roman
Catholic Church

Board of Trustees —
Agnes Irwin School

Member of
Investment
Committee — Cradle
of Liberty Council,
BSA
(2007–2010)


35



Number of
Funds in
Fund Complex
Name, Address, and Position(s) Held Length of Time Principal Occupation(s) Overseen Other Directorships
Birth date with the Trust Served During Past 5 Years by Trustee Held by Trustee
Interested Trustee

Thomas L. Bennett
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

October 1947

Trustee Since March
2005

Private Investor —
(March 2004–Present)

Investment Manager —
Morgan Stanley & Co.
(January 1984–March 2004)

71

Chairman of
Investment
Committee —
Pennsylvania
Academy of Fine
Arts

Investment
Committee and
Governance
Committee Member
— Pennsylvania
Horticultural Society

Director — Bryn
Mawr Bank Corp.
(BMTC)
(2007–2011)

John A. Fry
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

May 1960

Trustee Since January
2001

President — Drexel University
(August 2010–Present)

President —
Franklin & Marshall College
(July 2002–July 2010)

71

Board of Governors
Member —
NASDAQ OMX
PHLX LLC

Director and Audit
Committee Member

Community Health
Systems

Director — U.S.
SQUASH

Director — Ecore
International
(2009–2010)

Director — Allied
Barton Securities
Holdings
(2005–2008)

Anthony D. Knerr
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

December 1938

Trustee Since April
1990
Managing Director — Anthony
Knerr & Associates (Strategic
Consulting)
(1990–Present)

71

None

Lucinda S. Landreth
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

June 1947

Trustee Since March
2005

Private Investor
(2004-Present)

Chief Investment Officer —
Assurant, Inc.
(Insurance)
(2002–2004)

71

None

36



Number of
Funds in
Fund Complex
Name, Address, and Position(s) Held Length of Time Principal Occupation(s) Overseen Other Directorships
Birth date with the Trust Served During Past 5 Years by Trustee Held by Trustee

Frances A. Sevilla-
Sacasa
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

January 1956

Trustee Since
September
2011

Chief Executive Officer —
Banco Itaú Europa
International
(since April 2012)

Executive Advisor to Dean
(August 2011–March 2012)
and Interim Dean
(January 2011–July 2011)
— University of Miami
School of Business
Administration

President — U.S. Trust,
Bank of America Private
Wealth Management
(Private Banking)
(July 2007–December 2008)

President and Director
(November 2005–
June 2007) and
Chief Executive Officer
(April 2007–June 2007) —
U.S. Trust Company
(Private Banking)

71

Trust Manager —
Camden Property
Trust
(since August 2011)

Board of Trustees
Thunderbird
School of Global
Management
(2007–2011)

Board of Trustees
Carrollton School
of the Sacred Heart
(since 2001)

Board Member
Foreign Policy
Association
(since 2006)

Board of Trustees
Georgetown
Preparatory School
(2005–2011)

Board of
Governors
Miami City Ballet
(2000–2011)

Board of Trustees
St. Thomas
University
(2005–2011)

37



Number of
Funds in
Fund Complex
Name, Address, and Position(s) Held Length of Time Principal Occupation(s) Overseen Other Directorships
Birth date with the Trust Served During Past 5 Years by Trustee Held by Trustee

Janet L. Yeomans
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

July 1948

Trustee Since April
1999
Vice President and Treasurer
(January 2006–July 2012)
Vice President — Mergers &
Acquisitions
(January 2003–January 2006),
and Vice President and
Treasurer
(July 1995–January 2003)
3M Corporation
71

Director, Audit
Committee
Member, and
Investment
Committee
Member —
Okabena
Company

Chair — 3M
Investment
Management
Company
(January 2005-
July 2012)

J. Richard Zecher
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

July 1940

Trustee Since March
2005

Founder —
Investor Analytics
(Risk Management)
(May 1999–Present)

Founder —
P/E Investments
(Hedge Fund)
(September 1996–Present)

71

Director and
Compensation
Committee
Member —
Investor Analytics

Director —
Sutton LLC

Director —
Oxigene, Inc.
(2003–2008)

38



Number of
Funds in
Fund Complex
Name, Address, and Position(s) Held Length of Time Principal Occupation(s) Overseen Other Directorships
Birth date with the Trust Served During Past 5 Years by Trustee Held by Trustee
Officers

David F. Connor
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

December 1963

Vice President,
Deputy General
Counsel, and
Secretary
Vice
President
since
September
2000 and
Secretary
since October
2005
David F. Connor has served as Vice President and Deputy General Counsel at Delaware Investments since 2000. 71 None 3

Daniel V. Geatens
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

October 1972

Vice President
and Treasurer
Treasurer
since October
2007
Daniel V. Geatens has served in various capacities at different times at Delaware Investments.

71

None 3

David P. O’Connor
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

February 1966

Executive Vice
President,
General Counsel,
and Chief Legal
Officer
Executive
Vice
President
since
February
2012; Senior
Vice
President —
October
2005–
February
2012;
General
Counsel, and
Chief Legal
Officer since
October 2005
David P. O’Connor has served in various executive and legal capacities at different times at Delaware Investments.

71

None 3

Richard Salus
2005 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA
19103

October 1963

Senior Vice
President and
Chief Financial
Officer
Chief
Financial
Officer since
November
2006

Richard Salus has served in various executive capacities at different times at Delaware Investments.

71 None 3
1 Patrick P. Coyne is considered to be an “Interested Trustee” because he is an executive officer of the Funds’ Manager.
2 Delaware Investments is the marketing name for Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. and its subsidiaries, including the Manager, Distributor, and transfer agent.
3 David F. Connor, Daniel V. Geatens, David P. O’Connor, and Richard Salus serve in similar capacities for the six portfolios of the Optimum Fund Trust, which have the same investment manager, principal underwriter, and transfer agent as the Funds.

39



     The following table shows each Trustee’s ownership of shares of the Funds and of shares of all Delaware Investments ® Funds as of December 31, 2012.

Aggregate Dollar Range of Equity Securities in All
Dollar Range of Equity Securities Registered Investment Companies Overseen by
Name in the Funds Trustee in Family of Investment Companies
Interested Trustee
Patrick P. Coyne None Over $100,000
Independent Trustees
Thomas L. Bennett None $50,001-$100,000
John A. Fry None Over $100,000
Anthony D. Knerr None $50,001-$100,000
Lucinda S. Landreth $10,001-$50,000 Over $100,000
(Delaware High-Yield  
Opportunities Fund)
Frances A. Sevilla- None None
Sacasa
Janet L. Yeomans None Over $100,000
J. Richard Zecher None Over $100,000

40



     The following table describes the aggregate compensation received by each Trustee from the Trust and the total compensation received from the Delaware Investments ® Funds for which he or she served as a Trustee for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012. Only the Trustees of the Trust who are not “interested persons” as defined by the 1940 Act (the “Independent Trustees”) receive compensation from the Trust.

Total
Compensation
Pension or from the
Retirement Investment
Aggregate Benefits Accrued Companies in
Compensation as Part of Fund Delaware
Trustee from the Trust Expenses Investments 1
Thomas L. Bennett $14,817 None $224,271
John A. Fry $12,421 None $187,500
Anthony D. Knerr $18,088 None $273,938
Lucinda S. Landreth $14,816 None $223,854
Ann R. Leven 2 $12,573 None $190,938
Thomas F. Madison 2 $2,287 None $36,438
Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa 2 $11,988 None $180,000
Janet L. Yeomans $15,596 None $236,438
J. Richard Zecher $13,908 None $210,104

1      Effective January 1, 2012, each Independent Trustee/Director will receive an annual retainer fee of $135,000 for serving as a Trustee/Director for all 30 investment companies in the Delaware Investments ® family, plus $10,000 per meeting for attending each Board Meeting in person held on behalf of all investment companies in the complex. Each Trustee shall also receive a $5,000 fee for attending telephonic meetings on behalf of the investment companies in the complex. Members of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, Audit Committee, and Investments Committee receive additional compensation of $2,500 for each Committee meeting attended. In addition, the chairperson of the Audit Committee receives an annual retainer of $25,000, the chairperson of the Investments Committee receives an annual retainer of $20,000, and the chairperson of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee receives an annual retainer of $20,000. The Lead/Coordinating Trustee/Director of the Delaware Investments ® Funds receives an additional annual retainer of $40,000.
2 Ms. Leven retired from the Board effective September 1, 2012. Mr. Madison retired from the Board effective September 1, 2011. Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa was elected to the Board effective September 1, 2011.

Board Leadership Structure

     Common Board of Trustees/Directors: The business of the Trust is managed under the direction of its Board. The Trustees also serve on the Boards of all the other investment companies that comprise the Delaware Investments ® Family of Funds. The Trustees believe that having a common Board for all funds in the complex is efficient and enhances the ability of the Board to address its responsibilities to each fund in the complex. The Trustees believe that the common board structure allows the Trustees to leverage their individual expertise and that their judgment is enhanced by being Trustees of all of the funds in the complex.

     Board Chairman: Mr. Coyne, who is an Interested Trustee, serves as the Chairman of the Board. The Board believes that having a representative of Fund management as its Chairman is beneficial to the Trust. Mr. Coyne is President of the Manager and its other service provider affiliates and oversees the day-to-day investment and business affairs affecting the Manager and the Trust. Accordingly, his participation in the Board’s deliberations helps assure that the Board’s decisions are informed and appropriate. Mr. Coyne’s presence on the Board ensures that the Board’s decisions are accurately communicated to and implemented by Fund management.

     Coordinating Trustee: The Independent Trustees designate one of their members to serve as Coordinating Trustee. The Coordinating Trustee, in consultation with Fund management, legal counsel, and the other Trustees, proposes Board agenda topics, actively participates in developing Board meeting agendas, and ensures that appropriate and timely information is provided to the Board in connection with Board meetings. The Coordinating Trustee also conducts meetings of the Independent Trustees. The Coordinating Trustee also generally serves as a liaison among outside Trustees, the Chairman, Fund officers, and legal counsel, and is an ex officio member of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee.

41



     Size and composition of Board: The Board is currently comprised of eight Trustees. The Trustees believe that the current size of the Board is conducive to Board interaction, dialogue and debate, resulting in an effective decision-making body. The Board is comprised of Trustees with a variety of professional backgrounds. The Board believes that the skill sets of its members are complementary and add to the overall effectiveness of the Board. The Trustees regard diversity as an important consideration in the present composition of the Board and the selection of qualified candidates to fill vacancies on the Board.

     Committees: The Board has established several committees, each of which focuses on a particular substantive area and provides reports and recommendations to the full Board. The committee structure enables the Board to manage efficiently and effectively the large volume of information relevant to the Board’s oversight of the Trust. The committees benefit from the professional expertise of their members. At the same time, membership on a committee enhances the expertise of its members and benefits the overall effectiveness of the Board.

     The Board has the following committees:

     Audit Committee: This committee monitors accounting and financial reporting policies, practices and internal controls for the Trust. It also oversees the quality and objectivity of the Trust’s financial statements and the independent audit thereof, and acts as a liaison between the Trust’s independent registered public accounting firm and the full Boards. The Trust’s Audit Committee consists of the following Independent Trustees: Janet L. Yeomans, Chairperson; Thomas L. Bennett; John A. Fry; and Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa. The Audit Committee held five meetings during the Trust’s last fiscal year.

     Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee: This committee recommends Board nominees, fills Board vacancies that arise in between meetings of shareholders, and considers the qualifications and independence of Board members. The committee also monitors the performance of counsel for the Independent Trustees. The committee will consider shareholder recommendations for nomination to the Board only in the event that there is a vacancy on the Board. Shareholders who wish to submit recommendations for nominations to the Board to fill a vacancy must submit their recommendations in writing to the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee, c/o Delaware Investments ® Funds at 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-7094. Shareholders should include appropriate information on the background and qualifications of any persons recommended (e.g., a resume), as well as the candidate’s contact information and a written consent from the candidate to serve if nominated and elected. Shareholder recommendations for nominations to the Board will be accepted on an ongoing basis and such recommendations will be kept on file for consideration when there is a vacancy on the Board. The committee consists of the following three Independent Trustees: Lucinda S. Landreth, Chairperson; Thomas L. Bennett; and Anthony D. Knerr (ex officio). The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee held six meetings during the Trust’s last fiscal year.

     In reaching its determination that an individual should serve or continue to serve as a Trustee of the Trust, the committee considers, in light of the Trust’s business and structure, the individual’s experience, qualifications, attributes and skills (the “Selection Factors”). No one Selection Factor is determinative, but some of the relevant factors that have been considered include: (i) the Trustee’s business and professional experience and accomplishments, including prior experience in the financial services industry or on other boards; (ii) the ability to work effectively and collegially with other people; and (iii) how the Trustee’s background and attributes contribute to the overall mix of skills and experience on the Board as a whole. Below is a brief summary of the Selection Factors that relate to each Trustee as of the date of this SAI.

     Thomas L. Bennett — Mr. Bennett has over thirty years of experience in the investment management industry, particularly with fixed income portfolio management and credit analysis. He has served in senior management for a number of money management firms. Mr. Bennett has also served as a board member of another investment company, an educational institution, non-profit organizations and for-profit companies. He has an M.B.A. from the University of Cincinnati and is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Mr. Bennett has served on the Board since March 2005. 

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     John A. Fry — Mr. Fry has over twenty-five years of experience in higher education. He has served in senior management for three major institutions of higher learning. Mr. Fry has also served as a board member of many non-profit organizations and several for-profit companies. Mr. Fry has extensive experience in overseeing areas such as finance, investments, risk management, internal audit and information technology. He holds a B.A. degree in American Civilization from Lafayette College and an M.B.A from New York University. Mr. Fry has served on the Board since January 2001 .

     Anthony D. Knerr — Currently the Coordinating Trustee, Dr. Knerr has over forty years of experience in higher education. He has served in senior executive positions at two major universities where he was responsible for overseeing finances, investments, internal audit, risk management and related functions. He founded an international strategy consulting firm that has assisted universities and other non-profit institutions on a wide range of strategic, business, and financial issues. He has also served as an officer and board member of numerous nonprofit organizations and has taught at several universities. He received his Ph.D. from New York University and his M.A. and B.A. from Yale University. Dr. Knerr has served on the Board since April 1990.

     Lucinda S. Landreth — Ms. Landreth has over thirty-five years of experience in the investment management industry, particularly with equity management and analysis. She has served as Chief Investment Officer for a variety of money management firms including a bank, a broker, and an insurance company. Ms. Landreth has advised mutual funds, pension funds, and family wealth managers and has served on the board and executive committees of her college, two foundations and several non-profit institutions. In addition to her B.A., she is a Chartered Financial Analyst. Ms. Landreth has served on the Board since March 2005.

     Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa — Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa has over thirty years of experience in banking and wealth management. In electing her in 2011, the Independent Trustees of the Trust found that her extensive international wealth management experience, in particular, complemented the skills of existing Board members and also reflected the increasing importance of international investment management not only for dollar denominated investors but also for investors outside the U.S. The Independent Trustees also found that Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa's management responsibilities as the former President and Chief Executive Officer of a major trust and wealth management company would add a helpful oversight skill to the Board's expertise, and her extensive non-profit Board experience gave them confidence that she would make a meaningful, experienced contribution to the Board of Trustees. Finally, in electing Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa to the Board, the Independent Trustees valued her perceived dedication to client service as a result of her overall career experience. Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa holds B.A. and M.B.A. degrees. Ms. Sevilla-Sacasa has served on the Board since September 2011.

     Janet L. Yeomans — Ms. Yeomans has over twenty-eight years of business experience with a large global diversified manufacturing company, including service as Treasurer for this company. In this role, Ms. Yeomans has significant broad-based financial experience, including global financial risk management and mergers and acquisitions. She has also served as a board member of a for-profit company. She holds degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Connecticut College, an M.S. in mathematices from Illinois Institute of Technology, and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago. Ms. Yeomans has served on the Board since April 1999.

     J. Richard Zecher — Mr. Zecher has over thirty-five years of experience in the investment management industry. He founded a hedge fund investment advisory firm and a risk management consulting company. He also served as Treasurer of a money center New York bank. Prior thereto, Mr. Zecher was the Chief Economist at the Securities and Exchange Commission. Mr. Zecher has served as a board member and board committee member of a for-profit company. He holds degrees in Economics from The Ohio State University. Mr. Zecher has served on the Board since March 2005.

     Patrick P. Coyne — Mr. Coyne has over twenty-five years of experience in the investment management industry. Mr. Coyne has managed funds, investment teams and fixed income trading operations. He has held executive management positions at Delaware Investments for several years, serving as the firm’s Chief Investment Officer for fixed income investments, as Chief Investment Officer for equity investments and, since 2006, as President of Delaware Investments. Mr. Coyne has served as a board member of non-profit organizations and for-profit companies, and currently serves on the Board of Governors of the Investment Company Institute. He holds a B.A. degree from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Coyne has served on the Board since August 2006. 

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     Independent Trustee Committee: This committee develops and recommends to the Board a set of corporate governance principles and oversees the evaluation of the Board, its committees, and its activities. The committee is comprised of all of the Trust’s Independent Trustees. The Independent Trustee Committee held four meetings during the Trust’s last fiscal year.

     Investments Committee: The primary purposes of the Investments Committee are to: (i) assist the Board at its request in its oversight of the investment advisory services provided to the Trust by the Manager as well as any sub-advisors; (ii) review all proposed advisory and sub-advisory agreements for new funds or proposed amendments to existing agreements and to recommend what action the full Board and the Independent Trustees should take regarding the approval of all such proposed agreements; and (iii) review reports supplied by the Manager regarding investment performance, portfolio risk and expenses and to suggest changes to such reports. The Investments Committee consists of the following four Independent Trustees: J. Richard Zecher, Chairperson; John A. Fry; Janet Yeomans; and Frances A. Sevilla-Secasa. The Investments Committee held four meetings during the Trust’s last fiscal year.

     Board role in risk oversight: The Board performs a risk oversight function for the Trust consisting, among other things, of the following activities: (1) receiving and reviewing reports related to the performance and operations of the Trust; (2) reviewing, approving, or modifying as applicable, the compliance policies and procedures of the Trust; (3) meeting with portfolio management teams to review investment strategies, techniques and the processes used to manage related risks; (4) addressing security valuation risk in connection with its review of fair valuation decisions made by Fund management pursuant to Board-approved procedures; (5) meeting with representatives of key service providers, including the Manager, the Distributor, the Transfer Agent, the custodian and the independent public accounting firm of the Trust, to review and discuss the activities of the Trust’s series and to provide direction with respect thereto; (6) engaging the services of the Trust’s Chief Compliance Officer to test the compliance procedures of the Trust and its service providers; and (7) requiring management’s periodic presentations on specified risk topics.

     The Trustees perform this risk oversight function throughout the year in connection with each quarterly Board meeting. The Trustees/Directors routinely discuss certain risk management topics with Fund management at the Board level and also through the standing committees of the Board. In addition to these recurring risk management discussions, Fund management raises other specific risk management issues relating to the Fund with the Trustees/Directors at Board and committee meetings. When discussing new product initiatives with the Board, Fund management also discusses risk – either the risks associated with the new proposals or the risks that the proposals are designed to mitigate. Fund management also provides periodic presentations to the Board to give the Trustees a general overview of how the Manager and its affiliates identify and manage risks pertinent to the Trust.

     The Audit Committee looks at specific risk management issues on an ongoing basis. The Audit Committee is responsible for certain aspects of risk oversight relating to financial statements, the valuation of the Trust’s assets, and certain compliance matters. In addition, the Audit Committee meets with the Manager’s internal audit and risk management personnel on a quarterly basis to review the reports on their examinations of functions and processes affecting the Trust.

     The Board’s other committees also play a role in assessing and managing risk. The Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Independent Trustee Committee play a role in managing governance risk by developing and recommending to the Board corporate governance principles and, in the case of the Independent Trustee Committee, by overseeing the evaluation of the Board, its committees and its activities. The Investments Committee plays a significant role in assessing and managing risk through its oversight of investment performance, investment process, investment risk controls and Fund expenses. 

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     Because risk is inherent in the operation of any business endeavor, and particularly in connection with the making of financial investments, there can be no assurance that the Board’s approach to risk oversight will be able to minimize or even mitigate any particular risk. Each Fund is designed for investors that are prepared to accept investment risk, including the possibility that as yet unforeseen risks may emerge in the future.

Code of Ethics  
     The Trust, the Manager, and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics in compliance with the requirements of Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act, which govern personal securities transactions. Under the Codes of Ethics, persons subject to the Codes are permitted to engage in personal securities transactions, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, subject to the requirements set forth in Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act and certain other procedures set forth in the applicable Code of Ethics. The Codes of Ethics are on public file with, and are available from, the SEC.

Proxy Voting Policy  
     The Trust has formally delegated to the Manager the responsibility for making all proxy voting decisions in relation to portfolio securities held by the Fund. If and when proxies need to be voted on behalf of the Funds, the Manager will vote such proxies pursuant to its Proxy Voting Policies and Procedures (the “Procedures”). The Manager has established a Proxy Voting Committee (the “Committee”), which is responsible for overseeing the Manager’s proxy voting process for the Funds. One of the main responsibilities of the Committee is to review and approve the Procedures to ensure that the Procedures are designed to allow the Manager to vote proxies in a manner consistent with the goal of voting in the best interests of the Funds.

     In order to facilitate the actual process of voting proxies, the Manager has contracted with Institutional Shareholder Services (“ISS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of RiskMetrics Group (“RiskMetrics”), which is a subsidiary of MSCI Inc.), to analyze proxy statements on behalf of the Funds and the Manager’s other clients and vote proxies generally in accordance with the Procedures. The Committee is responsible for overseeing ISS/RiskMetrics’s proxy voting activities. If a proxy has been voted for the Funds, ISS/RiskMetrics will create a record of the vote. By no later than August 31 of each year, information (if any) regarding how the Funds voted proxies relating to portfolio securities during the most recently disclosed 12-month period ended June 30 is available without charge (i) through the Trust’s website at delawareinvestments.com; and (ii) on the Commission’s website, at sec.gov.

     The Procedures contain a general guideline stating that recommendations of company management on an issue (particularly routine issues) should be given a fair amount of weight in determining how proxy issues should be voted. However, the Manager will normally vote against management’s position when it runs counter to its specific Proxy Voting Guidelines (the “Guidelines”), and the Manager will also vote against management’s recommendation when it believes that such position is not in the best interests of the Funds.

     As stated above, the Procedures also list specific Guidelines on how to vote proxies on behalf of the Funds. Some examples of the Guidelines are as follows: (i) generally vote for shareholder proposals asking that a majority or more of directors be independent; (ii) generally vote against proposals to require a supermajority shareholder vote; (iii) votes on mergers and acquisitions should be considered on a case-by-case basis, determining whether the transaction enhances shareholder value; (iv) generally vote against proposals at companies with more than one class of common stock to increase the number of authorized shares of the class that has superior voting rights; (v) generally vote re-incorporation proposals on a case-by-case basis; (vi) votes with respect to equity-based compensation plans are generally determined on a case-by-case basis; and (vii) generally vote for proposals requesting reports on the level of greenhouse gas emissions from a company’s operations and products.

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     Because the Trust has delegated proxy voting to the Manager, the Funds are not expected to encounter any conflict of interest issues regarding proxy voting and therefore does not have procedures regarding this matter. However, the Manager does have a section in its Procedures that addresses the possibility of conflicts of interest. Most proxies that the Manager receives on behalf of the Funds are voted by ISS/RiskMetrics in accordance with the Procedures. Because almost all Funds proxies are voted by ISS/RiskMetrics pursuant to the pre-determined Procedures, it normally will not be necessary for the Manager to make an actual determination of how to vote a particular proxy, thereby largely eliminating conflicts of interest for the Manager during the proxy voting process. In the very limited instances where the Manager is considering voting a proxy contrary to ISS/RiskMetrics’s recommendation, the Committee will first assess the issue to see if there is any possible conflict of interest involving the Manager or affiliated persons of the Manager. If a member of the Committee has actual knowledge of a conflict of interest, the Committee will normally use another independent third party to do additional research on the particular proxy issue in order to make a recommendation to the Committee on how to vote the proxy in the best interests of the Funds. The Committee will then review the proxy voting materials and recommendation provided by ISS/RiskMetrics and the independent third party to determine how to vote the issue in a manner that the Committee believes is consistent with the Procedures and in the best interests of the Funds.

INVESTMENT MANAGER AND OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Investment Manager  
     The Manager, located at 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094, furnishes investment management services to the Funds, subject to the supervision and direction of the Board. The Manager also provides investment management services to all of the other Delaware Investments® Funds. Affiliates of the Manager also manage other investment accounts. While investment decisions for the Funds are made independently from those of the other funds and accounts, investment decisions for such other funds and accounts may be made at the same time as investment decisions for the Funds. The Manager pays the salaries of all Trustees, officers, and employees who are affiliated with both the Manager and the Trust.

     As of September 30, 2012, the Manager and its affiliates within Delaware Investments were managing in the aggregate more than $175 billion in assets in various institutional or separately managed, investment company, and insurance accounts. The Manager is a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, which is a subsidiary of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. (“DMHI”). DMHI is a subsidiary, and subject to the ultimate control, of Macquarie Group Ltd. “Macquarie”). Macquarie is a Sydney, Australia-headquartered global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services. Delaware Investments is the marketing name for DMHI and its subsidiaries. The Manager and its affiliates own the name “Delaware Group.” Under certain circumstances, including the termination of the Trust’s advisory relationship with the Manager or its distribution relationship with the Distributor, the Manager and its affiliates could cause the Trust to remove the words “Delaware Group” from its name.

     The Investment Management Agreement for the Funds is dated January 4, 2010. The Investment Management Agreement had an initial term of two years and may be renewed each year only so long as such renewal and continuance are specifically approved at least annually by the Board or by vote of a majority of the outstanding voting securities of each Fund, and only if the terms of, and the renewal thereof, have been approved by the vote of a majority of the Independent Trustees of the Trust who are not parties thereto or interested persons of any such party, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Investment Management Agreement is terminable without penalty on 60-days’ notice by the Trustees of the Trust or by the Manager. The Investment Management Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment.

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     As compensation for the services rendered under the Investment Management Agreement, the Funds shall pay the Manager an annual management fee as a percentage of average daily net assets equal to:

Management Fee Schedule
(as a percentage of average daily net assets)
Fund Name Annual Rate
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund 0.50% on first $500 million
0.475% on next $500 million
0.45% on next $1.5 billion
0.425% on assets in excess of $2.5 billion
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund 0.55% on first $500 million
0.50% on next $500 million
0.45% on next $1.5 billion
0.425% on assets in excess of $2.5 billion
Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund 0.65% on first $500 million
0.60% on next $500 million
0.55% on next $1.5 billion
0.50% on assets in excess of $2.5 billion
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund 0.50% on the first $500 million
0.475% on the next $500 million
0.45% on the next $1.5 billion
0.425% on assets in excess of $2.5 billion.
Delaware Core Bond Fund 0.50% on the first $500 million
0.475% on the next $500 million
0.45% on the next $1.5 billion
0.425% on assets in excess of $2.5 billion.

