In 2024, Meyer hosted community listening sessions in DC, Maryland, and Virginia to hear directly from grantee partners about their needs and how we could better support them. We came away with valuable feedback, but we also left with something unexpected: a renewed appreciation for what happens when people gather in-person. Across all three sessions, we witnessed real joy and connection in the room, even as participants were there to offer us their thoughts and needs. This opened our eyes to the importance of creating more spaces where grantee partners could convene, connect, and strategize.

Later, in 2025, we re-prioritized in-person convenings in a way that we hadn’t since the pandemic shifted much of our work to virtual, ultimately hosting three convenings culminating in November’s Constellation Convening. In doing so, we knew we had to be mindful of the fact that our grantee partners and the communities they serve began the year with a sense of fear, outrage, and uncertainty, much of which persists. Would grantee partners have the desire or capacity to attend a funder convening? Was this the right use of our collective energy when there was so much work and repair to be done? Would gathering in-person feel meaningful and timely, or was it a luxury the moment couldn’t afford? These questions remain important to examine continuously, but what we witnessed reaffirmed the importance of holding these spaces. Among the chaos of last year, our grantee partners stood shoulder to shoulder in defense of DC, in defense of our neighbors, and in solidarity with human rights. Ending 2025 with Meyer’s Constellation Convening brought us tremendous joy and energy, propelling us into 2026 with a clear reminder that our strength continues to lie in community.

That conviction continues to guide us in 2026. We are thrilled to once again partner with Jess Solomon and Iris Jacobs to host a series of convenings this year, designed both to bring grantee partners together across the region and to explore the distinct challenges and connections within each of our regional portfolios in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. We are kicking off this series with our first in-person convening of 2026, The Commons, on Tuesday, May 5 — a space for new partnerships to take root and for our grantee partner community to connect, strategize, and move forward together.

Why The Commons

The Commons: a place to share ideas, to innovate and create, and to be in community. The joy, the laughs, breaking bread, and sharpening our collective analysis. This is the thread we’re hoping to weave through this series of convenings. Much more than another check-in, this will be a structured opportunity for grantee partners to meet, learn from each other, and leave with something tangible: new relationships, coalition partners, a clearer sense of how your work connects to work happening across Greater Washington.

Through guided activities and intentional space, our goal is for grantee partners to walk away with strengthened connections and real next steps — whether that’s a new collaborative project, a better understanding of how a peer organization’s work intersects with your own, or simply a relationship that didn’t exist before you walked in.

What to expect

The Commons will take place on May 5, with time built in for both structured activities and open exchange. Grantees can look forward to individual and collective reflection time, collaborative activities, and structured networking time.

The primary contacts we have listed for all current Meyer grantee partners have been sent an official invite via email that includes additional details and a registration link. If you haven’t received this, please contact your Meyer partnerships director directly or email communications@meyerfdn.org.

We look forward to sharing this space with you. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Stephanie Sneed is the Senior Director for Strategic Initiatives at the Meyer Foundation.

Introducing The Commons: A Shared Space for Learning, Connection, and Practice Across Meyer’s… was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

It’s hard to believe that since we announced our Restoration Fund in 2024, the polycrises that too many have been weathering in our nation and region have not let up. For many of us — especially those confronting the worst of our realities head on — rest can feel like a luxury that is out of reach right now, or a reward deferred until after we’ve survived the latest barrage of social and political turmoil.

But we at the Meyer Foundation believe that rest has never been more crucial as a strategy for resilience. Today, I’m pleased to announce that the Meyer Foundation will resume accepting applications for our Restoration Fund sabbatical grants on April 27, this time from organizers and frontline staff of Meyer grantee partner organizations. The application deadline is May 27. Read on for more on our commitment and eligibility details!

Why Rest Still Matters

When we launched the Restoration Fund in 2024, we did so because we recognized what racial and economic justice work costs — emotionally, physically, and spiritually — particularly for people of the global majority who carry that work and live the realities of injustice every day. Though progress has ebbed and flowed, this reality has not changed. If anything, the pace and pressure of this moment make the case for rest more urgent, not less.

Our sabbatical grants are designed to support exactly that: four to eight weeks of intentional time away from work to rest, recharge, and return renewed. We also cover interim staffing costs, so organizations don’t have to choose between supporting a colleague’s wellbeing and maintaining their operations. Grants range from $20,000 (for a four-week sabbatical) to $40,000 (for eight weeks), and our goal is to continue following as equitable and supportive an application process as possible for all of our grantee partners.

