Greater Washington Community Foundation

06/09/2026

Attention Greater Washington nonprofits working on housing justice! 🏠

The Next Gen Giving Circle's 2026 grant cycle is now open — and this year, they're funding organizations focused on housing justice, including affordable housing advocacy, tenant organizing, eviction prevention, homeownership, and more.

Who's eligible:
- Nonprofits with annual budgets of $750,000 or less
- Organizations serving historically under-resourced communities in DC, Prince George's County, Montgomery County, or Northern Virginia
- Organizations that have been operating for at least one year

Grants typically range from $2,500–$15,000. Applications (available in English and Spanish) are accepted through July 31, 2026.

Learn more and apply →

A network of early to mid-career professionals who support the Washington DC region through collective philanthropy

06/08/2026

Last week, The Community Foundation joined the Washington Business Journal to celebrate the 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Awards!

The event celebrated the generosity of corporate partners from across the DMV. It also spotlighted the work of one of our nonprofit partners, Ayuda which provides legal, social, and language services to help low-income immigrants across DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

Congratulations to Ayuda and all of the 2026 Corporate Philanthropy Honorees (including many of The Community Foundation's Corporate Partners)! Your work and support to strengthen our community is greatly appreciated!

PNC CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Monumental Sports & Entertainment

Also a huge thank you to Alex Orfinger and the Washington Business Journal for continuing to champion the role of Corporate Philanthropy!

06/08/2026

"The total amount of federal nonprofit funding lost during Trump’s second term is hard to pinpoint, but over 670 nonprofit grant cancellations in Virginia, D.C. and Maryland have been identified by GrantExec, a Euna Solutions Co., since early 2025. Collectively, those grants represent about $1.9 billion in canceled funds, according to the grant tracking platform."

“The sector is under a lot of pressure, with a higher demand for services and support and fewer resources to be able to provide them,” said Tonia Wellons, president and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, one of the region’s largest grantmaking organizations."

"In the case of The Community Foundation, it is granting more than it is receiving in gifts. In 2025, the foundation handed out $120 million in grants — $36 million more than the foundation received in gifts that fiscal year — by leveraging discretionary and donor-directed grants housed within the organization. But Tonia Wellons, the leader of the grantmaking organization, said even efforts like that are insufficient at fixing all the gashes the sector has suffered in the past year and a half."

“Philanthropy, in any way, actually cannot fill the gap of government and corporate giving,” Wellons said. “There just isn’t enough resources available to be able to do that.”

We're grateful to the Washington Business Journal for continuing to emphasize the need for continued corporate investment in our region's nonprofit sector.

Local philanthropy cannot weather this crisis alone — we need corporate, community, and governmental partners to ensure our neighbors can access the services and support they need to thrive.

The nonprofit sector has never been for the faint of heart. It's gotten even more challenging in Trump's second term.

06/05/2026

This , we're giving a shout out to our amazing Finance Team who had their team retreat last week.

We couldn't be more grateful for everything they do. From managing budgets to processing grants and keeping things running smoothly, this team works tirelessly behind the scenes to make our mission possible.

Thank you for your dedication, your precision, and your partnership. We're so lucky to have you!

06/04/2026

We're excited to share that our Managing Director of Community Investment, Darius Graham, will be taking the stage at No Kid Hungry's 2026 Bridge Builders Summit in Washington, DC — and this is one conversation you won't want to miss.

The third annual Bridge Builders Summit (June 10–11, True Reformer Building) brings together 150+ changemakers united around a powerful premise: that single mothers and caregivers aren't waiting to be included in a broken economy — they're already building a better one. This year's theme, "Because of Mom," centers their leadership, lived experience, and collective power as the foundation for lasting change.

Darius will be joining the panel "Taking the Future in Our Own Hands — Economic Mobility & the Imperative to Redesign," a conversation about what it truly takes to resource communities to build something new — not just patch what's broken. Expect a frank discussion on shifting power, accountability, and what funders must do to move from intention to transformation.

We're proud to have Darius representing The Community Foundation at this incredible gathering of leaders, innovators, and advocates. Follow along as the conversation unfolds! 🙌

https://bestpractices.nokidhungry.org/programs/2026-bridge-builders-summit-digital-agenda

06/02/2026

For most of her life, Jill Brawner has been the person other people lean on. A retired educator with 28 years in PG County and Montgomery County public schools, she's shown up for students, family, her church, and her community — and she wouldn't have it any other way.

But after a condo fire, a family health crisis, and years of mounting debt, Jill found herself without the financial footing to match her generous spirit. By the time she heard about Thrive Prince George's, she hadn't taken a vacation in nearly a decade and had no savings to speak of.

Thrive Prince George's payments gave Jill room to breathe, and the program's financial coaching helped her build habits she'll carry for years — how to budget strategically, how to prioritize bills, how to save without guilt. Today she has a growing savings account, is planning long-overdue condo renovations, and is still giving generously to her community — just from a steadier place.

"Right now," she says, "it's my turn."

Thrive Prince George's, a guaranteed income pilot serving foster youth and seniors in PG County, wrapped up earlier this year. For participants like Jill, the impact will last well beyond the program. Read her full spotlight.

https://ow.ly/yYGw50Z3mJS

05/29/2026

05/29/2026

Thank you to the 400 changemakers and community builders who joined us last night for the 2026 Celebration of Philanthropy, an evening filled with generosity, connection, and hope. Nights like this remind us that we've built something meaningful together, and inspire us to keep investing in the people and communities we serve.

We were honored to present Monumental Sports & Entertainment with the 2026 Spirit of Philanthropy Award, recognizing their deep commitment to community impact alongside athletic excellence and their extraordinary response following the tragic DCA midair collision on January 29, 2025. Lakeisha Roberts accepted the award on behalf of MSE, its Foundation, and the Leonsis family with words that captured it perfectly: “We know our platform comes with responsibility — to open our doors, to mobilize our people, and to help create moments that bring the community together when it matters most.”

The evening was filed with some exciting performances from Ni Dembaya African Drum & Dance Ensemble, presented by Creative Suitland; Rayshun LaMarr, a Mars Arts D.C. artist presented by Washington Performing Arts; Raíces Negras, presented by Strathmore; and the Washington Conservatory Jazz Players, presented by Washington Conservatory of Music.

Thank you to our lead sponsors Brown Advisory, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation, Decker Anstrom and Sherry Hiemstra, and the Cliff and Debbie White Family Foundation for making the evening possible.

When the power of sports meets the spirit of philanthropy, anything is possible. Together, we will continue to address critical community needs and build a thriving region where every person prospers.

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

05/28/2026

Tonight's the night! Before we celebrate, we want to take a moment to thank our Innovator sponsors — Brown Advisory — for making tonight possible. Your generosity is what brings this community together, and we're so glad you'll be in the room. See you tonight! 🎉

05/27/2026

Philanthropy is a relationship — and we're proud to have CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, the Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation, Decker Anstrom & Sherry Hiemstra, and the Cliff & Deborah White Family Foundation in ours.

Thank you to our Benefactor sponsors for your partnership and your commitment to the communities we serve together. We're looking forward to celebrating with you tomorrow night!