Grants that Make a Difference
As the oldest and largest giving circle in the Washington, DC area, Many Hands has granted more than $3.8 million to 56 local nonprofits that collectively touch the lives of tens of thousands of people in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County, Prince George’s County, and Northern Virginia. Every year, we make one Impact Grant of $100,000 and three Partner Grants to organizations chosen by the membership. In 2026, each Partner Grant was $73,000. In addition, starting with the 2026 Grant Cycle, Many Hands provided a $1,000 stipend to each organization that received a site visit, recognizing the time and resources our nonprofit partners invest in the application process. All Many Hands grants are unrestricted, allowing grantees to decide how best to use the funds. That can mean supporting core programs, launching new ventures, or making capacity-building investments that will increase their effectiveness. Ultimately, the impact of our grantmaking is measured in the changes grantees bring to the lives of the people they serve.
We were able to use the money to fund projects that we had wanted to do for so long, but did not have the funding. A grant of this size had a significant impact on the lives of our children and their families!
Thanks to this critical grant, our beneficiaries can go from working long hours in multiple low-paying jobs to make ends meet to building a family-sustaining career that leaves them time to spend with their loved ones.
Thank you, Many Hands DC, for believing in the strength of kinship care. This support will expand access to free legal help, vital resources, and dedicated advocacy for the relatives who step up when children need them most.
Funders like Many Hands are so respected. The stamp of approval of Many Hands is wonderful!
Many Hands has helped us jumpstart the boldest initiative in our 25-year history of serving communities. Their support is fueling innovation at the intersection of equity, maternal wellness, and workforce development — empowering young mothers of color and their children to thrive. This grant is more than funding; it’s a catalyst for generational change, and we are deeply grateful.
Many Hands’ investment is helping AfriThrive turn healthy, culturally meaningful food into better health, greater dignity, and stronger communities. Their partnership is creating lasting change for immigrant and refugee families across Montgomery County.
Because of you, women are getting jobs, learning new skills, improving their health, achieving financial stability, and ending their homelessness for good.
Support from Many Hands is truly transformative for Access Youth. Because of this grant, Access Youth is launching our peer mediation programming as part of our four-year model of student support.
Many Hands’ investment in our work means we have a small army of committed, connected, and caring women who are rooting for us, helping us, and sharing our work far and wide.
Your grant allowed us to stay in [Stanton Elementary School]. It was because of your commitment to collective giving and your understanding of the value of trust-based philanthropy that I was able to make decisions that allowed us to continue to serve the community.
Your generous support of our mission has been absolutely crucial during this time of economic uncertainty and anticipated cuts to local and federal dollars. It has allowed us to continue to partner with and impact the the lives of the women and children we serve; to provide them a home and support to grow and create new futures.
Many Hands’ support enabled more girls to access the resources, mentorship, and opportunities they need to build confidence, achieve their goals, and create brighter futures. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and shared commitment to empowering the next generation of leaders.
This support will enable DC Greens to sustain our life-changing Food Is Medicine work for DC Medicaid patients. It will also allow us to continue our innovative work at The Well at Oxon Run, our urban farm and wellness space in Ward 8. This grant will be leveraged alongside hundreds of volunteer hours and community-driven investments to create meaningful and lasting impact for our neighbors.
I loved being able to see the breadth of work being done throughout the region by the organizations applying for grants. Narrowing the decision down to one organization wasn’t easy, but we knew the grant would make such a difference to that organization and its constituents. I’m excited to serve on another FAC this year.
Many Hands serves many purposes. Most important, of course, is continuing to raise funds to assist women and children in need in our community, but it also offers a unique opportunity for donors to learn about their community, philanthropy, and grant making while developing meaningful relationships with like-minded women.
I am so happy that I found Many Hands and jumped on the opportunity to contribute to this wonderful organization. Joining has given me the opportunity to become intentional with my philanthropic donations, meet a diverse group of inspiring women leaders, gain exposure to numerous philanthropies in the area, and witness the complexities of a grantmaking life cycle.
Being part of a larger collective movement of women with an aim to make change in the lives of women, children, and families is inspiring. The chosen organizations have the potential to be life-altering for so many. Knowing the work we do makes a difference motivates me to want to do more. I’m so very proud to be a member!
The women I have met through my work in Many Hands have challenged me to think differently, broaden my own views, and inspire new approaches to how we make an impact. But beyond the work, I’ve been fortunate to form deep, lasting friendships with many of them—connections that have become an essential part of my life.
I’ve been inspired and impressed by the wide range of dedicated, high-performing nonprofits serving our area. I now have a much better understanding of the entire local ecosystem supporting women, children, and families. This makes me a more discerning individual donor, a better board member, and a better citizen.
Many Hands has been a perfect fit for me. As a feminist and activist, I was looking for a way to make a difference in my community. Through Many Hands, I not only contribute financially but also, equally important, have the opportunity to evaluate firsthand the many local organizations that are transforming the lives of women and children. And finally, I have met amazing Many Hands women who are now my friends.
There is great power in the ability of Many Hands‘ membership to combine forces and resources to help effect change. Many small but important nonprofit organizations exist in this area, and it has been a profound learning experience for me to begin to understand some of the challenges they face.
I joined Many Hands after having the opportunity to hear speakers from three organizations that had received Many Hands grants–Greater DC Diaper Bank, Horton’s Kids, and Reach Inc.–describe the direct and positive impact Many Hands had on the communities they served. After that incredible introduction, it was a no-brainer to join.
I believe strongly in the exponential power of collective giving, especially female-centric philanthropy, and Many Hands is the perfect way to become part of this movement. My favorite part of Many Hands is the opportunity to learn about the hundreds of nonprofits in the metro DC area. I am inspired every day because of them.
Donors Giving Together
Many Hands is committed to being the most meaningful vehicle for giving in members’ lives. By leveraging the power of collective giving, we multiply the impact of donors’ gifts and engage, educate, and empower our members. Since 2004, our giving circle has welcomed more than 1000 donors to Many Hands. Members come from the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia and represent a broad range of backgrounds. In Many Hands, members find a diverse community of individuals who care deeply about the challenges facing women, children, and families in under-resourced communities. By participating in the grant review process and education events, they learn about community needs in economic empowerment, education, health, and housing and about the nonprofits that work daily to address them. Many members continue to support or volunteer with organizations they have met through Many Hands.
Recent News
Welcome Our New Board Members!
Meet the newest members of the Many Hands Board.
2026 Grantees
