Washington Area Women's Foundation
Washington Area Women’s Foundation is a community-supported public charity based in Washington, D.C. It invests in the power of women and girls of color in the Washington, D.C. region through grantmaking, advocacy, and partnerships. The Foundation was formed in 1997.
Washington Area Women's Foundation at a glance
In short: Washington Area Women's Foundation gave $462K across 17 grants in 2025 (avg $27K), mostly in District of Columbia. 53% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $461,500
- +18.3% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 17
- +41.7% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $27,147
- -16.5% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $1,224,581
- +85.3% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 53% first-time grantees (9 of 17, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- District of Columbia (69% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Washington Area Women's Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 712 H Street Ne 1099, Washington, DC 20002
Phone: (202) 347-7737
Website: https://thewomensfoundation.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
6 open opportunities from Washington Area Women's Foundation
Black Women & Gender-Expansive Leadership Project (BWL)
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Early Care & Education Funders Collaborative
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Amount
$280,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
HERizon Fund
Washington Area Women's Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Washington Area Women's Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Black Swan Academy ($107K). Together the top 10 received $367K.
Grant Size Distribution
90 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 76 grants of 90 (84%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s stated service area includes Washington, D.C.; Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland; and Northern Virginia. Its maternal health and birth equity program specifies Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County, Maryland, while the Young Women’s Initiative also focuses on Washington, D.C. and Prince George’s County. In 2025, 69% of reported grant dollars went to recipients in D.C., 27% to Maryland, and 4% to Virginia.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 17 itemized grants.
Cities
Is Washington Area Women's Foundation open to new grantees?
53%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 17 grantees (53%) were first-time recipients. With only 17 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 6 points. First grants averaged $18K; repeat grants $37K. How we count
Medians: $15K first-time, $30K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $390K (2024) to $896K (2021). In 2025 it made 17 grants totaling $462K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Black Swan Academy Washington, DC | Young Women's Initiative General Operating Grant | $106,500 |
| DC Action for Children Today DC Act Washington, DC | Early Care and Education | $40,000 |
| DC Family Child Care Association Washington, DC | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $30,000 |
| DC Fiscal Policy Institute Washington, DC | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $30,000 |
| Montgomery County Children's Opportunity Alliance Inc Bethesda, MD | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $30,000 |
| Community Change Washington, DC | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $30,000 |
| The Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association Washington, DC | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $30,000 |
| Prince George's County Resource Center Upper Marlboro, MD | Early Care and Education | $30,000 |
| Maryland State Family Child Care Association Columbia, MD | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $20,000 |
| Voices for Virginia's Children Richmond, VA | Early care and education general operating grant from the ecefc | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with Washington Area Women's Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1,224,581 | $2,488,894 | $1,875,577 | $461,500 | 17 | $4,674 |
| 2024 | $660,855 | $1,467,369 | $1,788,835 | $390,000 | 12 | $-7,221 |
| 2023 | $958,322 | $1,489,607 | $1,723,367 | $556,000 | 15 | $19,845 |
| 2022 | $1,182,513 | $1,231,858 | $1,728,658 | $582,000 | 19 | $14,311 |
| 2021 | $1,895,684 | $2,145,564 | $2,018,230 | $895,550 | 27 | $16,243 |
| 2020 | $2,115,352 | $1,496,830 | $2,386,238 | $755,000 | 16 | $41,952 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s stated mission is to invest in the power of women and girls of color in the Washington, D.C. area. Its website says it makes grants to organizations pursuing gender, racial, and economic justice and awards funds directly to women and girls of color.
Its Early Care and Education Funders Collaborative works to improve early childhood systems and infrastructure, family access to early education, and educators’ ability to meet children’s needs. In 2025, the Foundation’s maternal health and birth equity program invited organizations to address birth workforce expansion and sustainability, maternal mental health, or social determinants of health. The program’s stated eligibility preferred organizations primarily led by and serving women, children, and gender-expansive people of color, serving Washington, D.C. and/or Prince George’s County, and with an overall budget below $750,000 or project budget below $250,000; 501(c)(3) organizations or fiscally sponsored projects were preferred.
The Foundation’s Young Women’s Initiative supports youth leadership, advocacy, and the voices of young women and gender-expansive youth of color. Its Rock Star Fund is a participatory grantmaking program that provides seed funding to individual recipients. The Foundation also describes a Stand Together Fund focused on sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and survivor support, culture-specific advocacy, care workers, violence prevention, and community safety.
Grantees’ own descriptions illustrate the range of organizations supported. The Black Swan Academy says it empowers Black youth in underserved communities through civic leadership and engagement. DC Action for Children says it uses research, data, and a racial equity lens to advance children’s well-being through collaborative advocacy. The DC Fiscal Policy Institute describes its work as shaping racially just tax, budget, and policy decisions. The Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association says it provides training and support to Spanish-speaking child-care providers.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 17 grants totaling $461,500. Grant amounts ranged from $10,000 to $106,500, with a median of $20,000. The largest grant was $106,500 to Black Swan Academy for a Young Women’s Initiative general operating grant. Other notable awards included $40,000 to DC Action for Children for early care and education, and $30,000 each to DC Family Child Care Association, DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Montgomery County Children’s Opportunity Alliance, Community Change, and the Multicultural Spanish Speaking Providers Association for early care and education purposes.
