Grant Guidelines:

Who We Fund

We fund 501(c)3 non-profit organizations that can indicate some evidence of their efficacy and importance to the DC area.

The applying nonprofit should be able to provide clear financial statements and a 990 or 990 – EZ or audited financial statements, if available.

We do not fund school parent associations or neighborhood associations. We do not fund individual public or public charter schools, or private schools.

Where We Fund

The England Family Foundation provides grants to organizations that are actively serving the Washington D.C. community. We do not fund organizations that are serving communities outside of our geographic scope.

If there are DC-based organizations that have additional sites in communities considered part of the DC region (Montgomery County, Prince George’s County and Northern Virginia), we will extend funding to those sites. We do not fund program sites of DC-based nonprofits that fall outside of our geographic focus.

We do not fund organizations that are based in Washington, DC, but are focused on national efforts.

In Case You Were Wondering

We do not fund multiyear grants, unless by invitation or trustee discretion.

We prefer to fund general operating grants. In some cases, we may seek to designate funding to specific programs, or local geography.

We will consider funding capital campaign requests for existing grantees only. Please reach out to your EFF contact for more information about how to apply for these grants.

Our Process:

Making Introductions:

The foundation accepts unsolicited inquiries through our online grant portal. Prospective grantees are welcome to complete an eligibility questionnaire to make sure they meet our grant guidelines.

Organizations that meet our eligibility criteria, will be invited for a 30-minute virtual conversation with a member of our team.

We are a lean staffed foundation committed to reviewing each organization that applies but also know that time and effort is a rare resource for all. To help, we have tried to clearly communicate our grant guidelines and strategic focus areas. We ask that before applying, you take the time to read about our giving and ensure you might be a fit.

If you are not a fit, or if the foundation is currently unable to accept new proposals, you will receive a notice through email.

Getting to Know Each Other:

Once we have determined that we are a good fit, you will have access to our online grant portal where you will fill in more information about your organization and submit your grant request.

We ask that grantees regularly check to make sure their organization and contact information is up to date.

The Date:

We accept applications on a rolling basis during the year. We do this to reduce burden and stress on nonprofits, particularly those that have capacity constraints. Foundation staff will process the applications as they come in and will contact the organization with any questions.

Grant decisions are made twice a year, in October and in May.

• Applications received October 1 through March 31st will be reviewed in May.
• Applications received April 1 through September 30th will be reviewed in October.

Follow Up:

We love hearing from you. Please send us your news, invite us to see your work in action, and stay in touch. We do not require formal reports but the more you share with us, the more we can share with others about your wonderful work!