District of Columbia Grants for Nonprofits

NOTE:  Anthem Foundation has recently undergone a strategy refresh to ensure we are best positioned to improve the health of the socially vulnerable in our communities through strategic partnership and programs. At this time, we are accepting letters of inquiry related to one of our newly refined areas of focus: Maternal Health.

The Anthem Foundation funds specific public health–related initiatives that positively affect conditions identified through our signature Healthy Generations program.

Healthy Generations Program

We believe that targeting specific, preventable health concerns by making strategic charitable choices will help us create a healthier generation of Americans.

The Healthy Generations initiative uses innovative social mapping technology and analyzes public health data to provide a snapshot of the major health issues in each state. This allows us to drill down to the zip code level and target initiatives that positively affect the conditions that matter most. We call this putting science behind the art of grant-making.

Today, we’re emphasizing efforts in five areas, while also supporting behavioral health efforts and programs that benefit people with disabilities.

Healthy Hearts

The Anthem Foundation is investing in preventive programs that minimize controllable cardiovascular diseases and strokes, including efforts to reduce smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and stressful and inactive lifestyles. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with about 600,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary heart disease alone costs the U.S. $108.9 billion a year in healthcare services, medications and lost productivity.

Cancer Prevention

Prevention offers the most cost-effective, long-term strategy for the control of cancer. The Anthem Foundation partners with organizations that implement lifesaving cancer-prevention and early-detection programs. More than a million people in the United States get cancer each year. At least a third of all cancer cases are preventable if people make healthy choices such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active, and getting recommended screening tests.

Healthy Maternal Practices

The Anthem Foundation focuses on programs that encourage and facilitate first-trimester prenatal care and help at-risk mothers commit to behaviors that reduce the numbers of low-birthweight babies. Preterm birth is among the leading causes of newborn death, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Prenatal care is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, and known strategies can lower the risk of an early birth.

Healthy Diabetes Prevention

More than 25 million Americans are living with diabetes and a third of obese adults are at risk for developing this condition. The Anthem Foundation invests in programs that stem the spread of diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes and increased physical activity.

Healthy Active Lifestyle

The Anthem Foundation supports programs that raise awareness for, educate on, and encourage new behaviors, resulting in healthy, active lifestyles that offer long-term benefits. Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. It also improves mental well-being, assists with weight control, reduces depression and anxiety, and helps healthy muscles and joints.

The Anthem Foundation’s support of healthy, active lifestyles for individuals with disabilities seeks to reduce healthcare disparities and improve access to care.

Community Relations & Sponsorships

We support nonprofit fundraising and sponsor initiatives that reflect the objectives of our signature Healthy Generations program. Rather than try to cover many broad health-related needs in the community, Anthem funds targeted grants that align with the initiative.

NOTE: Program grant applications are open year-round and prioritized based on the scope and nature of the request. 

Anthem Foundation

The Anthem Foundation funds specific public health–related initiatives that positively affect conditions identified through our signature Healthy Generations program.

Program Grants

Anthem Foundation Program Grants support ongoing community health programs with proven and measurable outcomes. Generally, our grant terms are one year, with a few exceptions (mostly for national grants).

Approach

We invest in traditional and nontraditional problem-solving approaches. These include programs that provide services directly to people and those that change systems to transform healthcare. Although we fund some research and policy requests, such proposals are by invitation only. 

Measurable Results

We favor initiatives that prioritize obtaining strategic, measurable results over isolated grant activities. For example, a physical fitness initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet in general as a key goal is less likely to be favored than an initiative that increases physical activity or improves diet as a specific means to reduce BMI for a target population. Our gauge for a successful grant is a measurable result that is evident within the grant period.

Operating Principles

We want to create the greatest human gain for the grant dollars we have available. Rather than try to cover many broad health-related needs in the community, the Foundation funds targeted grants that align with our signature Healthy Generations program.

The Anthem Foundation evaluates the projected ability of grant requests to yield meaningful results by asking three simple questions of each proposal:

• What results will be achieved?
• Will this organization deliver on its proposed commitments?
• Is this grant the best possible use of the Foundation’s resources?

