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-related 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 underserved populations, (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 or award grants for large capital projects, programs associated with political lobbying or legislative activity, sectarian religious activities, endowments or special events.
Our Grant Request Process…
The Foundation currently has one grant cycle each year, with a limit of one grant request per organization (per grant cycle). Our grant request process is accessed and managed exclusively through an online portal and grant management system. In addition to supporting the application process itself, the system manages all downstream aspects of our grant lifecycle, including award notifications, grant report submissions, process-related communications, and key document storage.
The grant request submittal deadline for our 2026 Grant Cycle has passed. Access to our 2027 Grant Cycle will open February 1, 2027 via our online portal (note: a link to the portal can be found at the bottom of this page).
The grant request process includes two steps (both managed within the online system):
(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 Form submittal deadline for our 2027 Grant Cycle is April 1, 2027. Notifications regarding LOI acceptance or denial will be provided via email no later than April 30, 2027.
(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 information about 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 1, 2027 and ONLY to organizations whose LOI’s have been accepted. The Application Form submittal deadline for our 2027 Grant Cycle is June 1, 2027. Notifications regarding grant awards (and grant request denials) will be provided by the Foundation immediately following our Board of Directors meeting in late August or early September.
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 and 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 Management Portal
To begin the application process, click on the following link to access our portal and register your organization… Jones Foundation GLM Portal. Please note that our 2027 Grant Cycle process will not be visible or available to access until February 1, 2027.