     During the past three fiscal years, the Funds paid the following investment management fees:

Fund July 31, 2012 July 31, 2011 July 31, 2010
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund $5,200,289 earned $4,832,147 earned $3,977,258 earned
$4,991,188 paid $1,963,690 paid $3,049,395 paid
$209,101 waived $2,868,457 waived $927,863 waived
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund $3,562,267 earned  $2,364,891 earned $1,625,747 earned
$3,183,690 paid $1,869,950 paid $1,041,794 paid
$378,577 waived $494,941 waived $583,953 waived
Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund $3,422,038 earned $3,393,472 earned $2,845,691 earned
$3,059,304 paid $1,458,070 paid $2,234,082 paid
$362,734 waived $1,935,402 waived $611,609 waived
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund $506,878 earned $256,664 earned $11,980 earned
$489,399 paid $131,904 paid none
$17,479 waived $124,760 waived $11,980 waived
Delaware Core Bond Fund $138,472 earned $111,614 earned $57,567 earned
$30,105 paid none none
$108,367 waived $111,614 waived $57,567 waived

     Except for those expenses borne by the Manager under the Investment Management Agreements and the Distributor under the Distribution Agreement, each Fund is responsible for all of its own expenses. Among others, such expenses include the Funds’ proportionate share of certain administrative expenses; investment management fees; transfer and dividend disbursing fees and costs; accounting services; custodian expenses; federal and state securities registration fees; proxy costs; and the costs of preparing prospectuses and reports sent to shareholders.

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Distributor  
     The Distributor, Delaware Distributors, L.P., located at 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094, serves as the national distributor of the Trust’s shares under a Distribution Agreement dated May 15, 2003, as amended. The Distributor is an affiliate of the Manager and bears all of the costs of promotion and distribution, except for payments by the Retail Classes under their respective Rule 12b-1 Plans. The Distributor is an indirect subsidiary of DMHI, and, therefore, of Macquarie. The Distributor has agreed to use its best efforts to sell shares of the Funds. See the Prospectuses for information on how to invest. Shares of the Funds are offered on a continuous basis by the Distributor and may be purchased through authorized investment dealers or directly by contacting the Distributor or the Trust. The Distributor also serves as national distributor for the other Delaware Investments ® Funds. The Board annually reviews fees paid to the Distributor.

     During the Funds’ last three fiscal years, the Distributor received net commissions from each Fund on behalf of its respective Class A shares, after re-allowances to dealers, as follows:

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class A Shares
Total Amount Amounts Net
of Underwriting Re-allowed Commission
Fiscal Year Ended Commissions to Dealers to Distributor
7/31/12 $1,588,319 $1,390,802 $197,517
7/31/11 $675,535 $594,322 $81,213
7/31/10 $859,569 $752,598 $106,971

Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Class A Shares
Total Amount Amounts Net
of Underwriting Re-allowed Commission
Fiscal Year Ended Commissions to Dealers to Distributor
7/31/12 $933,883 $819,605 $114,278
7/31/11 $379,215 $347,352 $31,863
7/31/10 $217,522 $190,324 $27,198

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Class A Shares
Total Amount Amounts Net
of Underwriting Re-allowed Commission
Fiscal Year Ended Commissions to Dealers to Distributor
7/31/12 $773,107 $680,370 $92,737
7/31/11 $712,423 $623,957 $88,466
7/31/10 $335,678 $292,967 $42,711

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Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund Class A Shares
Total Amount Amounts Net
of Underwriting Re-allowed Commission
Fiscal Year Ended Commissions to Dealers to Distributor
7/31/12 $22,666 $18,984 $3,682
7/31/11 $62,761 $53,204 $9,557
7/31/10 $2,813 $2,392 $421

Delaware Core Bond Fund Class A Shares
Total Amount Amounts Net
of Underwriting Re-allowed Commission
Fiscal Year Ended Commissions to Dealers to Distributor
7/31/12 $18,354 $15,198 $3,156
7/31/11 $9,956 $8,766 $1,190
7/31/10 $3,789 $3,301 $488

     During the Funds’ last three fiscal years, the Distributor received, in the aggregate, limited contingent deferred sales charge (“Limited CDSC”) payments with respect to Class A shares of the Funds as follows:

Delaware
Delaware Diversified
Delaware High-Yield Corporate Delaware Extended Floating Rate Delaware Core
Opportunities Fund Bond Fund Duration Bond Fund Fund Bond Fund
Fiscal Year Ended Class A Shares Class A Shares Class A Shares Class A Shares Class A Shares
7/31/12 $4,285 $2 $442 $7,274 $0
7/31/11 $16 $0 $0 $750 $0
7/31/10 $0 $0 $0 $0 $0

     During the Funds’ last three fiscal years, the Distributor received, in the aggregate, contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”) payments with respect to Class B shares of the Funds as follows:

Delaware
Delaware High-Yield Corporate Delaware Extended
Fiscal Year Opportunities Fund Bond Fund Duration Bond Fund
Ended Class B Shares Class B Shares Class B Shares
7/31/12 $2,461 $2,520 $620
7/31/11 $3,693 $8,206 $1,750
7/31/10 $11,576 $14,179 $3,415

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     During the Funds’ last three fiscal years, the Distributor received, in the aggregate, CDSC payments with respect to Class C shares of each Fund as follows:

Delaware
Delaware High-Yield Corporate Delaware Extended Delaware Diversified Delaware Core Bond
Fiscal Year Opportunities Fund Bond Fund Duration Bond Fund Floating Rate Fund Fund
Ended Class C Shares Class C Shares Class C Shares Class C Shares Class C Shares
7/31/12 $6,263 $7,704 $5,936 $3,772 $9
7/31/11 $5,759 $8,011 $5,712 $5,234 $16
7/31/10 $5,397 $22,155 $6,160 N/A N/A

Transfer Agent  
     Delaware Service Company, Inc. (“DSC”), an affiliate of the Manager, is located at 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094, and serves as the Funds’ shareholder servicing, dividend disbursing, and transfer agent (the “Transfer Agent”) pursuant to a Shareholder Services Agreement. The Transfer Agent is an indirect subsidiary of DMHI and, therefore, of Macquarie. The Transfer Agent also acts as shareholder servicing, dividend disbursing, and transfer agent for other Delaware Investments ® Funds. The Transfer Agent is paid a fee by the Funds for providing these services consisting of an asset-based fee and certain out-of-pocket expenses. The Transfer Agent will bill, and the Funds will pay, such compensation monthly. Omnibus and networking fees charged by financial intermediaries and sub-transfer agency fees are passed on to and paid directly by the Funds. The Transfer Agent’s compensation is fixed each year and approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees.

     Each Fund has authorized, in addition to the Transfer Agent, one or more brokers to accept on its behalf purchase and redemption orders. Such brokers are authorized to designate other intermediaries to accept purchase and redemption orders on behalf of each Fund. For purposes of pricing, each Fund will be deemed to have received a purchase or redemption order when an authorized broker or, if applicable, a broker’s authorized designee, accepts the order.

     BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (“BNYMIS”) provides sub-transfer agency services to the Funds. In connection with these services, BNYMIS administers the overnight investment of cash pending investment in the Funds or payment of redemptions. The proceeds of this investment program are used to offset the Funds’ transfer agency expenses.

Fund Accountants 
     The Bank of New York Mellon (“BNY Mellon”), One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286-0001, provides fund accounting and financial administration services to the Funds. Those services include performing functions related to calculating the Funds’ NAVs and providing financial reporting information, regulatory compliance testing and other related accounting services. For these services, the Funds pay BNY Mellon an asset-based fee, subject to certain fee minimums plus certain out-of-pocket expenses and transactional charges. DSC provides fund accounting and financial administration oversight services to the Funds. Those services include overseeing the Funds’ pricing process, the calculation and payment of fund expenses, and financial reporting in shareholder reports, registration statements and other regulatory filings. DSC also manages the process for the payment of dividends and distributions and the dissemination of Fund NAVs and performance data. For these services, the Funds pay DSC an asset-based fee, plus certain out-of-pocket expenses and transactional charges. The fees payable to BNY Mellon and DSC under the service agreements described above will be allocated among all funds in the Delaware Investments ® Family of Funds on a relative NAV basis.

     During the fiscal years ended July 31, 2010, 2011, and 2012, the Funds paid the following amounts to BNY Mellon for fund accounting and financial administration services: $542,614, $694,955, and $821,079, respectively.

     During the fiscal years ended July 31, 2010, 2011, and 2012, the Funds paid the following amounts to DSC for fund accounting and financial administration oversight services: $77,924, $100,128, and $117,932, respectively.

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Custodian 
     BNY Mellon is custodian of the Funds’ securities and cash. As custodian for the Funds, BNY Mellon maintains a separate account or accounts for the Funds; receives, holds, and releases portfolio securities on account of the Funds; receives and disburses money on behalf of the Funds; and collects and receives income and other payments and distributions on account of the Funds’ portfolio securities. BNY Mellon also serves as the Funds’ custodian for their investments in foreign securities.

Legal Counsel  
     Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP serves as the Trust’s legal counsel.

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PORTFOLIO MANAGERS

Other Accounts Managed 
     The following chart lists certain information about types of other accounts for which each portfolio manager is primarily responsible as of July 31, 2012 unless otherwise noted. Any accounts managed in a personal capacity appear under “Other Accounts” along with the other accounts managed on a professional basis. The personal account information is current as of June 30, 2012.

Total Assets
in Accounts with
No. of Total Assets No. of Accounts with Performance-Based
Accounts in Accounts Fee Performance-Based Fees Fee
Roger A. Early        
Registered Investment 17 $24.4 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 44 $6.2 billion 2 $787.8 million
Kevin P. Loome        
Registered Investment 18 $18.0 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 10 $2.4 billion 0 $0
Paul Grillo        
Registered Investment 21 $23.2 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 20 $2.0 billion 1 $725.8 million
Thomas H. Chow        
Registered Investment 12 $19.8 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 11 $4.1 billion 0 $0
Brian McDonnell        
Registered Investment 3 $3.7 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 63 $5.2 billion 1 $725.8 million
Adam Brown        
Registered Investment 2 $152.2 million 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 12 $1.1 billion 0 $0
David Hillmeyer        
Registered Investment 6 $13.3 billion 0 $0
Companies
Other Pooled 0 $0 0 $0
Investment Vehicles
Other Accounts 11 $507.2 million 0 $0

Description of Material Conflicts of Interest
       Individual portfolio managers may perform investment management services for other funds or accounts similar to those provided to the Funds and the investment action for such other fund or account and the Funds may differ. For example, an account or fund may be selling a security, while another account or fund may be purchasing or holding the same security. As a result, transactions executed for one fund or account may adversely affect the value of securities held by another fund, account or the Funds. Additionally, the management of multiple other funds or accounts and the Funds may give rise to potential conflicts of interest, as a portfolio manager must allocate time and effort to multiple other funds or accounts and the Funds. A portfolio manager may discover an investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one account or fund. The investment opportunity may be limited, however, so that all funds or accounts for which the investment would be suitable may not be able to participate. The Manager has adopted procedures designed to allocate investments fairly across multiple funds or accounts.

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       Two of the accounts managed by the portfolio managers have performance-based fees. This compensation structure presents a potential conflict of interest. The portfolio managers have an incentive to manage these accounts so as to enhance their performance, to the possible detriment of other accounts for which the investment manager does not receive a performance-based fee.

       A portfolio manager’s management of personal accounts also may present certain conflicts of interest. While the Manager’s code of ethics is designed to address these potential conflicts, there is no guarantee that it will do so.

Compensation Structure 
       Each portfolio manager’s compensation consists of the following:

       Base Salary. Each named portfolio manager receives a fixed base salary. Salaries are determined by a comparison to industry data prepared by third parties to ensure that portfolio manager salaries are in line with salaries paid at peer investment advisory firms.

       Bonus. An objective component is added to the bonus for each manager that is reflective of account performance relative to an appropriate peer group or database. The following paragraph describes the structure of the non-guaranteed bonus.

       Each portfolio manager is eligible to receive an annual cash bonus, which is based on quantitative and qualitative factors. There is one pool for bonus payments for the fixed income department. The amount of the pool for bonus payments is determined by assets managed (including investment companies, insurance product-related accounts and other separate accounts), management fees and related expenses (including fund waiver expenses) for registered investment companies, pooled vehicles, and managed separate accounts. Generally, 60%-75% of the bonus is quantitatively determined. For more senior portfolio managers, a higher percentage of the bonus is quantitatively determined. For investment companies, each manager is compensated according the Fund’s Lipper or Morningstar peer group percentile ranking on a 1-, 3-, and 5-year basis, with longer-term performance more heavily weighted. For managed separate accounts the portfolio managers are compensated according to the composite percentile ranking against the Frank Russell and Callan Associates databases (or similar sources of relative performance data) on a 1-, 3-, and 5-year basis, with longer term performance more heavily weighted. There is no objective award for a fund that falls below the 50th percentile, but incentives reach maximum potential at the 25th-30th percentile. There is a sliding scale for investment companies that are ranked above the 50th percentile. The remaining 25%-40% portion of the bonus is discretionary as determined by the Manager and takes into account subjective factors.

       For new and recently transitioned portfolio managers, the compensation may be weighted more heavily towards a portfolio manager’s actual contribution and ability to influence performance, rather than longer-term performance. Management intends to move the compensation structure towards longer-term performance for these portfolio managers over time.

       Incentive Unit Plan - Portfolio managers may be awarded incentive unit awards (“Awards”) relating to the underlying shares of common stock of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc. issuable pursuant to the terms of the Delaware Investments Incentive Unit Plan (the “Plan”) adopted on November 30, 2010. Awards are no longer granted under the Delaware Investments U.S., Inc. 2009 Incentive Compensation Plan or the Amended and Restated Delaware Investments U.S., Inc. Incentive Compensation Plan, which was established in 2001.

       The Plan was adopted in order to: assist the Manager in attracting, retaining, and rewarding key employees of the company; enable such employees to acquire or increase an equity interest in the company in order to align the interest of such employees and the Manager; and provide such employees with incentives to expend their maximum efforts. Subject to the terms of the Plan and applicable award agreements, Awards typically vest in 25% increments on a four-year schedule, and shares of common stock underlying the Awards are issued after vesting. The fair market value of the shares of Delaware Management Holdings, Inc., is normally determined as of each March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31 by an independent appraiser. Generally, a stockholder may put shares back to the company during the put period communicated in connection with the applicable valuation.

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       Other Compensation: Portfolio managers may also participate in benefit plans and programs available generally to all employees.

Ownership of Securities 
       As of July 31, 2012, the following portfolio managers owned shares of the Funds.

  Dollar Range of Fund Shares  
Portfolio Manager Owned * Fund
Kevin P. Loome $500,001 - $1 million Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund
1 The ranges for Fund share ownership by portfolio managers are: $1-$10,000; $10,001-$50,000; $50,001-$100,000; $100,001-$500,000; $500,001-$1 million; or over $1 million

TRADING PRACTICES AND BROKERAGE

       The Manager selects broker/dealers to execute transactions on behalf of the Funds for the purchase or sale of portfolio securities on the basis of its judgment of their professional capability to provide the service. The primary consideration in selecting broker/dealers is to seek those broker/dealers who will provide best execution for the Funds. Best execution refers to many factors, including the price paid or received for a security, the commission charged, the promptness and reliability of execution, the confidentiality and placement accorded the order and other factors affecting the overall benefit obtained by the account on the transaction. Some trades are made on a net basis where the Funds either buy securities directly from the dealer or sell them to the dealer. In these instances, there is no direct commission charged but there is a spread (the difference between the buy and sell price) which is the equivalent of a commission. When a commission is paid, the Funds pay reasonable brokerage commission rates based upon the professional knowledge of the Manager’s trading department as to rates paid and charged for similar transactions throughout the securities industry. In some instances, a Fund pays a minimal share transaction cost when the transaction presents no difficulty.

       During the past three fiscal years, the aggregate dollar amounts of brokerage commissions paid by the Funds were as follows:

7/31/12 7/31/11 07/31/10
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund $1,257 $102 $22,041
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund $1,286 $51 $8,007
Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund $662 $0 $11,549
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund* $0 $0 $0
Delaware Core Bond Fund** $484 $0 $0

       Subject to best execution and Rule 12b-1(h) under the 1940 Act, the Manager may allocate out of all commission business generated by all of the funds and accounts under its management, brokerage business to broker/dealers who provide brokerage and research services. These services include providing advice, either directly or through publications or writings, as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing, or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; furnishing of analyses and reports concerning issuers, securities, or industries; providing information on economic factors and trends; assisting in determining portfolio strategy; and providing portfolio performance evaluation and technical market analyses. Such services are used by the Manager in connection with its investment decision-making process with respect to one or more mutual funds and separate accounts managed by it, and may not be used, or used exclusively, with respect to the mutual fund or separate account generating the brokerage.

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       As provided in the 1934 Act, as amended, and the Funds’ Investment Management Agreement, higher commissions are permitted to be paid to broker/dealers who provide brokerage and research services than to broker/dealers who do not provide such services, if such higher commissions are deemed reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. Although transactions directed to broker/dealers who provide such brokerage and research services may result in the Funds paying higher commissions, the Manager believes that such commissions are reasonable in relation to the value of the brokerage and research services provided. In some instances, services may be provided to the Manager that constitute, in some part, brokerage and research services used by the Manager in connection with its investment decision-making process and constitute, in some part, services used by the Manager in connection with administrative or other functions not related to its investment decision-making process. In such cases, the Manager will make a good faith allocation of brokerage and research services and will pay out of its own resources for services used by the Manager in connection with administrative or other functions not related to its investment decision-making process. In addition, so long as no fund is disadvantaged, portfolio transactions that generate commissions or their equivalent are allocated to broker/dealers who provide daily portfolio pricing services to each Fund and to other Delaware Investments ® Funds. Subject to best execution, commissions allocated to brokers providing such pricing services may or may not be generated by the funds receiving the pricing service.

       During the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Funds did not engage in any portfolio transactions resulting in brokerage commissions directed to brokers for brokerage and research services.

       As of July 31, 2012, the Funds held the following amounts of securities of their regular broker/dealers, as defined in Rule 10b-1 under the 1940 Act, or such broker/dealers’ parents:

Fund Regular Broker/Dealer Value
Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Morgan Stanley Smith Barney $355,019
Prudential Financial Inc. $292,146
Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund Bank of America $5,155,617
  Wachovia Bank $3,981,276
  Morgan Stanley Smith Barney $2,227,689
Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Wachovia Bank $956,855
Fund Bank of America $409,426
Morgan Stanley Smith Barney $86,051

       The Manager may place a combined order for two or more accounts or funds engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. When a combined order is executed in a series of transactions at different prices, each account participating in the order may be allocated an average price obtained from the executing broker. It is believed that the ability of the accounts to participate in volume transactions will generally be beneficial to the accounts and funds. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Manager and the Board that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of separate transactions.

       Consistent with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), and subject to seeking best execution, the Manager may place orders with broker/dealers that have agreed to defray certain Fund expenses such as custodian fees.

       The Trust has the authority to participate in a commission recapture program. Under the program and subject to seeking best execution (as described in the first paragraph in this section), the Funds may direct certain security trades to brokers who have agreed to rebate a portion of the related brokerage commission to the Funds in cash. Any such commission rebates will be included as a realized gain on securities in the appropriate financial statements of the Funds. The Manager and its affiliates have previously acted and may in the future act as an investment manager to mutual funds or separate accounts affiliated with the administrator of the commission recapture program. In addition, affiliates of the administrator act as consultants in helping institutional clients choose investment managers and may also participate in other types of businesses and provide other services in the investment management industry.

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CAPITAL STRUCTURE

Capitalization
       The Trust currently has authorized, and allocated to each Class of each Fund, an unlimited number of shares of beneficial interest with no par value. All shares are, when issued in accordance with the Trust’s registration statement (as amended from time to time), governing instruments and applicable law, fully paid and nonassessable. Shares do not have preemptive rights. All shares of a Fund represent an undivided proportionate interest in the assets of such Fund. Shares of the Institutional Class may not vote on any matter that affects the Retail Classes’ Distribution Plans under Rule 12b-1. Similarly, as a general matter, shareholders of Retail Classes may vote only on matters affecting their respective Class, including the Retail Classes’ Rule 12b-1 Plans that relate to the Class of shares that they hold. However, a Fund’s Class B shares may vote on any proposal to increase materially the fees to be paid by such Fund under the Rule 12b-1 Plan relating to its Class A shares. Except for the foregoing, each share Class has the same voting and other rights and preferences as the other Classes of a Fund. General expenses of each Fund will be allocated on a pro rata basis to the classes according to asset size, except that expenses of the Retail Classes’ Rule 12b-1 Plans will be allocated solely to those classes.

       Until September 30, 1996, the Trust operated as Delaware Group Delchester High-Yield Bond Fund, Inc., and offered one series of shares, the Delchester Fund series. The Trust began offering the shares of: the Strategic Income Fund on September 30, 1996; the Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund on December 27, 1996; Delaware Corporate Bond Fund and Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund on September 14, 1998; and Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund on February 26, 2010. Beginning August 16, 1999, the Delchester Fund changed its name and its classes’ names to Delaware Delchester Fund; the Strategic Income Fund changed its name and its classes’ names to Delaware Strategic Income Fund; the High-Yield Opportunities Fund changed its name and its classes’ names to Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund; the Corporate Bond Fund changed its name and its classes’ names to Delaware Corporate Bond Fund; and the Extended Duration Bond Fund changed its name and its classes’ names to Delaware Extended Duration Bond Fund. Effective as of September 29, 1999, the Trust changed its name from the Delaware Group Income Funds, Inc. to Delaware Group Income Funds. Class R shares were offered on June 2, 2003. Delaware Strategic Income Fund merged its shares into Delaware Diversified Income Fund, a series of Delaware Group Adviser Funds, on March 29, 2004. Effective as of the close of business on April 17, 2009, Delaware Delchester ® Fund was reorganized into Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund. The Trust established the Delaware Core Bond Fund on August 12, 2009.

Noncumulative Voting
       The Trust’s shares have noncumulative voting rights, which means that the holders of more than 50% of the shares of the Trust voting for the election of Trustees can elect all of the Trustees if they choose to do so, and, in such event, the holders of the remaining shares will not be able to elect any Trustees.

PURCHASING SHARES

       As of May 31, 2007, the Funds ceased to permit new or subsequent investments, including investments through automatic investment plans and by qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) or 457 plans), in Class B shares, except through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges. Existing shareholders of Class B shares may continue to hold their Class B shares, reinvest dividends into Class B shares, and exchange their Class B shares of one Delaware Investments ® Fund for Class B shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund, as permitted by existing exchange privileges.

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       For Class B shares outstanding as of May 31, 2007 and Class B shares acquired upon reinvestment of dividends or capital gains, all Class B share attributes, including the CDSC schedules, conversion to Class A schedule, and distribution and service (12b-1) fees, will continue in their current form. You will be notified via supplement if there are any changes to these attributes, sales charges, or fees.

General Information  
       Shares of the Funds are offered on a continuous basis by the Distributor and may be purchased through authorized investment dealers or directly by contacting the Distributor or the Trust. The Trust reserves the right to suspend sales of Fund shares, and reject any order for the purchase of Fund shares if, in the opinion of management, such rejection is in a Fund’s best interest. The minimum initial investment generally is $1,000 for Class A shares, Class B shares, and Class C shares. Subsequent purchases of such Classes generally must be at least $100. The initial and subsequent investment minimums for Class A shares will be waived for purchases by officers, Trustees, and employees of any Delaware Investments ® Fund, the Manager, or any of the Manager’s affiliates if the purchases are made pursuant to a payroll deduction program. Shares purchased pursuant to the Uniform Gifts to Minors Act or Uniform Transfers to Minors Act and shares purchased in connection with an automatic investing plan are subject to a minimum initial purchase of $250 and a minimum subsequent purchase of $25. There are no minimum purchase requirements for Class R and the Institutional Classes, but certain eligibility requirements must be met.

       You may purchase up to $1 million of Class C shares of the Funds. See “Investment Plans” for purchase limitations applicable to retirement plans. The Trust will reject any purchase order for $1 million or more of Class C shares. In doing so, an investor should keep in mind, however, that reduced front-end sales charges apply to investments of $100,000 or more in Class A shares, and that Class A shares are subject to lower annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses than Class B shares and Class C shares and generally are not subject to a CDSC.

       Selling dealers are responsible for transmitting orders promptly. If a purchase is canceled because your check is returned unpaid, you are responsible for any loss incurred. Each Fund reserves the right to reject any order for the purchase of its shares if, in the opinion of management, such rejection is in the Fund’s best interest. Each Fund can redeem shares from your account(s) to reimburse itself for any loss, and you may be restricted from making future purchases in any Delaware Investments ® Fund. Each Fund reserves the right to reject purchase orders paid by third-party checks or checks that are not drawn on a domestic branch of a United States financial institution. If a check drawn on a foreign financial institution is accepted, you may be subject to additional bank charges for clearance and currency conversion.

       Each Fund also reserves the right, following shareholder notification, to charge a service fee on nonretirement accounts that, as a result of redemption, have remained below the minimum stated account balance for a period of three or more consecutive months. Holders of such accounts may be notified of their insufficient account balance and advised that they have until the end of the current calendar quarter to raise their balance to the stated minimum. If the account has not reached the minimum balance requirement by that time, the Funds may charge a $9 fee for that quarter and each subsequent calendar quarter until the account is brought up to the minimum balance. The service fee will be deducted from the account during the first week of each calendar quarter for the previous quarter, and will be used to help defray the cost of maintaining low-balance accounts. No fees will be charged without proper notice, and no CDSC will apply to such assessments.

       Each Fund also reserves the right, upon 60-days’ written notice, to involuntarily redeem accounts that remain under the minimum initial purchase amount as a result of redemptions. An investor making the minimum initial investment may be subject to involuntary redemption without the imposition of a CDSC or Limited CDSC if he or she redeems any portion of his or her account.

       FINRA has adopted amendments to its Conduct Rules, relating to investment company sales charges. The Trust and the Distributor intend to operate in compliance with these rules.

       Certificates representing shares purchased are not ordinarily issued. Certificates were previously issued for Class A shares and Institutional Class shares of the Funds. However, purchases not involving the issuance of certificates are confirmed to the investor and credited to the shareholder’s account on the books maintained by the Transfer Agent. The investor will have the same rights of ownership with respect to such shares as if certificates had been issued. An investor will be permitted to obtain a certificate in certain limited circumstances that are approved by an appropriate officer of the Funds. No charge is assessed by the Trust for any certificate issued. The Funds do not intend to issue replacement certificates for lost or stolen certificates, except in certain limited circumstances that are approved by an appropriate officer of the Funds. In those circumstances, a shareholder may be subject to fees for replacement of a lost or stolen certificate, under certain conditions, including the cost of obtaining a bond covering the lost or stolen certificate. Please contact the Trust for further information. Investors who hold certificates representing any of their shares may only redeem those shares by written request. The investor’s certificate(s) must accompany such request.

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       Certain omnibus accounts and managed or asset-allocation programs may be opened below the minimum stated account balance and may maintain balances that are below the minimum stated account balance without incurring a service fee or being subject to involuntary redemption.

Alternative Purchase Arrangements — Class A, Class B, and Class C Shares 
       The alternative purchase arrangements of Class A shares, Class B shares, and Class C shares permit investors to choose the method of purchasing shares that is most suitable for their needs given the amount of their purchase, the length of time they expect to hold their shares and other relevant circumstances. Please note that as of May 31, 2007, each of the Funds ceased to permit new or subsequent investments, including investments through automatic investment plans and by qualified retirement plans (such as 401(k) or 457 plans), in Class B shares in any of the Funds, except through a reinvestment of dividends or capital gains or permitted exchanges. Investors should determine whether, given their particular circumstances, it is more advantageous to purchase Class A shares and incur a front-end sales charge and annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses of up to 0.30% of the average daily net assets of Class A shares of a Fund, or to purchase Class C shares and have the entire initial purchase amount invested in a Fund with the investment thereafter subject to a CDSC and annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses. Class B shares are subject to a CDSC if the shares are redeemed within six years of purchase, and Class C shares are subject to a CDSC if the shares are redeemed within 12 months of purchase. Class B and Class C shares are each subject to annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses of up to 1.00% (0.25% of which is a service fee to be paid to the Distributor, dealers, or others for providing personal service and/or maintaining shareholder accounts) of average daily net assets of the respective Class. Class B shares will automatically convert to Class A shares at the end of approximately eight years after purchase and, thereafter, be subject to Class A shares’ annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses. Unlike Class B shares, Class C shares do not convert to another Class.

