2015 Highlights

In 2015, the Meyer Foundation continued our longstanding work to build a more equitable Greater Washington region—awarding a record $10.7 million in grants and adopting a strategic plan that challenges us to think more boldly about how we can work, in partnership with others, to build a community in which people who are economically vulnerable thrive.

This challenge has never been more urgent. The Washington region's poorest and most vulnerable residents are falling behind at an alarming rate, and a growing income and opportunity gap disproportionately affects people and communities of color. At the same time, a contentious national political climate has stoked longstanding divisions and emerging social movements are becoming more vocal about the need to address racism.

Against this backdrop, we are committed to working with partners to develop new strategies and ideas for building systems and structures that promote equity and strengthen our region.

2015 Highlights  

2015 Highlights

The Meyer Foundation’s 2015 highlights include:

2015 Highlights

  • Adopting a new strategic plan that aligns our assets and resources to address growing inequality in the region—and tackling issues of racial and ethnic inequity.

  • Investing nearly $6.2 million in grants across three priority program areas, and an additional $4.6 million in capacity-building grants.

  • In collaboration with four other donors, awarding $130,000 to organizations that serve young people who have moved to the DC region after fleeing violence in Central America.

  • Continuing to support former grantees of the Freddie Mac Foundation through the Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative.

  • Launching Leading for Impact, an innovative initiative that will provide training, coaching, and consulting support to the leadership teams at 50 nonprofits in the DC region.

All of these efforts support our renewed effort to build a more equitable Washington region.

We face a steep challenge. Even though our region is prosperous by many indicators, that prosperity is leaving too many of our neighbors behind. At best, current approaches are yielding incremental progress or maintaining the status quo. At worst, they are contributing to growing poverty and increasing inequity.

Against that backdrop, we are working with a renewed sense of urgency—in the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who spoke often of the urgent need to seize opportunities that lead to real change, rather than settling for incremental progress.

 

A New Strategy

In December 2015, Meyer’s board approved a new strategic plan for the Foundation, which aims to better align our resources behind our mission of pursuing and investing in solutions that build an equitable Greater Washington community.

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A New Strategy

In December 2015, the Meyer Foundation's board approved a new strategic plan for the Foundation, which aims to better align our resources behind our mission of pursuing and investing in solutions that build an equitable Greater Washington community.

A New Strategy

This new plan includes three broad and interconnected goals for the Washington region:

  • Create an adequate supply of housing that low-income individuals and families can afford, and services that enable individuals and families to remain stably housed.

  • Ensure that individuals and families in the bottom quartile of income build assets and increase financial security.

  • Prepare youth and adults to obtain family-sustaining jobs and remain employed.

As we work toward achieving these three interconnected goals, we will also tackle issues of racial and ethnic inequity, since they have been inextricably linked to our region's disparities. We will also be working closely with leaders in business and government to address these issues—understanding that progress is beyond the ability of our foundation working alone.

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Grantmaking

In 2015, the Meyer Foundation awarded 149 grants totaling nearly $6.2 million across three priority program areas. Throughout the DC region, these organizations provide direct services and advocacy to create lasting improvements in the lives of low-income individuals and families.

Capacity-building Initiatives

Capacity Building

Beyond our grantmaking in the Education, Economic Security, and Healthy Communities program areas, the Meyer Foundation also supported efforts to strengthen the capacity of grantees and the region’s nonprofits to make a difference for low-income people. In 2015, the foundation awarded 113 capacity-building grants totaling more than $4.5 million in four major areas.

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    Capacity Building

    Beyond our grantmaking in the Education, Economic Security, and Healthy Communities program areas, the Meyer Foundation also supported efforts to strengthen the capacity of grantees and the region’s nonprofits to make a difference for low-income people. In 2015, the foundation awarded 113 capacity-building grants totaling more than $4.5 million in four major areas.

    Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative

    Strong Nonprofit Sector Grants

    We work to increase the effectiveness, sustainability, and influence of our grantees and Greater Washington's nonprofit sector, and to strengthen philanthropy in the region. The Foundation's grantees included programs that help nonprofits communicate more effectively, efforts to promote and increase philanthropy in the region, and collaborative efforts aimed at bringing a stronger voice and more visibility to the sector.

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    Management Assistance Program

    We provide grant support that allows current grantees to work with consultants to strengthen their organizations in the areas of planning and assessment, board and staff leadership, financial management, and fundraising. In 2015, 25 organizations received Management Assistance Program (MAP) grants totaling $487,000. In 2016, as part of implementation of Meyer’s strategic plan, this program was renamed and will continue as our Organizational Effectiveness Program.

