For Applicants

As the oldest and largest giving circle in the Washington, DC area, Many Hands has granted more than $3.8 million since 2004 to local nonprofits serving women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. We make four grants each year, one in each of four focus areas: economic empowerment, education, health, and housing. In 2026, the Impact Grant was $100,000 and each Partner Grant was $73,000  All grants provide unrestricted funding, which may be used for operating, program, or capital expenses.

To read about past Many Hands grant recipients, click here.

This page will be updated in October 2026 for the 2027 grant season.

Important Dates and Deadlines for Applicants – 2026 Grant Cycle

  • Monday, December 1, Applications Are Open for Preview

  • Tuesday, December 16, 10:00 am, Applicant Webinar (Virtual)

  • Monday, January 5, 9:00 am, Applications open

  • Friday, January 16, midnight, Applications close

Grant applications must be submitted electronically, using the Foundant(TM) platform. You may create an account or use your password if you have previously created an account.

An applicant Webinar was held on Tuesday, December 16th at 10 am to discuss the application process and discuss eligibility requirements. A recording of the webinar can be found here.

2026 Grant Review Process

The Many Hands grant review and selection process is member driven. All applications will be evaluated and considered carefully. The entire review process takes approximately four months. At any point in the review process, applicants may be contacted by a Many Hands member for clarification and/or additional information. Applicants will be notified if their proposal is not forwarded to the next level of review.

At Many Hands, we greatly appreciate the time and effort expended in submitting an application for funding, and we review all applications with care. We regret that we are unable to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications. We welcome suggestions for improvements to our grants process at grants@manyhandsdc.org.

Eligibility Review
Through January 31, 2026

Applications are reviewed against the eligibility requirements and to ensure that applicants are considered in the appropriate focus area.

First Level Review
Mid-February through late March 2026

Many Hands member Focus Area Committees review and discuss the merits of each application.

Site Visits and Financial Review
April 2026

Each Many Hands Focus Area Committee will invite up to five applicants to host a site visit for Many Hands members. All applicants receiving site visits will be asked to submit updated financial information and answer any final questions from the Financial Review Committee.

Funding Decisions
May 2026

Each Focus Area Committee will select one grant recipient. At the Many Hands Annual Meeting, each grantee will make a brief presentation and answer questions from Many Hands members. Following the presentations, a vote of the Many Hands membership will determine the recipient of the $100,000 Impact Grant. The remaining grantees will receive Partner Grants, the amount of which will be determined prior to the Annual Meeting.

Grant Disbursement
Late May to early June 2026

Grants will be disbursed in a single payment following the execution of a grant agreement. Grant recipients will be asked to participate in Many Hands communications efforts.

Many Hands is committed to serving and empowering Washington, DC area women, children, and families in socioeconomic need by supporting strongly aligned community nonprofits. Without exception, applicants that do not meet all eligibility requirements will not be considered.

Eligibility Requirements

Population Served:

  • Many Hands grant funds must be used to serve women, children, and/or families in socioeconomic need.
  • Many Hands grant funds must be used to serve only residents of the Many Hands service area, which includes:
    • District of Columbia
    • Montgomery County, MD
    • Prince George’s County, MD
    • Arlington County, VA
    • Fairfax County, VA
    • City of Alexandria, VA
    • City of Fairfax, VA
    • City of Falls Church, VA

Applicant Organization:

  • The organization must have 501(c)(3) status at the time of application.
  • The organization must have been in operation as a 501(c)(3) for at least five years.
  • The organization must have an established operating budget of at least $500,000 and no more than $5 million, based on the current-year budget and total expenditures in the previous fiscal year.
  • The applicant organization must be located in the Many Hands service area. It must have a local office, have an independent budget for operations in our service area, and a local board of directors with fiduciary responsibilities.
  • The organization must be secular and non-partisan in mission and program and must not promote or compel political or religious participation or affiliation.

Special Considerations:

  • Recipients of the Many Hands Partner Grant in 2026 are ineligible to apply in the 2027 grant cycle.
  • Any organization that has received $100,000 or more in total Many Hands funding is ineligible to apply for additional funding.

Many Hands supports local nonprofits that serve women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. For our internal review purposes, we group our applicants into four focus areas: economic empowerment, education, health, and housing.

We recognize that many of our applicants have programs that achieve outcomes in more than one area. For each application, we select the focus area that best aligns with the applicant organization’s mission and overall programming, ensuring that similar applicants are grouped and reviewed together.