       The higher Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses on Class B shares and Class C shares will be offset to the extent a return is realized on the additional money initially invested upon the purchase of such shares. However, there can be no assurance as to the return, if any, that will be realized on such additional money. In addition, the effect of any return earned on such additional money will diminish over time.

       Class R shares have no front-end sales charge and are not subject to a CDSC, but incur annual Rule 12b-1 expenses of up to 0.60%. Class A shares generally are not available for purchase by anyone qualified to purchase Class R shares.

       In comparing Class C shares to Class R shares, investors should consider the higher Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses on Class C shares. Investors also should consider the fact that Class R shares do not have a front-end sales charge and, unlike Class C shares, are not subject to a CDSC.

       For the distribution and related services provided to, and the expenses borne on behalf of, the Funds, the Distributor and others will be paid, in the case of Class A shares, from the proceeds of the front-end sales charge and Rule 12b-1 Plan fees, in the case of Class B shares and Class C shares, from the proceeds of the Rule 12b-1 Plan fees and, if applicable, the CDSC incurred upon redemption, and in the case of Class R shares, from the proceeds of the Rule 12b-1 Plan fees. Financial advisors may receive different compensation for selling Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares, and Class R shares. Investors should understand that the purpose and function of the respective Rule 12b-1 Plans (including for Class R shares) and the CDSCs applicable to Class B shares and Class C shares are the same as those of the Rule 12b-1 Plan and the front-end sales charge applicable to Class A shares in that such fees and charges are used to finance the distribution of the respective Classes. See “Plans under Rule 12b-1 for the Retail Classes” below.

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       Dividends, if any, paid on a Fund’s Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares, Class R shares and Institutional Class shares will be calculated in the same manner, at the same time and on the same day and will be in the same amount, except that the additional amount of Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses relating to Retail Classes will be borne exclusively by such shares. See “Determining Offering Price and Net Asset Value” below.

       Class A Shares: Purchases of $100,000 or more of Class A shares at the offering price carry reduced front-end sales charges as shown in the table in the Prospectuses, and may include a series of purchases over a 13-month period under a letter of intent signed by the purchaser. See “Special Purchase Features Class A Shares” below for more information on ways in which investors can avail themselves of reduced front-end sales charges and other purchase features.

       From time to time, upon written notice to all of its dealers, the Distributor may hold special promotions for specified periods during which the Distributor may re-allow to dealers up to the full amount of the front-end sales charge. The Distributor should be contacted for further information on these requirements, as well as the basis and circumstances upon which the additional commission will be paid. Participating dealers may be deemed to have additional responsibilities under the securities laws. Dealers who receive 90% or more of the sales charge may be deemed to be underwriters under the 1933 Act.

Class A Broker Exchanges  
       Class A shares purchased by accounts participating in certain programs sponsored by and/or controlled by financial intermediaries (“Programs”) may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for Institutional Class shares of the Fund under certain circumstances, including such Program’s eligibility to purchase Institutional Class shares of the Fund. Such exchange will be on the basis of the net asset values per share, without the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge.

       If a shareholder of Institutional Class shares has ceased his or her participation in the Program, the financial intermediary may exchange all such Institutional Class shares for Class A shares of the Fund. Such exchange will be on the basis of the relative net asset values of the shares, without imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge. Holders of Class A shares that were sold without a front-end sales load but for which the Distributor has paid a commission to a financial intermediary are generally not eligible for this exchange privilege until two years after the purchase of such Class A shares.

       Exchange of Class A shares for Institutional Class shares of the same Fund, or the exchange of Institutional Class shares for Class A shares of the same Fund, under these particular circumstances, will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. You should also consult with your tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such an exchange of Fund shares.

       This exchange privilege is subject to termination and may be amended from time to time.

Class B Exchanges 
       Class B shares that are or were held in a qualified retirement plan account serviced by Delaware Management Trust Company may be exchanged by the holder of such shares or any financial intermediary on behalf of such shareholder for Class A shares of the same Fund. Such exchange will be on the basis of the relative net asset values per share, without the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge. Any contingent deferred sales charge applicable to Class B shares that are exchanged pursuant to this exchange privilege will be waived. This exchange privilege is subject to termination and may be amended from time to time.

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       The exchange of Class B shares for Class A shares of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes and no gain or loss will be reported on the transaction. This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

Class C Broker Exchanges  
       Class C shares purchased by accounts participating in certain Programs may be exchanged by the financial intermediary on behalf of the shareholder for either Class A shares or Institutional Class shares of the Fund under certain circumstances, including such Program’s eligibility to purchase either Class A shares or Institutional Class shares of the Fund. Such exchange will be on the basis of the net asset values per share, without the imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge.

       Holders of Class C shares that are subject to a CDSC are generally not eligible for this exchange privilege until the applicable CDSC period has expired. The applicable CDSC period is generally one year after the purchase of such Class C shares.

       If a shareholder of Institutional Class shares has ceased his or her participation in the Program, the financial intermediary may exchange all such Institutional Class shares for Class C shares of a Fund. Such exchange will be on the basis of the relative net asset values of the shares, without imposition of any sales load, fee or other charge.

       Exchanges of Class C shares for Class A shares or Institutional Class shares of the same Fund, or the exchange of Institutional Class shares for Class C shares of the same Fund, under these particular circumstances, will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. You should also consult with your tax advisor regarding the state and local tax consequences of such an exchange of Fund shares.

       This exchange privilege is subject to termination and may be amended from time to time.

Dealer’s Commission
       As described in the Prospectuses, for initial purchases of Class A shares of $1 million or more, a dealer’s commission may be paid by the Distributor to financial advisors through whom such purchases are effected.

       In determining a financial advisor’s eligibility for the dealer’s commission, purchases of Class A shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds as to which a Limited CDSC applies (see “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares Purchased at Net Asset Value” under “Redemption and Exchange”) may be aggregated with those of the Class A shares of a Fund. Financial advisors also may be eligible for a dealer’s commission in connection with certain purchases made under a letter of intent or pursuant to an investor’s right of accumulation. Financial advisors should contact the Distributor concerning the applicability and calculation of the dealer’s commission in the case of combined purchases.

       An exchange from other Delaware Investments ® Funds will not qualify for payment of the dealer’s commission, unless a dealer’s commission or similar payment has not been previously paid on the assets being exchanged. The schedule and program for payment of the dealer’s commission are subject to change or termination at any time by the Distributor at its discretion.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge — Class B Shares and Class C Shares 
       Class B shares were previously available for purchase, and Class C shares are purchased, without a front-end sales charge. The Funds’ Class B shares redeemed within six years of purchase may be subject to a CDSC at the rates set forth above, and the Funds’ Class C shares redeemed within 12 months of purchase may be subject to a CDSC of 1.00%. CDSCs are charged as a percentage of the dollar amount subject to the CDSC. The charge will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of the NAV at the time of purchase of the shares being redeemed or the NAV of those shares at the time of redemption. No CDSC will be imposed on increases in NAV above the initial purchase price, nor will a CDSC be assessed on redemptions of shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. For purposes of this formula, the “net asset value at the time of purchase” will be the NAV at purchase of Class B shares or Class C shares, even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund. In the event of an exchange of the shares, the “net asset value of such shares at the time of redemption” will be the NAV of the shares that were acquired in the exchange. See the Prospectuses for a list of the instances in which the CDSC is waived.

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       During the seventh year after purchase and, thereafter, until converted automatically to Class A shares, Class B shares will still be subject to the annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses of up to 1.00% of average daily net assets of those shares. At the end of eight years after purchase, the investor’s Class B shares will be automatically converted to Class A shares of the same Fund. See “Automatic Conversion of Class B Shares” below. Such conversion will constitute a tax-free exchange for federal income tax purposes. Investors are reminded that the Class A shares into which Class B shares will convert are subject to Class A shares’ ongoing annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses.

       In determining whether a CDSC applies to a redemption of Class B shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than six years are redeemed first, followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held longest during the six-year period. With respect to Class C shares, it will be assumed that shares held for more than 12 months are redeemed first followed by shares acquired through the reinvestment of dividends or distributions, and finally by shares held for 12 months or less.

Deferred Sales Charge Alternative – Class B Shares 
       Class B shares were previously available for purchase at NAV without a front-end sales charge and, as a result, the full amount of the investor’s purchase payment was invested in Fund shares. The Distributor previously had compensated dealers or brokers for selling Class B shares at the time of purchase from its own assets in an amount equal to no more than 4.00% of the dollar amount purchased. As discussed below, however, Class B shares are subject to annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses and, if redeemed within six years of purchase, a CDSC.

       Proceeds from the CDSC and the annual Rule 12b-1 Plan fees are paid to the Distributor and others for providing distribution and related services, and bearing related expenses, in connection with the sale of Class B shares. These payments support the compensation paid to dealers or brokers for selling Class B shares. Payments to the Distributor and others under the Class B Rule 12b-1 Plan may be in an amount equal to no more than 1.00% annually. The combination of the CDSC and the proceeds of the Rule 12b-1 Plan fees made it possible for a Fund to sell Class B shares without deducting a front-end sales charge at the time of purchase.

       Holders of Class B shares who exercise the exchange privilege described below will continue to be subject to the CDSC schedule for Class B shares described in this Part B, even after the exchange. Such CDSC schedule may be higher than the CDSC schedule for Class B shares acquired as a result of the exchange. See “Redemption and Exchange” below.

Automatic Conversion of Class B Shares 
       Class B shares, other than shares acquired through reinvestment of dividends, held for eight years after purchase are eligible for automatic conversion to Class A shares. Conversions of Class B shares to Class A shares will occur only four times in any calendar year, on the 18th day (or next business day) of March, June, September, and December (each, a “Conversion Date”). A business day is any day that the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open for business (“Business Day”). If the eighth anniversary after a purchase of Class B shares falls on a Conversion Date, an investor’s Class B shares will be converted on that date. If the eighth anniversary occurs between Conversion Dates, an investor’s Class B shares will be converted on the next Conversion Date after such anniversary. Consequently, if a shareholder’s eighth anniversary falls on the day after a Conversion Date, that shareholder will have to hold Class B shares for as long as three additional months after the eighth anniversary of purchase before the shares will automatically convert to Class A shares.

       Class B shares of a Fund acquired through a reinvestment of dividends will convert to the corresponding Class A shares of that Fund (or, in the case of Delaware Cash Reserve, the Consultant Class) pro rata with Class B shares of that Fund not acquired through dividend reinvestment.

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       All such automatic conversions of Class B shares will constitute tax-free exchanges for federal income tax purposes.

Level Sales Charge Alternative Class C Shares 
       Class C shares may be purchased at NAV without a front-end sales charge and, as a result, the full amount of the investor’s purchase payment will be invested in Fund shares. The Distributor currently compensates dealers or brokers for selling Class C shares at the time of purchase from its own assets in an amount equal to no more than 1.00% of the dollar amount purchased. As discussed below, Class C shares are subject to annual Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses and, if redeemed within 12 months of purchase, a CDSC.

       Proceeds from the CDSC and the annual Rule 12b-1 Plan fees are paid to the Distributor and others for providing distribution and related services, and bearing related expenses, in connection with the sale of Class C shares. These payments support the compensation paid to dealers or brokers for selling Class C shares. Payments to the Distributor and others under the Class C Rule 12b-1 Plan may be in an amount equal to no more than 1.00% annually.

       Holders of Class C shares who exercise the exchange privilege described below will continue to be subject to the CDSC schedule for Class C shares as described in this Part B. See “Redemption and Exchange” below.

Plans under Rule 12b-1 for the Retail Classes 
       Pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, the Trust has adopted a plan for each of the Retail Classes (the “Plans”). Each Plan permits the relevant Fund to pay for certain distribution, promotional, and related expenses involved in the marketing of only the class of shares to which the Plan applies. The Plans do not apply to the Institutional Class shares. Such shares are not included in calculating the Plans’ fees, and the Plans are not used to assist in the distribution and marketing of Institutional Class shares. Shareholders of the Institutional Class may not vote on matters affecting the Plans.

       The Plans permit the Funds, pursuant to their Distribution Agreement, to pay out of the assets of the Retail Classes monthly fees to the Distributor for its services and expenses in distributing and promoting sales of shares of such classes. These expenses include, among other things, preparing and distributing advertisements, sales literature, and prospectuses and reports used for sales purposes, compensating sales and marketing personnel; holding special promotions for specified periods of time; and paying distribution and maintenance fees to brokers, dealers, and others. In connection with the promotion of shares of the Retail Classes, the Distributor may, from time to time, pay to participate in dealer-sponsored seminars and conferences, and reimburse dealers for expenses incurred in connection with pre-approved seminars, conferences, and advertising. The Distributor may pay or allow additional promotional incentives to dealers as part of pre-approved sales contests and/or to dealers who provide extra training and information concerning the Retail Classes and increase sales of the Retail Classes.

       The Plans do not limit fees to amounts actually expended by the Distributor. It is therefore possible that the Distributor may realize a profit in any particular year. However, the Distributor currently expects that its distribution expenses will likely equal or exceed payments to it under the Plans. The Distributor may, however, incur such additional expenses and make additional payments to dealers from its own resources to promote the distribution of shares of the Retail Classes. The monthly fees paid to the Distributor under the Plans are subject to the review and approval of the Trust’s Independent Trustees, who may reduce the fees or terminate the Plans at any time.

       With respect to Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund, effective June 1, 1992, the Board determined that the annual fee, payable on a monthly basis, under the Plan relating to the Class A shares, will be equal to the sum of: (i) the amount obtained by multiplying 0.10% by the average daily net assets represented by the Class A shares that were originally purchased prior to June 1, 1992, and (ii) the amount obtained by multiplying 0.30% by the average daily net assets represented by all other Class A shares. While this is the method to be used to calculate the 12b-1 fees to be paid by the Fund’s Class A shares under its Plan, the fee is a Class A share expense so that all shareholders of the Class A shares, regardless of whether they originally purchased or received shares in the Fund, will bear Rule 12b-1 expenses at the same rate. This method of calculating Class A shares’ 12b-1 fees may be discontinued at the discretion of the Board. While this describes the current formula for calculating the fees that will be payable under the Class A shares’ Plan, the Plan permits a full 0.30% on all Class A share assets to be paid at any time following appropriate Board approval.

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      All of the distribution expenses incurred by the Distributor and others, such as broker/dealers, in excess of the amount paid on behalf of the Retail Classes would be borne by such persons without any reimbursement from such Retail Classes. Consistent with the requirements of Rule 12b-1(h) under the 1940 Act and subject to seeking best execution, a Fund may, from time to time, buy or sell portfolio securities from, or to, firms that receive payments under the Plans.

      From time to time, the Distributor may pay additional amounts from its own resources to dealers for aid in distribution or for aid in providing administrative services to shareholders.

      The Plans and the Distribution Agreement, as amended, have all been approved by the Board, including a majority of the Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans and the Distribution Agreement, by a vote cast in person at a meeting duly called for the purpose of voting on the Plans and such Agreement. Continuation of the Plans and the Distribution Agreement, as amended, must be approved annually by the Board in the same manner as specified above.

      Each year, the Board must determine whether continuation of the Plans is in the best interest of shareholders of the Retail Classes and that there is a reasonable likelihood of each Plan providing a benefit to its respective Retail Class. The Plans and the Distribution Agreement, as amended, may be terminated with respect to a Retail Class at any time without penalty by a majority of Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans and the Distribution Agreement, or by a majority vote of the relevant Retail Class’ outstanding voting securities. Any amendment materially increasing the percentage payable under the Plans must likewise be approved by a majority vote of the relevant Retail Class’ outstanding voting securities, as well as by a majority vote of Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans or Distribution Agreement. With respect to a Fund’s Class A Plan, any material increase in the maximum percentage payable thereunder must also be approved by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of a Fund’s Class B shares. Also, any other material amendment to the Plans must be approved by a majority vote of the Board, including a majority of Independent Trustees who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans or Distribution Agreement. In addition, in order for the Plans to remain effective, the selection and nomination of Independent Trustees must be effected by the Trustees who are Independent Trustees and who have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plans or Distribution Agreement. Persons authorized to make payments under the Plans must provide written reports at least quarterly to the Board for its review.

      For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Rule 12b-1 payments for Delaware Corporate Bond Fund’s Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares, and Class R shares were: $1,208,803, $55,122, $1,776,812, and $73,063, respectively. Such amounts were used for the following purposes:

Delaware Corporate Bond Fund Class A Class B Class C Class R
Advertising $3,498 $--- $1,225 $5
Annual/Semiannual Reports 2,753 --- 1,041 188
Broker Sales Charges --- 30,672 632,464 ---
Broker Trails* 280,953 13,350 589,404 ---
Salaries & Commissions to
Wholesalers
638,976 --- 388,065 12,938
Interest on Broker Sales Charges --- 1,256 15,941 ---
Promotional – Other --- --- --- ---
Prospectus Printing 1,421 --- 583 95
Wholesaler Expenses 281,202 193 148,089 59,837
Total Expenses 1,208,803 45,471 1,776,812 73,063

* The broker trail amounts listed in this row are principally based on payments made to broker-dealers monthly. However, certain brokers receive trail payments quarterly. The quarterly payments are based on estimates, and the estimates may be reflected in the amounts in this row.

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      For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Rule 12b-1 payments for Delaware Extended Duration Fund’s Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares, and Class R shares were: $963,813, $20,393, $419,298, and $77,503, respectively. Such amounts were used for the following purposes:

Delaware Extended Duration Fund Class A Class B Class C Class R
Advertising $4,881 $--- $261 $5
Annual/Semiannual Reports 2,385 --- 286 183
Broker Sales Charges --- 10,499 206,618 ---
Broker Trails* 537,653 9,418 72,712 65,209
Salaries & Commissions to
Wholesalers
238,550 --- 106,114 11,594
Interest on Broker Sales Charges --- 388 5,020 ---
Promotional – Other --- --- --- ---
Prospectus Printing 940 --- 136 89
Wholesaler Expenses 179,404 88 28,151 423
Total Expenses 963,813 $20,393 $419,298 $77,503

* The broker trail amounts listed in this row are principally based on payments made to broker-dealers monthly. However, certain brokers receive trail payments quarterly. The quarterly payments are based on estimates, and the estimates may be reflected in the amounts in this row.

      For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Rule 12b-1 payments for Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund’s Class A shares, Class B shares, Class C shares, and Class R shares were: $893,557, $57,841, $550,810, and $89,880, respectively. Such amounts were used for the following purposes:

Delaware High-Yield Opportunities
Bond Fund
Class A Class B Class C Class R
Advertising $2,545 $--- $391 $7
Annual/Semiannual Reports 3,855 --- 697 316
Broker Sales Charges --- 16,708 139,052 ---
Broker Trails* 576,474 14,106 292,943 1,695
Salaries & Commissions to
Wholesalers
308,705 --- 81,856 24,031
Interest on Broker Sales Charges --- 794 3,491 ---
Promotional – Other --- --- --- ---
Prospectus Printing 1,978 --- 381 172
Wholesaler Expenses --- 44 31,999 63,659
Total Expenses 893,557 31,652 550,810 89,880

* The broker trail amounts listed in this row are principally based on payments made to broker-dealers monthly. However, certain brokers receive trail payments quarterly. The quarterly payments are based on estimates, and the estimates may be reflected in the amounts in this row.

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      For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Rule 12b-1 payments for Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund’s Class A shares, Class C shares and Class R shares were: $113,837, $240,807, and $24, respectively. Such amounts were used for the following purposes:

Delaware Diversified Floating Rate
Fund
Class A Class C Class R
Advertising $2,329 $193 $---
Annual/Semiannual Reports 551 318 18
Broker Sales Charges --- 135,395 ---
Broker Trails* 9,834 63,883 ---
Salaries & Commissions to
Wholesalers
63,844 24,693 ---
Interest on Broker Sales Charges --- 1,647 ---
Promotional – Other --- --- ---
Prospectus Printing 733 390 6
Wholesaler Expenses 36,546 14,288 ---
Total Expenses 113,837 240,807 24

* The broker trail amounts listed in this row are principally based on payments made to broker-dealers monthly. However, certain brokers receive trail payments quarterly. The quarterly payments are based on estimates, and the estimates may be reflected in the amounts in this row.

      For the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, the Rule 12b-1 payments for Delaware Core Bond Fund’s Class A shares, Class C shares, and Class R shares were: $12,158, $10,495, and $12, respectively. Such amounts were used for the following purposes:

Delaware Core Bond Fund Class A Class C Class R
Advertising $47 $16 $---
Annual/Semiannual Reports 235 125 1
Broker Sales Charges --- 1,523 ---
Broker Trails* 3,599 5,385 ---
Salaries & Commissions to
Wholesalers
6,132 3,046 ---
Interest on Broker Sales Charges --- 105 ---
Promotional – Other --- --- ---
Prospectus Printing 419 104 11
Wholesaler Expenses 590 191 ---
Total Expenses 11,022 10,495 12

* The broker trail amounts listed in this row are principally based on payments made to broker-dealers monthly. However, certain brokers receive trail payments quarterly. The quarterly payments are based on estimates, and the estimates may be reflected in the amounts in this row.

Special Purchase Features — Class A Shares
      Buying Class A shares at Net Asset Value: As disclosed in the Prospectuses, participants of certain group retirement plans and members of their households may make purchases of Class A shares at NAV. The requirements are as follows: (i) the purchases must be made in a Delaware Investments ® Individual Retirement Account (“Foundation IRA ® ”) established by a participant from a group retirement plan or a member of their household distributed by an affiliate of the Manager; and (ii) purchases in a Foundation IRA ® require a minimum initial investment of $5,000 per Fund. The Funds reserve the right to modify or terminate these arrangements at any time.

      Allied Plans: Class A shares are available for purchase by participants in certain 401(k) Defined Contribution Plans (“Allied Plans”) which are made available under a joint venture agreement between the Distributor and another institution through which mutual funds are marketed and which allow investments in Class A shares of designated Delaware Investments ® Funds (“eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares”), as well as shares of designated classes of non-Delaware Investments ® Funds (“eligible non-Delaware Investments ® Fund shares”). Class C shares are not eligible for purchase by Allied Plans.

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      With respect to purchases made in connection with an Allied Plan, the value of eligible Delaware Investments ® and eligible non-Delaware Investments ® Fund shares held by the Allied Plan may be combined with the dollar amount of new purchases by that Allied Plan to obtain a reduced front-end sales charge on additional purchases of eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares. See “Combined Purchases Privilege” below.

      Participants in Allied Plans may exchange all or part of their eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares for other eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares or for eligible non-Delaware Investments ® Fund shares at NAV without payment of a front-end sales charge. However, exchanges of eligible fund shares, both Delaware Investments and non-Delaware Investments ® Funds, which were not subject to a front-end sales charge, will be subject to the applicable sales charge if exchanged for eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares to which a sales charge applies. No sales charge will apply if the eligible fund shares were previously acquired through the exchange of eligible shares on which a sales charge was already paid or through the reinvestment of dividends. See “Investing by Exchange” under “Investment Plans” below.

      A dealer’s commission may be payable on purchases of eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares under an Allied Plan. In determining a financial advisor’s eligibility for a dealer’s commission on NAV purchases of eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares in connection with Allied Plans, all participant holdings in the Allied Plan will be aggregated. See “Class A Shares” above under “Alternative Purchase Arrangements.”

      The Limited CDSC is applicable to redemptions of NAV purchases from an Allied Plan on which a dealer’s commission has been paid. Waivers of the Limited CDSC, as described in the Prospectuses, apply to redemptions by participants in Allied Plans except in the case of exchanges between eligible Delaware Investments ® and non-Delaware Investments ® Fund shares. When eligible Delaware Investments ® Fund shares are exchanged into eligible non-Delaware Investments ® Fund shares, the Limited CDSC will be imposed at the time of the exchange, unless the joint venture agreement specifies that the amount of the Limited CDSC will be paid by the financial advisor or selling dealer. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares Purchased at Net Asset Value” under “Redemption and Exchange” below.

      Letter of Intent: The reduced front-end sales charges described above with respect to Class A shares are also applicable to the aggregate amount of purchases made by any such purchaser within a 13-month period pursuant to a written letter of intent provided by the Distributor and signed by the purchaser, and not legally binding on the signer or the Trust which provides for the holding in escrow by the Transfer Agent, of 5.00% of the total amount of Class A shares intended to be purchased until such purchase is completed within the 13-month period. The Funds no longer accept retroactive letters of intent. The 13-month period begins on the date of the earliest purchase. If the intended investment is not completed, except as noted below, the purchaser will be asked to pay an amount equal to the difference between the front-end sales charge on Class A shares purchased at the reduced rate and the front-end sales charge otherwise applicable to the total shares purchased. If such payment is not made within 20 days following the expiration of the 13-month period, the Transfer Agent will surrender an appropriate number of the escrowed shares for redemption in order to realize the difference. Such purchasers may include the values (at offering price at the level designated in their letter of intent) of all their shares of the Funds and of any class of any of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds previously purchased and still held as of the date of their letter of intent toward the completion of such letter, except as described below. Those purchasers cannot include shares that did not carry a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC, unless the purchaser acquired those shares through an exchange from a Delaware Investments ® Fund that did carry a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC. For purposes of satisfying an investor’s obligation under a letter of intent, Class B shares and Class C shares of the Funds and the corresponding classes of shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds which offer such shares may be aggregated with Class A shares of the Funds and the corresponding class of shares of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds.

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      Employers offering a Delaware Investments ® retirement plan may also complete a letter of intent to obtain a reduced front-end sales charge on investments of Class A shares made by the plan. The aggregate investment level of the letter of intent will be determined and accepted by the Transfer Agent at the point of plan establishment. The level and any reduction in front-end sales charge will be based on actual plan participation and the projected investments in Delaware Investments ® Funds that are offered with a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC for a 13-month period. The Transfer Agent reserves the right to adjust the signed letter of intent based on these acceptance criteria. The 13-month period will begin on the date this letter of intent is accepted by the Transfer Agent. If actual investments exceed the anticipated level and equal an amount that would qualify the plan for further discounts, any front-end sales charges will be automatically adjusted. In the event this letter of intent is not fulfilled within the 13-month period, the plan level will be adjusted (without completing another letter of intent) and the employer will be billed for the difference in front-end sales charges due, based on the plan’s assets under management at that time. Employers may also include the value (at offering price at the level designated in their letter of intent) of all their shares intended for purchase that are offered with a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC of any class. Class B shares and Class C shares of the Funds and other Delaware Investments ® Funds which offer corresponding classes of shares may also be aggregated for this purpose.

      Combined Purchases Privilege: When you determine the availability of the reduced front-end sales charges on Class A shares, you can include, subject to the exceptions described below, the total amount of any Class of shares you own of a Fund and all other Delaware Investments ® Funds. However, you cannot include mutual fund shares that do not carry a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC, unless you acquired those shares through an exchange from a Delaware Investments ® Fund that did carry a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC.