Healthy Generations

We believe that targeting specific, preventable health concerns by making strategic charitable choices will help us create a healthier generation of Americans.

The Healthy Generations initiative uses innovative social mapping technology and analyzes public health data to provide a snapshot of the major health issues in each state. This allows us to drill down to the zip code level and target initiatives that positively affect the conditions that matter most. We call this putting science behind the art of grant-making.

Today, we’re emphasizing efforts in five areas, while also supporting behavioral health efforts and programs that benefit people with disabilities.

Healthy Hearts

The Anthem Foundation is investing in preventive programs that minimize controllable cardiovascular diseases and strokes, including efforts to reduce smoking, obesity, high blood pressure and stressful and inactive lifestyles. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., with about 600,000 deaths each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary heart disease alone costs the U.S. $108.9 billion a year in healthcare services, medications and lost productivity.

Cancer Prevention

Prevention offers the most cost-effective, long-term strategy for the control of cancer. The Anthem Foundation partners with organizations that implement lifesaving cancer-prevention and early-detection programs. More than a million people in the United States get cancer each year. At least a third of all cancer cases are preventable if people make healthy choices such as not smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, eating right, keeping active, and getting recommended screening tests.

Healthy Maternal Practices

The Anthem Foundation focuses on programs that encourage and facilitate first-trimester prenatal care and help at-risk mothers commit to behaviors that reduce the numbers of low-birthweight babies. Preterm birth is among the leading causes of newborn death, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Prenatal care is an important part of a healthy pregnancy, and known strategies can lower the risk of an early birth.

Diabetes Prevention

More than 25 million Americans are living with diabetes and a third of obese adults are at risk for developing this condition. The Anthem Foundation invests in programs that stem the spread of diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes and increased physical activity.

Healthy Active Lifestyle

The Anthem Foundation supports programs that raise awareness for, educate on, and encourage new behaviors, resulting in healthy, active lifestyles that offer long-term benefits. Regular physical activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, colon cancer and diabetes. It also improves mental well-being, assists with weight control, reduces depression and anxiety, and helps healthy muscles and joints.

The Anthem Foundation’s support of healthy, active lifestyles for individuals with disabilities seeks to reduce healthcare disparities and improve access to care.

Background

Exelon Corporation (NYSE: EXC), now including the Pepco Holdings utilities, is the nation’s leading competitive energy provider, with 2015 revenues of approximately $34.5 billion. Headquartered in Chicago, Exelon does business in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Exelon is one of the largest competitive U.S. power generators, with more than 32,700 megawatts of owned capacity comprising one of the nation’s cleanest and lowest-cost power generation fleets. The company’s Constellation business unit provides energy products and services to approximately 2 million residential, public sector and business customers, including more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100. Exelon’s six utilities deliver electricity and natural gas to approximately 10 million customers in Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania through its Atlantic City Electric, BGE, ComEd, Delmarva Power, PECO and Pepco subsidiaries

Grants

One way we connect with our communities is through local grants. Exelon’s grant applications are easy to complete. You can submit online applications for program, event and sponsorship support.

Exelon Directs Corporate Giving To Four Key Areas:

We fund programs that deliver measurable, sustainable improvements in the communities we serve. We invest in organizations that have proven track records in these areas:

Building Exelon’s Future Workforce

• Programs that encourage students to stay in school and develop their full potential, promote math and science, improve workforce skills, and encourage personal development through scholarships, mentoring and internships.

Energy Empowerment in Our Communities

• Programs that improve the quality of our environment; promote environmental education, conservation and preservation; develop cleaner sources of energy; protect endangered species; and beautify neighborhoods.

Equal Access to Arts and Culture

• Cultural institutions with broad public exposure and programs designed to make arts and culture more accessible to a wider and more diverse audience.

Enrichment Through Local Vitality

• We support a wide range of nonprofit organizations that support individuals and families most in need through our Employee Engagement programs, including our Employee Giving Campaign, Matching Gifts. and Dollars for Doers.
• We also make a limited number of contributions in this area with strategic partners such as local United Way chapters in the communities we serve.

