Flowering Fund

The Flowering Fund is a grant initiative operated by the DC Fund, an organization with a long-standing presence in local philanthropy and systemic change efforts in the District of Columbia. With over a decade of experience, the DC Fund has observed fluctuations in philanthropic trends that often create instability for community movements and grassroots organizations. In response, the Flowering Fund was established to provide more stable and sustained support to grantee partners working on long-term systems change campaigns. The fund is strategically aimed at strengthening organizations that have already demonstrated a sustained commitment to community-led change and have a proven track record with the DC Fund. The primary objective of the Flowering Fund is to bolster campaigns that dismantle systems of oppression and promote a thriving, just future for communities of color in Washington, DC. It offers financial support specifically to organizations that have received three or more prior grants from the DC Fund. This requirement ensures the fund is focused on well-established, impactful entities with a demonstrated alignment to the DC Fund’s mission. Examples of past grantees include Black Swan Academy, Empower DC, ONE DC, Fair Budget Coalition, and Harriet’s Wildest Dreams, reflecting a focus on racial justice, policy advocacy, and grassroots organizing. The Flowering Fund supports organizations actively building power through community organizing and advocacy. A portion of the fund is also designed to help these groups access other sources of values-aligned philanthropic support. Funding can be used to sustain long-term campaigns that contribute to systemic transformation in DC, although specific spending rules or allowable costs are not detailed in the available material. There is no mention of matching requirements or restrictions on use of funds, but award amounts range between $10,000 and $25,000. Eligibility for the Flowering Fund is strictly limited to organizations that have received at least three previous grants from the DC Fund. An eligibility quiz must be completed in order to access the application, indicating a required screening step prior to submission. While no specific application questions are listed, applicants are advised to attend optional info sessions to learn more about the process. Three virtual information sessions are scheduled: on August 26 (in English/ASL), September 3 (in English/Spanish), and September 10. These sessions are optional and not part of a formal pre-application process. Applications for the Fall 2025 cycle opened on August 15, 2025, and will close on September 26, 2025. The fund is not administered on a rolling basis, and all applications must be submitted by the closing date. While no explicit language confirms annual recurrence, the presence of a seasonal cycle (labeled “Fall 2025”) suggests that the fund may operate on an annual basis. Decisions will be made in early November through a community-led grantmaking process, with announcements and fund disbursement occurring by mid to late November 2025. No direct contact information (such as a grant manager’s name, email, or phone number) is provided in the available materials. The fund instead directs applicants to complete a required eligibility quiz to proceed with the application process. The Flowering Fund exemplifies a targeted, community-rooted grant model designed to provide sustained support to DC-based organizations actively engaged in structural change.