The mission of The Community Foundation is to strengthen the metropolitan Washington region by encouraging and supporting effective giving and by taking leadership on critical issues in our community.

You've read our mission statement...but how does that translate into the work we do every day?

Community foundations in general are complex organizations because we serve a wide range of audiences focused on a wide range of issues. And The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is no exception. But when it comes down to it, our daily work is about two things:

1. We promote charitable giving. We work with individuals, families, business leaders and others to help them make the difference they want in the community through giving. One of the most popular ways is through a charitable giving fund at The Community Foundation. Once the fund is established, we work with you to to make grants from your fund to any nonprofit organization, right here in the Washington region, across the country and even internationally. Our knowledgeable staff also acts as your own private foundation staff, recommending groups to invest in, organizing site visits and connecting you with other like-minded donors.  Today we have more than 800 charitable giving funds with assets of more than $360 million under our advisement.

2. We lead by example. We identify issues affecting our community and bring together leaders in business, government and the nonprofit sector to craft lasting solutions. From 9-11 to the current economic recession to improving education, The Community Foundation offers opportunities to join with others in creating change on the most critical issues in our region. How? By making grants from one of our own community leadership funds, by leveraging our grants with investments from others, by raising awareness of issues and by acting as advocate for change. Our approach is varied but our focus is singular: making the metropolitan Washington region a strong and vital community.

Read below for more information about how we can help you accomplish your charitable giving goals.

For Current Donors, Future Donors and Financial Advisors

Asset Management
Our Finance and Development teams provide sound financial advice and management of donors' charitable funds, both new and existing.

Grants Management
Our grants management services are as flexible as you'd like them to be. Many of our donors recommend grants from their funds to specific nonprofits of their choosing. Our grants management staff performs due diligence on nonprofit organizations, processes donors' grant recommendations, and can provide reports on your giving history and more.

Estate Planning
We encourage donors to join our Legacy Society -- a tax-smart way for donors to continue giving past their lifetimes.

Learning About Giving
Take advantage of our ongoing educational programs and in-house expertise designed to help donors get the most out of their giving. Attend our donor- orientation events and thought-provoking discussion forums. Draw upon our Community Investment team's extensive knowledge of area nonprofits.

Philanthropic Advisory Services
We help donors meet their charitable-giving goals by managing the grantmaking process. Activities range from helping donors develop or focus their giving interests and learn more about effective nonprofit organizations to issuing RFP's, reviewing grant applications, conducting site visits, and performing post-award evaluations.  READ MORE

For Nonprofit Organizations

Grantmaking
Like many community foundations, grantmaking at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is often very different than grantmaking by private, corporate and government foundations as well as workplace/employee giving programs. Our ability to make grants largely depends upon the source of the grant funds. Learn more here.

The Foundation's Community Leadership Fund awards grants to some of the region's most effective nonprofit organizations. We issue Requests for Proposals (RFP's) at several points throughout the year. Read about our Community Investment initiatives here.

Grants Management
Some of our donors do not accept unsolicited grant applications, and instead direct us to make grants to nonprofits of their choosing. Other donors do accept unsolicited proposals in their area(s) of interest, and ask us to issue RFP's.

Nonprofit Resource
In many ways, The Community Foundation is the "nexus" of our region's philanthropic and nonprofit communities. Take advantage of our discussion forums and publications as well as our staff's valuable expertise in nonprofit management, community issues, and our region's philanthropic "landscape." In addition, this site includes an impressive list of helpful links for nonprofits. READ MORE

For Anyone Interested in Philanthropy, Community Issues and "Giving Back"

Building Awareness
We take pride in our role as the Washington region's largest philanthropic institution, and recognize our duty to promote the good works of scores of regional nonprofits as well as foster the public's understanding of the need for positive change. Throughout the year, we highlight the achievements of area nonprofit organizations and deeply committed residents in our publications, on our website, and through our sponsoring of awards ceremonies and a celebratory annual gala.

Convening
We serve as one of the region's foremost conveners of area foundations, nonprofit leaders, corporate decisionmakers, government representatives and other stakeholders to examine important issues and develop workable solutions. Learn more about our regional collaborations. READ MORE

Sponsoring Issue-Oriented Research
The Community Foundation has a long history of researching important community issues and publishing our findings. Visit the "Library" section of our website and take advantage of our free, informative reports. READ MORE

Consult our staff listing to contact the Community Foundation team that interests you.