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Meyer Foundation Awards $3.2 Million in Grants

May 7, 2014

At its May 1 meeting, the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Foundation board of directors approved 84 grants totaling more than $3.2 million in the Foundation’s four program areas of EducationHealthy CommunitiesEconomic Security, and a Strong Nonprofit Sector. These grants will support organizations whose work collectively touches the lives of more than 250,000 low-income people in the Washington metropolitan region.

Grants awarded include:

  • 28 grants totaling $1,090,000 in the Healthy Communities program area, which supports organizations that provide healthcare and other essential services and advocacy organizations working to advance policy changes that will lead to lasting improvements in the lives of low-income people throughout the region.
  • 27 grants totaling $1,070,000 in the Education program area, focused on programs to help young people from low-income families make successful transitions from middle school to high school and from high school to post-secondary education.
  • 23 grants totaling $790,000 in the Economic Security program area, which supports organizations that focus on workforce development—providing literacy classes, computer training and certification, and other career and employment services—and organizations that engage in advocacy and provide legal services to enable residents to address legal status, housing, benefits, and employment crises.
  • 6 grants totaling $260,000 in the Strong Nonprofit Sector program area, which supports organizations that work to increase the effectiveness, sustainability, and influence of the Foundation’s grantees and the region’s nonprofit sector, and to strengthen philanthropy in the region.

The $3.2 million in grants awarded this May represents an increase of nearly 15 percent over grants awarded at the same time last year.

Grants Awarded | May 1, 2014

Healthy Communities

Advocates for Children and Youth to support general operations $30,000
Arlington Free Clinic to support general operations $25,000
Barker Foundation to strengthen marketing to support ethical adoption services $25,000
Calvary Women’s Services to support general operations $30,000
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities to support general operations of the DC Fiscal Policy Institute over two years $100,000
Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis to support general operations over two years $90,000
Community Foundation for the National Capital Region to support the Partnership for Prince George’s County $40,000
DC Appleseed Center for Law and Justice to support general operations ($50,000) and the special project fund ($20,000) $70,000
DC Children’s Advocacy Center to support general operations $25,000
DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence to support general operations $20,000
DC Rape Crisis Center to support general operations $30,000
DC Vote to support general operations $50,000
District Alliance for Safe Housing to support general operations $25,000
District of Columbia Behavioral Health Association to support general operations $20,000
Food Research and Action Center to support DC Hunger Solutions $25,000
Friendship Place to support general operations ($30,000) and the capital campaign for the Welcome Center renovation ($20,000) $50,000
Good Shepherd Housing and Family Services to support general operations $30,000
Jews United for Justice to support general operations $20,000
Maryland Association of Nonprofit Organizations to support the Maryland Center on Economic Policy $25,000
Miriam’s Kitchen to support general operations ($30,000) and the advocacy program ($20,000) $50,000
Montgomery County Coalition for the Homeless to support increased fundraising capacity from individuals $25,000
Montgomery Housing Partnership to support the Affordable Housing Policy Program $20,000
N Street Village to support general operations $35,000
Northern Virginia Affordable Housing Alliance to support general operations ($20,000) and a challenge grant ($5,000) $25,000
Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy to support general operations $25,000
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless to support general operations $40,000
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless to support the Fair Budget Coalition $25,000
Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers to support the Washington AIDS Partnership over two years $125,000
William Wendt Center for Loss and Healing to support the C.H.I.L.D. program $30,000
Total for Healthy Communities $1,090,000

Education

Asian American LEAD to support general operations $30,000
Beacon House Community Ministry to support general operations $30,000
Brainfood to support general operations $40,000
Chess Challenge in DC to support general operations $15,000
CollegeTracks to support general operations $25,000
Community Bridges to support general operations $30,000
Dance Institute of Washington to support the Positive Directions Through Dance program $20,000
DC Scores to support general operations ($30,000) and a volunteer management and community outreach coordinator ($20,000) $50,000
DC Wheel Productions to support the Energizers youth program over two years $50,000
Edu-Futuro (Education Para Nuestro Futuro) to support the Emerging Leaders Program $20,000
EduSeed to support general operations $15,000
For Love of Children to support FLOC Scholars $20,000
Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop to support general operations $20,000
Gandhi Brigade to support general operations $20,000
Higher Achievement Program to support general operations of the DC program $50,000
Homeless Children’s Playtime Project to support the teen program $15,000
Horton’s Kids to support the older youth program $15,000
Identity to support general operations $50,000
Latin American Youth Center to support general operations ($50,000) and the Strive Fund ($200,000) over two years $250,000
Life Pieces to Masterpieces to support general operations $30,000
Mentors, Inc. to support general operations $25,000
Montgomery County Parks Foundation to support the capital campaign for Josiah Henson Park over three years $75,000
Patricia M. Sitar Center for the Arts to support general operations ($50,000) and the Building Sitar for the Future Campaign ($50,000 over two years) $100,000
Posse Foundation to support general operations of Posse DC $20,000
Words Beats and Life to support general operations $30,000
Young Playwrights’ Theater to support general operations $25,000
Total for Education $1,070,000

Economic Security

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center to support general operations $30,000
Bread for the City to support the legal clinic $50,000
Bright Beginnings to support the workforce development program $15,000
Byte Back to support general operations in 2015 $50,000
Community Foundation for the National Capital Region to support the Greater Washington Workforce Development Collaborative over two years $100,000
Computer CORE to support general operations $30,000
DC Jobs Council to support general operations $20,000
Goodwill of Greater Washington to support the RISE workforce development program $60,000
Interfaith Works to support vocational and workforce development services $30,000
Just Neighbors Ministry to support the New Hope Project $35,000
La Cocina VA to support the bilingual culinary job-training program $20,000
Legal Aid Justice Center to support the Immigrant Advocacy Program in Northern Virginia $25,000
Legal Counsel for the Elderly to support general operations $30,000
Legal Services of Northern Virginia to support the Access to Justice Project $30,000
Literacy Council of Montgomery County, Maryland to support the ESL Class Program $30,000
Northern Virginia Family Service to support the Training Futures program $40,000
Prince George’s Community College Foundation to support the Lotus Project $40,000
Restaurant Opportunities Center of Washington DC to support ROC-DC’s workforce development program $20,000
StreetWise Partners to support general operations in DC $30,000
United Community Ministries to support the Progreso Literacy and Work Center $25,000
Urban Ed to support the Pathways IT training program $20,000
Washington English Center to support general operations $35,000
Youth Professional Development to support general operations $25,000
Total for Economic Security $790,000

Strong Nonprofit Sector

Catalogue for Philanthropy: Greater Washington to support general operations $35,000
Compass to support general operations ($20,000) and a board program pilot ($20,000) $40,000
Compass to support the first year of operations for the Capacity Builders Collaborative $15,000
Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington to support general operations $60,000
Taproot Foundation to support general operations in the National Capital region $40,000
Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers to support general operations ($40,000) and the Community Connections Manager ($30,000 over two years) $70,000
Total for Strong Nonprofit Sector $300,000