Helping Build Stronger Communities

Mission

The Mission Statement of Vulcan Materials Company states that Vulcan “will be a good corporate citizen in each community in which we operate. We will support and take an active part in public and charitable projects.” Vulcan established the Vulcan Materials Company Foundation in 1988 to assist in carrying out that mission. Because contributions made by the Foundation are corporate-based business dollars, it is essential that they be made in a planned and consistent manner that best serves the combined interests of Vulcan and the communities in which we operate.

Vision

Helping Build Stronger Communities

Support Priorities

The Foundation supports many types of worthwhile organizations that enhance the quality of life in Vulcan’s communities. The Vulcan Materials Foundation focuses on three areas in particular:

• Working with schools;
• Supporting environmental stewardship; and
• Encouraging employee involvement.

Education

A major focus of the Foundation is to play a part in maintaining or improving the quality of life and standard of living through the support of education.

Elementary/Secondary Education

The Foundation will consider proposals that provide public education programs and projects that enhance the quality of learning for all students. The Foundation works to support efforts to improve educational systems and individual schools in Vulcan’s communities by partnering with public schools located in its operating areas. Vulcan has adopted 276 schools in its communities through support from the Foundation. It is Vulcan’s goal to increase the number of its school partnerships every year.

The Foundation is also interested in efforts to encourage young people to develop an interest in math, science and business. The Foundation, therefore, gives consideration to proposals designed to help maintain students’ curiosity and excitement about the world of math and science and to explore the world of industry and business. The Foundation is particularly interested in helping young people and their teachers understand the relevance of math and science to society, and supports efforts to link these subjects to their application in the workplace. The Foundation also will consider programs designed to educate our students about the vital role of business and industry in society.

Higher Education

Higher education will play an increasingly critical role in helping the economy effectively compete in the global market. The Foundation recognizes the invaluable contributions made by institutions of higher learning in educating the nation’s future workforce.

The Foundation will consider proposals from those institutions located in states where the Company has facilities, particularly proposals that focus on science and engineering or improving public education. Although proposals for capital improvements will be considered, the Foundation prefers to fund projects that directly affect the outcome of the educational process, such as scholarships and science and technology programs.

Environmental Stewardship

The Foundation supports the philosophy that economic development and environmental stewardship have common goals. Responsible economic growth provides the resources necessary to be a good steward of the environment, while this stewardship helps to sustain growth.

There are important links between industry, the environment and technological innovation. A society that is better informed about environmental issues will be able to participate more effectively in public policy debates. Grantmaking will focus on organizations and programs that seek to develop an understanding of the connection between environmental stewardship and sustainable development. 

The Foundation will consider supporting those environmental organizations that adhere to fact-based, balanced environmental principles.

Employee Involvement

Vulcan has a history of encouraging its employees to participate in volunteer activities in their communities. We recognize that our workforce offers a unique resource to provide leadership in the communities where we operate. Thus, high priority will be given by the Foundation to proposals from those organizations in which company employees are actively involved, especially in our focus areas of education and environmental stewardship.

Geographic Funding Priorities

In addition to the corporate headquarters, located in Birmingham, Alabama, there are eight Construction Materials divisions. Further, Vulcan has 400* active aggregates facilities located in 22 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, and Mexico and the Bahamas. Regarding proposals submitted to the Foundation, first consideration will be given to those organizations that will benefit the communities where Vulcan employees live and work. The Foundation’s giving program is decentralized to spread ownership of the program to a wider base. Because unit managers are directly involved with the communities where they do business, decentralization enables the Foundation to be more informed about, and to better address, local needs. Proposals submitted to the Foundation should be sent directly to the charitable contributions officer in the appropriate geographical area.

* Updated after the acquisition of U.S. Concrete

The Foundation seeks to be responsive to community issues and needs. Our process is highly competitive and is open to new projects and new organizations. The following summary, Examples of our Grant-Making, is offered to help guide applicants. While this is not intended to be an exhaustive description and may, as appropriate, change over time, we hope that the following will suggest the kind of meaningful work in which the Foundation is seeking to invest.

