This page lists specific guidelines for Community Grants in the Washington, DC Metro area.

To apply for a DC Metro grant, first contact the Foundation’s manager, Meg Kennedy, via email to see if your proposal fits within the current priority areas and to receive an invitation to submit a letter of inquiry.

Please note that TEGNA Foundation is no longer accepting unsolicited grant proposals for the DC Metro Grants program.

Our service areas are

District of Columbia
Maryland – Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties
Virginia – Alexandria, Falls Church, and counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Prince William, and Loudoun

Deadlines for the Washington Metro Area

We consider grant applications twice a year, by invitation only. Unsolicited grant proposals cannot be reviewed. Applications should be received by the Foundation no later than February 28th for Round 1 or August 29th for Round 2.

Please note the following information prior to submitting a request.
Our 2023 priorities for the Washington metropolitan area:

• Programs targeting at-risk middle school students
• Services for veterans
• Nonprofits and programs that support the LGBTQ population
• Programs focused on the environment

 

We will also consider proposals responding to other urgent community needs.

Our average grant amount is in the $3,000 to $7,500 range.

As a rule, we generally do not consider Community Grants for

• Capital campaigns
• Colleges or universities
• Events, conferences, seminars, debates, competitions, fundraising events or similar short-term projects
• Public policy or social research organizations
  
  

What Community Grants do not fund

Like many donors, we receive many more requests than we can fund.
As a result, grants will not be considered for the following purposes:

• Individuals
• Private foundations
• Organizations not determined by the IRS to be a tax-exempt public charity under §501(c)(3)
• Organizations classified by the IRS as 509(a)(3)
• National or regional organizations unless their programs address specific local community needs
• Programs or initiatives where the primary purpose is the promotion of religious doctrine or tenets
• Elementary or secondary schools (public, private or charter schools)
• Political action or legislative advocacy groups
• Endowment funds
• Multiple-year pledge campaigns
• Organizations located in or benefiting nations other than the US and its territories
• Fraternal groups, athletic teams, bands, volunteer firefighters or similar groups

Grant Application

If you are invited to submit a proposal or letter of inquiry, TEGNA Foundation’s manager will provide instructions on where to send your materials.

Your grant proposal must contain the following information:

1. completed TEGNA Foundation Grant Application Form 
2. IRS letter of determination for 501(c)3 tax exemption
3. your organization’s non-discrimination policy
4. one-page project budget, and a one-page summary organizational budget
5. Project proposal of no more than three pages that includes:
   • needs statement
     • objectives of the project to be funded
     • whether the project is new or ongoing
     • constituency to be served
     • community and volunteer involvement
   • sustainability statement 
     • your organization's qualifications to carry out the project
     • how the project will be evaluated
     • plans for continued funding of the project, if applicable
     • list of other funding sources, committed and applied for
6. one pertinent recent publication may also be included

 

Decisions: A committee of employees from WUSA-TV and TEGNA Inc. review all invited proposals within one month after each deadline. Applicants are notified by email of final decisions about 90–120 days after deadlines. Please no phone or email inquiries.