Over the past year, demands for critical community services — such as food, clothing and shelter — have been skyrocketing, but the pool of philanthropic dollars has been shrinking. In response to the current economic crisis affecting our region, The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region has launched the new Neighbors In Need Fund (NIN). The NIN Fund awards grants directly to community-based organizations providing emergency services and also supports strategic initiatives to help DC-area nonprofits deal more effectively with the challenges they are facing.

In March 2009, The Community Foundation announced 29 grants, totaling $455,000, to assist area non-profit organizations that are helping meet basic needs of low-income children and adults – food, shelter, clothing, emergency financial assistance and foreclosure prevention. The list of grantees and additional information on the Neighbors In Need Fund can be found on the Community Foundation website: www.thecommunityfoundation.org.

A second round of NIN grant awards will be announced in summer 2009. Through the Neighbors In Need Fund and other means, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is honored to work with The Community Foundation and others in the region to help meet pressing needs in our community. Many funders and nonprofits have compiled information about the current economic situation and available resources. We include links to some of these websites. Please see Applicant Guidelines/Resources.