Who We Support…
The Jones Foundation primarily supports organizations with programming that improves the lives of children and/or adults in the Washington D.C. Metro Area through education (including out-of-school-time education, career training, and life-skills development), social services, or health/medical initiatives. Preference tends to be given to established, small- to medium-sized locally-based organizations with programs that (1) benefit at-risk, special needs, disabled and/or underprivileged clients, (2) have tangible and measurable results and impact, and (3) operate primarily in communities within the District of Columbia and/or the counties/cities in Maryland and Virginia surrounding D.C.
Grants will only be provided to entities organized and operated exclusively for charitable, medical or educational purposes that have qualified under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation does not support fiscally-sponsored organizations.
The Foundation does not provide funding to support political lobbying or legislative activity, large capital projects, sectarian religious activities, endowments or special events.
Our Application Process…
The Foundation currently has one grant cycle each year, with a limit of one grant request per organization (per grant cycle). The grant application process has been updated for our 2026 Grant Cycle and has moved to an online portal that will be used to manage our entire grant lifecycle, including award notifications, grant report submissions and process-related communications. A link to the portal is provided at the bottom of this page.
The new grant application process includes two steps (both managed inside the portal):
(1) Submission of an LOI Form (preliminary application) to gather general information about the organization and its proposed programming. The purpose of the LOI is to verify the organization’s tax status and to ensure alignment with our foundation’s mission, strategy and current funding priorities. The LOI submittal deadline is May 1, 2026. Notifications regarding LOI acceptance or denial will be provided via email no later than May 19, 2026.
(2) Submission of a full Application to provide more detailed information about the proposed program (including specific program goals and a detailed program budget) and to supply a listing of the organization’s Board of Directors and a copy of the organization’s most recently filed IRS Form 990. Note: The Application Form will be made available within the portal no later than May 19, 2026 and ONLY to organizations whose LOI’s have been accepted. The Application submittal deadline is June 19, 2026. Notifications regarding grant awards (and grant request denials) will be provided by the Foundation immediately following our Board of Directors meeting in the fall (September/October timeframe).
Important notes regarding the Foundation’s review and decision process:
- During the review process, Foundation staff may request additional documentation (e.g., supplemental information, or clarification on portions of the LOI or Application). They may also request a site visit or meeting with the applicant, or consult with others familiar with the applicant’s proposed programming. None of these requests or actions should be taken as an indicator of likely funding approval.
- Alignment with our Foundation’s mission and established guidelines does not guarantee that a grant request will be approved. Many such requests are denied based on financial constraints and/or other funding priorities. Also – due to the large volume of grant applications received – the Foundation does not provide specific feedback regarding any denied requests.
- All organizations awarded grants will be required to sign a Grant Agreement before grant funds are dispersed. This agreement will specify all terms and conditions, including requirements/deadlines for grant report submittals.
- Solicitation of individual members of The Jones Foundation Board of Directors by applicants or other entities seeking financial support is not permitted. Board members are strictly prohibited from engaging in such solicitations.
- No out-of-cycle funding requests (e.g., late applications, funding solicitations via letter or email, etc.) will be considered.
Access to our online Grant Lifecycle Portal
To begin the application process, click on the following link to access our portal and register your organization… Jones Foundation GLM Portal