Greater Washington Community Foundation

Quick Stats

Annual Giving: $96 million (recent year)
Total Invested Since 1973: $1.7 billion
Decision Time: 3-6 months
Grant Range: $5,000 - $100,000 (typical competitive grants)
Geographic Focus: Washington, DC; Montgomery County and Prince George's County, MD; Northern Virginia (Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Loudoun, Prince William)
Number of Grants (2024): 1,170 awards

Contact Details

Address: 1750 H St NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 20006-4670

Phone: (202) 955-5890

Email: info@thecommunityfoundation.org

Website: www.thecommunityfoundation.org

Grant Opportunities: www.thecommunityfoundation.org/grantopportunities

Newsletter: Sign up on website for monthly updates on grant opportunities

Overview

The Greater Washington Community Foundation was established in 1973 by Katharine Graham, Robert Linowes, Hank Strong, and other Washington leaders as the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region. With nearly $500 million in assets and having invested over $1.7 billion since its founding, it is the largest public foundation and funder of nonprofit organizations in the Greater Washington metropolitan region. The foundation's mission is to close the region's racial wealth gap through strategic investments in communities experiencing the deepest disparities. In 2024, the foundation made 1,170 grant awards. The organization changed its name to Greater Washington Community Foundation in July 2017. Under President & CEO Tonia Wellons's leadership, the foundation has shifted toward general operating support, multi-year funding, and a place-based strategy that focuses resources on historically underinvested communities at the zip code level.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Discretionary Competitive Grants: $10,000 - $100,000

Four regular grant cycles annually (winter, spring, summer, fall)
Application method: Competitive application through scheduled rounds
Includes solicited (invite-only) opportunities in addition to open calls

Martha's Table Community Impact Fund: Up to $30,000 over two years

Unrestricted, two-year general operating grants
Maximum $15,000 per year
Supports capacity-building and targeted initiatives
Application method: Competitive application during specific cycles

DIVAs Giving Circle: $5,000 - $10,000

Focus on arts programs for under-resourced K-12 children and youth in Montgomery County, MD
Promotes mental health, wellbeing, resilience, and elevates youth voices
Application method: Competitive application during specific cycles

Economic Mobility Grants: Multi-year general operating grants

$10 million awarded to 40 organizations in recent cycle
Supports organizations implementing economic mobility models that increase income and build wealth
Supports innovative enterprise development and ownership models

Health Equity Fund: Significant multi-year grants

$95 million total fund with potential to reshape DC health inequities
$9.2 million awarded to 32 DC nonprofit organizations in recent round
Addresses social and structural drivers of health including access to care, economic stability, housing, mental health, food insecurity, and community support

Sharing Community Funds: Various amounts

$910,000 - $945,000 awarded in recent cycles to regional nonprofits
Multiple community funds supporting Montgomery County and regional organizations

Neighbors in Need Fund: Grants totaling over $4.7 million

Helped more than 100,000 people
Supports nonprofits across the Washington region

Gun Violence Prevention Matching Grants: Approximately $10,000 per organization

Partnership with DC Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement
$280,000 total distributed equally among 27 community and faith-based organizations

Priority Areas

The foundation's strategic focus centers on closing the racial wealth gap through three intervention areas:

Basic Needs: Food security, housing stability, emergency assistance
Economic Mobility: Income increase, wealth building, workforce development, small business support
Community Wealth Building: Children's savings programs, guaranteed income pilots, homeownership, enterprise development

Additional Focus Areas:

Health equity and access to care
Education and educational attainment
Arts and culture (particularly for youth)
Community development in high-opportunity neighborhoods
Human services
Environmental initiatives

Place-Based Strategy: The foundation prioritizes zip codes with the deepest disparities in homeownership, income, educational attainment, and life expectancy, directing resources toward historically underinvested communities.

Organizational Preferences: The foundation has shifted toward supporting grassroots organizations and organizations led by people of color, with emphasis on general operating support and multi-year funding.

What They Don't Fund

Individuals (grants only to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations)
Private foundations (must be public charities)
Specially Designated Nationals (as defined by the PATRIOT Act)
Hate groups as designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center
Organizations outside their geographic service area (unless specifically stated in program guidelines)
Organizations without 501(c)(3) status (unless through a fiscal sponsor)

Note: Organizations without current tax-exempt status may apply through a nonprofit fiscal sponsor and must provide a copy of an official IRS Determination letter or proof of fiscal sponsorship upon request.

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Tonia Wellons, President & CEO

Appointed after serving as Interim CEO
Leads the foundation's focus on racial equity and closing the wealth gap
Background in international development and community development
Key quote: "My favorite quote in philanthropy is from Martin Luther King Jr.: 'Philanthropy is commendable but it must not cause the philanthropist to overlook the circumstances of economic injustice which make philanthropy necessary.'"
On DC's wealth gap: "It is incredibly hard to be poor in the seat of the nation's capital because of such extremes of so much prosperity and success on the one hand, and then just a few blocks or zip codes away is the exact opposite extreme." (The wealth gap between Black and White families in DC proper is 81 times based on pre-COVID data.)
Strategic approach: Emphasizes "getting the balance right between focusing on immediate needs and long-term systemic opportunities" and being "focused and deliberate as opposed to responsive and reactive."

Senior Leadership Team:

Marcus Braxton, Chief Operating Officer
Juliana Mitrojorgji, Chief Financial Officer
Tiffanie Purvis, General Counsel & Senior Philanthropic Advisor
Darius Graham, Managing Director, Community Investment

Board of Trustees

Board Leadership:

Katharine Weymouth, Chair
Artis Hampshire-Cowan, Vice Chair

Additional Trustees:

Richard K. Bynum
Sean D. Morris
David E. Shiffrin
William W. Taylor III
Michelle L. Bender
Veronica Jeon
And others from Maryland, DC, and Northern Virginia

The Board of Trustees helps direct and energize the organization's work and mission across the region.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Greater Washington Community Foundation operates both competitive open application processes and solicited (invite-only) opportunities.

