Disrupting Structural Issues Impacting Infant and Maternal Health in the Greater Washington Region

The Developing Families Maternal Health Fund, through The Community Foundation, is offering a new funding opportunity aimed at addressing the systemic and structural issues contributing to infant and maternal health disparities in the Greater Washington region. This initiative seeks Letters of Intent (LOIs) from nonprofit organizations committed to advancing maternal and infant health equity, particularly for low-income and marginalized communities. With a total investment of $2 million over two years, this grant supports efforts that tackle deep-rooted social and economic challenges affecting health outcomes for mothers and babies. The fund is focused on areas within the Greater Washington region, specifically Washington, DC; Prince George’s County and Montgomery County in Maryland; and Northern Virginia localities including Alexandria, Fairfax, Vienna, Arlington, and parts of Fairfax and Prince William counties east of Route 123. The fund aims to support projects addressing barriers such as healthcare access, economic instability, lack of mental health and social supports, food insecurity, and housing issues. It encourages community-based interventions and policy advocacy efforts that promote lasting, systemic change. Grant awards will range between $150,000 and $200,000 per grantee, disbursed over a two-year period. Eligible uses for funding include program development, capacity building, community outreach, policy advocacy, research, evaluation, and operational costs directly tied to the project. Applicants must be 501(c)(3) public charities or have a qualified fiscal sponsor. For-profit entities are not eligible. The applying organization must be headquartered in and serve the defined geographic region, and must not appear on the OFAC or SPLC hate group lists. Prior grantees must be current with reporting requirements. Interested organizations must submit an LOI through The Community Foundation’s online portal by June 30, 2025, at 4:00 p.m. The LOI must include an organizational background, narrative, logic model, and demographic information. Proposals are reviewed by foundation staff, and select applicants will be invited for site visits between August 15 and 27, 2025. Finalists will then submit full proposals by October 30, 2025. Awards will be announced by December 15, 2025, with the grant period beginning on January 1, 2026, and ending December 31, 2027. Applicants must demonstrate a commitment to addressing structural inequities, present clear and measurable outcomes, and include a logic model explaining the pathway to improved health outcomes. Required application components include detailed project narratives, projected budgets, organizational demographics, and staff qualifications. Optional but encouraged are letters of support from community partners. Incomplete applications or those not meeting format requirements will not be considered. Programmatic inquiries should be directed to Dr. Marla M. Dean (mdean@thecommunityfoundation.org) and Isabel Spake (ispake@thecommunityfoundation.org), while technical assistance is available from Alex Cahill-Sanidas (acahill-sanidas@thecommunityfoundation.org). All materials must be submitted via the designated grant request system, and applicants are strongly advised to familiarize themselves with the platform ahead of the deadline.