Sabbatical Eligibility

Eligible organizations must be core grantee partners that received an operating or program payment from Meyer since January 1, 2024, or current grantee partners in the Black Abundance Collaborative.

To ensure that we’re reaching the full range of people doing this work, we will continue to alternate applicant eligibility each year. Last year, we focused on rest for executive leadership. In 2026, we will be focused on supporting rest for organizers and frontline staff who have worked continuously with their organization for at least three years. Executive directors and senior staff will be eligible to apply again in 2027.

In addition, if the number of eligible applicants exceeds available funding, we will again select sabbatical recipients by lottery. We made that choice deliberately when we relaunched our sabbatical program in 2024 to avoid creating a system of competition that inadvertently judges some burnout as more “sabbatical-worthy” than others. Rest is essential to sustain long-term racial and economic justice work, not just a nice-to-have benefit. We believe that everyone who applies for a sabbatical is deserving of rest, and we want our process to reflect that. We anticipate awarding six to twelve grants this cycle and expect to notify recipients by June 30. For full eligibility details and application guidelines, visit the Restoration Fund page on our website.

The work of changing deeply entrenched systems is long and arduous — and I know that this work is feeling particularly exhausting, maybe even discouraging, right now. As a funder committed to this cause, I believe that philanthropy has a responsibility to do more than resource the work. Philanthropy must also recognize the humanity of the people moving the work forward and find ways to ease the weight you carry. Through the Restoration Fund, the Meyer Foundation is proud to renew our commitment to our grantee partners who strive daily for a just future for Greater Washington communities. I hope you’ll apply.

Karen FitzGerald is Chief of Staff at the Meyer Foundation.

Meyer’s 2026 Sabbatical Program Grants: Centering Organizers & Frontline Staff was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

In fall of 2025, the Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity, released “Derailed: Rising Attacks and Retreating Resources for Racial Justice.” Through this incredible work, we were reminded of several realities:

• Funders are retreating from racial justice funding at a critical moment; with increasing urgency, now is the time to transparently leverage philanthropy’s resources in support of racial justice movements.
• In turning away from funding racial justice explicitly, the powerful work addressing systemic and structural oppression that drives essential legislative, policy, and community change will take the biggest hit.
• Without key funds from philanthropy, there will be an even wider burden on movement leaders — especially leaders of color — to fill resource gaps to make sure communities are organized and supported.

The Meyer Foundation remains steadfast to our commitment to a just, connected, and inclusive Greater Washington. Earlier this year, our community heard from Jaqueline Tucker, Esq., our vice president of community partnerships & strategy, about the Foundation’s 2026 Grantmaking process. As she emphasized, we will continue to resource movement building, strategically working to fund larger, longer-term multiyear grants to a smaller group of organizations that are strongly aligned with the work of the Foundation. As such, we have aligned our reporting processes.

Transparency and accountability are more important than ever, and as such we want to share more about how we’re approaching our reporting process and why:

Interim Outcomes | Previously, Meyer grantee partners were asked to tell us about your progress toward long-term goals by reporting on three to five interim outcomes. For 2026, we have revised the interim outcomes, eliminating some of them and condensing others into a single category. Grantee partners will be asked to report on six indicators across the categories of movement growth, engagement & people power, and organizational influence. The interim outcomes summary shares more detail about what we mean by each of these categories, as well as some helpful definitions. Our intention is to create a standard set of measures that will help grantee partners and Meyer understand the progress organizations are making in their systems change work. These measures will also support Meyer to better communicate the impact of our grantee partners’ work, highlight learnings, and identify capacity building opportunities for grantee partners.

Reporting Questions | We’ve revised our reporting questions to more closely align with a rigorous approach to systems change. These revised questions will allow us to better understand grantee partner work, analysis, and impact on the ecosystem. Grantee partners may still report via either a written report or a meeting with your Partnership Director. (Note: Capacity Building and Rapid Response reporting will remain the same in 2026.)

These shifts reflect our long-term goals around deepening our impact and better supporting organizations working at the intersection of systems change and racial and economic justice. Updates to the interim outcomes and reporting questions are intended to root the Meyer Foundation in shared language with our partners, allow us to demonstrate the profound impact of our partners.