      The privilege also extends to all purchases made at one time by an individual; or an individual, his or her spouse, and their children under 21; or a trustee or other fiduciary of trust estates or fiduciary accounts for the benefit of such family members (including certain employee benefit programs).

      Right of Accumulation: In determining the availability of the reduced front-end sales charge on Class A shares, purchasers may also combine any subsequent purchases of Class A shares and Class C shares, as well as shares of any other class of any of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds which offer Class A and Class C shares (except shares of any Delaware Investments ® Fund that do not carry a front-end sales charge, CDSC, or Limited CDSC). If, for example, any such purchaser has previously purchased and still holds Class A shares of a Fund and/or shares of any other of the classes described in the previous sentence with a value of $40,000 and subsequently purchases $10,000 at offering price of additional Class A shares of the Fund, the charge applicable to the $10,000 purchase would currently be 4.75%. For the purpose of this calculation, the shares presently held shall be valued at the public offering price that would have been in effect had the shares been purchased simultaneously with the current purchase. Investors should refer to the table of sales charges for Class A shares in the Prospectuses to determine the applicability of the right of accumulation to their particular circumstances.

      12-Month Reinvestment Privilege: Holders of Class A shares (and of the Institutional Class shares of the Funds holding shares which were acquired through an exchange from one of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds offered with a front-end sales charge) who redeem such shares have one year from the date of redemption to reinvest all or part of their redemption proceeds in the same Class of the Funds or in the same Class of any of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds. The reinvestment will not be assessed a front-end sales charge. The reinvestment will be subject to applicable eligibility and minimum purchase requirements and must be in states where shares of such other funds may be sold. This reinvestment privilege does not extend to Class A shares where the redemption of the shares triggered the payment of a Limited CDSC. Persons investing redemption proceeds from direct investments in the Delaware Investments ® Funds, offered without a front-end sales charge will be required to pay the applicable sales charge when purchasing Class A shares. The reinvestment privilege does not extend to a redemption of Class B or Class C shares.

      Any such reinvestment cannot exceed the redemption proceeds (plus any amount necessary to purchase a full share). The reinvestment will be made at the NAV next determined after receipt of remittance.

      Any reinvestment directed to a Delaware Investments ® Fund in which the investor does not then have an account will be treated like all other initial purchases of such Fund’s shares. Consequently, an investor should obtain and read carefully the prospectus for the Delaware Investments ® Fund in which the investment is intended to be made before investing or sending money. The prospectus contains more complete information about the Delaware Investments ® Fund, including charges and expenses.

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      Investors should consult their financial advisors or the Transfer Agent, which also serves as the Funds’ shareholder servicing agent, about the applicability of the Class A Limited CDSC in connection with the features described above.

      Group Investment Plans: Group Investment Plans that are not eligible to purchase shares of the Institutional Class may also benefit from the reduced front-end sales charges for investments in Class A shares set forth in the table in the Prospectuses, based on total plan assets. If a company has more than one plan investing in Delaware Investments ® Funds, then the total amount invested in all plans would be used in determining the applicable front-end sales charge reduction upon each purchase, both initial and subsequent, upon notification to the Funds at the time of each such purchase. Employees participating in such Group Investment Plans may also combine the investments made in their plan account when determining the applicable front-end sales charge on purchases to non-retirement Delaware Investments investment accounts if they so notify the Fund in which they are investing in connection with each purchase. See “Retirement Plans for the Retail Classes” under “Investment Plans” below for information about retirement plans.

      The Limited CDSC is generally applicable to any redemptions of NAV purchases made on behalf of a group retirement plan on which a dealer’s commission has been paid only if such redemption is made pursuant to a withdrawal of the entire plan from a Delaware Investments ® Fund. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares Purchased at Net Asset Value” under “Redemption and Exchange” below. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Limited CDSC for Class A shares on which a dealer’s commission has been paid will be waived in connection with redemptions by certain group defined contribution retirement plans that purchase shares through a retirement plan alliance program which requires that shares will be available at NAV, provided that RFS either was the sponsor of the alliance program or had a product participation agreement with the sponsor of the alliance program that specifies that the Limited CDSC will be waived.

Availability of Class R Shares
      Class R shares generally are available only to: (i) qualified and non-qualified plan shareholders covering multiple employees (including 401(k), 401(a), 457, and non-custodial 403(b) plans, as well as other non-qualified deferred compensation plans) with assets (at the time shares are considered for purchase) of $10 million or less; and (ii) to IRA rollovers from plans maintained on Delaware Investments ® retirement recordkeeping system that are offering Class R shares to participants.

INVESTMENT PLANS

Reinvestment Plan
      Unless otherwise designated by shareholders in writing, dividends from net investment income and distributions from realized securities profits, if any, will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the respective Retail Class in which an investor has an account (based on the NAV in effect on the reinvestment date) and will be credited to the shareholder’s account on that date. All dividends and distributions of the Institutional Class are reinvested in the accounts of the holders of such shares (based on the NAV in effect on the reinvestment date). A confirmation of each dividend payment from net investment income and of distributions from realized securities profits, if any, will be mailed to shareholders in the first quarter of the next fiscal year.

Reinvestment of Dividends in other Delaware Investments ® Funds
      Subject to applicable eligibility and minimum initial purchase requirements and the limitations set forth below, holders of Retail Classes may automatically reinvest dividends and/or distributions in any of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds, including the Funds, in states where their shares may be sold. Such investments will be at NAV at the close of business on the reinvestment date without any front-end sales charge or service fee. The shareholder must notify the Transfer Agent in writing and must have established an account in the fund into which the dividends and/or distributions are to be invested. Any reinvestment directed to a fund in which the investor does not then have an account will be treated like all other initial purchases of the fund’s shares. Consequently, an investor should obtain and read carefully the prospectus for the fund in which the investment is intended to be made before investing or sending money. The prospectus contains more complete information about the fund, including charges and expenses.

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      Subject to the following limitations, dividends, and/or distributions from other Delaware Investments ® Funds may be invested in shares of the Funds, provided an account has been established. Dividends from Class A shares may only be directed to other Class A shares, dividends from Class B shares may only be directed to other Class B shares, dividends from Class C shares may only be directed to other Class C shares, dividends from Class R shares may only be directed to other Class R shares, and dividends from Institutional Class shares may only be directed to other Institutional Class shares.

      Capital gains and/or dividend distributions for participants in the following retirement plans are automatically reinvested into the same Delaware Investments ® Fund in which their investments are held: traditional IRA, Roth IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (“Coverdell ESAs”), 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, or 457 Retirement Plans.

Investing by Exchange
      If you have an investment in another Delaware Investments ® Fund, you may write and authorize an exchange of part or all of your investment into shares of the Funds. If you wish to open an account by exchange, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918 for more information. All exchanges are subject to the eligibility and minimum purchase requirements and any additional limitations set forth in the Funds’ Prospectuses. See “Redemption and Exchange” below for more complete information concerning your exchange privileges.

Investing Proceeds from Eligible 529 Plans
      The proceeds of a withdrawal from an Eligible 529 Plan which are directly reinvested in a substantially similar class of the Delaware Investments ® Funds will qualify for treatment as if such proceeds had been exchanged from another Delaware Investments ® Fund rather than transferred from the Eligible 529 Plan, as described under “Redemption and Exchange” below. The treatment of your redemption proceeds from an Eligible 529 Plan does not apply if you take possession of the proceeds of the withdrawal and subsequently reinvest them (i.e., the transfer is not made directly). Similar benefits may also be extended to direct transfers from a substantially similar class of a Delaware Investments ® Fund into an Eligible 529 Plan.

Investing by Electronic Fund Transfer
      Direct Deposit Purchase Plan : Investors may arrange for the Funds to accept for investment in Class A shares, Class C shares, or Class R shares, through an agent bank, pre-authorized government, or private recurring payments. This method of investment assures the timely credit to the shareholder’s account of payments such as social security, veterans’ pension or compensation benefits, federal salaries, railroad retirement benefits, private payroll checks, dividends, and disability or pension fund benefits. It also eliminates the possibility and inconvenience of lost, stolen, and delayed checks.

      Automatic Investing Plan: Shareholders of Class A shares and Class C shares may make automatic investments by authorizing, in advance, monthly or quarterly payments directly from their checking accounts for deposit into their Fund accounts. This type of investment will be handled in either of the following ways: (i) if the shareholder’s bank is a member of the National Automated Clearing House Association (“NACHA”), the amount of the periodic investment will be electronically deducted from his or her checking account by Electronic Fund Transfer (“EFT”) and such checking account will reflect a debit although no check is required to initiate the transaction; or (ii) if the shareholder’s bank is not a member of NACHA, deductions will be made by pre-authorized checks, known as Depository Transfer Checks. Should the shareholder’s bank become a member of NACHA in the future, his or her investments would be handled electronically through EFT.

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      This option is not available to participants in the following Fund sponsored custodian plans: SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, or 457 Retirement Plans.

* * *

      Minimum Initial/Subsequent Investments by Electronic Fund Transfer: Initial investments under the direct deposit purchase plan and the automatic investing plan must be for $250 or more and subsequent investments under such plans must be for $25 or more. An investor wishing to take advantage of either service must complete an authorization form. Either service can be discontinued by the shareholder at any time without penalty by giving written notice.

      Payments to the Funds from the federal government or its agencies on behalf of a shareholder may be credited to the shareholder’s account after such payments should have been terminated by reason of death or otherwise. Any such payments are subject to reclamation by the federal government or its agencies. Similarly, under certain circumstances, investments from private sources may be subject to reclamation by the transmitting bank. In the event of a reclamation, the Funds may liquidate sufficient shares from a shareholder’s account to reimburse the government or the private source. In the event there are insufficient shares in the shareholder’s account, the shareholder is expected to reimburse the Funds.

Direct Deposit Purchases by Mail
      Shareholders may authorize a third party, such as a bank or employer, to make investments directly to their Fund accounts. The Funds will accept these investments, such as bank-by-phone, annuity payments and payroll allotments, by mail directly from the third party. Investors should contact their employers or financial institutions who in turn should contact the Trust for proper instructions.

On Demand Service
      You or your investment dealer may request purchases of Fund shares by phone using the on demand service. When you authorize the Funds to accept such requests from you or your investment dealer, funds will be withdrawn from (for share purchases) your predesignated bank account. Your request will be processed the same day if you call prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. There is a $25 minimum and $100,000 maximum limit for on demand service transactions.

      It may take up to four Business Days for the transactions to be completed. You can initiate this service by completing an Account Services form. If your name and address are not identical to the name and address on your Fund account, you must have your signature guaranteed. The Funds do not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may charge a fee.

Systematic Exchange Option
      Shareholders can use the systematic exchange option to invest in the Retail Classes through regular liquidations of shares in their accounts in other Delaware Investments ® Funds. Shareholders of the Retail Classes may elect to invest in one or more of the other Delaware Investments ® Funds through the systematic exchange option. If, in connection with the election of the systematic exchange option, you wish to open a new account to receive the automatic investment, such new account must meet the minimum initial purchase requirements described in the prospectus of the fund that you select. All investments under this option are exchanges and are therefore subject to the same conditions and limitations as other exchanges noted above.

      Under this automatic exchange program, shareholders can authorize regular monthly investments (minimum of $100 per fund) to be liquidated from their accounts and invested automatically into other Delaware Investments ® Funds, subject to the conditions and limitations set forth in the Prospectuses . The investment will be made on the 20th day of each month (or, if the fund selected is not open that day, the next Business Day) at the public offering price or NAV, as applicable, of the fund selected on the date of investment. No investment will be made for any month if the value of the shareholder’s account is less than the amount specified for investment.

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      Periodic investment through the systematic exchange option does not insure profits or protect against losses in a declining market. The price of the fund into which investments are made could fluctuate. Since this program involves continuous investment regardless of such fluctuating value, investors selecting this option should consider their financial ability to continue to participate in the program through periods of low fund share prices. This program involves automatic exchanges between two or more fund accounts and is treated as a purchase of shares of the fund into which investments are made through the program. Shareholders can terminate their participation in the systematic exchange option at any time by giving written notice to the fund from which exchanges are made.

      This option is not available to participants in the following plans: SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, or 457 Retirement Plans. This option also is not available to shareholders of the Institutional Classes.

Retirement Plans for the Retail Classes
      An investment in the Funds may be suitable for tax-deferred retirement plans, such as: traditional IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SARSEP, 401(k), SIMPLE 401(k), Profit Sharing, Money Purchase, or 457 Retirement Plans. In addition, the Funds may be suitable for use in Roth IRAs and Coverdell ESAs. For further details concerning these plans and accounts, including applications, contact your financial advisor or the Distributor. To determine whether the benefits of a tax-sheltered retirement plan, Roth IRA, or Coverdell ESA are available and/or appropriate, you should consult with a tax advisor.

      The CDSC may be waived on certain redemptions of Class B shares and Class C shares. See the Prospectuses for a list of the instances in which the CDSC is waived.

      Purchases of Class C shares must be in an amount that is less than $1 million for such plans. The maximum purchase limitations apply only to the initial purchase of shares by the retirement plan.

      Minimum investment limitations generally applicable to other investors do not apply to retirement plans other than IRAs, for which there is a minimum initial purchase of $250 and a minimum subsequent purchase of $25, regardless of which Class is selected. Retirement plans may be subject to plan establishment fees, annual maintenance fees, and/or other administrative or trustee fees. Fees are based upon the number of participants in the plan as well as the services selected. Additional information about fees is included in retirement plan materials. Fees are quoted upon request. Annual maintenance fees may be shared by Delaware Management Trust Company, the Transfer Agent, other affiliates of the Manager, and others that provide services to such Plans.

      Certain shareholder investment services available to non-retirement plan shareholders may not be available to retirement plan shareholders. Certain retirement plans may qualify to purchase Institutional Class shares. For additional information on any of the plans and Delaware Investments’ retirement services, call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918.

DETERMINING OFFERING PRICE AND NET ASSET VALUE

      Orders for purchases and redemptions of Class A shares are effected at the offering price next calculated after receipt of the order by the Funds, their agent, or certain other authorized persons. Orders for purchases and redemptions of Class B shares, Class C shares, Class R shares, and Institutional Class shares, as applicable, are effected at the NAV per share next calculated after receipt of the order by the Funds, their agent, or certain other authorized persons. See “Distributor” under “Investment Manager and Other Service Providers” above. Selling dealers are responsible for transmitting orders promptly.

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      The offering price for Class A shares consists of the NAV per share plus any applicable sales charges. Offering price and NAV are computed as of the close of regular trading on the NYSE, which is normally 4:00 p.m., Eastern time, on days when the NYSE is open for business. The NYSE is scheduled to be open Monday through Friday throughout the year except for days when the following holidays are observed: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, President’s Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. The time at which transactions and shares are priced and the time by which orders must be received may be changed in case of emergency or if regular trading on the NYSE is stopped at a time other than 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. When the NYSE is closed, the Funds will generally be closed, pricing calculations will not be made, and purchase and redemption orders will not be processed.

      The NAV per share for each share class of each Fund is calculated by subtracting the liabilities of each class from its total assets and dividing the resulting number by the number of shares outstanding for that class. In determining each Fund’s total net assets, portfolio securities primarily listed or traded on a national or foreign securities exchange, except for bonds, are generally valued at the closing price on that exchange, unless such closing prices are determined to be not readily available pursuant to the Funds’ pricing procedures. Exchange traded options are valued at the last reported sale price or, if no sales are reported, at the mean between bid and asked prices. Non-exchange traded options are valued at fair value using a mathematical model. Futures contracts are valued at their daily quoted settlement price. For valuation purposes, foreign currencies and foreign securities denominated in foreign currency values will be converted into U.S. dollar values at the mean between the bid and offered quotations of such currencies against the U.S. dollar based on rates in effect that day. Securities not traded on a particular day, over-the-counter securities, and government and agency securities are valued at the mean value between bid and asked prices. Money market instruments having a maturity of less than 60 days are valued at amortized cost, which approximates market value. Debt securities (other than short-term obligations) are valued on the basis of valuations provided by a pricing service when such prices are believed to reflect the fair value of such securities. Foreign securities and the prices of foreign securities denominated in foreign currencies are translated to U.S. dollars at the mean between the bid and offer quotations of such currencies based on rates in effect as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange.

      Use of a pricing service has been approved by the Board. Prices provided by a pricing service take into account appropriate factors such as institutional trading in similar groups of securities, yield, quality, coupon rate, maturity, type of issue, trading characteristics, and other market data. Subject to the foregoing, securities for which market quotations are not readily available and other assets are valued at fair value as determined in good faith and in a method approved by the Board.

      Each Class of a Fund will bear, pro-rata, all of the common expenses of that Fund. The NAVs of all outstanding shares of each Class of a Fund will be computed on a pro-rata basis for each outstanding share based on the proportionate participation in that Fund represented by the value of shares of that Class. All income earned and expenses incurred by a Fund, will be borne on a pro-rata basis by each outstanding share of a Class, based on each Class’ percentage in that Fund represented by the value of shares of such Classes, except that Institutional Classes will not incur any of the expenses under the Trust’s Rule 12b-1 Plans, while the Retail Classes will bear the Rule 12b-1 Plan expenses payable under their respective Plans. Due to the specific distribution expenses and other costs that will be allocable to each Class, the NAV of each Class of a Fund will vary.

REDEMPTION AND EXCHANGE

General Information
      You can redeem or exchange your shares in a number of different ways that are described below. Your shares will be redeemed or exchanged at a price based on the NAV next determined after a Fund receives your request in good order, subject, in the case of a redemption, to any applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC. For example, redemption or exchange requests received in good order after the time the offering price and NAV of shares are determined will be processed on the next Business Day. See the Funds’ Prospectuses. A shareholder submitting a redemption request may indicate that he or she wishes to receive redemption proceeds of a specific dollar amount. In the case of such a request, and in the case of certain redemptions from retirement plan accounts, a Fund will redeem the number of shares necessary to deduct the applicable CDSC in the case of Class B shares and Class C shares, and, if applicable, the Limited CDSC in the case of Class A shares and tender to the shareholder the requested amount, assuming the shareholder holds enough shares in his or her account for the redemption to be processed in this manner. Otherwise, the amount tendered to the shareholder upon redemption will be reduced by the amount of the applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC. Redemption proceeds will be distributed promptly, as described below, but not later than seven days after receipt of a redemption request.

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      Except as noted below, for a redemption request to be in “good order,” you must provide your account number, account registration, and the total number of shares or dollar amount of the transaction. For exchange requests, you must also provide the name of the Delaware Investments ® Fund in which you want to invest the proceeds. Exchange instructions and redemption requests must be signed by the record owner(s) exactly as the shares are registered. You may request a redemption or an exchange by calling the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918. The Funds may suspend, terminate, or amend the terms of the exchange privilege upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders.

      Orders for the repurchase of Fund shares which are submitted to the Distributor prior to the close of its Business Day will be executed at the NAV per share computed that day (subject to the applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC), if the repurchase order was received by the broker/dealer from the shareholder prior to the time the offering price and NAV are determined on such day. The selling dealer has the responsibility of transmitting orders to the Distributor promptly. Such repurchase is then settled as an ordinary transaction with the broker/dealer (who may make a charge to the shareholder for this service) delivering the shares repurchased.

      Payment for shares redeemed will ordinarily be mailed the next Business Day, but in no case later than seven days, after receipt of a redemption request in good order by either Fund or certain other authorized persons (see “Distributor” under “Investment Manager and Other Service Providers” above); provided, however, that each commitment to mail or wire redemption proceeds by a certain time, as described below, is modified by the qualifications described in the next paragraph.

      The Funds will process written and telephone redemption requests to the extent that the purchase orders for the shares being redeemed have already settled. The Funds will honor redemption requests as to shares for which a check was tendered as payment, but the Funds will not mail or wire the proceeds until they are reasonably satisfied that the purchase check has cleared, which may take up to 15 days from the purchase date. You can avoid this potential delay if you purchase shares by wiring Federal Funds. Each Fund reserves the right to reject a written or telephone redemption request or delay payment of redemption proceeds if there has been a recent change to the shareholder’s address of record.

      If a shareholder has been credited with a purchase by a check which is subsequently returned unpaid for insufficient funds or for any other reason, the Funds will automatically redeem from the shareholder’s account the shares purchased by the check plus any dividends earned thereon. Shareholders may be responsible for any losses to the Funds or to the Distributor.

      In case of a suspension of the determination of the NAV because the NYSE is closed for other than weekends or holidays, or trading thereon is restricted, or an emergency exists as a result of which disposal by the Funds of securities owned by them is not reasonably practical, or it is not reasonably practical for the Funds fairly to value their assets, or in the event that the SEC has provided for such suspension for the protection of shareholders, the Funds may postpone payment or suspend the right of redemption or repurchase. In such cases, the shareholder may withdraw the request for redemption or leave it standing as a request for redemption at the NAV next determined after the suspension has been terminated.

      Payment for shares redeemed or repurchased may be made either in cash or in-kind, or partly in cash and partly in kind. Any portfolio securities paid or distributed in kind would be valued as described in “Determining Offering Price and Net Asset Value” above. Subsequent sale by an investor receiving a distribution in kind could result in the payment of brokerage commissions. However, the Trust has elected to be governed by Rule 18f-1 under the 1940 Act pursuant to which each Fund is obligated to redeem shares solely in cash up to the lesser of $250,000 or 1.00% of the NAV of such Fund during any 90-day period for any one shareholder.

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       The value of each Fund’s investments is subject to changing market prices. Thus, a shareholder redeeming shares of the Funds may sustain either a gain or loss, depending upon the price paid and the price received for such shares.

       Certain redemptions of Class A shares purchased at NAV may result in the imposition of a Limited CDSC. See “Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions of Class A shares Purchased at Net Asset Value” below. Class B and Class C shares are subject to CDSCs as described in the Prospectuses. Except for the applicable CDSC or Limited CDSC and, with respect to the expedited payment by wire described below for which, in the case of the Retail Classes, there may be a bank wiring cost, neither the Funds nor the Distributor charge a fee for redemptions or repurchases, but such fees could be charged at any time in the future.

       Holders of Class B shares or Class C shares that exchange their shares (“Original Shares”) for shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds (in each case, “New Shares”) in a permitted exchange will not be subject to a CDSC that might otherwise be due upon redemption of the Original Shares. However, such shareholders will continue to be subject to the CDSC and any CDSC assessed upon redemption of the New Shares will be charged by the Fund from which the Original Shares were exchanged. In the case of Class B shares, shareholders will also continue to be subject to the automatic conversion schedule of the Original Shares as described in this Part B. In an exchange of Class B shares, a Fund’s CDSC schedule may be higher than the CDSC schedule relating to the New Shares acquired as a result of the exchange. For purposes of computing the CDSC that may be payable upon a disposition of the New Shares, the period of time that an investor held the Original Shares is added to the period of time that an investor held the New Shares. With respect to Class B shares, the automatic conversion schedule of the Original Shares may be longer than that of the New Shares. Consequently, an investment in New Shares by exchange may subject an investor to the higher Rule 12b-1 fees applicable to Class B shares for a longer period of time than if the investment in New Shares were made directly.

       Holders of Class A shares of the Funds may exchange all or part of their shares for shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds, including other Class A shares, but may not exchange their Class A shares for Class B shares, Class C shares, or Class R shares of the Funds or of any other Delaware Investments ® Fund. Holders of Class B shares are permitted to exchange all or part of their Class B shares only into Class B shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds. Similarly, holders of Class C shares of the Funds are permitted to exchange all or part of their Class C shares only into Class C shares of any other Delaware Investments ® Fund. Class B shares of the Funds and Class C shares of the Funds acquired by exchange will continue to carry the CDSC and, in the case of Class B shares, the automatic conversion schedule of the fund from which the exchange is made. The holding period of Class B shares of the Funds acquired by exchange will be added to that of the shares that were exchanged for purposes of determining the time of the automatic conversion into Class A shares of the Funds. Holders of Class R shares of the Funds are permitted to exchange all or part of their Class R shares only into Class R shares of other Delaware Investments ® Funds or, if Class R shares are not available for a particular fund, into the Class A shares of such Fund.

       Permissible exchanges into Class A shares of the Funds will be made without a front-end sales charge, except for exchanges of shares that were not previously subject to a front-end sales charge (unless such shares were acquired through the reinvestment of dividends). Permissible exchanges into Class B shares or Class C shares will be made without the imposition of a CDSC by the Delaware Investments ® Fund from which the exchange is being made at the time of the exchange.

       Each Fund also reserves the right to refuse the purchase side of an exchange request by any person, or group if, in the Manager’s judgment, the Fund would be unable to invest effectively in accordance with its investment objectives and policies, or would otherwise potentially be adversely affected. A shareholder’s purchase exchanges may be restricted or refused if a Fund receives or anticipates simultaneous orders affecting significant portions of the Fund’s assets.

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The Funds discourage purchases by market timers and purchase orders (including the purchase side of exchange orders) by shareholders identified as market timers may be rejected. The Funds will consider anyone who follows a pattern of market timing in any Delaware Investments ® Fund to be a market timer.

       Market timing of a Delaware Investments ® Fund occurs when investors make consecutive rapid short-term “roundtrips”, or in other words, purchases into a Delaware Investments ® Fund followed quickly by redemptions out of that Fund. A short-term roundtrip is any redemption of Fund shares within 20 Business Days of a purchase of that Fund’s shares. If you make a second such short-term roundtrip in a Delaware Investments ® Fund within the same calendar quarter of a previous short-term roundtrip in that Fund, you may be considered a market timer. The purchase and sale of Fund shares through the use of the exchange privilege are also included in determining whether market timing has occurred. The Funds also reserve the right to consider other trading patterns as market timing.

       Your ability to use the Funds’ exchange privilege may be limited if you are identified as a market timer. If you are identified as a market timer, we will execute the redemption side of your exchange order but may refuse the purchase side of your exchange order.

Written Redemption  
       You can write to the Funds at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service to redeem some or all of your shares. The request must be signed by all owners of the account or your investment dealer of record. For redemptions of more than $100,000, or when the proceeds are not sent to the shareholder(s) at the address of record, the Funds require a signature by all owners of the account and a signature guarantee for each owner. A signature guarantee can be obtained from a commercial bank, a trust company, or a member of a Securities Transfer Association Medallion Program (“STAMP”). Each Fund reserves the right to reject a signature guarantee supplied by an eligible institution based on its creditworthiness. The Funds may require further documentation from corporations, executors, retirement plans, administrators, trustees, or guardians.

       Payment is normally mailed the next Business Day after receipt of your redemption request. If your Class A shares or Institutional Class shares are in certificate form, the certificate(s) must accompany your request and also be in good order. Certificates generally are no longer issued for Class A shares and Institutional Class shares. Certificates are not issued for Class B shares or Class C shares.

Written Exchange  
       You may also write to the Funds at P.O. Box 9876, Providence, RI 02940-8076 by regular mail or 4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722 by overnight courier service to request an exchange of any or all of your shares into another Delaware Investments ® Fund, subject to the same conditions and limitations as other exchanges noted above.

Telephone Redemption and Exchange  
       To get the added convenience of the telephone redemption and exchange methods, you must have the Transfer Agent hold your shares (without charge) for you. If you hold your Class A shares or Institutional Class shares in certificate form, you may redeem or exchange only by written request and you must return your certificates.

       Telephone Redemption: The “Check to Your Address of Record” service and the “Telephone Exchange” service, both of which are described below, are automatically provided unless you notify the Funds in writing, that you do not wish to have such services available with respect to your account. Each Fund reserves the right to modify, terminate or suspend these procedures upon 60 days’ written notice to shareholders. It may be difficult to reach the Funds by telephone during periods when market or economic conditions lead to an unusually large volume of telephone requests.