Generally, the Foundation looks to support work that improves the lives of DC-area residents, with a particular emphasis on vulnerable and underserved individuals. We encourage organizations that provide comprehensive services and work towards systemic change, which addresses all levels of, and all who are affected by, the issue. The goal is that all in the region become self-sufficient and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. We search for nonprofits that also employ effective partnering and show cultural competence in engaging effectively with communities and people of various cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. On occasion, the Foundation invests directly in strengthening the nonprofit sector by helping current grantees to build organizational capacity and by supporting advocacy and other efforts.

Grants are made in five program areas:

Arts and Humanities

 Our giving in the Arts and Humanities includes theater, dance, music, visual arts, film and other multidisciplinary art forms, as well as organizations that promote the humanities. We focus on nonprofits that have deep, meaningful impact and can demonstrate the depth and breadth of their local initiatives. The Foundation examines how access to the Arts and Humanities for diverse populations is created and how unique opportunities are provided for all ages to engage. In addition to more traditional approaches, we believe in the power of the Arts and Humanities to be innovative and create social change.

Community Services

Community Development: The Foundation’s Community Development grant-making includes affordable housing production and preservation, homeless services, transitional and permanent supportive housing, foreclosure and eviction prevention, community economic development and wealth building, and civic engagement

Children, Youth and Families: The Foundation’s Children, Youth and Families portfolio includes out-of-school time programs, youth development and academic enrichment in schools, as well as programs for homeless youth or those in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

Justice: Access, Violence Prevention, Reentry: The Foundation invests in organizations and programs that help increase access to justice for low-income individuals.

Education

The Foundation’s Education docket invests in learning from cradle to career. It includes schools that provide early childhood education, kindergarten through twelfth-grade instruction and undergraduate and graduate institutions. The Foundation also looks for models that provide comprehensive services to help students improve academic success and future employment outcomes. This may include charter and private schools, college access programs, groups focusing on teacher and school leader training, as well as certain supportive scholarship programs. In addition, the Foundation invests in adult basic education, literacy programs and preparation and testing for the General Equivalency Diploma.

The Foundation’s grants related to workforce development largely reflect two types of organizations: those that focus on a specific field and help individuals on a career pathway or those that concentrate on broader job- and career-readiness.

Environment

The Foundation strives to preserve the region’s resources and raise awareness so that individuals can enjoy healthy and fulfilling lives in a clean environment. Through our grant-making, we support groups that are concerned with our natural environment’s past, present and future. To help restore and protect our region’s natural resources, we have focused on local parks, the Anacostia and Potomac rivers, and the Chesapeake Bay watershed. We have also funded programs that create future stewards. Through such education and outreach efforts, the public becomes more aware of the dangers of an unhealthy environment — including pesticides and toxins — and better understands the need to protect open natural spaces.

Health

Our giving in Health and Wellness supports integrated healthcare and prevention efforts and broad collaborations, to ensure that all DC metropolitan residents live longer, healthier lives. We strive to bridge the worlds of health and healthcare through a broad range of investments. These may include support for community-based nonprofit health centers and coalitions of healthcare providers, in order to increase access to coordinated, high-quality medical, dental and mental health services for our region’s low-income and most vulnerable residents.

We also look for models that keep people healthy in the first place. Support may go towards increasing access to nutritious, affordable food; creating opportunities for better health in our neighborhoods, homes, schools and workplaces; and decreasing the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the DC metropolitan region.

To address disparities among our region’s most vulnerable populations, the Foundation also funds nonprofits that provide community-based, culturally competent, comprehensive services to children, older adults and disabled individuals. Our hope is that every metropolitan Washington resident can actively participate in a robust community life and maintain independent living for as long as possible.

NOTE: The Entry Period for the 2022 "State Farm Neighborhood Assist" Program begins at 1:00:00 p.m. ET on February 16, 2022 and concludes when 4,000 Entries have been submitted. The top 200 selected will be notified the week of April 18 and public voting will take place between April 27  through May 6.

