As the region’s largest local funder, The Community Foundation is proud to partner with and support thousands of nonprofits working to make our communities more equitable, just, and thriving places to live and work. We are now accepting proposals for grant opportunities from the following funds at The Community Foundation:
IMPORTANT UPDATE: The Demonstration Project Opportunity will close on May 31st, 2025.
Achieving health equity requires more than improving individual health outcomes and expanding access to services. A vision for health equity demands that we directly engage the social determinants of health —societal factors that have been shaped by centuries of laws, public policies, behaviors, and practices that have worked together to produce the disparate outcomes we see today.
The Health Equity Fund will offer grant opportunities for demonstration projects that provide proof of concept and determine potential for scalability. The projects must consist of two or more partner organizations working collaboratively in a new and targeted way to implement economic mobility models that increase strategic economic participation and build community wealth for people and communities with the greatest economic and health disparities.
Grants will be awarded to select partner organizations that meet the following minimum eligibility criteria:
At least two partner organizations must work together to execute the proposed project.
All members of the partnership (defined as the organizations that will receive a grant agreement and funds, if awarded) must have current status as a 501(c)(3) public charity designation. Organizations that have not yet received a 501(c)(3) designation must have a fiscal sponsor (an entity will need to have an EIN or the EIN of their fiscal sponsor in order to access the application in the online portal). The fiscal sponsor must meet all eligibility requirements at the time of submission. For profit entities such as LLCs and sole proprietorships are not eligible to apply for funding.
Each partner organization must not be listed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals or the Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Group lists.
Each partner organization must be both based in and primarily implementing in the District of Columbia.
Each partner organization should approach their work through a racial equity lens.
Each partner organization’s staff and board leadership should reflect the communities served by the organization and have a demonstrated track record of community engagement as demonstrated by the existence of community advisory boards, community listening sessions, community representation on the board of directors, or other measures defined by the organization.
If previous funding has been received from The Community Foundation, each partner organization must be current in reporting to The Community Foundation as specified in the grant agreement.
Organizations who have previously received a Health Equity Fund grant cannot submit an LOI in the same year an initial award was made.
Qualified respondents are invited to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) no later than May 31st, 2025. All respondents are strongly encouraged to watch the recording of the FAQ webinar held on October 10, 2023. Contact Isabel Spake or a member of the HEF team for more information.
For additional information, please review the LOI Guidelines below, as well as the Health Equity Fund webpage.
Qualified respondents are invited to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) until May 2025 (or until funds have been exhausted).
Qualified respondents are invited to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) until May 31st, 2025.
Please email [email protected] with any questions you may have. No phone calls, please.
The Developing Families Maternal Health Fund is pleased to announce a grant opportunity for nonprofit organizations focused on addressing the structural factors impacting infant and maternal health across Greater Washington – specifically in Washington, DC; Prince George’s County, MD; Montgomery County, MD; and the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax, the town of Vienna, Arlington County, and the areas of Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia east of Route 123.
The goals of this funding opportunity are to:
Address structural barriers to maternal and infant health, including those related to healthcare access, economic stability, housing, and social support systems.
Promote health equity by supporting community-driven solutions that tackle the root causes of disparities.
Enhance collaboration between healthcare providers, community-based organizations, policymakers, and residents to create sustainable, impactful solutions.
Support long-term systemic change by building capacity within local organizations and advocating for policies that improve maternal and infant health outcomes.
Proposals that focus on the following priority areas will be considered:
Access to Care: Addressing issues such as healthcare access, quality, and equity in maternal care, prenatal care, and postpartum support.
Economic Stability: Reducing economic barriers that negatively affect maternal health, such as low wages, lack of paid family leave, or limited access to childcare.
Mental Health and Social Support: Supporting programs that address mental health issues (e.g., postpartum depression) and enhance social support systems for mothers, particularly in underserved communities.
Improving Access to Prenatal and Postpartum Care: Expanding access to care for underserved populations through mobile health clinics, telehealth options, and community health workers.