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       The Funds and their Transfer Agent are not responsible for any shareholder loss incurred in acting upon written or telephone instructions for redemption or exchange of Fund shares that are reasonably believed to be genuine. With respect to such telephone transactions, the Funds will follow reasonable procedures to confirm that instructions communicated by telephone are genuine (including verification of a form of personal identification) as, if it does not, such Fund or the Transfer Agent may be liable for any losses due to unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. Telephone instructions received by the Funds are generally tape recorded, and a written confirmation will be provided for all purchase, exchange, and redemption transactions initiated by telephone. By exchanging shares by telephone, you are acknowledging prior receipt of a prospectus for the fund into which your shares are being exchanged.

       Telephone Redemption—Check to Your Address of Record: The Telephone Redemption feature is a quick and easy method to redeem shares. You or your investment dealer of record can have redemption proceeds of $100,000 or less mailed to you at your address of record. Checks will be payable to the shareholder(s) of record. Payment is normally mailed the next Business Day after receipt of the redemption request. This service is only available to individual, joint, and individual fiduciary-type accounts.

       Telephone Redemption—Proceeds to Your Bank: Redemption proceeds of $1,000 or more can be transferred to your predesignated bank account by wire or by check. You should authorize this service when you open your account. If you change your predesignated bank account, you must complete an authorization form and have your signature guaranteed. For your protection, your authorization must be on file. If you request a wire, your funds will normally be sent the next Business Day. If the proceeds are wired to the shareholder’s account at a bank which is not a member of the Federal Reserve System, there could be a delay in the crediting of the funds to the shareholder’s bank account. A bank wire fee may be deducted from Retail Class redemption proceeds. If you ask for a check, it will normally be mailed the next Business Day after receipt of your redemption request to your predesignated bank account. There are no separate fees for this redemption method, but mailing a check may delay the time it takes to have your redemption proceeds credited to your predesignated bank account. Simply call the Shareholder Service Center at 800 523-1918 prior to the time the offering price and NAV are determined, as noted above.

       Telephone Exchange: The Telephone Exchange feature is a convenient and efficient way to adjust your investment holdings as your liquidity requirements and investment objectives change. You or your investment dealer of record can exchange your shares into other Delaware Investments ® Funds under the same registration, subject to the same conditions and limitations as other exchanges noted above. As with the written exchange service, telephone exchanges are subject to the requirements of the Funds, as described above. Telephone exchanges may be subject to limitations as to amount or frequency .

       The telephone exchange privilege is intended as a convenience to shareholders and is not intended to be a vehicle to speculate on short-term swings in the securities market through frequent transactions into and out of the Delaware Investments ® Funds. Telephone exchanges may be subject to limitations as to amount or frequency. The Transfer Agent and each Fund reserve the right to record exchange instructions received by telephone and to reject exchange requests at any time in the future.

On Demand Service  
       You or your investment dealer may request redemptions of Retail Class shares by phone using the on demand service. When you authorize the Funds to accept such requests from you or your investment dealer, funds will be deposited to your predesignated bank account. Your request will be processed the same day if you call prior to 4:00 p.m., Eastern time. There is a $25 minimum and $100,000 maximum limit for on demand service transactions. For more information, see “On Demand Service” under “Investment Plans” above.

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Systematic Withdrawal Plans
      
Shareholders of the Retail Classes who own or purchase $5,000 or more of shares at the offering price, or NAV, as applicable, for which certificates have not been issued may establish a systematic withdrawal plan for monthly withdrawals of $25 or more, or quarterly withdrawals of $75 or more, although the Funds do not recommend any specific amount of withdrawal. This is particularly useful to shareholders living on fixed incomes, since it can provide them with a stable supplemental amount. This $5,000 minimum does not apply for investments made through qualified retirement plans. Shares purchased with the initial investment and through reinvestment of cash dividends and realized securities profits distributions will be credited to the shareholder’s account and sufficient full and fractional shares will be redeemed at the NAV calculated on the third Business Day preceding the mailing date.

       Checks are dated either the 1st or the 15th of the month, as selected by the shareholder (unless such date falls on a holiday or a weekend), and are normally mailed within two Business Days. Both ordinary income dividends and realized securities profits distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the Class at NAV. This plan is not recommended for all investors and should be started only after careful consideration of its operation and effect upon the investor’s savings and investment program. To the extent that withdrawal payments from the plan exceed any dividends and/or realized securities profits distributions paid on shares held under the plan, the withdrawal payments will represent a return of capital, and the share balance may in time be depleted, particularly in a declining market. Shareholders should not purchase additional shares while participating in a systematic withdrawal plan.

       The sale of shares for withdrawal payments constitutes a taxable event and a shareholder may incur a capital gain or loss for federal income tax purposes. This gain or loss may be long-term or short-term depending on the holding period for the specific shares liquidated. Premature withdrawals from retirement plans may have adverse tax consequences.

       Withdrawals under this plan made concurrently with the purchases of additional shares may be disadvantageous to the shareholder. Purchases of Class A shares through a periodic investment program in the Funds must be terminated before a systematic withdrawal plan with respect to such shares can take effect, except if the shareholder is a participant in a retirement plan offering Delaware Investments ® Funds or is investing in Delaware Investments ® Funds which do not carry a sales charge. Redemptions of Class A shares pursuant to a systematic withdrawal plan may be subject to a Limited CDSC if the purchase was made at NAV and a dealer’s commission has been paid on that purchase. The applicable Limited CDSC for Class A shares and CDSC for Class B and C shares redeemed via a systematic withdrawal plan will be waived if the annual amount withdrawn in each year is less than 12% of the account balance on the date that the Plan was established. If the annual amount withdrawn in any year exceeds 12% of the account balance on the date that the systematic withdrawal plan was established, all redemptions under the Plan will be subject to the applicable CDSC, including an assessment for previously redeemed amounts under the Plan. Whether a waiver of the CDSC is available or not, the first shares to be redeemed for each systematic withdrawal plan payment will be those not subject to a CDSC because they have either satisfied the required holding period or were acquired through the reinvestment of distributions. See the Prospectuses for more information about the waiver of CDSCs.

       An investor wishing to start a systematic withdrawal plan must complete an authorization form. If the recipient of systematic withdrawal plan payments is other than the registered shareholder, the shareholder’s signature on this authorization must be guaranteed. Each signature guarantee must be supplied by an eligible guarantor institution. Each Fund reserves the right to reject a signature guarantee supplied by an eligible institution based on its creditworthiness. This plan may be terminated by the shareholder or the Transfer Agent at any time by giving written notice.

       Systematic withdrawal plan payments are normally made by check. In the alternative, you may elect to have your payments transferred from your Fund account to your predesignated bank account through the on demand service. Your funds will normally be credited to your bank account up to four Business Days after the payment date. There are no separate fees for this redemption method. It may take up to four Business Days for the transactions to be completed. You can initiate this service by completing an account services form. If your name and address are not identical to the name and address on your Fund account, you must have your signature guaranteed. The Funds do not charge a fee for this service; however, your bank may charge a fee. This service is not available for retirement plans.

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       The systematic withdrawal plan is not available for the Institutional Classes. Shareholders should consult with their financial advisors to determine whether a systematic withdrawal plan would be suitable for them.

Contingent Deferred Sales Charge for Certain Redemptions of Class A Shares Purchased at Net Asset Value  
       For purchases of $1 million or more, a Limited CDSC will be imposed on certain redemptions of Class A shares (or shares into which such Class A shares are exchanged) according to the following schedule: (i) 1.00% if shares are redeemed during the first year after the purchase; and (ii) 0.50% if such shares are redeemed during the second year after the purchase, if such purchases were made at NAV and triggered the payment by the Distributor of the dealer’s commission described above in “Dealer’s Commission” under “Purchasing Shares.”

       The Limited CDSC will be paid to the Distributor and will be assessed on an amount equal to the lesser of: (i) the NAV at the time of purchase of the Class A shares being redeemed; or (ii) the NAV of such Class A shares at the time of redemption. For purposes of this formula, the “NAV at the time of purchase” will be the NAV at purchase of the Class A shares even if those shares are later exchanged for shares of another Delaware Investments ® Fund and, in the event of an exchange of Class A shares, the “NAV of such shares at the time of redemption” will be the NAV of the shares acquired in the exchange.

       Redemptions of such Class A shares held for more than two years will not be subject to the Limited CDSC and an exchange of such Class A shares into another Delaware Investments ® Fund will not trigger the imposition of the Limited CDSC at the time of such exchange. The period a shareholder owns shares into which Class A shares are exchanged will count towards satisfying the two-year holding period. The Limited CDSC is assessed if such two-year period is not satisfied irrespective of whether the redemption triggering its payment is of Class A shares of the Funds or Class A shares acquired in the exchange.

       In determining whether a Limited CDSC is payable, it will be assumed that shares not subject to the Limited CDSC are the first redeemed followed by other shares held for the longest period of time. The Limited CDSC will not be imposed on shares representing reinvested dividends or capital gains distributions, or upon amounts representing share appreciation.

Waivers of Contingent Deferred Sales Charges 
       Please see the Prospectuses for instances in which the Limited CDSC applicable to Class A shares and the CDSCs applicable to Class B and C shares may be waived.

       Class B and Class C shares that are or were held in a qualified retirement plan account serviced by Delaware Management Trust Company will not be subject to a CDSC upon the redemption of such shares regardless of the length of time the shares were held by the shareholder.

DISTRIBUTIONS AND TAXES

DISTRIBUTIONS

       The following supplements the information in the Prospectuses .

       The policy of the Trust is to distribute substantially all of each Fund’s net investment income and net realized capital gains, if any, in the amount and at the times that will avoid a Fund incurring any material amounts of federal income or excise taxes.

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       Each Class of shares of a Fund will share proportionately in the investment income and expenses of that Fund, except that each Retail Class alone will incur distribution fees under its respective Rule 12b-1 Plan.

       All dividends and any capital gains distributions will be automatically reinvested in additional shares of the same Class of the Fund at NAV unless otherwise designated in writing that such dividends and/or distributions be paid in cash. Dividend payments of $1.00 or less will be automatically reinvested, notwithstanding a shareholder’s election to receive dividends in cash. If such a shareholder’s dividends increase to greater than $1.00, the shareholder would have to file a new election in order to begin receiving dividends in cash again.

       Any check in payment of dividends or other distributions which cannot be delivered by the United States Postal Service or which remains uncashed for a period of more than one year may be reinvested in the shareholder’s account at the then-current NAV and the dividend option may be changed from cash to reinvest. A Fund may deduct from a shareholder’s account the costs of the Fund’s efforts to locate a shareholder if a shareholder’s mail is returned by the United States Postal Service or the Fund is otherwise unable to locate the shareholder or verify the shareholder’s mailing address. These costs may include a percentage of the account when a search company charges a percentage fee in exchange for their location services.

TAXES

       The following is a summary of certain additional tax considerations generally affecting a Fund (sometimes referred to as “the Fund”) and its shareholders that are not described in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a detailed explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund or its shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended as a substitute for careful tax planning.

       This “Distributions and Taxes” section is based on the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative, regulatory or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the tax rules applicable to the Fund and its shareholders. Any of these changes or court decisions may have a retroactive effect.

This is for general information only and not tax advice. All investors should consult their own tax advisors as to the federal, state, local and foreign tax provisions applicable to them.

       Taxation of the Fund . The Fund has elected and intends to qualify, or, if newly organized, intends to elect and qualify, each year as a regulated investment company (sometimes referred to as a “regulated investment company,” “RIC” or “fund”) under Subchapter M of the Internal Revenue Code. If the Fund so qualifies, the Fund will not be subject to federal income tax on the portion of its investment company taxable income (that is, generally, taxable interest, dividends, net short-term capital gains, and other taxable ordinary income, net of expenses, without regard to the deduction for dividends paid) and net capital gain (that is, the excess of net long-term capital gains over net short-term capital losses) that it distributes to shareholders.

       In order to qualify for treatment as a regulated investment company, the Fund must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Distribution Requirement —the Fund must distribute an amount equal to the sum of at least 90% of its investment company taxable income and 90% of its net tax-exempt income, if any, for the tax year (including, for purposes of satisfying this distribution requirement, certain distributions made by the Fund after the close of its taxable year that are treated as made during such taxable year).
     
  • Income Requirement —the Fund must derive at least 90% of its gross income from dividends, interest, certain payments with respect to securities loans, and gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including, but not limited to, gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived from its business of investing in such stock, securities or currencies and net income derived from qualified publicly traded partnerships (“QPTPs”).
     
  • Asset Diversification Test —the Fund must satisfy the following asset diversification test at the close of each quarter of the Fund’s tax year: (1) at least 50% of the value of the Fund’s assets must consist of cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other regulated investment companies, and securities of other issuers (as to which the Fund has not invested more than 5% of the value of the Fund’s total assets in securities of an issuer and as to which the Fund does not hold more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of the issuer); and (2) no more than 25% of the value of the Fund’s total assets may be invested in the securities of any one issuer (other than U.S. government securities and securities of other regulated investment companies) or of two or more issuers which the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses, or, in the securities of one or more QPTPs.

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       In some circumstances, the character and timing of income realized by the Fund for purposes of the Income Requirement or the identification of the issuer for purposes of the Asset Diversification Test is uncertain under current law with respect to a particular investment, and an adverse determination or future guidance by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) with respect to such type of investment may adversely affect the Fund’s ability to satisfy these requirements. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions” below with respect to the application of these requirements to certain types of investments. In other circumstances, the Fund may be required to sell portfolio holdings in order to meet the Income Requirement, Distribution Requirement, or Asset Diversification Test, which may have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. In lieu of potential disqualification, the Fund is permitted to pay a tax for certain failures to satisfy the Asset Diversification Test or Income Requirement, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect.

       The Fund may use "equalization accounting" (in lieu of making some cash distributions) in determining the portion of its income and gains that has been distributed. If the Fund uses equalization accounting, it will allocate a portion of its undistributed investment company taxable income and net capital gain to redemptions of Fund shares and will correspondingly reduce the amount of such income and gains that it distributes in cash. If the IRS determines that the Fund’s allocation is improper and that the Fund has under-distributed its income and gain for any taxable year, the Fund may be liable for federal income and/or excise tax. If, as a result of such adjustment, the Fund fails to satisfy the Distribution Requirement, the Fund will not qualify that year as a regulated investment company the effect of which is described in the following paragraph.

       If for any taxable year the Fund does not qualify as a regulated investment company, all of its taxable income (including its net capital gain) would be subject to tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders, and the dividends would be taxable to the shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the Fund’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Failure to qualify as a regulated investment company would thus have a negative impact on the Fund’s income and performance. Subject to savings provisions for certain failures to satisfy the Income Requirement or Asset Diversification Test, which, in general, are limited to those due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect, it is possible that the Fund will not qualify as a regulated investment company in any given tax year. Even if such savings provisions apply, the Fund may be subject to a monetary sanction of $50,000 or more. Moreover, the Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of the Fund as a regulated investment company if it determines such a course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

       Portfolio turnover. For investors that hold their Fund shares in a taxable account, a high portfolio turnover rate may result in higher taxes. This is because a fund with a high turnover rate is likely to accelerate the recognition of capital gains and more of such gains are likely to be taxable as short-term rather than long-term capital gains in contrast to a comparable fund with a low turnover rate. Any such higher taxes would reduce the Fund’s after-tax performance. See, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of capital gains” below. For non-U.S. investors, any such acceleration of the recognition of capital gains that results in more short-term and less long-term capital gains being recognized by the Fund may cause such investors to be subject to increased U.S. withholding taxes. See, “Non-U.S. Investors –Capital gain dividends and short-term capital gain dividends” below.

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       Capital loss carryovers . The capital losses of the Fund, if any, do not flow through to shareholders. Rather, the Fund may use its capital losses, subject to applicable limitations, to offset its capital gains without being required to pay taxes on or distribute to shareholders such gains that are offset by the losses. Under the Regulated Investment Company Modernization Act of 2010 (“RIC Mod Act”), rules similar to those that apply to capital loss carryovers of individuals are made applicable to RICs. Thus, if the Fund has a "net capital loss" (that is, capital losses in excess of capital gains) for a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010, the excess (if any) of the Fund's net short-term capital losses over its net long-term capital gains is treated as a short-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year, and the excess (if any) of the Fund's net long-term capital losses over its net short-term capital gains is treated as a long-term capital loss arising on the first day of the Fund's next taxable year. Any such net capital losses of the Fund that are not used to offset capital gains may be carried forward indefinitely to reduce any future capital gains realized by the Fund in succeeding taxable years. However, for any net capital losses realized in taxable years of the Fund beginning on or before December 22, 2010, the Fund is only permitted to carry forward such capital losses for eight years as a short-term capital loss. Under a transition rule, capital losses arising in a taxable year beginning after December 22, 2010 must be used before capital losses realized in a prior taxable year. The amount of capital losses that can be carried forward and used in any single year is subject to an annual limitation if there is a more than 50% “change in ownership” of the Fund. An ownership change generally results when shareholders owning 5% or more of the Fund increase their aggregate holdings by more than 50% over a three-year look-back period. An ownership change could result in capital loss carryovers being used at a slower rate (or, in the case of those realized in taxable years of the Fund beginning on or before December 22, 2010, to expire unutilized), thereby reducing the Fund’s ability to offset capital gains with those losses. An increase in the amount of taxable gains distributed to the Fund’s shareholders could result from an ownership change. The Fund undertakes no obligation to avoid or prevent an ownership change, which can occur in the normal course of shareholder purchases and redemptions or as a result of engaging in a tax-free reorganization with another fund. Moreover, because of circumstances beyond the Fund’s control, there can be no assurance that the Fund will not experience, or has not already experienced, an ownership change. Additionally, if the Fund engages in a tax-free reorganization with another Fund, the effect of these and other rules not discussed herein may be to disallow or postpone the use by the Fund of its capital loss carryovers (including any current year losses and built-in losses when realized) to offset its own gains or those of the other Fund, or vice versa, thereby reducing the tax benefits Fund shareholders would otherwise have enjoyed from use of such capital loss carryovers.

       Deferral of late year losses . The Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining the Fund’s taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such “qualified late year loss” as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year (see, “Taxation of Fund Distributions - Distributions of capital gains” below). A "qualified late year loss" includes:

       (i)        any net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (“post-October losses”), and
(ii) the excess, if any, of (1) the sum of (a) specified losses incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary losses incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year, over (2) the sum of (a) specified gains incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year, and (b) other ordinary gains incurred after December 31 of the current taxable year.

The terms “specified losses” and “specified gains” mean ordinary losses and gains from the sale, exchange, or other disposition of property (including the termination of a position with respect to such property), foreign currency losses and gains, and losses and gains resulting from holding stock in a passive foreign investment company (“PFIC”) for which a mark-to-market election is in effect. The terms “ordinary losses” and “ordinary gains” mean other ordinary losses and gains that are not described in the preceding sentence.

       Undistributed capital gains . The Fund may retain or distribute to shareholders its net capital gain for each taxable year. The Fund currently intends to distribute net capital gains. If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, the Fund will be taxed thereon (except to the extent of any available capital loss carryovers) at the highest corporate tax rate (currently 35%). If the Fund elects to retain its net capital gain, it is expected that the Fund also will elect to have shareholders treated as if each received a distribution of its pro rata share of such gain, with the result that each shareholder will be required to report its pro rata share of such gain on its tax return as long-term capital gain, will receive a refundable tax credit for its pro rata share of tax paid by the Fund on the gain, and will increase the tax basis for its shares by an amount equal to the deemed distribution less the tax credit.

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       Federal excise tax . To avoid a 4% non-deductible excise tax, the Fund must distribute by December 31 of each year an amount equal to: (1) 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year, (2) 98.2% of capital gain net income (that is, the excess of the gains from sales or exchanges of capital assets over the losses from such sales or exchanges) for the one-year period ended on October 31 of such calendar year, and (3) any prior year undistributed ordinary income and capital gain net income. The Fund may elect to defer to the following year any net ordinary loss incurred for the portion of the calendar year which is after the beginning of the Fund’s taxable year. Also, the Fund will defer any “specified gain” or “specified loss” which would be properly taken into account for the portion of the calendar year after October 31. Any net ordinary loss, specified gain, or specified loss deferred shall be treated as arising on January 1 of the following calendar year. Generally, the Fund intends to make sufficient distributions prior to the end of each calendar year to avoid any material liability for federal income and excise tax, but can give no assurances that all or a portion of such liability will be avoided. In addition, under certain circumstances, temporary timing or permanent differences in the realization of income and expense for book and tax purposes can result in the Fund having to pay an excise tax.

       Foreign income tax . Investment income received by the Fund from sources within foreign countries may be subject to foreign income tax withheld at the source and the amount of tax withheld generally will be treated as an expense of the Fund. The United States has entered into tax treaties with many foreign countries, which entitle the Fund to a reduced rate of, or exemption from, tax on such income. It is impossible to determine the effective rate of foreign tax in advance since the amount of the Fund's assets to be invested in various countries is not known. Under certain circumstances, the Fund may elect to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, although it reserves the right not to do so.

       Taxation of Fund Distributions . The Fund anticipates distributing substantially all of its investment company taxable income and net capital gain for each taxable year. Distributions by the Fund will be treated in the manner described below regardless of whether such distributions are paid in cash or reinvested in additional shares of the Fund (or of another fund). The Fund will send you information annually as to the federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year.

       Distributions of net investment income. The Fund receives ordinary income generally in the form of dividends and/or interest on its investments. The Fund may also recognize ordinary income from other sources, including, but not limited to, certain gains on foreign currency-related transactions. This income, less expenses incurred in the operation of the Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. If you are a taxable investor, distributions of net investment income generally are taxable as ordinary income to the extent of the Fund’s earnings and profits. In the case of a Fund whose strategy includes investing in stocks of corporations, a portion of the income dividends paid to you may be qualified dividends eligible to be taxed at reduced rates. See the discussion below under the headings, “—Qualified dividend income for individuals” and “—Dividends-received deduction for corporations”.

       Distributions of capital gains. The Fund may derive capital gain and loss in connection with sales or other dispositions of its portfolio securities. Distributions derived from the excess of net short-term capital gain over net long-term capital loss will be taxable to you as ordinary income. Distributions paid from the excess of net long-term capital gain over net short-term capital loss will be taxable to you as long-term capital gain, regardless of how long you have held your shares in the Fund. Any net short-term or long-term capital gain realized by the Fund (net of any capital loss carryovers) generally will be distributed once each year and may be distributed more frequently, if necessary, in order to reduce or eliminate federal excise or income taxes on the Fund.

       Returns of capital. Distributions by the Fund that are not paid from earnings and profits will be treated as a return of capital to the extent of (and in reduction of) the shareholder's tax basis in his shares; any excess will be treated as gain from the sale of his shares. Thus, the portion of a distribution that constitutes a return of capital will decrease the shareholder’s tax basis in his Fund shares (but not below zero), and will result in an increase in the amount of gain (or decrease in the amount of loss) that will be recognized by the shareholder for tax purposes on the later sale of such Fund shares. Return of capital distributions can occur for a number of reasons including, among others, the Fund over-estimates the income to be received from certain investments such as those classified as partnerships or equity real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) (see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions—Investments in U.S. REITs” below).

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       Qualified dividend income for individuals. With respect to ordinary income dividends paid on or before December 31, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent), amounts reported by the Fund to shareholders as derived from qualified dividend income will be taxed in the hands of individuals and other noncorporate shareholders at the rates applicable to long-term capital gain. “Qualified dividend income” means dividends paid to the Fund (a) by domestic corporations, (b) by foreign corporations that are either (i) incorporated in a possession of the United States, or (ii) are eligible for benefits under certain income tax treaties with the United States that include an exchange of information program, or (c) with respect to stock of a foreign corporation that is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. Both the Fund and the investor must meet certain holding period requirements to qualify Fund dividends for this treatment. Specifically, the Fund must hold the stock for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, investors must hold their Fund shares for at least 61 days during the 121-day period beginning 60 days before the Fund distribution goes ex-dividend. Income derived from investments in derivatives, fixed-income securities, U.S. REITs, PFICs, and income received “in lieu of” dividends in a securities lending transaction generally is not eligible for treatment as qualified dividend income. If the qualifying dividend income received by the Fund is equal to or greater than 95% of the Fund's gross income (exclusive of net capital gain) in any taxable year, all of the ordinary income dividends paid by the Fund will be qualifying dividend income.

       Dividends-received deduction for corporations . For corporate shareholders, a portion of the dividends paid by the Fund may qualify for the 70% corporate dividends-received deduction. The portion of dividends paid by the Fund that so qualifies will be reported by the Fund to shareholders each year and cannot exceed the gross amount of dividends received by the Fund from domestic (U.S.) corporations. The availability of the dividends-received deduction is subject to certain holding period and debt financing restrictions that apply to both the Fund and the investor. Specifically, the amount that the Fund may report as eligible for the dividends-received deduction will be reduced or eliminated if the shares on which the dividends earned by the Fund were debt-financed or held by the Fund for less than a minimum period of time, generally 46 days during a 91-day period beginning 45 days before the stock becomes ex-dividend. Similarly, if your Fund shares are debt-financed or held by you for less than a 46-day period then the dividends-received deduction for Fund dividends on your shares may also be reduced or eliminated. Even if reported as dividends eligible for the dividends-received deduction, all dividends (including any deducted portion) must be included in your alternative minimum taxable income calculation . Income derived by the Fund from investments in derivatives, fixed-income and foreign securities generally is not eligible for this treatment.

       Impact of realized but undistributed income and gains, and net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities . At the time of your purchase of shares, the Fund’s net asset value may reflect undistributed income, undistributed capital gains, or net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities held by the Fund. A subsequent distribution to you of such amounts, although constituting a return of your investment, would be taxable, and would be taxed as ordinary income (some portion of which may be taxed as qualified dividend income), capital gains, or some combination of both, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account. The Fund may be able to reduce the amount of such distributions from capital gains by utilizing its capital loss carryovers, if any.

       Pass-through of foreign tax credits . If more than 50% of the Fund’s total assets at the end of a fiscal year is invested in foreign securities, the Fund may elect to pass through to you your pro rata share of foreign taxes paid by the Fund. If this election is made, the Fund may report more taxable income to you than it actually distributes. You will then be entitled either to deduct your share of these taxes in computing your taxable income, or to claim a foreign tax credit for these taxes against your U.S. federal income tax (subject to limitations for certain shareholders). The Fund will provide you with the information necessary to claim this deduction or credit on your personal income tax return if it makes this election. No deduction for foreign tax may be claimed by a noncorporate shareholder who does not itemize deductions or who is subject to the alternative minimum tax. Shareholders may be unable to claim a credit for the full amount of their proportionate shares of the foreign income tax paid by the Fund due to certain limitations that may apply. The Fund reserves the right not to pass through to its shareholders the amount of foreign income taxes paid by the Fund. Additionally, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. See, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions – Securities lending” below.

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       Tax credit bonds . If the Fund holds, directly or indirectly, one or more “tax credit bonds” (including build America bonds, clean renewable energy bonds and qualified tax credit bonds) on one or more applicable dates during a taxable year, the Fund may elect to permit its shareholders to claim a tax credit on their income tax returns equal to each shareholder’s proportionate share of tax credits from the applicable bonds that otherwise would be allowed to the Fund. In such a case, shareholders must include in gross income (as interest) their proportionate share of the income attributable to their proportionate share of those offsetting tax credits. A shareholder’s ability to claim a tax credit associated with one or more tax credit bonds may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Internal Revenue Code. Even if the Fund is eligible to pass through tax credits to shareholders, the Fund may choose not to do so.