It is in the spirit of learning that we are asking for this information. Here at the Foundation, we value and leverage the opportunity to influence our peers in the region as part of our role: organizing funders, trustees, and other key partners to better understand the profound impact of systems change work. Because we have unwavering belief in the incredible work of our grantee partners, we take seriously our responsibility to refine our processes to better reflect their efforts and successes more broadly.

Karen FitzGerald, our chief of staff, and I will be available for office hours and technical assistance to grantee partners with questions about our learning and impact work, particularly around the interim outcomes. In the meantime, current grantee partners can join us on Wednesday, April 8 from 1–2pm to learn more. Current partners can register here.

Measuring What Matters: Refining Our Reporting to Showcase Impact was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

For many communities, beginning a new year on a hopeful note is especially challenging this time around. The past year was marked by increased attacks on virtually every corner of civil society: immigrant communities facing renewed and relentless targeting; families and individuals navigating economic instability; and Black, Indigenous, and other historically marginalized communities experiencing a rise in hate emboldened by those abusing power. The policies and rhetoric of this administration have deepened fear, normalized hate, and have further strained already fragile, inequitable systems. For many, 2025 was not just challenging — it was destabilizing.

And yet, I am starting this year with immense gratitude. The dedication, vision, and relentless spirit of our community partners throughout these challenges continues to inspire our team at Meyer. Through organizing, direct action, mutual aid, innovation, and collective resistance, communities in Greater Washington continued to build, protect one another, and demand better. Thank you!

At the Meyer Foundation, we understand that one of our most meaningful roles is to resource our community partners in their pursuit of liberation. We are a movement ecosystem sustainer that funds organizations and projects that challenge and change systems by addressing the root causes of racial and economic injustice. As we have for more than 80 years, Meyer continues to evolve to meet the challenges communities face in our region, and meeting those challenges requires us to consistently evaluate every aspect of our work.

For Meyer, this includes deepening our commitment to the organizations most closely aligned with our grantmaking strategy. Our team has been engaged in deep reflection and strategic refinement to clarify where we believe we can be most focused and effective in our support.

Read on to learn how we’re approaching our core grantmaking program, rapid response program, capacity-building offerings, and more this year:

Core Grantmaking

In 2026, we seek to deepen our impact and progress toward our vision of a region where all can thrive. We’ll continue to resource movement building work, and a big part of our strategy will be to award larger, longer-term multiyear grants to a smaller group of organizations that are strongly aligned with our systems approach and core grantmaking priorities.

To do this, we’ve made the difficult decision to begin to transition some organizations that we no longer consider strongly aligned with our goals to resource organizations and projects that build movements and drive systemic change. We understand this decision may be both disappointing and difficult, and we approach these transitions with profound respect and gratitude for the work all our grantee partners continue to do.

In keeping with our practice over the past 10 years, those transitioned organizations will receive a final grant from Meyer in 2026. Partnerships & Strategy Directors have already had conversations with all organizations that will be transitioned this year and the reasons behind our decisions.

To focus our resources on current grantee partners, our grants portal will also be closed to new applicants for the year. Our rapid response portal will be open in February, and we’ll continue to accept capacity-building requests on an invitation-only basis.

Our Community Partnerships & Strategy team invites all current grantee partners to register to join us for a webinar on Monday, February 2nd, 2026, 11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. to learn more about our 2026 grantmaking from the team. We will make a recording available to those who cannot attend live.

The Meyer Foundation commits to open and regular communication with all of our community partners throughout this shift. Our updated core grantmaking webpage, 2026 Interest Form, and 2026 Proposal Form will be available soon. Our Community Partnerships & Strategy team invites all current grantee partners to register to join us for a webinar on Monday, February 2nd, 2026, 11:00 a.m. — 12:30 p.m. to learn more about our 2026 grantmaking from the team. We will make a recording available to those who cannot attend live. To receive a link to register, current grantee partners may contact us here.

New for 2026: We’ve added narrative change back to our list of the tactics for change that we support on our Interest Form.

Rapid Response Grants

Our rapid response program will continue in 2026 and will allow us to quickly mobilize resources to our core grantee partners in response to urgent and unpredictable needs amid growing threats to their work. Leni Dworkis, who has recently taken on a new role at the Foundation, will continue to lead our rapid response program.

