Washington D.C. Grants for Nonprofits

Learn about grants to nonprofits in Washington D.C. by browsing our curated list of top funders below. Members can also research funding opportunities in Washington D.C. using the search tool for Grant Finder. Become a member.

Giving Trends in Washington D.C.

While there is quite a bit of overlap between grants for Washington D.C. and grants for the surrounding areas in Maryland and Virginia, there are also a number of grantmaking programs focused on D.C. About 7,600 grantmakers made grants for Washington D.C. in 2019 alone, according to Candid. Many of these grants came through donor-advised fund managers. Members of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers (WRAG) gave more than $255 million locally in 2018, the most recent year on which the association has reported.

Education, health, and arts and culture rank high among Washington D.C. grantmakers’ funding priorities, WRAG has reported. Partly fueled by the national reckoning around systemic racism in the wake of the murder of George Floyd by police in 2020, equity has been a growing focus of Washington D.C. grants in recent years. Several D.C.-focused foundations are collaborating to advocate for funding of community organizing and racial justice work. WRAG launched a Racial Equity Working Group in 2017.

Important Washington D.C. grantmakers include the Greater Washington Community Foundation, Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, United Way of the National Capital Area, Annie E. Casey Foundation, A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation, Clark-Winchcole Foundation, Meyer Foundation, J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, Hill-Snowdon Foundation,if: A Foundation for Radical Possibility(formerly the Consumer Health Foundation), Jewish Federation of Greater Washington, andDiverse City Fund.

Foundations in Washington D.C.

ARCA FOUNDATION

The Arca Foundation supports organizations working on the front lines of social change in an effort to achieve economic, social and racial justice, a clean environment, peace, and security.

AGUA FUND

The Agua Fund supports arts and culture, education, civic engagement, environment, social services, health and Native Americans in Washington, D.C. and beyond.

BANYAN TREE FOUNDATION

The Banyan Tree Foundation offers global development grants for economic opportunity and access to education, particularly for children and girls.

BAUMAN FOUNDATION

The Bauman Foundation supports education, arts, social justice, environmental health, toxics right to know, open government, civic participation, and healthcare in the D.C. Metro Area and beyond.

BENDER FOUNDATION

The Bender Foundation supports the arts, health, social services, Jewish causes, and education in the D.C. metro area and beyond.

HERB BLOCK FOUNDATION

The Herb Block Foundation supports education, art, human services, poverty, basic freedoms and civic engagement in the Washington, D.C. metro area and beyond.

BREAD & ROSES COMMUNITY FUND

This funder supports racial equity and economic justice programs for nonprofits in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Camden Counties. Grant applications are accepted annually online or by mail.

MORRIS AND GWENDOLYN CAFRITZ FOUNDATION

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation supports the arts and humanities, community services, education, health, and the environment in the D.C. metro area.

EUGENE B. CASEY FOUNDATION

The Eugene B. Casey Foundation supports health, children, human services, education and arts and culture in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

CITYBRIDGE FOUNDATION

The Citybridge Foundation supports education reform in Washington, D.C.

A. JAMES & ALICE B. CLARK FOUNDATION

The A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation supports engineering education, veterans and community needs, primarily in the Washington D.C. area.

CLARK-WINCHCOLE FOUNDATION

The Clark-Winchcole Foundation supports higher education, hospitals, health, culture, social services, youth and religious causes in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

DONOHUE FAMILY FOUNDATION

Donohue Family Foundation primarily funds grantmaking related to health and human services, and community and economic development. It also earmarks funds for religious institutions.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BAR FOUNDATION

The District of Columbia Bar Foundation supports Justice, equality, civic legal aid, training and technical assistance in the D.C. Metro Area.

GANNETT FOUNDATION

The Gannett Foundation supports education, at-risk youth, homelessness programs, children and family, the elderly and other community needs in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

PHILIP L. GRAHAM FUND

The Philip L. Graham Fund supports the arts and humanities, community endeavors, education, health and human services in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

GREATER WASHINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

The Greater Washington Community Foundation supports human services, education, the environment, health, the arts, and economic development in the D.C metro area.

HILLSIDE FOUNDATION

The Hillside Foundation primarily funds Jewish causes, but also support STEM education, health, and more. The foundation's philanthropy centers around the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly the D.C. area.

JAMES M. JOHNSTON TRUST FOR CHARITABLE AND EDUCATION PURPOSES

The James M. Johnston Trust for Charitable and Educational Purposes supports education and youth in the Washington, D.C. metro area and North Carolina.

JOSEPH E. AND MARJORIE B. JONES FOUNDATION

The Joseph E. and Marjorie B. Jones Foundation supports education, health and human services in the Washington, D.C. metro region.

RICHARD LOUNSBERY FOUNDATION

The Richard Lounsbery Foundation supports STEM education, science and technology research, natural sciences and French-American relations in the Washington, D.C. area and beyond. LUDWIG FAMILY FOUNDATION

The Ludwig Family Foundation focuses primarily on medical research, education and access to opportunity for low and moderate income families. It also earmarks funds for the arts.

J. WILLARD AND ALICE S. MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation supports education, hospitality, opportunity, community, and health in the Washington D.C. metro area and elsewhere in the U.S.

RICHARD E. & NANCY P. MARRIOTT FOUNDATION

The Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation supports education and human services in the Washington, D.C. area.

MEYER FOUNDATION

The Meyer Foundation supports racial equity, housing, education, employment, and asset building in the D.C. metro area.

MORIAH FUND

A relatively low-profile fund with a big policy footprint, the Moriah Foundation is inspired by Jewish philosophies of social justice. Moriah supports a variety of organizations that expand the rights of underserved and oppressed persons. Its grants support education, human rights, women’s rights and reproductive health, as well as promoting democracy and equity in Israel