Nonprofit Frequently Asked Questions

Grant Application

  • Community Foundation discretionary grants are awarded through a competitive application process either through scheduled grant rounds or solicited (invite-only) grant opportunities. We currently hold 4 quarterly grant cycles for our open grantmaking programs in the winter, spring summer, and fall. All available open and competitive grant rounds are posted on our website and sent out via email. Organizations are strongly encouraged to visit our Grant Opportunities Page and to subscribe to our monthly newsletter to stay informed about upcoming funding opportunities.

    Once applications have been submitted, grant committees complete a rigorous review of each application to determine how funding will be distributed based on the fund’s charitable mission and established criteria.

  • Generally, The Community Foundation‘s competitive grants are made to nonprofits located in and/or directly serving residents of the following geographic regions:

    • DC: District of Columbia

    • MD: Montgomery County + Prince George’s County

    • VA: Arlington County, City of Alexandria, County of Fairfax, Fairfax City, City of Falls Church, and Loudoun County

  • No. The Community Foundation makes grants to nonprofit organizations that are tax-exempt under section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

  • The Community Foundation funds nonprofit organizations having evidence of tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and not classified as a private foundation. We also accept letters of inquiry/proposals from organizations operating under a nonprofit fiscal sponsor. All grantees must be able to provide a copy of an official IRS Determination letter or proof of fiscal sponsorship upon request.

  • The Community Foundation utilizes a standard due diligence process to assess the qualifications of each proposal for funding. The due diligence process can take between 3 – 6 months; however, consult the guidelines for the specific funding opportunity to which you are applying for detailed timelines and notification dates. The basic steps in the due diligence process can include:

    1. Review grant proposals, budget, and supplemental documents;

    2. Conduct interviews with organization and project leadership via a site visit (in person or via phone);

    3. Conduct additional follow-up research as needed;

    4. Present funding recommendations to the donor advisor or Committee for decisions;

    5. Grant recommendations ratified by The Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees; and

    6. Applicants are notified of decisions.

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

  • The funding time period is dictated by each fund. However, there are several funds at The Community Foundation that do offer multiyear funding. More information about funding opportunities can be found on our grant opportunities page.

  • Most grants made by The Community Foundation come from our donor-advised funds. These grants are made at the recommendation of a donor through a component fund at The Community Foundation. The Community Foundation issues the grant, sometimes with a letter stating the donor’s name and outlining any requirements and/or contingencies.

    If you would like to express your gratitude to the donor for the gift, please consult the letter accompanying the grant. If no information is provided, the donor likely wishes to remain anonymous. Aside from the accompanying letter, The Community Foundation’s policy does not allow us to release any additional information about our donors, out of respect for their privacy.

  • We do not share donor information unless the donor has granted us permission to share their personal information. We are able to forward your acknowledgment of the gift to our donor. You can send those acknowledgments, excluding any tax language, to Yorman De La Rosa. He will forward your message to the donor in question.

Funding Acknowledgment

  • Greater Washington Community Foundation supports grantseekers using AI tools as they are comfortable in developing materials submitted during grant application and reporting processes

    Grantseekers must carefully review, verify, and take full responsibility for all AI-generated content before submission.

    Grantseekers should be mindful of how they handle confidential or sensitive information when using AI tools. Consider your organization's data privacy policies and best practices regarding personal information about individuals (including staff, program participants, volunteers, etc.) before inputting such data into AI assistance platforms.

    Organizations that choose not to use AI tools will not be penalized in the review process. The Foundation's evaluation criteria remain focused on the alignment and merit of the proposed work, not the tools used to prepare the application.

     

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    The Greater Washington Community Foundation will not use AI tools to make funding decisions, eligibility determinations, or assign scores to grant applications.

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    Greater Washington Community Foundation staff may use AI tools to support competitive and discretionary grantmaking including application processing, summarizing grant applications for internal and external purposes, and analyzing financial documents, outcomes, and trends.

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    All AI-generated content used for grantmaking is reviewed by staff and is informational in nature and not determinative. We do not use or share information with anyone except as described in our Privacy Policy.

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Using Artificial Intelligence (AI)

  • As part of our systems transformation project, the Greater Washington Community Foundation has strengthened how we verify and secure your sensitive financial information before issuing grants or payments.

    Before we can issue a grant or payment, you will be asked to use our new secure online payment portal to confirm your organization's banking details. Organizations will receive an email from Blackbaud’s REPAY, [email protected]. They will provide a secure link to upload your ACH information and a copy of a blank check, or bank verification that the account belongs to your organization. This will enable us to process the grant or payment via ACH, which is our preferred method because it is faster and more secure.

    This process is designed to protect your organization and the donor whose funds we're entrusted with stewarding.

    If you have any questions, please contact our team at [email protected].

  • Legitimate messages will come from an "@thecommunityfoundation.org" address. We will never ask you to send or confirm banking information, including passwords or PINs, through an unsecured email attachment, link, or text message. Be cautious of any urgent or unusual requests, slightly altered email addresses, or messages pressuring you to act quickly, even if they appear to come from someone you know at The Community Foundation.

  • Don't reply directly, click any links, or open any attachments. Verify the request by calling us directly at 202-955-5890.

Verification & Payment Security