Grantmaking

Giving Together awards substantial grants to nonprofit organizations that help women and children in need in the Washington, DC area. Our grants program is continually evolving in an effort to better meet the needs of local non-profits. Currently we have two grant tracks. Our Multiyear Thematic grant is a two-year grant focusing on a theme selected by members each year. The theme for 2024 is women's health. Previous years’ themes have included housing and homelessness, education, workforce development, services to immigrants and refugees, and food insecurity. In 2021 we added an Accelerator grant focusing on Black-led, Black-benefiting non-profits. This year the Accelerator program has been expanded to Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC)-led and BIPOC-community benefiting nonprofits. The grants are funded by yearly contributions of GT members. Grant applications are by invitation only.

Who belongs to the Grants Committee?

All interested members of Giving Together can serve on our Grants Committee. Committee members evaluate proposals, conduct site visits and recommend the finalists to the GT board and membership, who choose the grantees at the Annual Meeting each fall. Participating in the grants process is one of the most rewarding aspects of Giving Together membership.

Criteria for grant applicants

To apply for a grant, an organization must be:

in existence for at least three years
serving women and families in need in the Washington, DC metropolitan area
locally based
neither religiously nor politically affiliated

We fund new programs, expansion of existing programs with demonstrated effectiveness, and general operating support.

Applicants for an Accelerator grant must be at least two years old, meet the other listed criteria, and be Black-led and Black-benefiting.

How to apply for a GT grant

Grant applications are by invitation only. Interested nonprofits that meet the above criteria and are active in this year's theme may wish to contact the co-chairs below by February 15 for more information. We will reply to discuss our grants cycle, whether an organization might be eligible to apply and the types of initiatives we would like to support.

The deadline for filing grant applications is normally late spring. Grant proposals generally follow the format of the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers' common application, which is available at https://www.washingtongrantmakers.org/common-grant-application.

How decisions are made

Our Grants Committee reviews applications received by the filing deadline to ensure they meet our criteria. Throughout the spring, we conduct follow-up interviews with the executive director and staff. Committee members may request additional information. We will schedule site visits as necessary so we can see the organizations at work and meet the people involved, including, when appropriate, clients served. Committee members meet to review and discuss each proposal. The committee recommends the finalist organizations to the GT board, which conducts a final review before announcing them to the full GT membership.

At GT’s Annual Meeting at the end of September, we invite these organizations to present their proposals to our full membership. The members vote for the proposals they believe will best further the Giving Together mission.