New for 2026: We will accept applications for rapid response funding that may build off rapid response projects that Meyer previously funded in 2025. Organizations may apply for funding up to two times within the year; and organizations may now apply for rapid response funding in the amounts of $10,000, $20,000, or $50,000. Learn more about our rapid response program that will open to current core grantee partners next month.

The Black Abundance Collaborative

Building on the momentum of the Fund for Black-Led Change, led by Stephanie Sneed, Meyer will launch the Black Abundance Collaborative. This program will allow Meyer to continue our commitment to resourcing local Black-led and Black-centered organizations in Greater Washington. Stay tuned for more information from Stephanie about the Collaborative and a look back at five years of the Fund for Black-Led Change.

Convenings

Meyer will continue to facilitate collaboration, shared learning, and solidarity among movement-builders by creating spaces for deep connection. These intentional spaces will also aim to foster collective skill-sharing and strategizing among our grantee partners across the region and areas of focus. Stay tuned for dates and details about our 2026 convening schedule.

Capacity Building

A longtime priority for the Meyer Foundation, led by Karen FitzGerald, we will continue to evolve and expand our capacity-building offerings with a renewed emphasis on rest and restoration, as well as direct technical assistance as the region responds to the instability and targeted attacks of the last year. This includes continuing to offer our sabbatical program grants, designed to promote deep rest to renew mind, body, and spirit. Learn more about our capacity-building program offerings here and stay tuned for 2026 updates.

Meeting the Movement Fund

Last year, our board of directors approved an increase in our annual payout, allowing us to commit additional resources toward the critical work of our grantee partners amid increasing threats and uncertainty for the sector and our communities. Through the Meeting the Movement Fund, grantee partners can receive direct assistance from a team of consultants and strategists in their most urgent areas of need to continue accelerating progress in our region. We have begun sharing the offerings available to grantee partners this month. Stay tuned for additional dates and registration details throughout 2026.

On behalf of the Meyer Foundation, I want to offer up my deepest gratitude and dedication to joining our partners in this vital work.

On Purpose: What to Know About Our Grantmaking in 2026 was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As we bring in a new year, we’re thrilled to announce two exciting updates from familiar faces on our Community Partnerships & Strategy Team. Read on to learn more about how Leni Dworkis and Alexis Martinez will continue to contribute to our work:

Leni Dworkis (they/them) is moving into the role of Partnerships Director for Impact & Learning. In this newly created role, Leni will lead the Foundation’s work to understand and communicate the impact and progress of Meyer grantee partner organizations working to transform systems in Greater Washington toward racial and economic justice. They will collaborate across internal teams and play a pivotal role in advancing learning within the Foundation and the Meyer grantee partner community. Leni will also continue to manage our rapid response program, returning for 2026.

“I’m excited to take on this new role because learning is not only essential for us to grow as funders,” says Leni, “but by better understanding, showcasing, and communicating the impact of our grantee partners we can more deeply advance our mission to influence a more racially and economically just Greater Washington.”

Leni has been with the Meyer Foundation since 2023 and previously served as our Maryland Partnerships and Strategy Director.

Alexis Martinez (she/her) is moving into the role of Maryland Partnerships & Strategy Director. In this role, Alexis will pick up our Maryland grantmaking and program portfolio, focused in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties. She will also manage and support key areas of our core grantmaking program, helping to shape the Foundation’s grantmaking approach, strengthening partnerships, and supporting the Foundation’s overall programmatic direction.

“I’m eager to advance the work in this role,” says Alexis. “As a Maryland resident, the challenges our grantee partners face are deeply personal to me. I look forward to continuing to build partnerships with organizations in the Maryland portfolio and supporting their leadership and impact across Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, as well as the state.”

Alexis has been with the Meyer Foundation since 2018 and last served as our Regional Partnerships & Strategy Director. Meyer Foundation grantee partners in our regional portfolio will either continue to work with Alexis or will be contacted by their new primary contact at the Meyer Foundation.

Please join us in congratulating Alexis and Leni on their new roles!

Join us in celebrating updates to the team at Meyer! was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Meyer Foundation is excited to announce the appointment of three new members to our board of directors: Kimberly Robertson (she/her), Managing Director of Assurance Services at CBIZ CPAs; David Hall (he/him), Managing Partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund; and Harrison Roday (he/him), Co-Founder and Partner at Third South Capital.

