Woodson Center
The Woodson Center is a public charity based in Washington, DC. Its stated mission is to empower community-based leaders working to reduce crime and violence, restore families, revitalize underserved communities, and create economic enterprise.
Woodson Center at a glance
In short: Woodson Center gave $2.4M across 32 grants in 2024 (avg $75K), mostly in Mississippi. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $2,395,046
- +352.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 32
- +60.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $74,845
- +182.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $12,500
- Total assets
- $11,727,373
- -3.2% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- Mississippi (75% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated October 2026.
How to apply to Woodson Center
- How to Apply
-
The website provides a CAN affiliate application and says membership gives access to grant opportunities, monthly calls, and online classes. It does not specify application steps or materials for the Rising Leaders Grant.
- Contact
Mailing address: 1625 K Street Nw 410, Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 518-6500
Website: https://woodsoncenter.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Woodson Center funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was The Piney Woods School ($1.8M). Together the top 10 received $2.2M.
Grant Size Distribution
122 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 106 grants of 122 (87%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Rising Leaders Grant is described as nationwide. The Community Affiliate Network is also nationwide; the Center reports affiliates in 37 states on its CAN page and says it has provided training to community organization leaders in 39 states.
In 2024, Mississippi received 75% of reported grant dollars, followed by Pennsylvania at 6%, Washington, DC at 5%, and Ohio and Georgia at 2% each.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 32 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Woodson Center gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). 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 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $320K (2020) to $2.4M (2024). In 2024 it made 32 grants totaling $2.4M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| The Piney Woods School Piney Woods, MS | Valued Aligned Support | $1,786,122 |
| G E Ministries Inc Philadelphia, PA | Valued Aligned Support | $150,000 |
| Alliance of Concerned Men Washington, DC | Valued Aligned Support | $75,000 |
| Hope for Prisoners Las Vegas, NV | Community Affiliates Network | $25,000 |
| Men of Valor Antioch, TN | Valued Aligned Support | $25,000 |
| Project Reclaim of Minden Inc Minden, LA | Valued Aligned Support | $25,000 |
| Victory Outreach San Antonio, TX | Valued Aligned Support | $25,000 |
| Can I Live Inc Washington, DC | Community Affiliates Network | $20,000 |
| Interested Citizens for Voter Registration Pine Buff, AR | Community Affiliates Network | $16,500 |
| Beyond the Walls Elyria, OH | Community Affiliates Network | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
The grant totals correspond to 32 grants in 2024, 20 in 2023, and 52 in 2022.
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $11,727,373 | $6,066,634 | $6,284,318 | $2,395,046 | 32 | $446,411 |
| 2023 | $12,113,182 | $5,453,905 | $7,874,746 | $529,065 | 20 | $316,282 |
| 2022 | $13,934,234 | $9,572,502 | $4,749,361 | $1,198,288 | 52 | $48,025 |
| 2021 | $9,108,011 | $7,708,270 | $3,003,699 | $414,816 | 12 | $6,996 |
| 2020 | $4,397,793 | $6,542,706 | $2,498,872 | $320,000 | 6 | $3,561 |
| 2019 | $434,754 | $803,901 | $1,034,092 | — | — | $1,063 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Woodson Center’s mission is to empower community-based leaders to promote solutions that reduce crime and violence, restore families, revitalize underserved communities, and assist in the creation of economic enterprise. Its website describes work on youth violence, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, homelessness, joblessness, family dissolution, education, and deteriorating neighborhoods. The Center says it seeks out people and organizations already working in affected communities and helps strengthen their capacity and connections to resources.
The Center describes its grassroots organizations as locally connected, already active in their communities, and committed to the self-sufficiency of the people they serve. It says most, but not all, are faith-based. Among 2024 grantees, Piney Woods School describes its mission as preparing leaders through a holistic, faith-inspired educational community; G E Ministries says it serves educationally, socially, and economically underserved communities using biblical principles; and Alliance of Concerned Men describes work on youth violence, substance abuse prevention, education, and mentoring. These are the grantees’ own descriptions of their work.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2024, the Woodson Center reported 32 grants totaling $2,395,046. Grant amounts ranged from $6,456 to $1,786,122, with a median of $12,500. The largest award was $1,786,122 to Piney Woods School in Mississippi. Other large grants included $150,000 to G E Ministries in Pennsylvania and $75,000 to Alliance of Concerned Men in Washington, DC. The filing lists the purposes for these three grants as “valued aligned support.”