       U.S. government securities. Income earned on certain U.S. government obligations is exempt from state and local personal income taxes if earned directly by you. States also grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment or reporting requirements that must be met by the Fund. Income on investments by the Fund in certain other obligations, such as repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government obligations, commercial paper and federal agency-backed obligations (e.g., GNMA or FNMA obligations), generally does not qualify for tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporations.

       Dividends declared in December and paid in January . Ordinarily, shareholders are required to take distributions by the Fund into account in the year in which the distributions are made. However, dividends declared in October, November or December of any year and payable to shareholders of record on a specified date in such a month will be deemed to have been received by the shareholders (and made by the Fund) on December 31 of such calendar year if such dividends are actually paid in January of the following year. Shareholders will be advised annually as to the U.S. federal income tax consequences of distributions made (or deemed made) during the year in accordance with the guidance that has been provided by the IRS.

       Medicare tax . The recently enacted Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, as amended by the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act of 2010, will impose a 3.8% Medicare tax on net investment income earned by certain individuals, estates and trusts for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2012. “Net investment income,” for these purposes, means investment income, including ordinary dividends and capital gain distributions received from the Fund and net gains from redemptions or other taxable dispositions of Fund shares, reduced by the deductions properly allocable to such income. In the case of an individual, the tax will be imposed on the lesser of (1) the shareholder’s net investment income or (2) the amount by which the shareholder’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $250,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing jointly or a surviving spouse), $125,000 (if the shareholder is married and filing separately) or $200,000 (in any other case).

       Sales, Exchanges and Redemptions of Fund Shares . Sales, exchanges and redemptions (including redemptions in kind) of Fund shares are taxable transactions for federal and state income tax purposes. If you redeem your Fund shares, the IRS requires you to report any gain or loss on your redemption. If you held your shares as a capital asset, the gain or loss that you realize will be a capital gain or loss and will be long-term or short-term, generally depending on how long you have held your shares. Any redemption fees you incur on shares redeemed will decrease the amount of any capital gain (or increase any capital loss) you realize on the sale. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income.

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       Tax basis information . The Fund is required to report to you and the IRS annually on Form 1099-B the cost basis of shares purchased or acquired on or after January 1, 2012 where the cost basis of the shares is known by the Fund (referred to as “covered shares”) and which are disposed of after that date. However, cost basis reporting is not required for certain shareholders, including shareholders investing in the Fund through a tax-advantaged retirement account, such as a 401(k) plan or an individual retirement account, or shareholders investing in a money market fund that maintains a stable net asset value.

       When required to report cost basis, the Fund will calculate it using the Fund’s default method, unless you instruct the Fund to use a different calculation method. For additional information regarding the Fund’s available cost basis reporting methods, including its default method, please contact the Fund. If you hold your Fund shares through a broker (or other nominee), please contact that broker (nominee) with respect to reporting of cost basis and available elections for your account.

       The IRS permits the use of several methods to determine the cost basis of mutual fund shares. The method used will determine which specific shares are deemed to be sold when there are multiple purchases on different dates at differing share prices, and the entire position is not sold at one time. The Fund does not recommend any particular method of determining cost basis, and the use of other methods may result in more favorable tax consequences for some shareholders. It is important that you consult with your tax advisor to determine which method is best for you and then notify the Fund if you intend to utilize a method other than the Fund’s default method for covered shares. If you do not notify the Fund of your elected cost basis method upon the later of January 1, 2012 or the initial purchase into your account, the default method will be applied to your covered shares.

       The Fund will compute and report the cost basis of your Fund shares sold or exchanged by taking into account all of the applicable adjustments to cost basis and holding periods as required by the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations for purposes of reporting these amounts to you and the IRS. However the Fund is not required to, and in many cases the Fund does not possess the information to, take all possible basis, holding period or other adjustments into account in reporting cost basis information to you. Therefore, shareholders should carefully review the cost basis information provided by the Fund.

       Please refer to the Fund’s website at www.delawareinvestments.com for additional information.

       Wash sales . All or a portion of any loss that you realize on a redemption of your Fund shares will be disallowed to the extent that you buy other shares in the Fund (through reinvestment of dividends or otherwise) within 30 days before or after your share redemption. Any loss disallowed under these rules will be added to your tax basis in the new shares.

       Redemptions at a loss within six months of purchase . Any loss incurred on a redemption or exchange of shares held for six months or less will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of any long-term capital gain distributed to you by the Fund on those shares.

       Deferral of basis . If a shareholder (a) incurs a sales load in acquiring shares of the Fund, (b) disposes of such shares less than 91 days after they are acquired, and (c) subsequently acquires shares of the Fund or another fund by January 31 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the disposition of the original shares occurred at a reduced sales load pursuant to a right to reinvest at such reduced sales load acquired in connection with the acquisition of the shares disposed of, then the sales load on the shares disposed of (to the extent of the reduction in the sales load on the shares subsequently acquired) shall not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the shares disposed of, but shall be treated as incurred on the acquisition of the shares subsequently acquired. The wash sale rules may also limit the amount of loss that may be taken into account on disposition after such adjustment.

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       Conversion of shares into shares of the same Fund. The conversion of shares of one class into another class of the same Fund is not taxable for federal income tax purposes. Thus, the automatic conversion of Class B shares into Class A shares of the same Fund at the end of approximately eight years after purchase will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. Similarly, the exchange of Class A shares or Class C shares for Institutional Class shares of the same Fund by certain Programs, or the exchange of Institutional Class shares for Class A shares or Class C shares of the same Fund by certain shareholders of Institutional Class shares who cease participation in a Program, will be tax-free for federal income tax purposes. Shareholders should also consult their tax advisors regarding the state and local tax consequences of a conversion or exchange of shares.

       Reportable transactions. Under Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss with respect to the Fund’s shares of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on Form 8886. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer’s treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisers to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

       Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions . Set forth below is a general description of the tax treatment of certain types of securities, investment techniques and transactions that may apply to a fund and, in turn, affect the amount, character and timing of dividends and distributions payable by the fund to its shareholders. This section should be read in conjunction with the discussion above under “Investment Strategies and Risks” for a detailed description of the various types of securities and investment techniques that apply to the Fund.

       In general . In general, gain or loss recognized by a fund on the sale or other disposition of portfolio investments will be a capital gain or loss. Such capital gain and loss may be long-term or short-term depending, in general, upon the length of time a particular investment position is maintained and, in some cases, upon the nature of the transaction. Property held for more than one year generally will be eligible for long-term capital gain or loss treatment. The application of certain rules described below may serve to alter the manner in which the holding period for a security is determined or may otherwise affect the characterization as long-term or short-term, and also the timing of the realization and/or character, of certain gains or losses.

       Certain fixed-income investments . Gain recognized on the disposition of a debt obligation purchased by a fund at a market discount (generally, at a price less than its principal amount) will be treated as ordinary income to the extent of the portion of the market discount which accrued during the period of time the fund held the debt obligation unless the fund made a current inclusion election to accrue market discount into income as it accrues. If a fund purchases a debt obligation (such as a zero coupon security or pay-in-kind security) that was originally issued at a discount, the fund generally is required to include in gross income each year the portion of the original issue discount which accrues during such year. Therefore, a fund’s investment in such securities may cause the fund to recognize income and make distributions to shareholders before it receives any cash payments on the securities. To generate cash to satisfy those distribution requirements, a fund may have to sell portfolio securities that it otherwise might have continued to hold or to use cash flows from other sources such as the sale of fund shares.

       Investments in debt obligations that are at risk of or in default present tax issues for a fund . Tax rules are not entirely clear about issues such as whether and to what extent a fund should recognize market discount on a debt obligation, when a fund may cease to accrue interest, original issue discount or market discount, when and to what extent a fund may take deductions for bad debts or worthless securities and how a fund should allocate payments received on obligations in default between principal and income. These and other related issues will be addressed by a fund in order to ensure that it distributes sufficient income to preserve its status as a regulated investment company.

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       Options, futures, forward contracts, swap agreements and hedging transactions . In general, option premiums received by a fund are not immediately included in the income of the fund. Instead, the premiums are recognized when the option contract expires, the option is exercised by the holder, or the fund transfers or otherwise terminates the option (e.g., through a closing transaction). If an option written by a fund is exercised and the fund sells or delivers the underlying stock, the fund generally will recognize capital gain or loss equal to (a) sum of the strike price and the option premium received by the fund minus (b) the fund’s basis in the stock. Such gain or loss generally will be short-term or long-term depending upon the holding period of the underlying stock. If securities are purchased by a fund pursuant to the exercise of a put option written by it, the fund generally will subtract the premium received from its cost basis in the securities purchased. The gain or loss with respect to any termination of a fund’s obligation under an option other than through the exercise of the option and related sale or delivery of the underlying stock generally will be short-term gain or loss depending on whether the premium income received by the fund is greater or less than the amount paid by the fund (if any) in terminating the transaction. Thus, for example, if an option written by a fund expires unexercised, the fund generally will recognize short-term gain equal to the premium received.

       The tax treatment of certain futures contracts entered into by a fund as well as listed non-equity options written or purchased by the fund on U.S. exchanges (including options on futures contracts, broad-based equity indices and debt securities) may be governed by section 1256 of the Internal Revenue Code (“section 1256 contracts”). Gains or losses on section 1256 contracts generally are considered 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gains or losses (“60/40”), although certain foreign currency gains and losses from such contracts may be treated as ordinary in character. Also, any section 1256 contracts held by a fund at the end of each taxable year (and, for purposes of the 4% excise tax, on certain other dates as prescribed under the Internal Revenue Code) are “marked to market” with the result that unrealized gains or losses are treated as though they were realized and the resulting gain or loss is treated as ordinary or 60/40 gain or loss, as applicable. Section 1256 contracts do not include any interest rate swap, currency swap, basis swap, interest rate cap, interest rate floor, commodity swap, equity swap, equity index swap, credit default swap, or similar agreement.

       In addition to the special rules described above in respect of options and futures transactions, a fund’s transactions in other derivative instruments (including options, forward contracts and swap agreements) as well as its other hedging, short sale, or similar transactions, may be subject to one or more special tax rules (including the constructive sale, notional principal contract, straddle, wash sale and short sale rules). These rules may affect whether gains and losses recognized by a fund are treated as ordinary or capital or as short-term or long-term, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the fund, defer losses to the fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the fund’s securities. These rules, therefore, could affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. Moreover, because the tax rules applicable to derivative financial instruments are in some cases uncertain under current law, an adverse determination or future guidance by the IRS with respect to these rules (which determination or guidance could be retroactive) may affect whether a fund has made sufficient distributions, and otherwise satisfied the relevant requirements, to maintain its qualification as a regulated investment company and avoid a fund-level tax.

       Certain of a fund’s investments in derivatives and foreign currency-denominated instruments, and the fund’s transactions in foreign currencies and hedging activities, may produce a difference between its book income and its taxable income. If a fund’s book income is less than the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the fund could be required to make distributions exceeding book income to qualify as a regulated investment company. If a fund’s book income exceeds the sum of its taxable income and net tax-exempt income (if any), the distribution of any such excess will be treated as (i) a dividend to the extent of the fund’s remaining earnings and profits (including current earnings and profits arising from tax-exempt income, reduced by related deductions), (ii) thereafter, as a return of capital to the extent of the recipient’s basis in the shares, and (iii) thereafter, as gain from the sale or exchange of a capital asset.

       Foreign currency transactions . A fund’s transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency-denominated debt obligations and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned. This treatment could increase or decrease a fund's ordinary income distributions to you, and may cause some or all of the fund's previously distributed income to be classified as a return of capital. In certain cases, a fund may make an election to treat such gain or loss as capital.

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       PFIC investments . A fund may invest in securities of foreign companies that may be classified under the Internal Revenue Code as PFICs. In general, a foreign company is classified as a PFIC if at least one-half of its assets constitute investment-type assets or 75% or more of its gross income is investment-type income. When investing in PFIC securities, a fund intends to mark-to-market these securities under certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code and recognize any unrealized gains as ordinary income at the end of the fund’s fiscal and excise tax years. Deductions for losses are allowable only to the extent of any current or previously recognized gains. These gains (reduced by allowable losses) are treated as ordinary income that a fund is required to distribute, even though it has not sold or received dividends from these securities. You should also be aware that the designation of a foreign security as a PFIC security will cause its income dividends to fall outside of the definition of qualified foreign corporation dividends. These dividends generally will not qualify for the reduced rate of taxation on qualified dividends when distributed to you by a fund. Foreign companies are not required to identify themselves as PFICs. Due to various complexities in identifying PFICs, a fund can give no assurances that it will be able to identify portfolio securities in foreign corporations that are PFICs in time for the fund to make a mark-to-market election. If a fund is unable to identify an investment as a PFIC and thus does not make a mark-to-market election, the fund may be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a portion of any “excess distribution” or gain from the disposition of such shares even if such income is distributed as a taxable dividend by the fund to its shareholders. Additional charges in the nature of interest may be imposed on a fund in respect of deferred taxes arising from such distributions or gains.

       Investments in U.S. REITs. A U.S. REIT is not subject to federal income tax on the income and gains it distributes to shareholders. Dividends paid by a U.S. REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a U.S. REIT to a fund will be treated as long term capital gains by the fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Because of certain noncash expenses, such as property depreciation, an equity U.S. REIT’s cash flow may exceed its taxable income. The equity U.S. REIT, and in turn a fund, may distribute this excess cash to shareholders in the form of a return of capital distribution. However, if a U.S. REIT is operated in a manner that fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the U.S. REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the U.S. REIT would be subject to federal income tax at regular corporate rates without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the U.S. REIT’s current and accumulated earnings and profits. Also, see, “Tax Treatment of Portfolio Transactions Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income)” and “Non-U.S. Investors Investment in U.S. real property” below with respect to certain other tax aspects of investing in U.S. REITs.

       Investment in non-U.S. REITs . While non-U.S. REITs often use complex acquisition structures that seek to minimize taxation in the source country, an investment by a fund in a non-U.S. REIT may subject the fund, directly or indirectly, to corporate taxes, withholding taxes, transfer taxes and other indirect taxes in the country in which the real estate acquired by the non-U.S. REIT is located. A fund’s pro rata share of any such taxes will reduce the fund’s return on its investment. A fund’s investment in a non-U.S. REIT may be considered an investment in a PFIC, as discussed above in “PFIC investments.” Additionally, foreign withholding taxes on distributions from the non-U.S. REIT may be reduced or eliminated under certain tax treaties, as discussed above in “Taxation of the Fund — Foreign income tax.” Also, a fund in certain limited circumstances may be required to file an income tax return in the source country and pay tax on any gain realized from its investment in the non-U.S. REIT under rules similar to those in the United States which tax foreign persons on gain realized from dispositions of interests in U.S. real estate .

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       Investment in taxable mortgage pools (excess inclusion income). Under a Notice issued by the IRS, the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury regulations to be issued, a portion of a fund’s income from a U.S. REIT that is attributable to the REIT’s residual interest in a REMIC or equity interests in a “taxable mortgage pool” (referred to in the Internal Revenue Code as an excess inclusion) will be subject to federal income tax in all events. The excess inclusion income of a regulated investment company, such as a fund, will be allocated to shareholders of the regulated investment company in proportion to the dividends received by such shareholders, with the same consequences as if the shareholders held the related REMIC residual interest or, if applicable, taxable mortgage pool directly. In general, excess inclusion income allocated to shareholders (i) cannot be offset by net operating losses (subject to a limited exception for certain thrift institutions), (ii) will constitute unrelated business taxable income (“UBTI”) to entities (including qualified pension plans, individual retirement accounts, 401(k) plans, Keogh plans or other tax-exempt entities) subject to tax on UBTI, thereby potentially requiring such an entity that is allocated excess inclusion income, and otherwise might not be required to file a tax return, to file a tax return and pay tax on such income, and (iii) in the case of a foreign stockholder, will not qualify for any reduction in U.S. federal withholding tax. In addition, if at any time during any taxable year a “disqualified organization” (which generally includes certain cooperatives, governmental entities, and tax-exempt organizations not subject to UBTI) is a record holder of a share in a regulated investment company, then the regulated investment company will be subject to a tax equal to that portion of its excess inclusion income for the taxable year that is allocable to the disqualified organization, multiplied by the highest federal income tax rate imposed on corporations. The Notice imposes certain reporting requirements upon regulated investment companies that have excess inclusion income. There can be no assurance that a fund will not allocate to shareholders excess inclusion income.

       These rules are potentially applicable to a fund with respect to any income it receives from the equity interests of certain mortgage pooling vehicles, either directly or, as is more likely, through an investment in a U.S. REIT. It is unlikely that these rules will apply to a fund that has a non-REIT strategy.

       Investments in partnerships and QPTPs . For purposes of the Income Requirement, income derived by a fund from a partnership that is not a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by the fund. For purposes of testing whether a fund satisfies the Asset Diversification Test, the fund generally is treated as owning a pro rata share of the underlying assets of a partnership. See, “Taxation of the Fund.” In contrast, different rules apply to a partnership that is a QPTP. A QPTP is a partnership (a) the interests in which are traded on an established securities market, (b) that is treated as a partnership for federal income tax purposes, and (c) that derives less than 90% of its income from sources that satisfy the Income Requirement (e.g., because it invests in commodities). All of the net income derived by a fund from an interest in a QPTP will be treated as qualifying income but the fund may not invest more than 25% of its total assets in one or more QPTPs. However, there can be no assurance that a partnership classified as a QPTP in one year will qualify as a QPTP in the next year. Any such failure to annually qualify as a QPTP might, in turn, cause a fund to fail to qualify as a regulated investment company. Although, in general, the passive loss rules of the Internal Revenue Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a fund with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP. Fund investments in partnerships, including in QPTPs, may result in the fund's being subject to state, local or foreign income, franchise or withholding tax liabilities.

       Securities lending . While securities are loaned out by a fund, the fund generally will receive from the borrower amounts equal to any dividends or interest paid on the borrowed securities. For federal income tax purposes, payments made “in lieu of” dividends are not considered dividend income. These distributions will neither qualify for the reduced rate of taxation for individuals on qualified dividends nor the 70% dividends received deduction for corporations. Also, any foreign tax withheld on payments made “in lieu of” dividends or interest will not qualify for the pass-through of foreign tax credits to shareholders. Additionally, in the case of a fund with a strategy of investing in tax-exempt securities, any payments made "in lieu of" tax-exempt interest will be considered taxable income to the fund, and thus, to the investors, even though such interest may be tax-exempt when paid to the borrower.

       Investments in convertible securities . Convertible debt is ordinarily treated as a “single property” consisting of a pure debt interest until conversion, after which the investment becomes an equity interest. If the security is issued at a premium (i.e., for cash in excess of the face amount payable on retirement), the creditor-holder may amortize the premium over the life of the bond. If the security is issued for cash at a price below its face amount, the creditor-holder must accrue original issue discount in income over the life of the debt. The creditor-holder's exercise of the conversion privilege is treated as a nontaxable event. Mandatorily convertible debt (e.g., an exchange traded note or ETN issued in the form of an unsecured obligation that pays a return based on the performance of a specified market index, exchange currency, or commodity) is often, but not always, treated as a contract to buy or sell the reference property rather than debt. Similarly, convertible preferred stock with a mandatory conversion feature is ordinarily, but not always, treated as equity rather than debt. Dividends received generally are qualified dividend income and eligible for the corporate dividends received deduction. In general, conversion of preferred stock for common stock of the same corporation is tax-free. Conversion of preferred stock for cash is a taxable redemption. Any redemption premium for preferred stock that is redeemable by the issuing company might be required to be amortized under original issue discount (“OID”) principles.

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       Investments in securities of uncertain tax character. A fund may invest in securities the U.S. federal income tax treatment of which may not be clear or may be subject to recharacterization by the IRS. To the extent the tax treatment of such securities or the income from such securities differs from the tax treatment expected by a fund, it could affect the timing or character of income recognized by the fund, requiring the fund to purchase or sell securities, or otherwise change its portfolio, in order to comply with the tax rules applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code.

       Backup Withholding . By law, the Fund may be required to withhold a portion of your taxable dividends and sales proceeds unless you:

  • provide your correct social security or taxpayer identification number,
  • certify that this number is correct,
  • certify that you are not subject to backup withholding, and
  • certify that you are a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien).

The Fund also must withhold if the IRS instructs it to do so. When withholding is required, the amount will be 28% of any distributions or proceeds paid. This rate will expire and the backup withholding rate will be 31% for amounts paid after December 31, 2012, unless the 28% rate is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2013, or made permanent. Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder’s U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding and information reporting. The special U.S. tax certification requirements applicable to non-U.S. investors to avoid backup withholding are described under the “Non-U.S. Investors” heading below.

       Non-U.S. Investors . Non-U.S. investors (shareholders who, as to the United States, are nonresident alien individuals, foreign trusts or estates, foreign corporations, or foreign partnerships) may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are subject to special U.S. tax certification requirements. Non-U.S. investors should consult their tax advisors about the applicability of U.S. tax withholding and the use of the appropriate forms to certify their status.

       In general . The United States imposes a flat 30% withholding tax (or a withholding tax at a lower treaty rate) on U.S. source dividends, including on income dividends paid to you by the Fund. Exemptions from this U.S. withholding tax are provided for capital gain dividends paid by the Fund from its net long-term capital gains and, with respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent), interest-related dividends paid by the Fund from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources and short-term capital gain dividends. However, notwithstanding such exemptions from U.S. withholding at the source, any dividends and distributions of income and capital gains, including the proceeds from the sale of your Fund shares, will be subject to backup withholding at a rate of 28% (subject to increase to 31% as described above) if you fail to properly certify that you are not a U.S. person.

       Capital gain dividends and short-term capital gain dividends . In general, (i) a capital gain dividend reported by the Fund to shareholders as paid from its net long-term capital gains, or (ii) with respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent), a short-term capital gain dividend reported by the Fund to shareholders as paid from its net short-term capital gains, other than long- or short-term capital gains realized on disposition of U.S. real property interests (see the discussion below), are not subject to U.S. withholding tax unless you are a nonresident alien individual present in the United States for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the calendar year. After such sunset date, short-term capital gains are taxable to non-U.S. investors as ordinary dividends subject to U.S. withholding tax at a 30% or lower treaty rate.

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       Interest-related dividends. With respect to taxable years of the Fund beginning before January 1, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent), dividends reported by the Fund to shareholders as interest-related dividends and paid from its qualified net interest income from U.S. sources are not subject to U.S. withholding tax. “Qualified interest income” includes, in general, U.S. source (1) bank deposit interest, (2) short-term original discount, (3) interest (including original issue discount, market discount, or acquisition discount) on an obligation which is in registered form, unless it is earned on an obligation issued by a corporation or partnership in which the Fund is a 10-percent shareholder or is contingent interest, and (4) any interest-related dividend from another regulated investment company. On any payment date, the amount of an income dividend that is reported by the Fund to shareholders as an interest-related dividend may be more or less than the amount that is so qualified. This is because the reporting is based on an estimate of the Fund’s qualified net interest income for its entire fiscal year, which can only be determined with exactness at fiscal year end. As a consequence, the Fund may over withhold a small amount of U.S. tax from a dividend payment. In this case, the non-U.S. investor’s only recourse may be to either forgo recovery of the excess withholding, or to file a United States nonresident income tax return to recover the excess withholding.

       Further limitations on tax reporting for interest-related dividends and short-term capital gain dividends for non-U.S. investors . It may not be practical in every case for the Fund to report, and the Fund reserves the right in these cases to not report, small amounts of interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends. Additionally, the Fund’s reporting of interest-related or short-term capital gain dividends may not be passed through to shareholders by intermediaries who have assumed tax reporting responsibilities for this income in managed or omnibus accounts due to systems limitations or operational constraints.

       Net investment income from dividends on stock and foreign source interest income continue to be subject to withholding tax; foreign tax credits. Ordinary dividends paid by the Fund to non-U.S. investors on the income earned on portfolio investments in (i) the stock of domestic and foreign corporations and (ii) the debt of foreign issuers continue to be subject to U.S. withholding tax. Foreign shareholders may be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 30% on the income resulting from an election to pass-through foreign tax credits to shareholders, but may not be able to claim a credit or deduction with respect to the withholding tax for the foreign tax treated as having been paid by them.

       Income effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business . If the income from the Fund is effectively connected with a U.S. trade or business carried on by a foreign shareholder, then ordinary income dividends, capital gain dividends and any gains realized upon the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund will be subject to U.S. federal income tax at the rates applicable to U.S. citizens or domestic corporations and require the filing of a nonresident U.S. income tax return.

       Investment in U.S. real property . The Fund may invest in equity securities of corporations that invest in U.S. real property, including U.S. REITs. The sale of a U.S. real property interest (“USRPI”) by the Fund or by a U.S. REIT or U.S. real property holding corporation in which the Fund invests may trigger special tax consequences to the Fund’s non-U.S. shareholders.

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       The Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980 (“FIRPTA”) makes non-U.S. persons subject to U.S. tax on disposition of a USRPI as if he or she were a U.S. person. Such gain is sometimes referred to as FIRPTA gain. The Internal Revenue Code provides a look-through rule for distributions of FIRPTA gain by a RIC received from a U.S. REIT or another RIC classified as a U.S. real property holding corporation or realized by the RIC on a sale of a USRPI (other than a domestically controlled U.S. REIT or RIC that is classified as a qualified investment entity) as follows:

  • The RIC is classified as a qualified investment entity. A RIC is classified as a “qualified investment entity” with respect to a distribution to a non-U.S. person which is attributable directly or indirectly to a distribution from a U.S. REIT if, in general, 50% or more of the RIC’s assets consists of interests in U.S. REITs and U.S. real property holding corporations, and
  • You are a non-U.S. shareholder that owns more than 5% of a class of Fund shares at any time during the one-year period ending on the date of the distribution.
  • If these conditions are met, such Fund distributions to you are treated as gain from the disposition of a USRPI, causing the distributions to be subject to U.S. withholding tax at a rate of 35% (unless reduced by future regulations), and requiring that you file a nonresident U.S. income tax return.
  • In addition, even if you do not own more than 5% of a class of Fund shares, but the Fund is a qualified investment entity, such Fund distributions to you will be taxable as ordinary dividends (rather than as a capital gain or short-term capital gain dividend) subject to withholding at 30% or lower treaty rate.

       These rules apply to dividends paid by the Fund before January 1, 2012 (unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent). After such sunset date, Fund distributions from a U.S. REIT (whether or not domestically controlled) attributable to FIRPTA gain will continue to be subject to the withholding rules described above provided the Fund would otherwise be classified as a qualified investment entity.

       Because the Fund expects to invest less than 50% of its assets at all times, directly or indirectly, in U.S. real property interests, the Fund expects that neither gain on the sale or redemption of Fund shares nor Fund dividends and distributions would be subject to FIRPTA reporting and tax withholding.

