What We Do
You've read our mission statement...but how does that translate into the work we do every day?
Community foundations in general are complex organizations because we serve a wide range of audiences focused on a wide range of issues. And The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is no exception. But when it comes down to it, our daily work is threefold:
1. We promote charitable giving. We work with individuals, families, business leaders and others, encouraging them to start a charitable-giving fund at The Community Foundation or one of our regional affiliates. Once the fund is established, our donors, as we refer to them, instruct us how they would like to make grants from their fund. Further, we work with our donors to meet their needs by offering educational programs about giving and community issues. We also make our Community Investment team available to advise our donors about effective nonprofits working in their area(s) of interest.
2. We lead by example. We make grants from our Community Leadership Fund to support excellent nonprofits working in our focus areas of education, youth development, workforce preparedness and more. Community Leadership Fund grants generally are open for application, and grant decisions are made on a competitive basis.
3. We collaborate with our region's philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. We work with leaders from area nonprofit organizations, corporations, educational institutions and philanthropic organizations. By pooling our by pooling our financial resources and expertise in community issues, we work in collaboration to develop and implement initiatives that bring about positive change and find solutions to pressing issues such as education, emergency preparedness, smart growth and more.
Read below for more detail about our work with these audiences and constituents.
For Current Donors, Future Donors and Financial Advisors
Asset Management
Our Finance and Development and Donor Services teams provide sound financial advice and management of donors’ charitable funds, both new and existing.
Grants Management
Our grants management services are as flexible as you’d like them to be. Many of our donors direct us to distribute grants from their funds to specific nonprofits of their choosing. Our grants management staff performs due diligence on nonprofit organizations, processes donors’ grant recommendations, and can provide reports on your giving history and more.
Estate Planning
We encourage donors to join our Legacy Society -- a tax-smart way for donors to continue giving past their lifetimes.
Learning About Giving
Take advantage of our ongoing educational programs and in-house expertise designed to help donors get the most out of their giving. Attend our donor- orientation events and thought-provoking discussion forums. And draw upon our Community Investment team’s extensive knowledge of area nonprofits.
Philanthropic Advisory Services
We helps donor meet their charitable-giving goals by managing the grantmaking process. Activities range from helping donors develop or focus their giving interests and learn more about effective nonprofit organizations to issuing RFP’s, reviewing grant applications, conducting site visits, and performing post-award evaluations. Note: this service is elective and billed hourly. >MORE
For Nonprofit Organizations
Grantmaking
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 as well as workplace/employee giving programs. Our ability to make grants largely depends upon the source of the grant funds. Learn more here.
The Foundation’s Community Leadership Fund awards grants to some of the region’s most effective nonprofit organizations. We issue Requests for Proposals (RFP’s) at several points throughout the year. Read about our Community Investment initiatives here.
Grants Management
Some of our donors do not accept unsolicited grant applications, and instead direct us to make grants to nonprofits of their choosing. Other donors do accept unsolicited proposals in their area(s) of interest, and ask us to issue RFP’s.
Nonprofit Resource
In many ways, The Community Foundation is the “nexus” of our region’s philanthropic and nonprofit communities. Take advantage of our discussion forums and publications as well as our staff’s valuable expertise in nonprofit management, community issues, and our region’s philanthropic “landscape.” In addition, this site includes an impressive list of helpful links for nonprofits. >MORE
For Anyone Interested in Philanthropy, Community Issues and "Giving Back"
Building Awareness
We take pride in our role the Washington region’s largest philanthropic institution, and recognize our duty to promote the good works of scores of regional nonprofits as well as foster the public’s understanding of the need for positive change. Throughout the year, we highlight the achievements that area nonprofit organizations and deeply committed residents in our publications, on our website, and by sponsoring awards ceremonies and a celebratory annual gala.
Convening
We serve as one of the region’s foremost conveners of area foundations, nonprofit leaders, corporate decisionmakers, government representatives and other stakeholders to examine important issues and develop workable solutions. Learn more about our regional collaborations. >MORE
Sponsoring Issue-Oriented Research
The Community Foundation has a long history of researching important community issues and publishing our findings. Visit the "Library" section of our website and take advantage of our free, informative reports. >MORE
For More Information
Consult our staff listing to contact the Community Foundation team that interests you.
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