The Center’s Community Affiliate Network offers a mini-grant program intended to help grassroots organizations develop a project, receive modest funding, and present project results. The Center’s website also describes a Rising Leaders Grant as currently open, with a nationwide scope and a focus on educational attainment and access, scholarships and educational support, educational gaps, disparities in outcomes, financial challenges, and career and vocational preparation. A 2023 mini-grant application page is for a past cycle.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists Gregory Snyder as chairman and Hattie Porterfield as secretary. It lists Alicia Manning, Alvin B. Jackson Jr., Emmitt W. Mitchell, Gregg Kunes, Janice Rogers Brown, John Williams III, Martin J. Wong, and Moses Boyd as directors.
The Center’s website identifies Robert Woodson, Sr. as its founder and Will Crossley as executive vice president and successor.
Woodson Center is led by Robert Woodson Sr., President on every filing since 2019; 4 of 14 officers listed in 2024 are compensated.
Officers on the 2024 filing
Robert Woodson Sr.
President
On filings since 2019
35 hrs/week
$272K (2019) → $500K (2024)
Gregory Snyder
Chairman
Director → Chairman, 2020
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
John Williams III
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Martin J. Wong
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Scott Mitchell
Director
On filings since 2019
No compensation reported
Alvin B. Jackson Jr.
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Emmitt W. Mitchell
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Gregg Kunes
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Janice Rogers Brown
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Moses Boyd
Director
On filings since 2021
No compensation reported
Alicia Manning
Director
On filings since 2023
No compensation reported
Hattie Porterfield
Secretary
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$76K (2024)
Julia Nelson
COO
On filings since 2023
35 hrs/week
$175K (2023) → $185K (2024)
Rick D. Gainer
Treasurer
New on the 2024 filing
35 hrs/week
$146K (2024)
Former officers (7)
- Former: Stephanie Detrio (2023) — Treasurer
- Former: Terence Mathis (2019–2020) — Vice President & Treasurer
- Former: Ado Machida (2019) — Director
- Former: Michael Baroody (2019) — Chairman
- Former: Ron Haskins (2019) — Director
- Former: Smith W. Davis Esq. (2019) — Director
- Former: William Schambra (2019) — Vice Chairman
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2024 filing was $500K, to Robert Woodson Sr (President). 4 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about Woodson Center
How much does Woodson Center give each year?
Woodson Center gave $2.4M across 32 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $529K across 20 grants.
What is Woodson Center's typical grant size?
Woodson Center's median grant in 2024 was $12,500, and its average grant was $74,845, across 32 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Woodson Center give grants?
Woodson Center gives mostly in Mississippi: 75% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The next largest state was Pennsylvania (6%). The most frequent recipient cities were Washington, DC (3 grants), Elyria, OH (2 grants) and Cleveland, OH (2 grants).
Does Woodson Center give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 32 grants with a stated purpose on Woodson Center's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Community Affiliates Network" (18 grants) and "Valued Aligned Support" (13 grants).
Who are Woodson Center's largest grantees?
Woodson Center's largest 2024 grantees include The Piney Woods School ($1,786,122), G E Ministries Inc ($150,000) and Alliance of Concerned Men ($75,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 84% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Woodson Center?
Woodson Center reported $11.7M in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $6.1M.
What does Woodson Center fund?
The Woodson Center’s mission is to empower community-based leaders to promote solutions that reduce crime and violence, restore families, revitalize underserved communities, and assist in the creation of economic enterprise. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Woodson Center?
The website provides a CAN affiliate application and says membership gives access to grant opportunities, monthly calls, and online classes. Eligibility and process details are in the grantmaking section of this profile. See how to apply ↑
What is Woodson Center's EIN?
Woodson Center's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 52-1217891. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2024.
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
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 13, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS July 8, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 12, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS October 23, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS October 30, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 17, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Woodson Center funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 11, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/woodson-center-morg_cb932aaddc844444b867a6f2facdd663
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_521217891_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Woodson Center funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/woodson-center-morg_cb932aaddc844444b867a6f2facdd663},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-11. 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 Woodson Center'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.
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