Our review committees do not evaluate applications for how well they “fit” into their assigned focus area, but look more broadly at how they align with Many Hands’ mission to serve and empower women, children, and families in socioeconomic need.

Strengthening Communities

Our grants support women, children, and families in socioeconomic need.

Empowering Nonprofits

We combine donors’ gifts into large unrestricted grants that respect nonprofit expertise.

Engaging Members

Members drive the grantmaking process in our collaborative, all-volunteer model.

Selected FAQs

Many Hands supports organizations serving women, children, and families in socioeconomic need. Organizations that serve only men or primarily men are not eligible for funding.

Many Hands includes youth (ages 14–25) in its economic empowerment, health, and housing focus areas. The education focus area includes early childhood and K–12 students. For additional information, please visit the Focus Area page in the About section of the Many Hands website.

Many Hands does not define socioeconomic need by the Federal Poverty Level or any particular scale. We seek to help people in our communities that lack the basic resources or conditions that are necessary for wellbeing and equal participation.

Your organization is eligible to apply only if it has a local address, a local board of directors with fiduciary duties, and an independent local budget. A national/regional organization with a local advisory board, or an organization without an independent local budget, is not eligible for Many Hands funding.

No. We accept applications only from organizations that have been in operation for five years or more. We look forward to receiving your application once you have reached the five-year mark.

No. Our budget requirements apply to the organization seeking funding, not any intended use of a Many Hands grant.

No. We accept applications only from organizations that have been in operation for five years or more. We look forward to receiving your application once you have reached the five-year mark.

The budget requirements apply to an organization’s approved expenses for the current fiscal year and the actual expenses for the previous fiscal year. The level of reserves does not impact eligibility.

In-kind contributions (services, material, equipment, or labor) that would otherwise be paid by the organization’s budget may be included in the organization’s operating budget to meet the minimum budget requirement.

Yes. Organizations with in-kind contributions (services, materials, equipment, or labor) that cause the organization’s budget to exceed $5 million are eligible for Many Hands funding.

Yes, and we encourage you to apply again. Any organization that has not received funding from Many Hands may reapply for a grant. In addition, organizations that have received grants totaling less than $100,000 are eligible to apply after sitting out one grantmaking cycle. Only our $100,000 Impact Grant recipients and recipients of Partner Grants totaling more than $100,000 are ineligible to reapply for a Many Hands grant.

No. Many Hands will assign a focus area to each applicant.

Many Hands will review your application to determine whether your organization meets all eligibility criteria, and will contact you if we have questions. We will notify all applicants about the outcome of the eligibility review by mid-February.

Click on the link to our online portal, which will be posted on the Many Hands website grants page in October, together with further details on timing.

See more FAQs

Latest News

The 2026 grant cycle application is now closed.

 We will begin accepting applications for the next grant cycle in January 2027. Join our mailing list to receive updates on Many Hands’ grant process.

Let’s make a difference together

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.

Jorge E. Figueredo, Executive Director, Edu-Futuro | 2023 Many Hands Partner Grantee

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.

Dr. Rustin Lewis, Executive Director, Communities in Schools of the Nation's Capital | 2023 Many Hands Impact Grantee

Because of you, women are getting jobs, learning new skills, improving their health, achieving financial stability, and ending their homelessness for good.

Kris Thompson, CEO of Calvary Women's Services | 2020/2012 Many Hands Partner Grantee

Funders like Many Hands are so respected. The stamp of approval of Many Hands is wonderful!

Astrid Jimenez, Executive Director, Nueva Vida | 2022/2012 Many Hands Partner Grantee

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.

Jodi Elaine Ovca, Founder and Executive Director, Access Youth | 2019 Many Hands Impact Grantee

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!

Barbara McLaughlin, Executive Director, The Child & Family Network Centers | 2025 Partner Grantee

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.

Marla P. Spindel, Executive Director, DC KinCare Alliance | 2025 Impact Grantee

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.

Wanda Steptoe, Executive Director, New Endeavors by Women | 2025 Partner Grantee

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.

Roxanne Williams, President, Urban Ed Inc. | 2025 Partner Grantee

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.

Shannon Babe-Thomas, Executive Director, Community Bridges, Inc. | 2024 Many Hands Partner Grantee

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.

Eric Angel, Executive Director, DC Greens | 2026 Many Hands Partner Grantee

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.

Corinne Cannon, Founder and Executive Director, Greater DC Diaper Bank | 2019/2016 Many Hands Partner Grantee

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.

Dr. Truphena Choti, President & CEO, AfriThrive