Together, our new board members bring extensive experience in financial stewardship, innovation, and mission-driven investment that will strengthen our work to advance equity and opportunity across the Greater Washington region.

Kimberly Robertson (she/her)

With more than 30 years of experience serving nonprofit and government organizations, Kimberly Robertson brings deep expertise in organizational assessment, strategic planning, and financial management across sectors, including community-based organizations, healthcare, education, and international development.

Prior to joining CBIZ CPAs through its acquisition of Marcum LLP in 2024, Kimberly was a partner in Marcum’s not-for-profit and social sector and healthcare groups. She is a skilled communicator and instructor who has delivered seminars for the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), the American Society of Association Executives, the National Education Association, and the National Grants Management Association, and serves on the editorial board for The Nonprofit Audit Guide. In addition to joining the Meyer Foundation board of directors, Kimberly currently serves on the boards of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation and Adventist HealthCare Ft. Washington Medical Center. She is the former chair of the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission and is a former member of the Regional Policy Board of the American Hospital Association.

A Certified Public Accountant licensed in DC and Maryland, Kimberly is also an active member of the AICPA and Leadership Greater Washington.

“Kimberly brings a depth of wisdom that only comes from decades of guiding mission-driven institutions toward greater clarity and resilience. Her approach to leadership — rooted in integrity, mentorship, and systems thinking — will strengthen how Meyer continues to align financial stewardship with lasting social impact.” — Janice Thomas, President & CEO, Meyer Foundation

“Kimberly understands that sound governance and strong communities go hand in hand. She is a bridge-builder who helps organizations see that equity, accountability, and strategy are all part of the same whole.” — Tram Nguyen, Board Chair, Meyer Foundation

David Hall (he/him)

David Hall is managing partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund, where he oversees investment sourcing, execution, and portfolio management for a fund dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs outside of traditional venture capital hubs.

David joined Revolution in 2006, helped launch the Rise of the Rest platform in 2014, and has invested in dozens of technology companies including Hermeus, Knit, Pryon, and SparkChange. He has served as a board director or observer for numerous companies in the Rise of the Rest portfolio and served on the board of the National Venture Capital Association.

Before joining Revolution, David was an executive at The Washington Post Company, managing corporate investments and launching new digital and print publications. He has also held roles at Akamai Technologies and Morgan Stanley. David holds a B.A. in economics from Morehouse College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 2025, David was included in Washington Business Journal’s Power 100, an annual list of the most influential business leaders in Greater Washington and was named as a Tech Titan by Washingtonian magazine.

“David’s leadership in fostering innovation and inclusive economic growth reflects Meyer’s belief that solutions can — and must — emerge from community.” — Janice Thomas, President & CEO, Meyer Foundation

“David’s work to elevate underrepresented founders aligns beautifully with Meyer’s commitment to equity and regional prosperity. We are eager to bring his experience and perspective to our board.” — Tram Nguyen, Board Chair, Meyer Foundation

Harrison Roday (he/him)

Harrison Roday is co-founder and partner at Third South Capital, a firm dedicated to acquiring, operating, and growing small software companies. Third South Capital began as a partnership among four friends who share a passion for long-term, values-driven business ownership.

Prior to founding Third South, Harrison built experience across the investment and technology landscape. He also founded a nonprofit community lender, Bridging Virginia, which supports access to affordable capital for historically marginalized small businesses and places.

“Harrison brings a spirit of creativity and entrepreneurial drive that will strengthen the board’s collective imagination about what’s possible.” — Janice Thomas, President & CEO, Meyer Foundation

“Harrison’s insight into emerging business models and his commitment to long-term, values-aligned investment will be invaluable to the board and will help us meet our current moment with a spirit of innovation.” — Tram Nguyen, Chair Board, Meyer Foundation

The Meyer Foundation is honored to welcome Kimberly Robertson, David Hall, and Harrison Roday to its distinguished board of directors. Their expertise and values-based leadership will help guide the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to build an equitable Greater Washington region where all people thrive.

Meyer Foundation Welcomes New Members to Board of Directors was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Washington, D.C. — July 21, 2025 — The Meyer Foundation board of directors announced today the appointment of Janice Thomas as the foundation’s next president and CEO, a decision finalized by board vote on June 18, 2025. Thomas becomes the first Black woman to lead the private foundation in its 80-year history.

