Competitive Grant Opportunities
The following competitive funding opportunities are available to nonprofit organizations serving residents of the Washington, DC region from selected donor-advised funds, Community Foundation initiatives, and local grantmaking partners. Please carefully review the eligibility guidelines and deadlines – unsolicited or out-of-area proposals will not be accepted.
Arts
- National Harbor Community Outreach Fund/The Prince George's Community Foundation
Individual and Organizational Capacity-Building
- Partnership for Equity
Children and Families
- Dr. Daniel F. Lynch Memorial Fund/Montgomery County Community Foundation
- Marpat Foundation
- National Harbor Community Outreach Fund/The Prince George's Community Foundation
- Sharing Montgomery Fund/The Montgomery County Community Foundation
Education and Youth Development
- Collaborative for Education Organizing
- LEARN Foundation Scholarship Fund
- Middle School Initiative
- National Harbor Community Outreach/The Prince George's Community Foundation
Employment and Workforce Development
- Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative
- Microsoft Unlimited Potential Fund
- National Harbor Community Outreach/The Prince George's Community Foundation
Environment
- Environment and Preservation Funds
Emergency Services
- Human Services and Poverty Funds
- Neighbors in Need Fund
Family Literacy and Libraries
- Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy
- Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries
Violence Prevention
- Starbucks Memorial Fund
The Collaborative for Education Organizing
The Collaborative for Education Organizing (CEO), a project of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, is a coalition of nearly one dozen local and national philanthropic institutions that share a common vision: to create a public will for the improvement of educational opportunities for all District of Columbia public school students.
Dedicated to supporting community organizing and advocacy efforts to bring about education reform, CEO works to strengthen community-based nonprofit partners with a unified goal of doubling the number of DC public high schools students who graduate and later successfully complete college. At the core of our approach is the belief that, by organizing parents, youth, and community and church leaders among others, we will create a more enriched and equitable educational experience throughout the DC public school system.
How to Apply: For more information click HERE. Read about previous CEO grants HERE.
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Environment and Preservation Funds
Spring Creek Foundation and several other donors seek to support environmental efforts which preserve, protect, or encourage sustainable use of exceptional natural or built environments in the National Capital region, particularly those environments affecting low-income populations and providing educational opportunities and advocacy pertaining to environmental issues.
How to Apply: There are currently no application opportunities.
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Human Services and Poverty Funds (formerly Emergency Services Funds)
Several Community Foundation donor funds support organizations providing basic support services to families, adults, and children from extreme low-income households living in the Washington, DC region.
How to Apply: There are no 2009 Human Services and Poverty grant opportunites. Please review and consider applying for future Neighbors in Need Fund grant rounds.
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The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund
Honoring the legacy of philanthropist William McGowan, The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund provides support to in-school and out-of-school programs, especially those in inner city areas, that celebrate the untapped treasures of the minds and spirits of the young and encourage the development of such positive forces.
The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region is pleased to partner with The William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, now based in Chicago, to continue the Fund’s philanthropic presence in the Greater Washington, DC region. The McGowan Fund supports programs and activities that directly improve academic and social outcomes for low-income youth in the District of Columbia.
Please visit the McGowan Fund’s webpage to learn more www.mcgowanfund.org
How to Apply: Applications are accepted by invitation only.
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MARPAT Foundation
The MARPAT Foundation is a Washington, DC-area private foundation that envisions the Greater Washington region as one in which the highest quality of life, culture, and habitat is enjoyed by all of its residents. The MARPAT Foundation makes grants to organizations based in or benefiting the Washington metropolitan area for projects related to education, healthcare, cultural affairs, and science.
The MARPAT Foundation partners with The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region to identify and support grantees of its Wards 7 & 8 Initiative.
Please visit The MARPAT Foundation’s webpage to learn more www.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/marpat
How to Apply: To download application materials and learn more www.foundationcenter.org/grantmaker/marpat
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Microsoft Unlimited Potential Fund
The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region partners with Microsoft to administer Microsoft Unlimited Potential grants. Microsoft Unlimited Potential is a global initiative designed to help narrow the technology-skills gap and aid global workforce development. Grants support technology-training programs ranging from basic computer skills to using advanced business productivity applications. Microsoft Unlimited Potential supports donations in the form of cash, software, curriculum, and technical expertise that enable individuals to learn about technology and gain the information technology skills needed for employment in the IT field or other industry sectors.
For information on Microsoft Community Affairs Unlimited Potential Program Recipients worldwide, go to: http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/citizenship/giving/overview/UPrecipients.asp
How to Apply: To inquire about funding opportunities for organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region, contact Donna Woodall, Microsoft Community Outreach Director at dwoodall@microsoft.com or (202) 895-2000.
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The Partnership for Equity
The Partnership for Equity, a project of The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, is a coalition of nearly one dozen local and national philanthropic institutions and government representatives that work collaboratively to strengthen the Washington metropolitan region by providing training and education to those who, due to race, ethnicity or economic status, lack access to opportunity. By providing funding to nonprofit organizations that engage our region’s diverse communities, the Partnership seeks to empower all individuals through advocacy, operational effectiveness, organization skills, research, and public awareness and inspire them to become fully involved in the economic, social, and civic life of our community.
How to Apply: There are currently no application opportunities.
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 Starbucks Memorial Fund
Starbucks Memorial Fund was established as a living memorial to three young Starbucks employees who were killed in a robbery at the Georgetown Starbucks store in 1997. The Starbucks Memorial Fund supports local nonprofit organizations in the metropolitan Washington, DC region working to prevent of violence, serving as advocates against violence and providing assistance to victims of violence.
How to Apply: There are no 2009 Starbucks Memorial Fund grant opportunities.
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Greater Washington Workforce Collaborative
An initiative of the Community Foundation for the National Capital Region, the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative is a coalition of fourteen local funders that makes grants to help low-income, low-skilled adults throughout the Greater Washington region obtain and retain jobs that provide good wages, benefits, and opportunities for advancement. The collaborative makes grants in three areas:
· Modeling effective approaches to workforce development, including support for “industry partnerships” - workforce initiatives focused on key industry sectors;
· Promoting public policy and systems change efforts that expand resources, enhance the profile of workforce development issues, promote seamless linkages between public, private, and nonprofit programs, and remove barriers to institutionalizing best practices; and
· Sponsoring capacity building activities that grow service-provider knowledge and help to implement best practices across the workforce system.
How to Apply: GWWDC does not accept unsolicited proposals. All funding opportunities are published on the CFNCR website.
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