For Competitive Grants:

Visit the Grant Opportunities page at www.thecommunityfoundation.org/grantopportunities
Subscribe to the monthly newsletter for updates on funding opportunities
Attend virtual briefings offered for applicants to learn about opportunities and ask questions
Review specific guidelines for each grant program (requirements vary by fund)
Submit applications through the foundation's online portal during specified grant cycles

Application Cycles: Four regular competitive grant cycles annually:

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Pre-Application Guidance: The foundation holds virtual briefings for applicants. Grantseekers are advised to contact the foundation to learn about opportunities that align with their work, as there are many donor-advised funds and other funding vehicles beyond the static grantmaking programs.

Use of AI in Applications: The foundation supports grantseekers using AI tools during application development, provided applicants carefully review, verify, and take full responsibility for all AI-generated content before submission. Organizations must protect sensitive information about staff and participants.

Decision Timeline

Due Diligence Process: 3-6 months from submission to decision

Review Process Includes:

Review of grant proposals, budgets, and supplemental documents
Interviews with organization and project leadership
Site visits (may be conducted virtually or in-person)
Research and analysis
Grant committee review using rigorous criteria to fulfill the charitable mission of each fund
Board ratification for final approval

Important Note: Not all applicant organizations will proceed through the full review process if significant deficiencies are identified in the initial screening.

Notification: Applicants are notified of decisions after the review process is complete.

Success Rates

While specific success rate percentages are not publicly disclosed, the foundation:

Received over $80 million in donor contributions in a recent year
Awarded over $96 million in grants
Made 1,170 awards in 2024
Serves over 8,000 nonprofits in its 43-year history

The competitive nature of the process and the multiple stages of due diligence suggest that applications undergo rigorous review.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies are not publicly detailed and may vary by grant program. Applicants should:

Contact the foundation at info@thecommunityfoundation.org or (202) 955-5890 for guidance
Review specific program guidelines, as policies may differ for each fund
Check guidelines when new opportunities are posted

Multiyear Grants: Several funds offer multiyear awards. The funding time period is dictated by each individual fund.

Application Success Factors

Based on the foundation's strategic direction and documented preferences, the following factors are important for applicants:

Alignment with Strategic Priorities:

Organizations addressing the racial wealth gap will be strongly positioned
Programs focused on the three intervention areas (Basic Needs, Economic Mobility, Community Wealth Building) align with current strategy
Organizations serving Priority Areas (zip codes with deepest disparities) are prioritized

Organizational Profile:

Grassroots organizations and organizations led by people of color are increasingly prioritized (Wellons noted the shift toward general operating support and multi-year funding "benefit organizations led by people of color, grassroots organizations")
Organizations with deep roots serving historically underinvested communities
Community-based organizations embedded in the places they serve

Geographic Focus:

Must serve DC, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, or specified Northern Virginia counties
Place-based work in high-opportunity neighborhoods experiencing deep disparities is particularly valued

Type of Request:

The foundation has shifted toward general operating support (unrestricted funding)
Multi-year funding is increasingly available
Capacity-building support is offered through some programs

Approach and Philosophy:

The foundation values "listening to what is needed" rather than "having answers"
Demonstrates balance between immediate needs and long-term systemic change
Shows focus and deliberate planning rather than purely reactive programming

Recent Funding Examples Include:

32 DC nonprofit organizations working on economic mobility and health equity ($9.2 million Health Equity Fund)
40 organizations implementing economic mobility models ($10 million total)
27 community and faith-based organizations addressing gun violence prevention
Organizations supporting Prince George's County small businesses ($330,000)
Montgomery County nonprofits serving vulnerable residents through Sharing Montgomery Fund ($2.1 million+)

Application Quality:

Organizations are encouraged to contact the foundation to discuss alignment before applying
Virtual briefings provide opportunities to understand what funders seek
AI-generated content is acceptable if carefully reviewed and verified
Complete budgets and supplemental documents required

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

Strategic alignment is critical: The foundation has a clear focus on closing the racial wealth gap through Basic Needs, Economic Mobility, and Community Wealth Building. Applications should explicitly connect to this mission and demonstrate impact on communities experiencing deep disparities.
Geographic targeting matters: Serve the specified region (DC, Montgomery/Prince George's Counties in MD, Northern Virginia) and ideally work in priority zip codes identified by the foundation as having the deepest disparities in homeownership, income, educational attainment, and life expectancy.
General operating support is preferred: The foundation has intentionally shifted toward unrestricted, multi-year funding rather than project-specific grants. Request general operating support when possible and demonstrate how flexible funding enables organizational effectiveness.
Grassroots and BIPOC-led organizations are prioritized: Tonia Wellons explicitly stated that the shift to general operating and multi-year funding benefits "organizations led by people of color, grassroots organizations." Highlight leadership demographics and community roots.
Relationship-building is valuable: Contact the foundation before applying (info@thecommunityfoundation.org or 202-955-5890), attend virtual briefings, and explore whether your work aligns with specific funds beyond the competitive programs. Many donor-advised funds and other funding vehicles exist beyond the publicized opportunities.
Plan for a thorough review: The 3-6 month due diligence process includes site visits and leadership interviews. Be prepared to engage beyond the written application and demonstrate organizational capacity and impact in multiple formats.
Focus on systems change alongside immediate needs: Wellons emphasizes "getting the balance right between focusing on immediate needs and long-term systemic opportunities." Strong applications show how immediate services connect to longer-term community transformation and equity goals.

References

All sources accessed December 2024.