An experienced leader in Greater Washington philanthropy and nonprofit finance and operations, Thomas has twice stepped in as the Foundation’s interim president and CEO, serving during pivotal periods including the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and again amid recent growing threats to the nonprofit sector and Greater Washington’s local economy. Most recently, she served in the role of chief operating officer.

Her appointment reaffirms the board’s commitment to sustaining the long-term work of grantee partners to transform unjust systems and the board’s deep desire to promote stability in an especially turbulent time for the nonprofit sector and marginalized communities in the Washington region.

“Janice is the right leader for this moment and into the future,” says Meyer Foundation board chair Tram Nguyen, who is also co-executive director of New Virginia Majority. “She brings a deep commitment to equity, integrity, and a belief that our values must live not only in our mission statement but also in our actions and decisions. Janice has a gift for guiding teams through uncertainty while staying grounded in purpose. Her combination of financial acumen and strategic thinking fosters trust and brings people together through clarity and compassion.”

Under Thomas’ leadership, the foundation will tap into its recently board-approved increase to its annual payout by resourcing grantee partner organizations and their staff with support for organizational infrastructure and sustainability, advancing narrative power, opportunities for meaningful rest and wellness, rapid response grants, and more.

“In the tradition of my predecessors throughout Meyer’s 80-year-history,” says Janice Thomas, “I am honored to lead the Foundation with humility, imagination, and a profound belief in the collective power that has always existed in our region.”

Previously, Thomas held key leadership roles including director of finance and administration at Consumer Health Foundation (now iF, a Foundation for Radical Possibility); chief financial officer at the National Housing Conference; and both chief financial officer at the Freddie Mac Foundation and director of reporting and operations for the Freddie Mac community relations department. She is a certified public accountant and holds a master’s degree in social work from Smith College and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Hampton University.

She succeeds George L. Askew, M.D., who led the foundation through the latest iteration of its strategic plan.

About the Meyer Foundation
The Meyer Foundation is one of the Washington area’s largest and oldest locally focused philanthropies, typically awarding over $11 million annually to organizations advancing racial and economic justice. For 80 years, Meyer has evolved to address the Greater Washington region’s most pressing community issues by investing in solutions that dismantle systemic racism and build an equitable community where everyone thrives. Learn more at www.meyerfoundation.org.

Meyer Foundation Board Appoints Janice Thomas as President and CEO was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

For 80 years, the Meyer Foundation has stood alongside our region through moments of transformation and uncertainty, anchored by our belief in the dignity and shared humanity of our neighbors and our commitment to defending that humanity with care and collective action.

Today, we find ourselves in another such moment. From persistent economic disparity and the ongoing manifestations of systemic racism to urgent calls for the protection of historically marginalized communities, the pressures facing our region are real and growing. We understand that addressing these challenges demands deep partnership and shared commitment. As our grantee partners — who work directly with some of the region’s most vulnerable communities — face increasing uncertainty, we believe it is necessary to provide reassurance that the Meyer Foundation remains unwavering in our support for their vital work.

As part of our commitment to our grantee partners, our board recently approved a strategic increase in our annual payout — a decision rooted in our values and shaped by the needs we continue to hear from partners across the region. Over two years, the Meyer Foundation will allocate an additional $6.5M toward our grantmaking budget to expand our offerings for our grantee partners in the form of additional funding opportunities, support for organizational infrastructure and sustainability, rest and wellness opportunities, narrative change work, and targeted investments to support movements for a strong local multiracial democracy. The Meyer Foundation has steadily increased its payout percentage in years past, but this decision marks a concerted effort to emphatically address the complex needs that are unfolding around us.

This increased payout complements our other strategies and investments to address the additional challenges our grantee partners and communities have been facing this year. We’ve automatically renewed many existing grant commitments in our core grantmaking portfolio, minimized reporting requirements, increased capacity building offerings, coordinated strategy convenings, and committed to reducing unnecessary burdens on our grantee partners. In February, we also introduced our rapid response grants program, which has since delivered $500K to our grantee partners to address urgent and emergent challenges, such as unexpected strategic and legal costs. We are pleased that we will be able to fully sustain our rapid response grants program at $1M per year through 2027 and continue meeting the needs of our grantee partners.

