Philip L. Graham Fund Grant

Philip L. Graham Fund Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Philip L. Graham Fund
Amount: US $30,000 - US $75,000
Last Updated: February 02, 2026

Summary

The Philip L. Graham Fund Grant focuses on enhancing the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through substantial annual grants to 501(c)(3) public charities. It supports diverse initiatives in health, education, arts, and community development, prioritizing innovative, one-time projects. Eligible organizations must serve local residents and align with the Fund's giving priorities. Notably, the Fund awarded $4.1 million in 2017 to 138 organizations, with a strong emphasis on health and education, reflecting its commitment to community enrichment.

Overview

NOTE: The Philip L. Graham Fund follows a two-step application process. Organizations interested in applying for funding must submit a Letter of Inquiry through an online application system prior to one of the several deadlines each year. The Fund does not accept paper applications. Organizations will either be invited to submit a full proposal or declined within 45 days of each Letter of Inquiry deadline. Philip L. Graham Fund Grant Named for the late Publisher of The Washington Post and President of The Washington Post Company (now Graham Holdings Company), the Philip L. Graham Fund devotes its resources to the betterment of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Fund awards several million dollars in grants annually to groups providing educational, health, community enrichment, and arts programs and services to communities in and around Washington, D.C. What We Support Understanding the broad and changing needs of the communities in and around Washington, D.C., the Philip L. Graham Fund is dedicated to supporting organizations that provide a wide array of direct services to individuals and families. The Fund awards grants across four focus areas and a geographically vast area that includes 10 counties in Virginia and Maryland as well as the District of Columbia. The Fund is always looking for innovative and efficient organizations to support. Over the past several decades, the Fund has invested tens of millions of dollars in the physical infrastructure, information technology, and transportation needs of local nonprofit organizations. The Fund’s five-member board prefers to fund requests for one-time projects or expenses, but does occasionally award grants for program and general operating expenses. In 2017, the Philip L. Graham Fund awarded $4.1 million in grants to 138 organizations across Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia. Twenty grants went to first-time grantees. Together, grants in the Health & Human Services and Education focus areas represented 84% of the Fund’s giving last year. Focus Areas From its inception, the Fund’s mission has been to use its resources for the betterment of the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. In the past, the Fund also worked to foster improvements in the fields of journalism and communications. Grantees include large, regional organizations as well as small, community-based groups; all share a commitment to our community. Health & Human Services The Health & Human Services segment of the Fund’s portfolio is the largest portion of the Fund’s giving and includes a wide array of services designed to ensure everyone in the greater metropolitan area has access to the tools necessary for healthy and productive living. Nonprofits providing shelter, food, medical care, and workforce development programs to members of our community are a high priority for the Fund as well as efforts to increase access to fresh foods, legal services, routine primary care and dental visits, and comprehensive behavioral health services for children and adults. Education The Philip L. Graham Fund is committed to supporting efforts to advance and expand educational offerings for children and adults in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The Fund gives high priority to programs that improve public education and adult literacy. Arts & Humanities From its earliest days, the Philip L. Graham Fund has supported both large and small arts organizations in and around Washington, D.C. Many of the city’s largest and most innovative theater companies, museums, dance companies, and arts education programs can trace their earliest funding back to the Graham Fund. The Fund remains committed to supporting longstanding organizations devoted to bringing high-quality and unique programs to the community and to seeking out new organizations bringing fresh ideas and offerings to the metropolitan area. The Fund is specifically interested in arts programming that shows a clear intersection with one of the Fund’s other focus areas. Community Endeavors Recognizing the importance of Washington, D.C., to the nation and the world, the Fund considers requests from institutions that tell the stories of our country’s history, values, and accomplishments and strengthen the greater metropolitan community as a whole. This includes support for a broad spectrum of organizations, such as institutions of national significance located in the metropolitan area, improvement of local parks and playgrounds, and efforts to help our community through programs that strengthen families and neighborhoods.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. To be considered for a grant, an organization must:Be a 501(c)(3) public charityServe residents of one or more of the jurisdictions in the Fund's giving footprint, which includes:Washington, D.C.Maryland: Charles, Montgomery, and Prince George's countiesVirginia: Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the cities of Alexandria, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas ParkAlign with the Fund's giving priorities and provide services that fit into one or more of its Focus Areas.

Ineligibility

The Fund no longer accepts proposals from organizations located in or primarily serving residents of Calvert, St. Mary's, or Stafford counties.The Fund does not consider organizations that are undergoing an executive leadership change.The Fund also does not consider requests from:IndividualsGovernment agenciesMembership organizationsIndividual public, nonpublic or private schoolsParent Teacher AssociationsNational or international organizations or concernsHospitals or hospital foundationsOrganizations significantly involved in advocacy, litigation, or efforts to change public policyThe Fund does not consider requests for:Advocacy, litigation, or efforts to change public policyResearchEndowmentsSpecial events, conferences, workshops, or seminarsTravel expensesAnnual giving campaigns, benefits, or sponsorshipsCourtesy advertisingProduction of films or publications