Current Grant Recipients
CAPACITY GRANT
Suited for Change, founded in 1992, provides women in need in our community a path to financial independence by providing them with professional attire, coaching, and skills training. Many of their clients are low-income, job-seeking women with histories of incarceration, homelessness, violence and abuse, and chronic unemployment. The Capacity Grant from JLW will be put towards the salary for a full-time Program Manager who will allow help Suited for Change create a more structured referral pipeline for women and agencies seeking help, recruit more volunteer workshop facilitators, enhance our evaluation practices, and conduct ongoing follow-up that allows the organization to serve women for longer periods of time.
INNOVATION GRANT
Dumbarton Arts and Education, Inc., established in 1979, transforms lives through the arts with two core programs: Dumbarton Concerts, a chamber music series, and Inspired Child, an arts‐based education initiative for children birth to age five in underserved DC communities. Dumbarton Arts and Education, Inc. will use the Innovation Grant from JLW to support a pilot program at five DCPS high schools with childcare centers for teen parents. The program will provide 20 weeks of Parent & Me arts‐based workshops that foster cognitive, physical, and social‐emotional growth for both parents and children. Teen parents will also attend workshops on the importance of arts in early brain development and how to incorporate arts into daily interactions to prepare their children for kindergarten. This project will deepen parent‐child bonds, support children’s development, and equip parents with tools to foster educational success for their children.
VOLUNTEER RESOURCES GRANT
Since 2021, Girls in Gear, Inc. has been teaching life skills through bike skills for girls ages 5 and older. Girls in Gear does this through curricula that weave social-emotional learning together with bike handling skills across their eight-week programs, glide-to-ride clinics, and summer camp. They have a no-questions-asked scholarship policy, which provides financial support, bikes, and helmets to ensure everyone can access their program. The Volunteer Resources Grant from JLW will provide JLW volunteers to support Girls in Gear’s Glide-to-Ride programs in Washington, D.C., specifically in Wards 5, 7, and 8.
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FUND GRANTS
Calvary Women’s Services to support the cost of providing 40 hours of on-site therapy for 45-55 women across a three-month period (May-June 2025).
Carpenter’s Shelter, Inc. to support their Hoffman Center residential emergency shelter, which provides a comprehensive continuum of services, including providing emergency residential shelter, medical and mental health assessment, and treatment for approximately 100 women. The funding will specifically go towards the salaries of two Housing Stabilization Case Managers.
Children’s Research Institute to support costs for their Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program’s individual or group therapy sessions for 10-16 mothers, both in-person and via telehealth. The organization is proposing to hold 50 sessions to allow each mother to receive 3 to 5 therapy sessions.
Friends of Guest House to support their newest program, Recovery Haven, which will support 45 reentering women annually through enhanced substance use disorder treatment and support service. The funding will cover operating expenses including salaries of Certified Substance Abuse Counselor – Assistant credentialed staff, relevant staff training, residential housing rent, client meals, and educational equipment and materials.
House of Ruth to support their Domestic Violence Support Center (DVSC). Specifically, funds will support staff expenses for four licensed mental health counselors who deliver life changing services at no-cost to participants. The program is expected to provide one-on-one counseling to 130 individuals, and group counseling to 400 individuals.
Smith Center for Healing and the Arts to support their Black Women with Breast Cancer support group. Specifically, the funds will cover a portion of staff time, a support group facilitator, fringe benefits to coordinate support groups for participants, in collaboration with Georgetown Lombardi Cancer Center, and media ads to boost awareness.
The Tahirih Justice Center to support their piloting peer support groups for immigrant survivors domestic violence and sexual assault through reducing feelings of isolation, foster community, and promote health and wellbeing. Specifically, funds will support consultant costs for a licensed mental health provider, transportation costs to facilitate access for participants who would otherwise face transportation barriers, supplies, and staff time to manage and coordinate project activities, including support to triage crises and advocacy needs among survivors, as needed.
PATHWAY GRANTS
Bridges to Independence, Inc. to support their Youth Development program that is dedicated to preventing pass-down poverty from parents to children by providing services that minimize the triggers of homelessness. This grant will fund after school literacy and activity kits for 10 kids per program (programs are twice a week for 15 weeks). The mission at Bridges to Independence is to guide children and families out of homelessness and into stability and self-sufficiency.
Common Good City Farm to support their K-12th Grade Field Trip Program to ensure the educational opportunity remains free to all schools in the DC Metro area. Common Good City Farm typically hosts more than 900 students annually. This grant will help fund the salary of the full-time staff member for the program. Common Good City Farm’s mission is to build a more equitable community by growing, learning, cooking, and sharing fresh food together.
Latinas Leading Tomorrow to support their Creating Opportunities for Reaching Excellence Program, which helps educate, build cultural competence, instill leadership development, and teach college readiness to 9th-12th grade girls from diverse populations and first-generation students. This grant will support the funding for learning materials, craft supplies, snacks, and t-shirts for 65 students. Latinas Leading Tomorrow is dedicated to connecting and exposing Latinas and other underrepresented populations to opportunities that enrich their future through educational workshops, mentoring, and leadership development within a supportive community.
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia to support their Family Learning Program, which provides English literacy instruction for children (ages 2-14) and their low-income, immigrant parents/caregivers in a supportive classroom environment. The grant will support the funding for 140 curriculum and learning material packets for participants who are part of the four in-person classes and one online class. Literacy Council of Northern Virginia’s mission is to teach adults the basic skills of reading, writing, speaking, and understanding English so they can access employment and educational opportunities.