In the months to come, the Meyer Foundation is also proud to launch the next iteration of the Fund for Black Led Change (FBLC), the Black Abundance Collaborative. The Black Abundance Collaborative is an invitation-only, five-year grantmaking and convening program open to Black-led organizations working in the Greater Washington area. We are thrilled to build upon the incredible work and foundation set by the FBLC as we continue to pursue our vision for a just, connected, and inclusive region in which systemic racism and its consequences no longer exist.

As the individuals entrusted with the leadership and stewardship of the Meyer Foundation at this time, we feel and are deeply attuned to the daunting pressures of this moment. Like many of you, we have felt every wave of fear, hope, disillusionment, and inspiration that 2025 has brought with it. In the tradition of the Meyer Foundation’s work over the last 80 years, we remain committed to moving through this moment by deepening our relationships, by rooting ourselves in our shared humanity, and by continually learning what it means to thrive together.

In Partnership,

Tram Nguyen
Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority
Board Chair, Meyer Foundation

Janice Thomas
Interim President & CEO, Meyer Foundation

Rooted in…Partnership was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As DC residents await the House vote on the District of Columbia Local Funds Act, the threat of $1.1 billion being cut from DC’s taxpayer-funded budget looms large. This represents not just a financial issue, but an assault on democracy, self-governance, and racial equity in a city where the majority of residents are of the global majority. These cuts would undermine essential social services, threaten community-led initiatives for racial and economic justice, and disrupt the important work of so many of our community and grantee partners. While it’s promising that the Senate unanimously approved this bill, the fact that these cuts are even on the table underscores the need to protect and defend Home Rule. At Meyer, we stand in solidarity with the DC community against these cuts and any similar overreach that may be proposed down the line.

We recognize that the threat to DC’s Home Rule is fundamentally a racial justice issue. DC residents, over 700,000 people, lack full voting representation in the very Congress that exercises control over their local affairs. The potential rollback of local governance disproportionately impacts residents who have historically faced barriers to political power and economic opportunity. When Congress overrides the decisions of locally elected officials, this pattern of disenfranchisement continues.

As we stated in our strategic priorities, we are committed to investing in movements that transform unjust systems. The defense of Home Rule represents exactly this kind of systemic challenge — one that requires collective action across our region. We call on our philanthropic peers, grantee partners, and community members to stand together in defending DC’s right to self-governance and protecting the resources that belong to its residents. The voices and needs of DC residents — not outside political interests — must determine the future of our nation’s capital.

In solidarity and commitment,

Meyer Foundation

Meyer Foundation Statement on Defending DC Home Rule was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

As our Interim CEO Janice Thomas shared at a high level last month, the focus of our work will not change following this strategic refresh. This process and the feedback we collected reinforced for our team that, to build and transform power, we must continue to support the long-term sustainability of our grantee partners’ work while offering resources to meet emergent and urgent needs that may arise in our communities.

Our 2025–2030 strategic plan builds off previous iterations of our strategy and comes at a time when many of us are sitting with the unease and uncertainty of this year. As we mark 80 years of giving throughout Greater Washington, we’re pleased to share more about how we intend to support your work toward a region where all can thrive.

Amplify. Catalyze. Transform. (A.C.T.)

In partnership with NOOR Consulting, who led our strategic refresh process, we organized your feedback within a frame that will guide our work over the next five years. This frame, A.C.T., calls on the team at the Meyer Foundation to:

Amplify: We will use our communications tools to elevate the work of our grantee partners and leverage the Foundation’s position to bring greater visibility to systemic issues impacting Black, Indigenous, and other people of the global majority communities in Greater Washington. To accomplish this goal, we will invest more deeply in a strong narrative change and strategic storytelling approach.

Catalyze: We will create spaces to foster greater connection among community and grantee partners and embrace our role more proactively in organizing philanthropy around strengthening our region’s movement ecosystem. We plan more convenings this year — in person and virtual — of our grantee and community partners.

Transform: We will enhance our responsiveness to our communities and partners through a new Rapid Response Fund and by building in feedback loops to our grantmaking processes to help us continue to improve our work.

Within this frame, we will pursue the following strategic priorities in 2025:

1. Continue to invest in movements

We will continue to invest in movements and provide resources to grantee partners focused on transforming inequitable systems. Our investments in movements will continue to support the development of community leaders, strong and resilient organizations, and infrastructure that promotes the collaboration necessary to make systems racially and economically just. We will accomplish this work through the following offerings:

• Core grantmaking: We will continue to provide flexible, multiyear, general operating grants to well-aligned partners. The portal to apply for core grants will reopen Tuesday, February 4 on our website.