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    Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative

    The Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative was launched in 2014 with support from the Freddie Mac Foundation to help strengthen organizations in the Washington region that serve vulnerable children and families. Through this initiative, Meyer has supported former grantees of the Freddie Mac Foundation to engage in a range of capacity-building activities, including strategic planning, board and staff development, and improved support for financial management, marketing, fundraising, and communications. In 2015, Meyer awarded 61 grants totaling more than $2.5 million.

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    Leading for Impact

    The Meyer Foundation invested $1 million to launch Leading for Impact, a new partnership with the nonprofit and consulting advisory firm The Bridgespan Group, that will provide training, coaching, and consulting support to the leadership teams at 50 Washington region nonprofit organizations over the next five years. The program will give these locally-focused nonprofits an opportunity to hone their strategic and organizational management skills and apply those skills to projects that will have an impact on the community.

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Financials

In 2015, the Meyer Foundation awarded 149 grants totaling $6,161,750 in new commitments, across our 3 program areas; and 116 grants, totaling $4,574,940 in new commitments through our capacity-building initiatives and other strategic opportunities.

  • Our Financials  

    Financials

    In 2015, the Meyer Foundation awarded 149 grants totaling $6,161,750 in new commitments, across our 3 program areas; and 116 grants, totaling $4,574,940 in new commitments through our capacity-building initiatives and other strategic opportunities.

    2015 Grant Approvals

    Program Area Amount Number
    Strategic Opportunity $20,900 3
    Management Assistance Program $487,000 25
    Strong Nonprofit Sector $1,538,040 27
    Economic Security $1,480,000 39
    Healthy Communities $2,450,000 54
    Education $2,231,750 56
    Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative $2,504,000 61
    Total $10,711,690 265

    Meyer Grant Commitments

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    Meyer Grant Payments

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    These totals exclude commitments and payments for the Children and Family Capacity-Building Initiative.

    Statements of Financial Position (December 31, 2015 and 2014)

    Assets 2015 2014
    Cash and cash equivalents $63,858 $223,366
    Accounts and interest receivable $413,252 $204,059
    Prepaid expenses and deposits $107,839 $169,909
    Prepaid federal excise tax $173,000 $232,037
    Due from investment manager $339,446 $7,080,986
    Investments $202,717,312 $217,117,850
    Property and equipment, net $731,800 $890,043
    Total assets $204,546,507 $225,918,250
    Liabilities and Net Assets 2015 2014
    Liabilities
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses $158,204 $171,225
    Grants payable, net $2,839,334 $1,812,550
    Deferred revenue $75,396 $148,409
    Deferred federal excise tax $733,103 $1,075,884
    Deferred rent $621,827 $692,253
    Deferred compensation $377,760 $354,241
    Total liabilities $4,805,624 $4,254,562
    Net Assets
    Unrestricted net assets $199,570,283 $219,004,088
    Temporarily restricted $170,600 $2,659,600
    Total net assets $199,740,883 $221,663,688
    Total liabilities and net assets $204,546,507 $225,918,250

    Statements of Activities (December 31, 2015 and 2014)

    Support and Revenue Unrestricted Temp. Restricted Total 2015 Total 2014
    Dividends and interest on investments $2,952,721 – $2,952,721 $3,598,261
    Net realized gains on sale of investments $7,383,674 – $7,383,674 $16,704,156
    Unrealized loss on investments ($17,139,017) – ($17,139,017) ($8,199,326)
    Less investment expenses $1,349,309 – $1,349,309 $1,944,906
    Net investment income ($8,151,931) – ($8,151,931) $10,158,185
    Contributions $292 $40,000 $40,292 $5,739,000
    Other income $99,144 – $99,144 $141,613
    Net assets released from restrictions $2,529,000 ($2,529,000) – –
    Total Support and Revenue ($5,523,495) ($2,489,000) ($8,012,495) $16,038,798
    Expenses
    Grant awards $10,733,975 – $10,733,975 $10,061,550
    Direct charitable activities $2,500,213 – $2,500,213 $2,431,975
    Operations and governance $916,034 – $916,034 $995,892
    Federal excise tax $102,869 – $102,869 $262,567
    (Benefit) provision for deferred federal excise tax ($342,781) – ($342,781) 630,107
    Total Expenses $13,910,310 – $13,910,310 $14,382,091
    Change in Net Assets ($19,433,805) ($2,489,000) ($21,922,805) $1,656,707
    Net Assets
    Beginning of year $219,004,088 $2,659,600 $221,663,688 $220,006,981
    End of year $199,570,283 $170,600 $199,740,883 $221,663,688

    Download Our Financial Statements  

    View our 2014 990-PF Tax Return