I’m glad to share updates on expanded opportunities for our community, including additional funding, support for organizational infrastructure and sustainability, rest and wellness resources, and targeted investments to resource the movement for a strong local multiracial democracy.

Some of the most powerful lessons in just and inclusive community-building are unfolding here in Virginia. Throughout my tenure as Director for Virginia Partnerships & Strategy at the Meyer Foundation, I’ve witnessed how Meyer’s Virginia grantee partners come together time and again through key inflection points in the story of our region, meeting challenges and setbacks with dedication, vision, and collaboration.

The Commons: a place to share ideas, to innovate and create, and to be in community. The joy, the laughs, breaking bread, and sharpening our collective analysis. This is the thread we’re hoping to weave through this series of convenings.

Today, I’m pleased to announce that the Meyer Foundation will resume accepting applications for our Restoration Fund sabbatical grants on April 27, this time from organizers and frontline staff of Meyer grantee partner organizations. The application deadline is May 27.

Transparency and accountability are more important than ever, and as such we want to share more about how we’re approaching our reporting process and why.

Vice President for Community Partnerships & Strategy, Jaqueline Tucker, Esq., shares some important updates about our 2026 grantmaking approach and programs.

As part of our commitment to our grantee partners, our board recently approved a strategic increase in our annual payout - a decision rooted in our values and shaped by the needs we continue to hear from partners across the region.

Systems change work can be unpredictable, and many organizations seek a funding source that allows them to swiftly address the unforeseen. Meyer is now providing this support to our grantee partners: Meyer will launch a new rapid response grant program on February 4.

Our 2025–2030 strategic plan builds off previous iterations of our strategy and comes at a time when many of us are sitting with the unease and uncertainty of this year. As we mark 80 years of giving throughout Greater Washington, we’re pleased to share more about how we intend to support your work toward a region where all can thrive.

Before we enter 2025, I want to take some time to re-introduce myself as I have been entrusted once again to serve as Interim President & CEO of the Meyer Foundation…