eugene and agnes e. meyer foundation
Strengthening Communities Across Greater Washington

Qualifying for Funding

Eligibility Guidelines

IRS Tax-Exempt Status

Meyer grantees must be nonprofit organizations with tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, and organized and operated for charitable purposes.

Geographic Location

The Meyer Foundation's board of directors has approved a change to the geographic boundaries of the Foundation's grantmaking. Effective June 1, 2009, organizations located in and primarily serving Calvert, Charles, and St. Mary's counties in Maryland and Stafford and Loudoun counties in Virginia are no longer eligible to apply for funding. In recent decades, organizations from these counties have applied for funding, and very few have received grants.

The Foundation's geographic area for funding is now:

  • Washington, DC
  • Montgomery County, Maryland
  • Prince George's County, Maryland
  • Arlington County, Virginia
  • City of Alexandria, Virginia
  • City of Falls Church, Virginia
  • City of Manassas Park, Virginia
  • City of Manassas, Virginia
  • Fairfax County, Virginia
  • Prince William County, Virginia

Do you qualify for Meyer Foundation funding?

Take our eligibility quiz to find out.
Read Our Open Letter to the Community.

What Meyer Funds

The Meyer Foundation awards grants to nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status under the following broad program areas. Click on any category to carefully review details about the kinds of work Meyer funds in each program area.

Arts, Heritage, and Culture
Children, Youth, and Families
Civic Engagement
Education*
Employment and Skills Training
Health and Mental Health
Homelessness and Hunger
Housing and Community Development
Immigrant Communities
Law and Justice
Management Assistance
Nonprofit Sector Strengthening

*There are certain kinds of programs we generally do not fund. Read the descriptions of our grantmaking program areas for more specific information (click on link).

What Meyer Does Not Fund

The Meyer Foundation does not fund:

  • Individuals, either through scholarships or other forms of financial assistance;
  • Government agencies
  • For-profit business
  • Scientific or medical research
  • Special events or conferences
  • Endowments
  • Outside of the Washington DC region (see box for Meyer geographic area for funding).