About Act for Alexandria
Act for Alexandria stands out for its community-driven Fund for Racial Equity, which is guided by a Community Advisory Board that sets priorities and leads grant decisions. That structure signals how the foundation works: local, program-restricted support aimed at Alexandria residents and the nonprofit organizations serving them. Its recent grant record shows funding across health, education, housing, child welfare, emergency assistance, economic mobility, youth development and employment, and food security, with grants typically written as program support rather than unrestricted awards.
The foundation’s portfolio includes large operating-style grants to local institutions and service providers, alongside targeted awards tied to specific initiatives. The Campagna Center received $436,281 in 2024 and $304,195 in 2023, while Alexandria Seaport Foundation received $408,250 in 2025. Other grantees such as Kids First Years, The Child & Family Network Centers, Wesley Housing, Tenants and Workers United, and Alive indicate a strong emphasis on organizations serving families, housing stability, and community needs in Alexandria.
Its structure as a Pure DAF Provider and its local scope reinforce a place-based funding pattern centered on Alexandria and nearby Virginia organizations.
What Act for Alexandria Funds
Housing and family stability are recurring themes in Act for Alexandria’s grants. Wesley Housing received $193,112 in 2023, and The Child & Family Network Centers received $232,445 in 2023 and $101,184 in 2024, showing support for organizations serving children and households.
The foundation also funds emergency and access-related work. The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command received $120,000 in 2023, and Nueva Vida Inc received $83,112 in 2024 and $82,600 in 2025, pointing to multi-year support for direct service organizations.
Economic mobility and legal access appear in its grant list as well. Tenants and Workers United received $188,600 in 2023, and Legal Aid Justice Center - Nova received $99,000 in 2023. Education-related support includes St Stephens & St Agnes School Foundation at $108,250 in 2023 and Edu-futuro at $165,000 in 2023.
How Act for Alexandria Gives
Typical grants cluster in the five-figure range, with a p25 of $10,000, median of $15,944, and p75 of $34,610. The recent grants list also includes much larger program-support awards, indicating that Act for Alexandria makes both smaller local grants and substantial awards to established partners. The pattern is not a one-off model: some recipients appear across multiple years, including The Campagna Center, Christ Church, The Child & Family Network Centers, Virginia Health Care Foundation, and Nueva Vida Inc. The foundation is a Pure DAF Provider and its grantmaking is program-restricted, project-based, and often tied to short-term service delivery or capacity needs. Unsolicited applications are accepted for some active programs, including Fund for Racial Equity, Capacity Building Grants, and ACT Now Fund.
Where Act for Alexandria Makes Grants
Grantmaking is overwhelmingly local and concentrated in Virginia, with 80% of grants going to recipients in the HQ state. Alexandria appears repeatedly in the recipient list, including The Campagna Center, Alexandria Seaport Foundation, Kids First Years, Christ Church, Alive, Wesley Housing, and Nueva Vida Inc. Outside Alexandria, Arlington recipients such as Arlington Community Foundation, African Communities Together, and Endependence Center of Northern Virginia are also present, along with Richmond-based Virginia Health Care Foundation and Washington, DC-based The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command. All recorded recipient-country distribution is in the US.
Frequently Asked Questions About Act for Alexandria
What kinds of organizations does Act for Alexandria fund?
Its recent grants support nonprofits working in racial equity, economic mobility, youth development and employment, health, education, housing, child welfare, food security, and emergency assistance. The grant list shows program support to organizations such as The Campagna Center, Alexandria Seaport Foundation, and Virginia Health Care Foundation.
Does Act for Alexandria make recurring grants to the same organizations?
Yes. Several recipients appear in multiple years, including The Campagna Center in 2023 and 2024, The Child & Family Network Centers in 2023 and 2024, Christ Church in 2023 and 2024, Virginia Health Care Foundation in 2024 and 2025, and Nueva Vida Inc in 2024 and 2025.
How do applications work for some of its active programs?
Some active programs accept unsolicited applications, including the Fund for Racial Equity, Capacity Building Grants, and ACT Now Fund. Other programs, such as Alexandria Community Access & Emergency Support, do not accept unsolicited applications.
What is the typical grant size?
The typical grant size centers on the mid-five-figure range: p25 is $10,000, median is $15,944, and p75 is $34,610. The recent grants list also includes larger program-support awards, such as $436,281 to The Campagna Center and $408,250 to Alexandria Seaport Foundation.
Where does most of the funding go?
Act for Alexandria gives locally, with 80% of grants going to recipients in Virginia and a strong concentration in Alexandria. Recent recipients include Arlington Community Foundation, The Campagna Center in Alexandria, Virginia Health Care Foundation in Richmond, and The Salvation Army National Capital Area Command in Washington, DC.