Five incredible nonprofits were in our finalist pool for our 2021 inaugural grant.

Learn about some of the ongoing ways you can stay involved with their work below.

Read the press release about the 5 finalists

Read the press release about our GRANT RECIPIENT, Access Youth

Free Minds Book Club

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop was a 2021 finalist in our Arts & Culture focus area. You can continue to support their work in the following ways:

Free Minds Book Club & Writing Workshop uses books, creative writing, job placement, and violence prevention to support DC’s incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults in achieving their career, education, and life goals. We’d love for you to provide encouraging feedback to our members’ poetry at our virtual Write Nights. You can also support our members by picking up a copy of our new book When You Hear Me (You Hear Us): Voices on Youth Incarceration, by inviting our Poet Ambassadors to visit your workplace or community group, or by sponsoring this program for schools and detention centers.

Audubon Naturalist Society

The Audubon Naturalist Society was a 2021 co-finalist with the Urban Studio in our Environment focus area. You can continue to support their work in the following ways:

  • Donate to protect wildlife and natural areas across the DC region
  • Explore the great outdoors and learn through our classes, field trips and talks
  • Visit Woodend Nature Sanctuary, a peaceful 40-acre habitat oasis showcasing our new Accessible Nature Trail
  • Read our Conservation Blog
  • Sign up for Action Alerts on important human health, nature conservation, climate crisis, and sustainable land use topics
  • Volunteer to help people throughout the DC region enjoy, learn about and protect nature
  • Rent historic Woodend Mansion, the perfect venue for your social or corporate event
Generation Hope

Generation Hope was a 2021 finalist in our Family focus area. You can continue to support their work in the following ways:

We are looking for individual mentors to work one-on-one with our Scholars and group mentors to support our families in Next Generation Academy. These are great opportunities to build meaningful relationships with our Scholars and support them (and their children). You can learn more here: https://www.generationhope.org/mentor.

We are also collecting items (grocery cards, school supplies, books, and more) for our “Wish List,” which provides vital support to our Scholars, enabling them to focus their energy on school and their little ones. You can learn more and purchase items for our Scholars here.We are also looking for corporate and organizational partners to engage with our work through volunteering, supporting our career readiness programming, collecting items for Scholars, sponsoring events, and more. We are happy to work with corporate partners to design customized packages that meet their goals for community impact; diversity, equity, and inclusion; employee engagement; marketing; affinity groups; community recognition; and more. Learn more about how to get your employer involved here: https://www.generationhope.org/corporate-partners.

Bridges to Independence

Bridges to Independence was a 2021 finalist in our Health & Wellness focus area. You can continue to support their work in the following ways:

Bridges to Independence’s revised vision statement is to end systemic poverty and mission continues to be to lead individuals and families out of homelessness and into stable, independent futures. Bridges’ new five-year strategic plan focuses on six triggers of a poverty cycle that are systemic inequities keeping families in poverty. The triggers include housing, wages, education, healthcare, mental health and wellness, and childcare. Programmatically, Bridges continues to operate Arlington County’s largest emergency family shelter, providing a housing program, and offering support to neighbors in need through the Green Valley Community Services Center, as well as continuing the strong programs in workforce development and youth development for approximately 500 individuals and family members annually. With this expanded vision, donations are especially welcome.
There are also a myriad volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups alike, including the Arlington Bunny Hop 5k walk/run on April 23 (sponsor, participate, or volunteer); Bridges’ Bash on May 4 (volunteer, sponsor, or attend), or bring a friend to an upcoming virtual shelter tour or Listen & Learn event to learn more about Bridges and the programs.