As we shared with grantee partners last fall, our 2025 core grantmaking timeline moves to three grant cycles this year. Our 2025 core grantmaking timeline is as follows:

• Rapid response grantmaking: We will launch a new rapid response fund to quickly mobilize resources to current core grantee partners (organizations that have received a program or operating grant since January 1, 2023 and who use organizing and base building, advocacy, and coalition building to change inequitable systems) in response to emergent and urgent needs, especially amid growing threats to our communities and to their long-term work. The portal to apply for our rapid response grants will open Tuesday, February 4 on our website. Learn more from our Maryland Partnerships & Strategy Director Leni Dworkis and look out for a follow-up communication with information on eligibility, process, timeline, and more.
• Fund for Black-Led Change (FBLC): In 2026, we will launch phase two of our Fund to resource local Black-led and Black-centered organizations in their efforts to improve the material conditions of Black people in Greater Washington. This Fund builds on our initial five-year, $20 million commitment that we made in 2020. Stay tuned for more information on our FBLC program and the next phase of our commitment.
• Capacity Building: We will continue to offer the capacity-building opportunities we re-introduced in 2024: Organizational Development Grants; Field-Building Grants; our Restoration Fund’s Restoration and Sabbatical Grants; and Direct Technical Assistance. Visit our website to learn more about applying for our capacity building grants.
• Convening: We will implement a robust convening strategy to promote collaboration, learning, and solidarity among grantee partners. These convenings will offer opportunities for cross-regional skill-building, networking, and meaningful connection. Stay tuned for more information regarding our upcoming in-person and virtual events schedule.

2. Assess Progress and Impact

Drawing on the information grantee partners already provide us through their Interim Outcome reporting, we will design a new process to help our staff and our board better understand the progress we are making in our efforts to support systems change and to regularly assess the efficacy of our strategy. This process will ultimately enable our team to determine if we need to further adjust our strategy.

To this end, we will:

• Conduct an ecosystem and power analysis in the region to better understand where we are making progress and where there are gaps that might benefit from additional investment.
• Review our current grantmaking guidelines and processes to ensure an efficient grantee partner experience and to build better, more timely feedback loops into the grantmaking cycle.

3. Develop and Pursue a Narrative Change Strategy

We will begin to develop and implement a multiyear narrative change strategy and strategic communication plans in which we will:

• Engage grantee partners in shared efforts to expose, disrupt, and challenge deeply held narratives that obstruct racial and economic equity, justice, and systems change in our region.
• Highlight grantee partner impact through strategic storytelling efforts in diverse mediums to increase understanding of the issues communities face in our region.
• Proactively use our voices and leverage our position alongside our grantee partners amid challenges to our sector and our work.
• Mark our 80th anniversary year by researching, developing, and communicating about the work we have done and supported in the region for the last eight decades, including our transformation into a funder for systems change.

4. Continue to Operate with Equity, Rigor, and Discipline

To be the best partner we can be to our community, we strive toward an internal culture that is firmly rooted in equity and humanity. We will continue to evaluate our operations and assess our internal team culture to ensure our staff can do their best to support your critical work.

These strategic priorities, and the A.C.T. frame that supports them, are rooted in our values of Racial Justice & Shared Humanity, Solidarity, Regional Responsibility, and Stewardship. In yet another significant moment for our shared movement toward a more racially and economically just region, we’re proud to deepen and diversify our support for our grantee partner community.

• If you are a current Meyer grantee partner from an organization that received an operating or program grant since January 1, 2023, we invite you to subscribe to our grantee partner email list to make sure you receive our latest communications.
• If you are not a current Meyer grantee partner but you’re interested in receiving email updates from us, we invite you to subscribe to this email list.
• We will continue to update our website to reflect our new strategy and other important improvements. To learn more about our strategy and the process we undertook during our strategic refresh, visit click here.
• Follow us on social media for information about our offerings, the work of our grantee partners, and more! Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn

• Our portal to apply for multi-year core support will reopen February 4 on our website.
• Our portal to apply for our new rapid response grants will also open February 4 on our website.

Amplify. Catalyze. Transform. was originally published in Meyer Foundation on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.