       U.S. estate tax . Transfers by gift of shares of the Fund by a foreign shareholder who is a nonresident alien individual will not be subject to U.S. federal gift tax. An individual who, at the time of death, is a non-U.S. shareholder will nevertheless be subject to U.S. federal estate tax with respect to Fund shares at the graduated rates applicable to U.S. citizens and residents, unless a treaty exemption applies. If a treaty exemption is available, a decedent’s estate may nonetheless need to file a U.S. estate tax return to claim the exemption in order to obtain a U.S. federal transfer certificate. The transfer certificate will identify the property (i.e., Fund shares) as to which the U.S. federal estate tax lien has been released. In the absence of a treaty, there is a $13,000 statutory estate tax credit (equivalent to U.S. situs assets with a value of $60,000). For estates with U.S. situs assets of not more than $60,000, the Fund may accept, in lieu of a transfer certificate, an affidavit from an appropriate individual evidencing that decedent’s U.S. situs assets are below this threshold amount. In addition, a partial exemption from U.S. estate tax may apply to Fund shares held by the estate of a nonresident decedent. The amount treated as exempt is based upon the proportion of the assets held by the Fund at the end of the quarter immediately preceding the decedent's death that are debt obligations, deposits, or other property that generally would be treated as situated outside the United States if held directly by the estate. This partial exemption applies to decedents dying after December 31, 2004 and before January 1, 2012, unless such provision is extended, possibly retroactively to January 1, 2012, or made permanent.

       U.S. tax certification rules . Special U.S. tax certification requirements may apply to non-U.S. shareholders both to avoid U.S. backup withholding imposed at a rate of 28% (subject to increase to 31% as described above) and to obtain the benefits of any treaty between the United States and the shareholder’s country of residence. In general, a non-U.S. shareholder must provide a Form W-8 BEN (or other applicable Form W-8) to establish that you are not a U.S. person, to claim that you are the beneficial owner of the income and, if applicable, to claim a reduced rate of, or exemption from, withholding as a resident of a country with which the United States has an income tax treaty. A Form W-8 BEN provided without a U.S. taxpayer identification number will remain in effect for a period beginning on the date signed and ending on the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless an earlier change of circumstances makes the information on the form incorrect. Certain payees and payments are exempt from backup withholding.

       The tax consequences to a non-U.S. shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of an applicable tax treaty may be different from those described herein. Non-U.S. shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisors with respect to the particular tax consequences to them of an investment in the Fund, including the applicability of foreign tax.

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       Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (“FATCA”). Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, the relevant withholding agent may be required to withhold 30% of: (a) income dividends paid after December 31, 2013 and (b) certain capital gains distributions and the proceeds of a sale of shares paid after December 31, 2016 to (i) a foreign financial institution (“FFI”) unless the FFI becomes a “participating FFI” by entering into a U.S. tax compliance agreement with the IRS under section 1471(b) of the Internal Revenue Code (“FFI agreement”) and thereby agrees to verify, report and disclose certain of its U.S. accountholders and meets certain other specified requirements or (ii) a non-financial foreign entity that is the beneficial owner of the payment unless such entity certifies that it does not have any substantial U.S. owners or provides the name, address and taxpayer identification number of each substantial U.S. owner and such entity meets certain other specified requirements. These requirements are different from, and in addition to, the U.S. tax certification rules described above. The scope of these requirements remains unclear, and shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding the application of these requirements to their own situation.

       Alternatively, the U.S. Treasury is in various stages of negotiations with a number of foreign governments with respect to one or more other approaches to implement FATCA. Under one proposed model agreement, FFIs located in a foreign country that enters into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. Treasury would be required to report U.S.-owned account information directly to their local tax authority, rather than to the IRS. The local tax authority would then automatically share that information with the IRS. Under another approach, FFIs located in a foreign country that enters into an intergovernmental agreement would not need to enter into a separate FFI Agreement with the IRS, provided each FFI registers with the IRS. Under this approach, the FFIs would be required to report U.S.-owned account information directly to the IRS as opposed to reporting via the local tax authority.

       Effect of Future Legislation; Local Tax Considerations . The foregoing general discussion of U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on the Internal Revenue Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this Statement of Additional Information. Future legislative or administrative changes, including provisions of current law that sunset and thereafter no longer apply, or court decisions may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and any such changes or decisions may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. Rules of state and local taxation of ordinary income, qualified dividend income and capital gain dividends may differ from the rules for U.S. federal income taxation described above. Distributions may also be subject to additional state, local and foreign taxes depending on each shareholder's particular situation. Non-U.S. shareholders may be subject to U.S. tax rules that differ significantly from those summarized above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors as to the consequences of these and other state and local tax rules affecting investment in the Fund.

PERFORMANCE

       To obtain the Funds’ most current performance information, please call 800 523-1918 or visit delawareinvestments.com.

       Performance quotations represent the Funds’ past performance and should not be considered as representative of future results. The Funds will calculate their performance in accordance with the requirements of the rules and regulations under the 1940 Act, or any other applicable U.S. securities laws, as they may be revised from time to time by the SEC.

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

       PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, which is located at 2001 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103, serves as the independent registered public accounting firm for the Trust and, in its capacity as such, audits the annual financial statements contained in each Fund’s Annual Report. The Funds’ Statements of Net Assets, Statement of Assets and Liabilities (where applicable), Statements of Operations, Statements of Changes in Net Assets, Financial Highlights, and Notes to Financial Statements, as well as the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm, for the fiscal year ended July 31, 2012, are included in each Fund’s Annual Report to shareholders. The financial statement information for fiscal years ended prior to July 31, 2010 were audited by the Funds’ prior independent registered public accounting firm. The financial statements and financial highlights, the notes relating thereto and the reports of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP listed above are incorporated by reference from the Annual Reports into this Part B.

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PRINCIPAL HOLDERS

       As of October 31, 2012, management believes the following shareholders held of record 5% or more of the outstanding shares of each class of each Fund. Management does not have knowledge of beneficial owners.

       The Manager and its affiliates may provide the initial seed capital in connection with the creation of a Delaware Investments ® product, such as Delaware Core Bond Fund and Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund. To the extent that the Manager or its affiliates maintain such seed capital in a Delaware Investments ® product, the Manager or its affiliates may engage in a total return swap or other hedge on its investment for the sole purpose of limiting the volatility of earnings of the Manager and its corporate parents. Neither the Manager nor its affiliates seek to profit by hedging the seed capital investments in the Delaware Investments ® products, and the total return swap or other hedge is not expected to have any effect on the investment performance of any Delaware Investments ® product.

Fund Name Class Registration Address Block Percentage
of Fund
DELAWARE CORE A DMH CORP 6.70%
BOND FUND ATTN RICK SALUS
2005 MARKET ST FL 9
PHILADELPHIA PA 19103-7007
A DMTC 6.89%
C/F THE ROLLOVER IRA OF
LUCILLE R BUSH
HAROLD KY 41635
A PERSHING LLC1 14.62%
PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C ATTN JEFFERY PASSER 6.23%
SOUTH CENTRAL MUTUAL INS CO
1120 GIANT DRIVE
BLUE EARTH MN 56013-0037
C CROWELL, WEEDON & CO 18.67%
VINE FOUNDATION
ONE WILSHIRE BUILDING
624 SOUTH GRAND AVENUE
LOS ANGELES, CA 90017
C NFS LLC 17.10%
FEBO NFS/FMTC ROTH IRA
FBO ELAINE T HADDAD
BLOOMFLD HLS MI 48302
C PERSHING LLC 5.86%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002

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C PTC 5.21%
CUST IRA
FBO WILLIAM C ROGERS JR
KINGSVILLE MD 21087
C RAYMOND JAMES 8.46%
OMNIBUS FOR MUTUAL FUNDS
ATTN COURTNEY WALLER
880 CARILLON PARKWAY
ST PETERSBURG FL 33713
I DINGLE & CO 11.64%
P O BOX 75000
DETROIT MI 48275-3446
I THE CATHOLIC FOUNDATION 5.51%
5310 HARVEST HILL RD STE 248
DALLAS TX 75230-5891
I UMBSC & CO 62.30%
FBO WELS INCOME FUND PRI USD
PO BOX 419260
KANSAS CITY MO 64141-6260
R DMH CORP 98.99%
ATTN RICK SALUS
2005 MARKET ST FL 9
PHILADELPHIA PA 19103-7007
DELAWARE A FIRST CLEARING LLC 5.55%
CORPORATE BOND SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
FUND EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
A MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 8.34%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
A MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 10.09%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
A PERSHING LLC 9.94%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
A UBS WM USA 12.30%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
B FIRST CLEARING LLC 9.92%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523

95



B MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 12.01%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
B MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 10.65%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
B PERSHING LLC 20.87%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
B UBS WM USA 5.97%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
C FIRST CLEARING LLC 14.68%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
C MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 45.37%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
C MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 9.14%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
C PERSHING LLC 5.30%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C UBS WM USA 7.19%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
I FIRST CLEARING LLC 12.89%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
I MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 71.57%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484

96



R ATTN NPIO TRADE DESK 14.43%
DCGT TRUSTEE & OR CUSTODIAN
FBO PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL
GROUP QUALIFIED FIA OMNIBUS
711 HIGH ST
DES MOINES IA 50392-0001
R ATTN NPIO TRADE DESK 26.26%
DCGT TRUSTEE & OR CUSTODIAN
FBO PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL
GROUP QUALIFIED PRIN ADVTG  
OMNIBUS
711 HIGH ST
DES MOINES IA 50392-0001
R MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 22.62%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
DELAWARE A FIRST CLEARING LLC 9.42%
DIVERSIFIED FLOATING SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
RATE FUND EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
A MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 6.04%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
A MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 23.91%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
A PERSHING LLC 18.41%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
A UBS WM USA 24.03%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
C FIRST CLEARING LLC 21.56%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
C MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 22.56%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484

97



C MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 11.34%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
C PERSHING LLC 11.04%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C UBS WM USA 6.58%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
I FIRST CLEARING LLC 30.72%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
I LPL FINANCIAL 11.02%
--OMNIBUS CUSTOMER ACCOUNT-
ATTN: LINDSAY O'TOOLE
9785 TOWNE CENTRE DR
SAN DIEGO CA 92121
I MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 37.25%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
R DMH CORP 99.46%
ATTN RICK SALUS
2005 MARKET ST FL 9
PHILADELPHIA PA 19103-7007
DELAWARE EXTENDED A MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE 28.12%
DURATION BOND FUND INS CO
1295 STATE STREET - MIP C105
SPRINGFIELD MA 01111-0001
A MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 5.37%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
A PERSHING LLC 6.16%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
A UBS WM USA 9.20%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055

98



B CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC 5.92%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT
FBO CUSTOMERS
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS
211 MAIN ST
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-1905
B FIRST CLEARING LLC 8.94%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
  2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523  
B MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 15.48%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
B MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 12.58%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
B PERSHING LLC 22.78%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C FIRST CLEARING LLC 11.31%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
C MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 36.53%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
C PERSHING LLC 10.55%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
I CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC 5.00%
SPEC CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCL BNFT OF CUSTS
ATTN MUT FDS
211 MAIN ST
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-1905
I DCGT AS TTEE AND/OR CUST 21.19%
FBO PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL
GROUP QUALIFIED FIA OMNIBUS
ATTN NPIO TRADE DESK
711 HIGH STREET
DES MOINES, IA 50303

99



I FIRST CLEARING LLC 10.42%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
I MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 10.34%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
I YP HOLDINGS LLC 5.84%
PENSION TRUST
2247 NORTHLAKE PKWY STE 1026
TUCKER GA 30084
R ATTN NPIO TRADE DESK 5.92%
DCGT TRUSTEE & OR CUST
FBO PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL
  GROUP QUALIFIED FIA OMNIBUS
711 HIGH ST
DES MOINES IA 50392-0001
R ING LIFE INSURANCE AND 30.22%
ANNUITY CO
1 ORANGE WAY
WINDSOR CT 06095-4773  
R MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE 52.11%
INS CO
1295 STATE STREET - MIP C105
SPRINGFIELD MA 01111-0001
DELAWARE HIGH A FIRST CLEARING LLC 8.71%
YIELD OPPORTUNITIES SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
FUND EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
A LPL FINANCIAL 8.87%
--OMNIBUS CUSTOMER ACCT--
ATTN: LINDSAY O'TOOLE
9785 TOWNE CENTRE DR
SAN DIEGO CA 92121
A MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 8.56%
BARNEY HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL
CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
A PERSHING LLC 6.06%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002

100



B CHARLES SCHWAB & CO INC 6.00%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FBO
CUSTOMERS
ATTN MUTUAL FUNDS
211 MAIN ST
SAN FRANCISCO CA 94105-1905
B FIRST CLEARING LLC 18.43%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
B MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 10.38%
BARNEY
HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
B PERSHING LLC 10.95%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C FIRST CLEARING LLC 10.51%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523
C MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 13.95%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
C MORGAN STANLEY SMITH 10.33%
BARNEY HARBORSIDE FINANCIAL
CENTER
PLAZA 2 3RD FL
JERSEY CITY NJ 07311
C PERSHING LLC 5.83%
1 PERSHING PLAZA
JERSEY CITY NJ 07399-0002
C UBS WM USA 9.31%
OMNI ACCOUNT M/F
ATTN DEPARTMENT MANAGER
499 WASHINGTON BLVD FL 9
JERSEY CITY NJ 07310-2055
I FIRST CLEARING LLC 8.22%
SPECIAL CUSTODY ACCT FOR THE
EXCLUSIVE BENEFIT OF
CUSTOMER
2801 MARKET ST
SAINT LOUIS MO 63103-2523

101



I LPL FINANCIAL 31.16%
--OMNIBUS CUSTOMER ACCT--
ATTN: LINDSAY O'TOOLE
9785 TOWNE CENTRE DR
SAN DIEGO CA 92121
I MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 5.27%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
I NFS LLC 8.90%
FEBO COUNTRY TRUST
PO BOX 2020
BLOOMINGTON IL 61702-2020
I SEI PRIVATE TRUST CO 7.23%
FBO HALE & DORR LLP
  ONE FREEDOM VALLEY DRIVE
OAKS PA 19456-9989
R ING LIFE INSURANCE AND 10.77%
ANNUITY CO
1 ORANGE WAY
WINDSOR CT 06095-4773
R ING 19.65%
ENHANCED K-CHOICE
TRUSTEE: RELIANCE TRUST CO
400 ATRIUM DRIVE
SOMERSET NJ 08873-4162
R MLPF&S FOR THE SOLE 12.44%
BENEFIT OF ITS CUSTOMERS
ATTENTION: FUND ADMIN
4800 DEER LAKE DRIVE E, FL2
JACKSONVILLE FL 32246-6484
R STATE STREET BANK AND TRUST 9.11%
COMPANY
FBO TAYNIK & CO
1200 CROWN COLONY DR
QUINCY MA 02169-0938

102



APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS

General Rating Information

Bonds
      The ratings list below can be further described as follows. For all categories lower than Aaa, Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. includes a “1”, “2”, or “3” following the rating to designate a high, medium, or low rating, respectively. Similarly, for all categories lower than AAA, Standard & Poor’s and Fitch IBCA, Inc. may add a “+” or “-” following the rating to characterize a higher or lower rating, respectively.

Moody’s Investors
Service, Inc.
Aaa

Highest quality, smallest degree of investment risk.

Aa

High quality; together with Aaa bonds, they compose the high-grade bond group.

A

Upper-medium-grade obligations; many favorable investment attributes.

Baa

Medium-grade obligations; neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Interest and principal appear adequate for the present, but certain protective elements may be lacking or may be unreliable over any great length of time.

Ba

More uncertain with speculative elements. Protective of interest and principal payments not well safeguarded in good and bad times.

B

Lack characteristics of desirable investment; potentially low assurance of timely interest and principal payments or maintenance of other contract terms over time.

Caa

Poor standing, may be in default; elements of danger with respect to principal or interest payments.

Ca

Speculative in high degree; could be in default or have other marked shortcomings.

C

Lowest rated. Extremely poor prospects of ever attaining investment standing.


Standard & Poor’s AAA

Highest rating; extremely strong capacity to pay principal and interest.

AA

High quality; very strong capacity to pay principal and interest.

A

Strong capacity to pay principal and interest; somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changing circumstances and economic conditions.

BBB

Adequate capacity to pay principal and interest; normally exhibit adequate protection parameters, but adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances more likely to lead to weakened capacity to pay principal and interest than for higher-rated bonds.

BB, B,
CCC, CC

Predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to meet required interest and principal payments. BB – lowest degree of speculation; CC – the highest degree of speculation. Quality and protective characteristics outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposure to adverse conditions.

D

In default.


103



Fitch IBCA, Inc. AAA

Highest quality; obligor has exceptionally strong ability to pay interest and repay principal, which is unlikely to be affected by reasonably foreseeable events.

AA

Very high quality; obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is very strong. Because bonds rated in the AAA and AA categories are not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable future developments, short-term debt of these issuers is generally rated F-1+.

A

High quality; obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered to be strong, but may be more vulnerable to adverse changes in economic conditions and circumstances than higher-rated bonds.

BBB

Satisfactory credit quality; obligor’s ability to pay interest and repay principal is considered adequate. Unfavorable changes in economic conditions and circumstances are more likely to adversely affect these bonds and impair timely payment. The likelihood that the ratings of these bonds will fall below investment grade is higher than for higher-rated bonds.

BB,
CCC,
CC, C

Not investment grade; predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to repay interest and repay principal in accordance with the terms of the obligation for bond issues not in default. BB is the least speculative. C is the most speculative.


Commercial Paper

Moody’s S&P Fitch
P-1 Superior quality A-1+ Extremely strong quality F-1+ Exceptionally strong quality
P-2 Strong quality A-1 Strong quality F-1 Very strong quality
P-3 Acceptable quality A-2 Satisfactory quality F-2 Good credit quality
A-3 Adequate quality F-3 Fair quality
B Speculative quality F-S Weak credit quality
C Doubtful quality
 

State and Municipal Notes

Moody’s S&P Fitch
MIG1/
VMIG1 Best quality SP1+ Very strong quality F-1+ Exceptionally strong quality
SP1 Strong grade F-1 Very strong quality
MIG2/ SP2 Satisfactory grade F-2 Good credit quality
VMIG2 High quality SP3 Speculative grade F-3 Fair credit quality
MIG3/ F-S Weak credit quality
VMIG3 Favorable quality
MIG4/
VMIG4 Adequate quality
SG Speculative quality

104



Earnings and Dividend Rankings for Common Stocks

     Standard & Poor’s . The investment process involves assessment of various factors -- such as product and industry position, corporate resources and financial policy -- with results that make some common stocks more highly esteemed than others. In this assessment, S&P believes that earnings and dividend performance are the end result of the interplay of these factors and that, over the long run, the record of this performance has a considerable bearing on relative quality. The rankings, however, do not pretend to reflect all of the factors, tangible or intangible, that bear on stock quality.

     Relative quality of bonds or other debt, that is, degrees of protection for principal and interest, called creditworthiness, cannot be applied to common stocks, and therefore rankings are not to be confused with bond quality ratings which are arrived at by a necessarily different approach.

     Growth and stability of earnings and dividends are deemed key elements in establishing Standard & Poor’s earnings and dividend rankings for common stocks, which are designed to capsulize the nature of this record in a single symbol. It should be noted, however, that the process also takes into consideration certain adjustments and modifications deemed desirable in establishing such rankings.

     The point of departure in arriving at these rankings is a computerized scoring system based on per-share earnings and dividend records of the most recent 10 years -- a period deemed long enough to measure significant time segments of secular growth, to capture indications of basic changes in trends as they develop, and to encompass the full peak-to-peak range of the business cycle. Basic scores are computed for earnings and dividends, then adjusted as indicated by a set of predetermined modifiers for growth, stability within long-term trend, and cyclicality. Adjusted scores for earnings and dividends are then combined to yield a final score.

     Further, the ranking system makes allowance for the fact that, in general, corporate size imparts certain recognized advantages from an investment standpoint. Conversely, minimum size limits (in terms of corporate sales volume) are set for the various rankings, but the system provides for making exceptions where the score reflects an outstanding earnings-dividend record.

     The final score for each stock is measured against a scoring matrix determined by analysis of the scores of a large and representative sample of stocks. The range of scores in the array of this sample has been aligned with the following ladder of rankings:

A+ Highest B+ Average C Lowest
A High B Below Average D In Reorganization
A- Above Average B- Lower

     NR signifies no ranking because of insufficient data or because the stock is not amenable to the ranking process.

     The positions as determined above may be modified in some instances by special considerations, such as natural disasters, massive strikes, and non-recurring accounting adjustments.

     A ranking is not a forecast of future market price performance, but is basically an appraisal of past performance of earnings and dividends, and relative current standing. These rankings must not be used as market recommendations; a high-score stock may at times be so overpriced as to justify its sale, while a low-score stock may be attractively priced for purchase. Rankings based on earnings and dividend records are no substitute for complete analysis. They cannot take into account potential effects of management changes, internal company policies not yet fully reflected in the earnings and dividend record, public relations standing, recent competitive shifts, and a host of other factors that may be relevant to investment status and decision.

105



Preferred Stock Rating

Moody’s Investors
Service, Inc.
Aaa

Considered to be a top-quality preferred stock. This rating indicates good asset protection and the least risk of dividend impairment within the universe of preferred stocks.

Aa

Considered a high-grade preferred stock. This rating indicates that there is reasonable assurance that earnings and asset protection will remain relatively well maintained in the foreseeable future.

A

Considered to be an upper-medium grade preferred stock. While risks are judged to be somewhat greater than in the “Aaa” and “Aa” classifications, earnings and asset protection are, nevertheless, expected to be maintained at adequate levels.

Baa

Considered to be medium-grade, neither highly protected nor poorly secured. Earnings and asset protection appear adequate at present but may be questionable over any great length of time.

Ba

Considered to have speculative elements and its future cannot be considered well assured. Earnings and asset protection may be very moderate and not well safeguarded during adverse periods. Uncertainty of position characterizes preferred stocks in this class.

B

Generally lacks the characteristics of a desirable investment. Assurance of dividend payments and maintenance of other terms of the issue over any long period of time may be small.

Caa

Likely to be in arrears on dividend payments. This rating designation does not purport to indicate the future status of payments.

Ca

Speculative in a high degree and is likely to be in arrears on dividends with little likelihood of eventual payment.

C

The lowest rated class of preferred or preference stock. Issues so rated can be regarded as having extremely poor prospects of ever attaining any real investment standing.

Standard & Poor s AAA

Has the highest rating that may be assigned by S&P to a preferred stock issue and indicates an extremely strong capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations.

AA

Qualifies as a high-quality fixed income security. The capacity to pay preferred stock obligations is very strong, although not as overwhelming as for issues rated “AAA”.

A

Backed by a sound capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations, although it is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions.

BBB

Regarded as backed by an adequate capacity to pay the preferred stock obligations. Whereas it normally exhibits adequate protection parameters, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to make payments for a preferred stock in this category than for issues in the “A” category.

BB,B,
CCC

Regarded, on balance, as predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s capacity to pay preferred stock obligations. “BB” indicates the lowest degree of speculation and “CCC” the highest degree of speculation. While such issues will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these are outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.

CC

Reserved for a preferred stock issue in arrears on dividends or sinking fund payments but that is currently paying.

C

A non-paying issue.

D

A non-paying issue with the issuer in default on debt instruments.

NR

Indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating, or that S&P does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.


106



PART C
(Delaware Group ® Income Funds)
File Nos. 002-37707/811-02071
Post-Effective Amendment No. 83

OTHER INFORMATION

Item 28.   Exhibits . The following exhibits are incorporated by reference to the Registrant’s previously filed documents indicated below, except as noted:
 
(a) Articles of Incorporation.
 
(1) Agreement and Declaration of Trust (December 17, 1998) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 filed July 29, 1999.
 
(i)        Executed Certificate of Amendment (November 15, 2006) to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
(ii) Executed Certificate of Amendment (February 26, 2009) to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 filed August 26, 2009.
 
(iii) Executed Certificate of Amendment (August 18, 2009) to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 76 filed November 25, 2009.
 
(2) Certificate of Trust (December 17, 1998) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 filed July 29, 1999.
 
(b) By-Laws . Amended and Restated By-Laws (November 16, 2006) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
(c) Instruments Defining Rights of Security Holders .
 
(1) Agreement and Declaration of Trust . Articles III, IV, V and VI of the Agreement and Declaration of Trust (December 17, 1998) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 filed July 29, 1999.
 
(2) By-Laws . Article II of the Amended and Restated By-Laws (November 16, 2006) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
       (d)        Investment Advisory Contracts .
 
(1)        Executed Investment Management Agreement (January 4, 2010) between Delaware Management Company (a series of Delaware Management Business Trust) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 filed February 25, 2010.
 
(2) Executed Amendment No. 1 to Exhibit A (January 28, 2010) to the Investment Management Agreement between Delaware Management Company (a series of Delaware Management Business Trust) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 filed February 25, 2010.
 
(3) Executed Amendment No. 2 to Exhibit A (February 25, 2010) to the Investment Management Agreement between Delaware Management Company (a series of Delaware Management Business Trust) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 80 filed November 29, 2010.

1



                            (4)        Executed Investment Advisory Expense Limitation Letter (November 2012) between Delaware Management Company (a series of Delaware Management Business Trust) and the Registrant attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.d.4.
 
(e) Underwriting Contracts .
 
(1) Distribution Agreements.
 
(i)        Executed Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement (January 4, 2010) between Delaware Distributors, L.P. and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 filed September 30, 2010.
 
(ii) Executed Amendment No. 1 to Schedule I (February 25, 2010) to the Amended and Restated Distribution Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 filed September 30, 2010.
 
(iii) Executed Distribution Expense Limitation Letter (December 12, 2008) between Delaware Distributors, L.P. and the Registrant, on behalf of the Delaware High-Yield Opportunities Fund, incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 on Form N-14 filed May 26, 2009.
 
(iv) Executed Distribution Expense Limitation Letter (November 2012) between Delaware Distributors, L.P. and the Registrant attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.e.1.iv.
 
(2) Form of Dealer's Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 filed November 28, 2011.
 
(3) Form of Registered Investment Advisers Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 filed November 28, 2011.
 
(4) Form of Bank/Trust Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 filed November 28, 2011.
 
(f) Bonus or Profit Sharing Contracts . Not applicable.
 
(g) Custodian Agreements .
 
(1) Executed Mutual Fund Custody and Services Agreement (July 20, 2007) between The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly, Mellon Bank, N.A.) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 filed November 26, 2008.
 
(2) Executed Securities Lending Authorization (July 20, 2007) between The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly, Mellon Bank, N.A.) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
(i) Executed Amendment (September 22, 2009) to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 filed September 30, 2010.

2



                              (ii)   Executed Amendment No. 2 (January 1, 2010) to the Securities Lending Authorization Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 filed February 25, 2010.
 
(h) Other Material Contracts .
 
(1)        Executed Shareholder Services Agreement (April 19, 2001) between Delaware Service Company, Inc. and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 65 filed October 17, 2002.
 
(i)        Executed Letter Amendment (August 23, 2002) to the Shareholder Services Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 filed September 29, 2003.
 
(ii) Executed Amendment No. 2 (February 25, 2010) to Schedule A to the Shareholder Services Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 filed September 30, 2010.
 
(iii) Executed Schedule B (July 18, 2011) to the Shareholder Services Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 filed November 28, 2011.
 
(2) Executed Fund Accounting and Financial Administration Services Agreement (October 1, 2007) between The Bank of New York Mellon (formerly, Mellon Bank, N.A.) and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
(3) Executed Fund Accounting and Financial Administration Oversight Agreement (January 4, 2010) between Delaware Service Company, Inc. and the Registrant incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 79 filed September 30, 2010.
 
(i) Amendment No. 2 (January 31, 2011) to Schedule A to the Fund Accounting and Financial Administration Oversight Agreement incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 81 filed November 28, 2011.
 
(i) Legal Opinion .
 