The Foundation’s 2025 maternal health and birth equity request for proposals described funding priorities and eligibility, but its stated pilot-round timing was spring 2025 and is past. The Foundation’s 2024 filing says grant agreements specify the use of funds, expenditure period, and reporting period. It also describes a trust-based model with staff check-ins during the grant period. The Foundation’s website identifies the Stand Together Fund and Young Women’s Initiative as ongoing programs; the Rock Star Fund provides funding directly to individual recipients.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Loribeth Weinstein and C. Lynn McNair as co-chairs; Jana Taylor Jennings as secretary; and Timothy Abercrombie Sr. as treasurer. It also lists Teresa Payne-Nunn, Joyce Brayboy, Sally D’Amato, Michelle Rice, Amy Falk Sheldon, and Tiffani Whittaker as board members.
Washington Area Women's Foundation is led by Tamara Wilds Lawson, President & CEO on every filing since 2023; 3 of 16 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Tamara Wilds Lawson
President & CEO
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$137K (2024) → $228K (2025)
Crystal Rucker
Director of Development
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$115K (2024) → $128K (2025)
Sarah Weatherby
Director of Communications
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$101K (2024) → $104K (2025)
Joyce Brayboy
Board Member
Board Member → Treasurer, 2022
Treasurer → Board Member, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sally D'amato
Board Member
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Teresa Payne-Nunn
Board Member
Board Secretary → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Board Member, 2024
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Amy Falk Sheldon
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
C. Lynn McNair
Co-Chair
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Jana Taylor Jennings
Secretary
Board Member → Secretary, 2024
On filings since 2023
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michelle Rice
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffani Whittaker
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Victoria Vrana
Board Member
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Timothy Abercrombie Sr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2024
4 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Loribeth Weinstein
Co-Chair
New on the 2025 filing
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Lynn English
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Shenique Gray
Board Member
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Jennifer Parker Porter (2020–2024) — Board Member
- Former: Lori Weinstein (2022–2024) — Co-Chair
- Former: Andrea Dykes (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Leo Tucker (2020–2023) — Board Member
- Former: Jacquelyn Lendsey (2021–2023) — Interim President & CEO
- Former: Timothy Abercombie (2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Evelyn Bynum (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: James Macgregor (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Jennifer Lockwood-Shabat (2020–2022) — Former President & CEO
- Former: Matthew Shank (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Pinkie D. Mayfield (2020–2022) — Board Chair
- Former: Yvette Butler (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Lynn McNair (2022) — Co-Chair
- Former: Diara Holmes (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Donna Callejon (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Janene Jackson (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Karen Wawrzaszek (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Machelle Williams (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Maria Gomez (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Michelle McGuire (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Tatiana Torres (2020) — Board Member
- Former: Virginie Carey (2020) — Vice President of Finance & Oper.
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $228K, to Tamara Wilds Lawson (President & CEO). 3 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Washington Area Women's Foundation
How much does Washington Area Women's Foundation give each year?
Washington Area Women's Foundation gave $462K across 17 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $390K across 12 grants.
What is Washington Area Women's Foundation's typical grant size?
Washington Area Women's Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $27,147, across 17 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Washington Area Women's Foundation that year got $18K on average.
Where does Washington Area Women's Foundation give grants?
Washington Area Women's Foundation gives mostly in District of Columbia: 69% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Maryland (27%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (10 grants).
Does Washington Area Women's Foundation give general operating support?
Yes: 47% of Washington Area Women's Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (8 of 17) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Emergency Response Grant" (5 grants) and "Early Care and Education" (4 grants).
Who are Washington Area Women's Foundation's largest grantees?
Washington Area Women's Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Black Swan Academy ($106,500), DC Action for Children Today DC Act ($40,000) and DC Family Child Care Association ($30,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 38% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Washington Area Women's Foundation?
Washington Area Women's Foundation reported $1.2M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $2.5M.
What does Washington Area Women's Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s stated mission is to invest in the power of women and girls of color in the Washington, D.C. area. Its website says it makes grants to organizations pursuing gender, racial, and economic justice and awards funds directly to women and girls of color. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Washington Area Women's Foundation?
Washington Area Women's Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check thewomensfoundation.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Washington Area Women's Foundation's EIN?
Washington Area Women's Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-2028612. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 10, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 12, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS March 21, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 14, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 5, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Washington Area Women's Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Washington Area Women's Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 4, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/washington-area-women-s-foundation-morg_975bdc8ae9714438873dab6f9982f462
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_522028612_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Washington Area Women's Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/washington-area-women-s-foundation-morg_975bdc8ae9714438873dab6f9982f462},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-04. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Washington Area Women's Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
Washington Area Women's Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?