OVERVIEW: The Agua Fund’s grantmaking focuses on the environment, human services, the elderly, civic engagement and democracy. The mid-Atlantic region is a geographic priority.
IP TAKE: The Agua Fund is best known for its conservation and water quality funding, and it has been a great ally to nonprofits working in this space, particularly in Virginia and communities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Agua has also recently increased giving for services for the elderly in the D.C. area and in tribal nations and communities. This funder prioritizes underrepresented and marginalized groups across all giving areas. Past grantees describe this funder as being knowledgeable and responsive. It doesn’t accept unsolicited proposals, but networking could help you get on their radar.
PROFILE: The Agua Fund, established in 2002, is a private foundation based in Washington, D.C. The fund aims to “improve quality of life through support for efforts to protect the natural environment, help the disadvantaged, give voice to the underserved, and promote democratic values and full participation in civic life.” This funder maintains a low profile, and little is known about its financial origins or the individuals behind it. It is a member of several national and regional grantmaking associations, including the Association of Black Foundation Executives; the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network; Funders Committee on Civic Participation; and Grantmakers in Aging. Agua’s areas of grantmaking focus are the environment, social services, and civic engagement and democracy protection.
Grants for Environment, Marine and Wildlife Conservation
Environmental funding is Agua’s largest area of grantmaking. Grants work broadly to protect water, landscapes and biodiversity to “benefit people and nature.”
- Agua gives at the national, regional and local levels, prioritizing “Virginia, Western Colorado and Indian Country.”
- Indigenous groups are also prioritized, especially groups and initiatives that “honor Indigenous knowledge and lift up the historically underserved.”
- Agua is a member of the Chesapeake Bay Funders Network and the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Funders. Agua works collaboratively to advance “durable policy solutions” for environmental protections and justice.
- Grantees include the Virginia’s Piedmont Environmental Council, the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley, the National Wildlife Federation and the Southern Environmental Law Center, among many others.
Grants for Aging and Human Services
Agua’s grantmaking for Social Services currently focuses on helping disadvantaged people “age with dignity and–where possible–age in place.”
- This program prioritizes the D.C. area and organizations that serve Native American communities.
- Grants support advocacy and legal services, as well as home health care and community support for the elderly.
- Smaller areas of interest include food security and support for victims of domestic violence, especially in the Shenandoah Valley.
- Grants have gone to s, D.C.’s Iona Senior Services, Legal Counsel for the Elderly and Seabury Resources for the Aging, also of Washington, D.C.
Grants for Civic Engagement and Democracy
The fund’s Civic Engagement and Democracy Protection grantmaking area aims to increase civic participation among underrepresented groups and protect voting rights.
- Grants provide general operating support, usually at the state or local level.
- The fund names Virginia, Pennsylvania and Native-led groups in Indian Country as priorities.
- Grantees include the New Virginia Majority, Virginia Organizing, Pennsylvania Voice and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law of Washington, D.C.
Important Grant Details:
The Agua Fund’s grants range from $5,000 to about $150,000, with a median grant size of about $30,000. In a recent year, Agua made just over $3 million in grants.
- This funder’s giving is national in scope but emphasizes the Mid-Atlantic region.
- Conservation is this funder’s largest giving area; its largest grants support water conservation and protection in the Shenandoah Valley.
- Agua does not accept unsolicited proposals for funding.
- Contact the Agua Fund’s director, Ann Mills, via email at mills@aguafundinc.org. The fund’s phone number is (202) 944-9623.
PEOPLE:
Search for staff contact info and bios in PeopleFinder (paid subscribers only).
LINKS:
Last updated on