GRANTMAKING

Giving Together awards substantial grants to nonprofit organizations that help low-income women and children in the Washington, DC area.The grants are funded by the yearly contributions of GT members, who choose an annual theme such as education, hunger/nutrition, housing/homelessness, health care and legal services. Based on the chosen theme, our Grants Committee solicits proposals from local organizations.

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 needy women and families in the Washington, DC metropolitan area;
locally based;
neither religious or political.

We fund new programs and expansion of existing programs (provided these have demonstrated their effectiveness). We do not fund general operating expenses.

How to apply for a GT grant

Giving Together invites non-profit organizations to apply and only grant proposals consistent with the current grant year theme will be considered.

Organizations interested in applying for a grant should contact GT at info@giving-together.org. We will reply to discuss our grant 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 in June, with the specific date announced on our Website. Grant proposals must 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 June filing deadline to ensure they meet our criteria. Throughout the summer months, 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. In August, 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.