(1) Opinion and Consent of Counsel (July 28, 1999) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 61 filed July 29, 1999.
 
(2) Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to Delaware Core Bond Fund (August 26, 2009) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 75 filed August 26, 2009.
 
(3) Opinion and Consent of Counsel with respect to Delaware Diversified Floating Rate Fund (February 25, 2010) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 filed February 25, 2010.
 
(j) Other Opinions . Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (November 2012) attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.j.
 
(k) Omitted Financial Statements . Not applicable.
 
(l) Initial Capital Agreements . Not applicable.

3



                     (m)        Rule 12b-1 Plan .
 
(1)        Plan under Rule 12b-1 for Class A (April 19, 2001) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 filed September 28, 2001.
 
(2) Plan under Rule 12b-1 for Class B (April 19, 2001) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 filed September 28, 2001.
 
(3) Plan under Rule 12b-1 for Class C (April 19, 2001) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 64 filed September 28, 2001.
 
(4) Plan under Rule 12b-1 for Class R (May 15, 2003) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 67 filed September 29, 2003.
 
(n) Rule 18f-3 Plan .
 
(1) Plan under Rule 18f-3 (February 18, 2010) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 78 filed February 25, 2010.
 
(i)        Appendix A (October 1, 2012) to Plan under Rule 18f-3 attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.n.1.i.
 
(o) Reserved .
 
(p) Codes of Ethics .
 
(1) Code of Ethics for the Delaware Investments’ Family of Funds (December 1, 2011) attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.p.1.
 
(2) Code of Ethics for Delaware Investments (Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, and Delaware Distributors, L.P.) (December 1, 2011) attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.p.2.
 
(q) Other .
 
(1) Powers of Attorney (May 17, 2007) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 73 filed November 26, 2008.
 
(2) Power of Attorney (September 1, 2011) attached as Exhibit No. EX-99.q.2.
 
Item 29.        Persons Controlled by or Under Common Control with Registrant . None.
 
Item 30. Indemnification . Article VII, Section 2 (November 15, 2006) to the Agreement and Declaration of Trust incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007. Article VI of the Amended and Restated By-Laws (November 16, 2006) incorporated into this filing by reference to Post-Effective Amendment No. 72 filed November 28, 2007.
 
Item 31. Business and Other Connections of the Investment Adviser .
 
Delaware Management Company (the “Manager”), a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, serves as investment manager to the Registrant and also serves as investment manager or sub-advisor to certain of the other funds in the Delaware Investments ® Funds (Delaware Group ® Adviser Funds, Delaware Group Cash Reserve, Delaware Group Equity Funds I, Delaware Group Equity Funds II, Delaware Group Equity Funds III, Delaware Group Equity Funds IV, Delaware Group Equity Funds V, Delaware Group Foundation Funds, Delaware Group Global & International Funds, Delaware Group Government Fund, Delaware Group Limited-Term Government Funds, Delaware Group State Tax-Free

4



Income Trust, Delaware Group Tax-Free Fund, Delaware Group Tax- Free Money Fund, Delaware Pooled ® Trust, Delaware VIP ® Trust, Voyageur Insured Funds, Voyageur Intermediate Tax Free Funds, Voyageur Mutual Funds, Voyageur Mutual Funds II, Voyageur Mutual Funds III, Voyageur Tax Free Funds, Delaware Investments Dividend and Income Fund, Inc., Delaware Investments Global Dividend and Income Fund, Inc., Delaware Investments Arizona Municipal Income Fund, Inc., Delaware Investments Colorado Municipal Income Fund, Inc., Delaware Investments National Municipal Income Fund, Delaware Investments Minnesota Municipal Income Fund II, Inc., and Delaware Enhanced Global Dividend and Income Fund) and the Optimum Fund Trust, as well as to certain non-affiliated registered investment companies. In addition, certain officers of the Manager also serve as trustees and/or officers of other Delaware Investments Funds and Optimum Fund Trust. A company indirectly owned by the Manager’s parent company acts as principal underwriter to the mutual funds in the Delaware Investments Funds (see Item 32 below) and another such company acts as the shareholder services, dividend disbursing, accounting servicing and transfer agent for all of the Delaware Investments Funds.

Unless otherwise noted, the following persons serving as directors or officers of the Manager have held the following positions during the Trust’s past two fiscal years. Unless otherwise noted, the principal business address of the directors and officers of the Manager is 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094.

Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Patrick P. Coyne President Chairman/President/Chief Mr. Coyne has served in various
Executive Officer executive capacities within
Delaware Investments
 
Director – Kaydon Corp.
Michael J. Hogan Executive Vice Executive Vice Mr. Hogan has served in
President/Head of Equity President/Head of Equity various executive capacities
Investments Investments within Delaware Investments
David P. O’Connor Executive Vice Executive Vice Mr. O’Connor has served in
President/Strategic President/Strategic various executive capacities
Investment Relationships Investment Relationships within Delaware Investments
and Initiatives/General and Initiatives/General
Counsel Counsel Senior Vice President/ Strategic
Investment Relationships and
Initiatives/General
Counsel/Chief Legal Officer –
Optimum Fund Trust
See Yeng Quek Executive Vice Executive Vice Mr. Quek has served in various
President/Managing President/Managing executive capacities within
Director/Head of Fixed Director, Fixed Income Delaware Investments
Income Investments
Philip N. Russo Executive Vice None Mr. Russo has served in various
President/Chief executive capacities within
Administrative Officer Delaware Investments
Joseph R. Baxter Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Baxter has served in
President/Head of President/Head of various capacities within
Municipal Bond Municipal Bond Delaware Investments
Department/Senior Department/Senior
Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager

5



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Christopher S. Beck Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Beck has served in various
Chief Investment Chief Investment Officer - capacities within Delaware
Officer—Small Cap Small Cap; Value/Mid-Cap Investments
Value/Mid-Cap Value Value Equity
Equity
Michael P. Buckley Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Buckley has served in
President//Director of President/Portfolio various capacities within
Municipal Research Manager/Director of Delaware Investments
Municipal Research
Stephen J. Busch Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Busch has served in various
Investment Accounting Investment Accounting capacities within Delaware
Investments
Michael F. Capuzzi Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Capuzzi has served in
Investment Systems Investment Systems various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Liu-Er Chen Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Chen has served in various
Chief Investment Officer, Chief Investment Officer, capacities within Delaware
Emerging Markets and Emerging Markets and Investments
Healthcare Healthcare
Thomas H. Chow Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Chow has served in various
President/Senior Portfolio President/Senior Portfolio capacities within Delaware
Manager Manager Investments
Stephen J. Czepiel Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Czepiel has served in
President/Senior Portfolio President/Senior Portfolio various capacities within
Manager Manager Delaware Investments
Chuck M. Devereux Senior Vice Senior Vice President/ Mr. Devereux has served in
President/Director of Director of Credit various capacities within
Credit Research Research Delaware Investments
Roger A. Early Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Co- Mr. Early has served in various
Co-Chief Investment Chief Investment Officer- capacities within Delaware
Officer—Total Return Total Return Fixed Investments
Fixed Income Strategy Income Strategy
Stuart M. George Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. George has served in
President/Head of Equity President/Head of Equity various capacities within
Trading Trading Delaware Investments
Edward Gray Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Gray has served in various
President/Chief President/Chief capacities within Delaware
Investment Officer— Investment Officer – Investments
Global and International Global and International
Value Equity Value Equity
Paul Grillo Senior Vice President/ Co- Senior Vice President/ Co- Mr. Grillo has served in various
Chief Investment Chief Investment capacities within Delaware
Officer—Total Return Officer—Total Return Investments
Fixed Income Strategy Fixed Income Strategy
Sharon Hill Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Ms. Hill has served in various
Head of Equity Head of Quantitative capacities within Delaware
Quantitative Research and Research and Analytics Investments
Analytics
James L. Hinkley Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Hinkley has served in
Head of Product Head of Product various capacities within
Management Management Delaware Investments

6



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Kevin P. Loome Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Loome has served in
President/Senior Portfolio President/Senior Portfolio various capacities within
Manager/Head of High Manager/Head of High Delaware Investments
Yield Investments Yield Investments
Paul Matlack Senior Vice President/U.S. Senior Vice President/U.S. Mr. Matlack has served in
Fixed Income Strategist Fixed Income Strategist various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Christopher Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. McCarthy has served in
McCarthy President/Financial President/Financial various capacities within
Institutions Sales Institutions Sales Delaware Investments
Timothy D. Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. McGarrity has served in
McGarrity President/Financial President/Financial various capacities within
Services Officer Services Officer Delaware Investments
Francis X. Morris Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Morris has served in
President/Chief President/Chief various capacities within
Investment Officer - Core Investment Officer - Core Delaware Investments
Equity Equity
Brian L. Murray, Jr. Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Murray has served in
Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Susan L. Natalini Senior Vice Senior Vice Ms. Natalini has served in
President/Head of Equity President/Head of Equity various capacities within
and Fixed Income and Fixed Income Delaware Investments
Business Operations Business Operations
D. Tysen Nutt Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Nutt has served in various
Senior Portfolio Senior Portfolio capacities within Delaware
Manager/Team Leader Manager/Team Leader Investments
Philip O. Obazee Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Obazee has served in
President/Structured President/Structured various capacities within
Products and Derivatives Products and Derivatives Delaware Investments
Jeffrey W. Rexford Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice Mr. Rexford has served in
Financial Institutions President/Financial various capacities within
Sales Institutions Sales Delaware Investments
Richard Salus Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice Mr. Salus has served in various
Controller/Treasurer President/Chief Financial capacities within Delaware
Officer Investments
 
Senior Vice President/Chief
Financial Officer – Optimum
Fund Trust
Jeffrey S. Van Harte Senior Vice Senior Vice Mr. Van Harte has served in
President/Chief President/Chief various capacities within
Investment Officer — Investment Officer - Delaware Investments
Focus Growth Equity Focus Growth Equity
Babak Zenouzi Senior Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Mr. Zenouzi has served in
Chief Investment Chief Investment Officer- various capacities within
Officer—Real Estate Real Estate Securities and Delaware Investments
Securities and Income Income Solutions
Solutions

7



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Gary T. Abrams Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Abrams has served in
Equity Trader Equity Trader various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Christopher S. Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Adams has served in
Adams Manager/Senior Equity Manager/Senior Equity various capacities within
Analyst Analyst Delaware Investments
Damon J. Andres Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Andres has served in
Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Wayne A. Anglace Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Senior Mr. Anglace has served in
Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Margaret MacCarthy Vice President/Investment Vice President/Investment Ms. Bacon has served in various
Bacon Specialist Specialist capacities within Delaware
Investments
Patricia L. Bakely Vice President/Assistant Vice President/Assistant Ms. Bakely has served in
Controller Controller various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kristen E. Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Ms. Bartholdson has served in
Bartholdson Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Todd Bassion Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Bassion has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Jo Anne Bennick Vice President/15(c) Vice President/15(c) Ms. Bennick has served in
Reporting Reporting various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Richard E. Biester Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Biester has served in
Equity Trader Equity Trader various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Sylvie S. Blender Vice President/Financial Vice President/Financial Ms. Blender has served in
Institutions Client Institutions Client various capacities within
Services Services Delaware Investments
Christopher J. Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Bonavico has served in
Bonavico Portfolio Manager/Equity Portfolio Manager, Equity various capacities within
Analyst Analyst Delaware Investments
Zoe Bradley Vice President/Fixed Vice President/Fixed Ms. Bradley has served in
Income Portfolio Analyst Income Portfolio Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Vincent A. Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Brancaccio has served in
Brancaccio Equity Trader Equity Trader various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kenneth F. Broad Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Broad has served in various
Portfolio Manager/Equity Portfolio Manager, Equity capacities within Delaware
Analyst Analyst Investments
Adam H. Brown Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Brown has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kevin J. Brown Vice President/ Vice President/ Mr. Brown has served in
Senior Investment Senior Investment various capacities within
Specialist Specialist Delaware Investments
Mathew J. Calabro Vice President/Deputy Vice President/Deputy Mr. Calabro has served in
Chief Compliance Officer Chief Compliance Officer various capacities within
Delaware Investments

8



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Mary Ellen M. Vice President/Client Vice President/Client Ms. Carrozza has served in
Carrozza Services Services various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Steven G. Catricks Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Catricks has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Wen-Dar Chen Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Chen has served in various
Manager—International Manager - International capacities within Delaware
Debt Debt Investments
Anthony G. Vice President/Associate Vice President/Associate Mr. Ciavarelli has served in
Ciavarelli General Counsel/Assistant General Counsel/Assistant various capacities within
Secretary Secretary Delaware Investments
David F. Connor Vice President/Deputy Vice President/Deputy Mr. Connor has served in
General Counsel/Secretary General Counsel/Secretary various capacities within
Delaware Investments
 
Vice President/Deputy General
Counsel/Secretary – Optimum
Fund Trust
Michael Costanzo Vice President/ Vice President/ Mr. Costanzo has served in
Performance Analyst Performance Analyst various capacities within
Manager Manager Delaware Investments
Kishor K. Daga Vice President/ Vice President/ Mr. Daga has served in various
Derivatives Operations Derivatives Operations capacities within Delaware
Investments
Ion Dan Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Dan has served in various
Structured Products Structured Products capacities within Delaware
Analyst/Trader Analyst/Trader Investments
Cori E. Daggett Vice President/Counsel/ Vice President/ Ms. Daggett has served in
Assistant Secretary Counsel/Assistant various capacities within
Secretary Delaware Investments
Craig C. Dembek Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Dembek has served in
Research Analyst Research Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kevin C. Donegan Vice President/Business Vice President/Business Mr. Donegan has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments and/or its
affiliates since 1994
Camillo D’Orazio Vice President/Investment Vice President/Investment Mr. D’Orazio has served in
Accounting Accounting various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Michael E. Dresnin Vice President/Associate Vice President/Associate Mr. Dresnin has served in
General Counsel/Assistant General Counsel/Assistant various capacities within
Secretary Secretary Delaware Investments
Christopher M. Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Ericksen has served in
Ericksen Manager/Equity Analyst Manager/Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Joel A. Ettinger Vice President/Taxation Vice President – Taxation Mr. Ettinger has served in
various capacities within
Delaware Investments

9



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Devon K. Everhart Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Everhart has served in
Research Analyst Research Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Joseph Fiorilla Vice President – Trading Vice President – Trading Mr. Fiorilla has served in
Operations Operations various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Charles E. Fish Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Fish has served in various
Equity Trader Equity Trader capacities within Delaware
Investments
Clifford M. Fisher Vice President/Credit Vice President/Credit Mr. Fisher has served in various
Analyst Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments
Patrick G. Fortier Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Fortier has served in
Manager/Equity Analyst Manager/Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Jamie Fox Vice President/Head of Vice President/Head of Mr. Fox has served in various
Financial Institutions Financial Institutions capacities within Delaware
Defined Contributions Defined Contributions Investments
Investment-Only Investment-Only
Denise A. Franchetti Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Ms. Franchetti has served in
Manager/Senior Research Manager/Senior Research various capacities within
Analyst (since June 2010) Analyst Delaware Investments
Lawrence G. Franko Vice President/ Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Franko has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Michael Friedman Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Friedman has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Daniel V. Geatens Vice President/Director of Vice President/Treasurer Mr. Geatens has served in
Financial Administration various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Gregory A. Gizzi Vice President/ Head of Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Gizzi has served in various
Convertible and Manager/Head of capacities with Delaware
Municipal Bond Trading Convertible and Municipal Investments
Bond Trading
Gregg J. Gola Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Gola has served in various
High Yield Trader High Yield Trader capacities within Delaware
Investments
Christopher Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Gowlland has served in
Gowlland Quantitative Analyst Quantitative Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
David J. Hamilton Vice President/Research Vice President/Research Mr. Hamilton has served in
Analyst Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Lisa L. Hansen Vice President/Head of Vice President/Head of Ms. Hansen has served in
Focus Growth Equity Focus Growth Trading various capacities within
Trading Delaware Investments
Scott Hastings Vice President/Equity Vice President/Equity Mr. Hastings has served in
Analyst Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments

10



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Sharon L. Hayman Vice President/Head of Vice President/Head of Ms. Hayman has served in
Financial Institutions Financial Institutions various capacities within
Client Services Client Services Delaware Investments
Gregory M. Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Heywood has served in
Heywood Manager/Equity Analyst Manager/Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
J. David Hillmeyer Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Hillmeyer has served in
Manager/Head of Manager/Head of various capacities within
Investment Grade Investment Grade Delaware Investments
Corporate Trading Corporate Trading
Jerel A. Hopkins Vice President/Associate Vice President/Associate Mr. Hopkins has served in
General Counsel/Assistant General Counsel/Assistant various capacities within
Secretary Secretary Delaware Investments
Chungwei Hsia Vice President/Emerging Vice President/Emerging Mr. Hsia has served in various
and Developed Markets and Developed Markets capacities within Delaware
Analyst Analyst Investments
Duane Hewlett Vice President/Trader Vice President/Trader Mr. Ishaq has served in various
(Since February 2011) capacities within Delaware
Investments
Michael E. Hughes Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Hughes has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kashif Ishaq Vice President/Trader Vice President/Trader Mr. Ishaq has served in various
(Since February 2011) capacities within Delaware
Investments
Cynthia Isom Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Ms. Isom has served in various
Manager Manager capacities within Delaware
Investments
Stephen M. Vice President/ Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Juszczyszyn has served in
Juszczyszyn Manager/Senior Manager/Senior various capacities within
Structured Products Structured Products Delaware Investments
Analyst/Trader Analyst/Trader
William F. Keelan Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Keelan has served in
Quantitative Analyst Senior Quantitative various capacities within
Analyst Delaware Investments
Nancy Keenan Vice President/Product Vice President/Product Ms. Keenan has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Anu B. Kothari Vice President/ Senior Vice President/ Senior Ms. Kothari has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Roseanne L. Kropp Vice President/ Senior Vice President/Senior Ms. Kropp has served in various
Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager capacities within Delaware
Investments
Nikhil G. Lalvani Vice President/ Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Lalvani has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Jamie LaScala Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Ms. LaScala has served in
Product Manager Product Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kevin Lam Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Lam has served in various
Manager-Fixed Income Manager - Fixed Income capacities within Delaware
Separately Managed Separately Managed Investments
Accounts Accounts

11



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Anthony A. Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Lombardi has served in
Lombardi Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kent Madden Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Madden has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
John P. McCarthy Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. McCarthy has served in
Research Analyst Research Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Brian McDonnell Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. McDonnell has served in
Manager/Senior Manager/Senior various capacities within
Structured Products Structured Products Delaware Investments
Analyst/Trader Analyst/Trader
Kelley McKee Vice President/Equity Vice President/Equity Ms. McKee has served in
Analyst Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Michael S. Morris Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Morris has served in
Manager/Senior Equity Manager/Senior Equity various capacities within
Analyst Analyst Delaware Investments
Constantine Vice President/Product Vice President/Product Mr. Mylonas has served in
(“Charlie”) Mylonas Manager (Since June Manager various capacities within
2010) Delaware Investments
Terrance M. O’Brien Vice President/Head of Vice President/Head of Mr. O’Brien has served in
Fixed Income Quantitative Fixed Income Quantitative various capacities with
Analysis Department Analysis Department Delaware Investments
Donald G. Padilla Vice President/Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Padilla has served in
Manager/Senior Equity Manager/Senior Equity various capacities within
Analyst Analyst Delaware Investments
Marlene Petter Vice President/Marketing Vice President/Marketing Ms. Petter has served in various
Communications Communications capacities within Delaware
Investments
Daniel J. Prislin Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Prislin has served in various
Portfolio Manager/ Portfolio Manager/Equity capacities within Delaware
Equity Analyst Analyst Investments
Gretchen Regan Vice President/ Vice President/ Ms. Regan has served in various
Quantitative Analyst Quantitative Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments
Carl Rice Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Rice has served in various
Investment Specialist, Investment Specialist capacities within Delaware
Large Cap Value Focus Investments
Equity
Joseph T. Rogina Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Rogina has served in
Equity Trader Equity Trader various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Deborah A. Sabo Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Ms. Sabo has served in various
Equity Trader/Focus Equity Trader/Focus- capacities within Delaware
Growth Equity Growth Equity Investments

12



Name and Principal Positions and Offices Positions and Offices Other Positions and Offices
Business Address with Manager with Registrant Held
Kevin C. Schildt Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Schildt has served in
Research Analyst Research Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Bruce Schoenfeld Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Schoenfeld has served in
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Brian Scotto Vice President/ Vice President/ Mr. Scotto has served in various
Government and Agency Government and Agency capacities within Delaware
Trader Trader Investments
Richard D. Seidel Vice President/Assistant Vice President/Assistant Mr. Seidel has served in various
Controller/Assistant Controller/Assistant capacities within Delaware
Treasurer Treasurer Investments
Catherine A. Seklecki Vice President/Sub- Vice President/Sub- Ms. Seklecki has served in
Advisory Client Services Advisory Client Services various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Parshv V. Shah Vice President/ Portfolio Vice President/Portfolio Mr. Shah has served in various
Manager/Equity Analyst Manager/Equity Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments
Barry Slawter Vice President/Editorial Vice President/Editorial Mr. Slawter has served in
Services Services various capacities within
Delaware Investments.
Antonio (Junee) Vice President/ Structured Vice President/ Structured Mr. Tan-Torres has served in
Tan-Torres Solutions Group Solutions Group various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Molly Thompson Vice President/Product Vice President/Product Ms. Thompson has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Robert A. Vogel, Jr. Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Vogel has served in various
Portfolio Manager Portfolio Manager capacities within Delaware
Investments
Nael H. Wahaidi Vice Vice Mr. Wahaidi has served in
President/Quantitative President/Quantitative various capacities within
Analyst Analyst Delaware Investments
Jeffrey S. Wang Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Wang has served in various
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments
Michael G. Wildstein Vice President/ Portfolio Vice President/ Portfolio Mr. Wildstein has served in
Manager Manager various capacities within
Delaware Investments
Kathryn R. Williams Vice President/Associate Vice President/Associate Ms. Williams has served in
General Counsel/Assistant General Counsel/Assistant various capacities within
Secretary Secretary Delaware Investments
Wei Xiao Vice President/Senior Vice President/Senior Mr. Xiao has served in various
Equity Analyst Equity Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments
Douglas A. Zinser Vice President/Senior None Mr. Zinser has served in various
Research Analyst capacities within Delaware
Investments

Item 32. Principal Underwriters .
 
       (a)        Delaware Distributors, L.P. serves as principal underwriter for all the mutual funds in the Delaware Investments Family of Funds and the Optimum Fund Trust.

13



                      (b)        Information with respect to each officer and partner of the principal underwriter and the Registrant is provided below. Unless otherwise noted, the principal business address of each officer and partner of Delaware Distributors, L.P. is 2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094.

Name and Principal Positions and Offices with Positions and Offices with
Business Address Underwriter Registrant
Delaware Distributors, Inc. General Partner None
Delaware Capital Limited Partner None
Management
Delaware Investment Advisers Limited Partner None
J. Scott Coleman President None
Philip N. Russo Executive Vice President None
David P. O’Connor Executive Vice President/General Executive Vice President/Strategic
Counsel Investment Relationships and
Initiatives/General Counsel
Jeffrey G. Klepacki Senior Vice President (Since June None
2010)
Brian L. Murray, Jr. Senior Vice President Senior Vice President/Chief
Compliance Officer
Aiden J. Redmond, Jr. Senior Vice President (Since Sept. None
2011)
Richard Salus Senior Vice Senior Vice President/Chief
President/Controller/Treasurer/ Financial Officer
Financial Operations Principal
Mathew J. Calabro Vice President (Since Sept. 2011) None
Mary Ellen M. Carrozza Vice President Vice President/Client Services
Anthony G. Ciavarelli Vice President/Assistant Secretary Vice President/Associate General
Counsel/Assistant Secretary
David F. Connor Vice President/Secretary Vice President/Deputy General
Counsel/Secretary
Cori E. Daggett Vice President/Assistant Secretary Vice President/Associate General
Counsel/Assistant Secretary
Daniel V. Geatens Vice President Vice President
John L. Greico Vice President (Since June 2010) None
Robert T. Haenn Vice President (Since June 2010) None
Marlene D. Petter Vice President None
Richard D. Seidel Vice President/Assistant None
Controller/Assistant Treasurer
Stephen R. Shamut Vice President (Since June 2010) None
Kathryn R. Williams Vice President/Assistant Secretary Vice President/Associate General
Counsel/Assistant Secretary
Antoinette C. Robbins Interim Chief Compliance Anti-Money Laundering Officer
Officer/Anti-Money Laundering (Since Aug. 2011)
Officer (Since Sept. 2011)

       (c)        Not applicable.
 
Item 33. Location of Accounts and Records . All accounts and records required to be maintained by Section 31 (a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the rules under that section are maintained by the following entities: Delaware Management Company, Delaware Service Company, Inc. and Delaware Distributors, L.P. (2005 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103-7094); BNY Mellon Investment Servicing (US) Inc. (4400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581-1722); and The Bank of New York Mellon (One Wall Street, New York, NY 10286-0001).
   
Item 34.        Management Services . None.
 
Item 35. Undertakings . Not applicable.

14



SIGNATURES

       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Registrant certifies that it meets all of the requirements for effectiveness of this Registration Statement under Rule 485(b) under the Securities Act of 1933 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of Philadelphia and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on this 28th day of November, 2012.

DELAWARE GROUP INCOME FUNDS
 
 
By:   /s/ Patrick P. Coyne
Patrick P. Coyne
Chairman/President/Chief Executive Officer

       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this Registration Statement has been signed below by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

Signature       Title       Date
/s/ Patrick P. Coyne   Chairman/President/Chief Executive Officer November 28, 2012
Patrick P. Coyne (Principal Executive Officer) and Trustee
 
Thomas L. Bennett * Trustee   November 28, 2012
Thomas L. Bennett
 
John A. Fry * Trustee November 28, 2012
John A. Fry
 
Anthony D. Knerr * Trustee November 28, 2012
Anthony D. Knerr
 
Lucinda S. Landreth * Trustee November 28, 2012
Lucinda S. Landreth
 
Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa * Trustee November 28, 2012
Frances A. Sevilla-Sacasa
 
Janet L. Yeomans * Trustee November 28, 2012
Janet L. Yeomans
 
J. Richard Zecher * Trustee November 28, 2012
J. Richard Zecher
 
Richard Salus * Senior Vice President/Chief Financial Officer November 28, 2012
Richard Salus (Principal Financial Officer)

*By:  /s/ Patrick P. Coyne
Patrick P. Coyne
as Attorney-in-Fact for
each of the persons indicated
(Pursuant to Powers of Attorney previously filed and filed herewith)

15



 

 

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

 

EXHIBITS

TO

FORM N-1A

 

 

REGISTRATION STATEMENT UNDER THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



INDEX TO EXHIBITS
(Delaware Group ® Income Funds N-1A)

Exhibit No.        Exhibit
EX-99.d.4 Executed Investment Advisory Expense Limitation Letter (November 2012) between Delaware Management Company (a series of Delaware Management Business Trust) and the Registrant
   
EX-99.e.1.iv Executed Distribution Expense Limitation Letter (November 2012) between Delaware Distributors, L.P. and the Registrant
 
EX-99.j Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (November 2012)
   
EX-99.n.1.i Appendix A (October 1, 2012) to Plan under Rule 18f-3
 
EX-99.p.1 Code of Ethics for the Delaware Investments’ Family of Funds (December 1, 2011)
 
EX-99.p.2 Code of Ethics for Delaware Investments (Delaware Management Company, a series of Delaware Management Business Trust, and Delaware Distributors, L.P.) (December 1, 2011)
   
EX-99.q.2 Power of Attorney (September 1, 2011)


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