Addressing Social Determinants of Health: Working with local organizations to provide resources that address housing instability, food insecurity, and lack of transportation, all of which have a significant impact on maternal and infant health.
Community Education and Outreach: Engaging community members through educational campaigns about prenatal care, mental health during pregnancy, and the importance of early and regular check-ups for both mother and child.
Policy Advocacy: Collaborating with local policymakers to address the structural barriers that contribute to health disparities and working towards legislative changes to ensure long-term improvements.
Awards will range from $150,000 to $200,000 over a two-year grant period. The total amount available through this fund is $2 million. Grant Funds may be used for Program development and implementation, Capacity building and training, Community engagement and outreach, Policy advocacy and research, Evaluation and impact assessment or Operational costs directly related to the proposed project
The Community Foundation is looking to support respondents who successfully address the following requests:
Demonstrate a commitment to addressing structural inequities impacting maternal and infant health, particularly in communities that are disproportionately affected by health disparities.
Be able to demonstrate measurable outcomes and sustainability of their proposed interventions.
Provide a logic model that shows how the funding supports will address structural inequities impacting maternal and infant health that would lead to improved health outcomes.
The applicant (defined as the organization that will sign the grant agreement and receive the funds, if awarded) must have current status as a 501(c)(3) public charity designation.
Organizations that have not yet received a 501(c)(3) designation must have a fiscal sponsor that serves as the respondent (an entity will need to have an EIN or the EIN of their fiscal sponsor in order to access the application in the online portal). The fiscal sponsor must meet all eligibility requirements at the time of submission.
For profit entities such as LLCs and sole proprietorships are not eligible to apply for funding.
The organization must not be listed on the Office of Foreign Assets Control Specially Designated Nationals or the Southern Poverty Law Center Hate Group lists.
The organization must be both based in and primarily implementing in the Greater Washington region – specifically in Washington, DC; Prince George’s County, MD; Montgomery County, MD; and the cities of Alexandria and Fairfax, the town of Vienna, Arlington County, and the areas of Fairfax and Prince William counties in Virginia east of Route 123.
If previous funding has been received from The Community Foundation, the applicant must be current in meeting reporting or other requirements to The Community Foundation as specified in the grant agreement.
Applicants must submit their completed request and required documentation by Monday, June 30, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. using the link provided below.
Please review the instructions in advance of the deadline in order to be familiar with The Community Foundation’s online application system. Incomplete, emailed, hard copy, and faxed proposals will NOT be accepted. Proposals that do not include all the elements as stated will not be considered for funding. Proposals that are incomplete or illegible will not be reviewed or considered for funding.
Applicants will receive an update on the status of their LOI in early August. Selected respondents will be invited to submit an RFP with a budget proposal and sustainability plan for their request.
If you have any programmatic questions, please contact Isabel Spake at [email protected].
If you have any technical questions about submitting an application, please contact Alex Cahill-Sanidas at [email protected].
The Landover Educational Athletic Recreational Nonprofit (LEARN) was established in 1996 to support education programs for Prince George's County youth residing in the vicinity of Northwest Stadium (formerly known as FedEx Field). Since its inception, the LEARN Foundation has awarded close to $1 million in scholarships and grants to Prince George’s County students and community organizations. Embedded in the foundation’s mission is the belief that the future is now, and that through partnerships and collaboration young people residing in the targeted areas can benefit through post-secondary education opportunities.
In 2002, the LEARN Foundation became a component fund of the Greater Washington Community Foundation. Since that time, hundreds of students have benefited from scholarship awards toward college and other career preparation opportunities.
The minimum scholarship amount is $1,000. Applicants must be high school seniors residing in the immediate vicinity of Northwest Stadium (formerly known as FedEx Field) with a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA or better. The applications must include a short personal essay, an official transcript, a school letter, and two letters of recommendation.
Completed applications can be submitted via mail or email to:
The LEARN Foundation
P.O. Box 1216
Landover, MD 20785
or
Completed applications must be postmarked by Sunday, May 11th, 2025.
Contact The LEARN Foundation, at [email protected]
