Like many community foundations, grantmaking at The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is often very different than grantmaking by private, corporate and government foundations, and workplace/employee giving programs.  Our ability to make grants largely depends upon the source of the grant funds.  Read on for details.

Grants from Donor Advised Funds
Grants made from donor advised funds – which constitute some 90% of the funds we house -- are largely out of our control.  In this case, the fund donor directs us to make a grant of a specific amount to a specific nonprofit organization.  The Community Foundation issues the check, sometimes with a letter stating the donor’s name and outlining any requirements and/or contingencies.  In a very few cases (about 1%), the donor may ask our Community Investment team to recommend a particularly effective nonprofit based on his or her funding interests. 

To learn more about donor advised funds, click here.

Grants from Field-of-Interest Funds
Donors who establish field-of-interest funds identify the type of cause or organization that interests them, and then ask our knowledgeable Community Investment team [staff listing in 2.3]  to recommend outstanding nonprofits working in that issue area based on their in-depth knowledge of community issues and nonprofits.  Most grant applications for field-of-interest funds are by invitation only (that is, unsolicited applications are not accepted). 

To learn more about field-of-interest funds, click here.

Grants from Our Community Leadership Fund 
This Fund represents The Community Foundation’s own grantmaking dollars, which we actively raise from individuals, corporations, foundations and other sources.  Community Leadership Fund grants generally support nonprofit organizations whose programs and activities are directly related to our funding initiatives.  We issue Requests-for-Proposals (RFP’s) several times per year.