State Farm Neighborhood Assist®

With more submissions and more grants, State Farm Neighborhood Assist® is going bigger on building stronger neighborhoods together in 2022. In celebration of the 100th anniversary of State Farm®, we are awarding 100 $25,000 grants (vs. 40 grants in previous years) to causes making a difference in their communities.

• All entries will be reviewed by the State Farm Review Committee ("Committee"). The top 200 entries as chosen by the Committee will be featured on our website (the "Neighborhood Assist Website") on April 27, 2022 for public voting.
• The top 100 vote-getting Causes will be offered $25,000 each in grant money to complete their project.
• Your community’s participation will be key in order for your Cause to receive a grant!

Scoring Rubric and Weighting. The Committee will use the below rubric for scoring. Each of these questions will be scored with equal weighting on a 10-point scale, to determine a complete perfect score of 30.

• How much does the Cause focus on an unmet need in this community?
• Why do you feel the $25,000 would address the unmet need?
• How much of a lasting impact on this community would the grant have?

State Farm will match any Cause that does not designate a nonprofit organization to an appropriate nonprofit partner in that local area.

About Us

A Community Thrives is a grantmaking and crowdfunding program from the USA TODAY NETWORK, which includes USA TODAY and Gannett’s hundreds of local media brands. The initiative is part of the Gannett Foundation and supports nonprofit organizations with projects focused on community building. Since 2017, the program has helped to distribute more than $6.5 million from donations and grants across the nation.

Let's build change, together!

We started A Community Thrives, a nationwide grantmaking and crowdfunding initiative, because your great ideas for how to improve your community need a great big network of people to bring them to life. A Community Thrives offers a way to get your neighbors, friends, family, and peers excited to support your community-building ideas, and most importantly, a chance at +$2,000,000 in grants to get them off the ground and running.

There are three types of grants in the A Community Thrives program. 

• National Project Grants can be awarded to any applicant accepted to the challenge after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Grants will range from $25,000 to $100,000.
• Local Operating Grants can be awarded to any applicant that serves a local Gannett market, accepted to the challenge, after the organization meets the fundraising minimum. Minimum grants will be $2,500.
• Incentive Grants will be awarded based on fundraising success. A total of $200,000 will be awarded during the Fundraising phase of the Campaign to those qualifying organizations that raise the most funds or activate the most unique donors. See full description below. 

• Tier 1 organizations will be those organizations that entered an Annual Operating Budget of less than $500,000 in their application, and must raise $3,000.

• Tier 2 organizations will be those organizations that entered an Annual Operating Budget of $500,000 or more in their application, and must raise $6,000 minimum.

Mission

Dr. William Evans Dean III (Bill) attended the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Nevada. He served his country in Vietnam as part of the U.S. Air Force and later graduated with honors from dental school. In addition to all these accomplishments, he was a registered Texas longhorn rancher, recreational pilot and avid animal lover. His passion for helping others continues in perpetuity through the establishment of the William E. Dean III Charitable Foundation, which he created in 2009.

Program Type

• Animal-Related;
• Education;
• Human Services;
• Religion-Related

Wellness for All,

Well-being for All, a Power of She Fund grant, supports women of color entrepreneurs and women of color-led organizations committed to making wellness and fitness more accessible, and to making well-being resources more inclusive to female BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) communities. In 2022, 15-time GRAMMY Award winner Alicia Keys will join Well-being for All (formerly Wellness for All) as an advisor and mentor.

An advocate for women’s empowerment, Alicia will help select grant recipients and provide the community with mentoring resources and learnings from her own well-being journey over her career.

The Power of She Fund was established by Athleta in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Criteria

Applicants must meet the following requirements to apply:

• Women of color entrepreneurs, actively creating or building businesses and/or programs that aim to make well-being and fitness practices more inclusive to female BIPOC communities
• Women of color-led non-profit organizations or for-profit businesses whose purpose is to make well-being and fitness more inclusive to female BIPOC communities

Applicants who fail to meet these requirements will be deemed ineligible.

Funds

Funds can be used for, but are not limited to, the items listed below.

• Purchase of new software, hardware, website, and email tools to implement their project vision
• Leasing of physical space for events, program operations, community gatherings
• Marketing, communications, PR, operational, and business expenses