A 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing essential clothing items and blankets to homeless men, women and children in the Washington, DC / Maryland / Virginia metro area.
Gifts for the Homeless centers its grantmaking on clothing and blankets for people experiencing homelessness in the Washington, DC metro area, with a strong emphasis on direct material support. In the recent grant list, the largest award goes to Ella's Kids in Washington, DC at $86,237, and several other large grants follow the same pattern of support for local homeless services organizations. Shepherds Table in Kensington, MD received $52,733, while Charlie's Place in Washington, DC received $44,353. Those awards align with the foundation’s stated role as a nonprofit that provides essential clothing items and blankets to homeless men, women, and children across the DC, Maryland, and Virginia region. The foundation’s grantmaking is closely tied to the seasonal needs of shelters and service providers, including funding for new winter clothing and blankets and distribution of gently used clothing. Its recent recipients include a mix of shelters, homeless ministries, and service organizations that work directly with unsheltered and shelter-resident populations.
The foundation’s work is built around material aid for homelessness relief. In Washington, DC, it gave $23,706 to Friendship Place at La Casa PSH and $17,011 to Pathways to Housing DC, both serving people connected to housing instability. Clothing distribution is another clear theme: Charlie's Place received $15,861 in 2024 for used clothing distribution, and Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Inc. received $17,127 for new clothing for distribution to the homeless. The same pattern appears across the region, including Plenty to Eat in Ashburn, VA at $22,498 and The Salvation Army - National Capital Area Command in Alexandria, VA at $11,349. These grants show a focus on practical, local support rather than broad issue-based funding.
Typical grant sizes cluster in the high single thousands, with p25 at $6,206, a median of $7,727, and p75 at $9,672. The recent record also shows repeated funding relationships: Ella's Kids, Charlie's Place, Path Forward, Plenty to Eat, and Interfaith Works appear in more than one year. Grants are primarily programmatic and in-kind in nature, often tied to clothing drives or purchases of new winter clothing and blankets. The foundation also operates fundraising events, including Banding Together, to support those purchases. One active program accepts unsolicited requests, while the new-clothing bulk purchase program does not.
$568K
$357K
$808K
$818K
Most grants fall between $6K and $10K, with a median of $8K.
25th Percentile
$6K
Median
$8K
75th Percentile
$10K
Bart Epstein
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Grantmaking is concentrated in the Washington, DC region, with 67% of grants going to recipients in DC. The recipient city pattern is led by Washington, DC itself, alongside Arlington, VA, Kensington and Silver Spring, MD, and Rockville, MD. Outside DC, the foundation also gives across nearby Virginia and Maryland communities such as Ashburn, Alexandria, and Fairfax-area service organizations. All recent grants in the data went to US recipients.
It supports shelters, homeless ministries, and service organizations serving people experiencing homelessness, shelter residents, and unsheltered individuals. Recent grants went to groups such as Ella's Kids, Shepherds Table, Pathways to Housing DC, and The Salvation Army - National Capital Area Command.
The middle of the distribution is in the single thousands: p25 is $6,206, the median is $7,727, and p75 is $9,672. Recent grants also include larger awards such as $86,237 to Ella's Kids and $52,733 to Shepherds Table.
It gives mainly through direct material support, especially clothing and blankets. Active programs include an annual used clothing drive, bulk purchases of new winter clothing and blankets, and a fundraising concert called Banding Together that raises money for those purchases.
Yes. Several recipients appear across multiple years, including Ella's Kids, Charlie's Place, Path Forward, Plenty to Eat, and Interfaith Works. Some of these awards are labeled for used clothing, while others are for new clothing distribution.
Its giving is regional and centered on the Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area. DC receives the largest share of grants, and recent recipient cities include Washington, DC, Arlington, Kensington, Silver Spring, Rockville, Ashburn, and Alexandria.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Gifts for the Homeless that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Organizations associated with homeless shelters or homeless services in DC, Maryland, or Virginia may sign up to receive donated clothing.
Deadline: Annual event (typically held in early December); specific sign‑up windows not stated on site—organizations are asked to complete the recipient form or contact GFTH in advance.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ella's Kids | Washington, DC | $86,237 | 2025 | — |
| Shepherds Table | Kensington, MD | $52,733 | 2025 | — |
| Charlie's Place | Washington, DC | $44,353 | 2025 | — |
| Friendship Place at La Casa PSH | Washington, DC | $23,706 | 2025 | — |
| Plenty to Eat | Ashburn, VA | $22,498 | 2025 | — |
| Radcliffe Room Homeless Ministry New York Avenue Presbyterian Church | Washington, DC | $19,582 | 2025 | — |
| Pathways to Housing DC | Washington, DC | $17,011 | 2025 | — |
| Arlington public schools - Career Center | Arlington, VA | $15,708 | 2025 | — |
| So Others May Eat SOME | Washington, DC | $13,075 | 2025 | — |
| Path Forward | Arlington, VA | $12,489 | 2025 | — |
| The Salvation Army - National Capital Area Command | Alexandria, VA | $11,349 | 2025 | — |
| Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church | Arlington, VA | $11,149 | 2025 | — |
| Plenty To Eat | Washington, DC | $10,687 | 2025 | — |
| MIRIAM'S KITCHEN | Washington, DC | $10,682 | 2025 | — |
| Path Forward | Arlington, VA | $10,375 | 2025 | — |
| Everyone Home DC | Washington, DC | $9,810 | 2025 | — |
| Ellas Kids Inc | Washington, DC | $9,674 | 2025 | — |
| Sacred Heart Dinner Program | Washington, DC | $9,673 | 2025 | — |
| DC Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $9,541 | 2025 | — |
| Coalition for the Homeless (Webster House) | Washington, DC | $9,024 | 2025 | — |
| Sacred Heart Dinner Program | Washington, DC | $8,700 | 2025 | — |
| Everyone Home DC | Washington, DC | $8,076 | 2025 | — |
| National Capital Treatment and Recovery | Arlington, VA | $7,914 | 2025 | — |
| Stepping Stones Shelter | Rockville, MD | $7,582 | 2025 | — |
| Interfaith Works | Rockville, MD | $7,527 | 2025 | — |
| Shepherds Table | Silver Spring, MD | $7,274 | 2025 | — |
| National Capital Treatment and Recovery | Arlington, VA | $7,237 | 2025 | — |
| New Hope Housing | Arlington, VA | $7,191 | 2025 | — |
| Pathways to Housing DC | Washington, DC | $6,956 | 2025 | — |
| Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid | Washington, DC | $6,924 | 2025 | — |
| DC Human Services | Washington, DC | $6,857 | 2025 | — |
| Charlie's Place | Washington, DC | $6,797 | 2025 | — |
| Georgetown Ministry Center | Washington, DC | $6,651 | 2025 | — |
| Friendship Place-Valley Place | Washington, DC | $6,342 | 2025 | — |
| GMCHC Anchor of Hope Homeless Ministry | Washington, DC | $6,154 | 2025 | — |
| N Street Village | Washington, DC | $6,057 | 2025 | — |
| Coalition for the Homeless | Washington, DC | $6,004 | 2025 | — |
| St Elizabeths Hospital | Washington, DC | $5,932 | 2025 | — |
| DISTRICT ALLIANCE FOR SAFE HOUSING | Washington, DC | $5,888 | 2025 | — |
| NY Avenue Pres Church - Homeless (Radcliffe Room Homeless Ministry) | Washington, DC | $5,694 | 2025 | — |
| Interfaith Works | Rockville, MD | $5,410 | 2025 | — |
| Sasha Bruce Youthwork Clay Terrace FSC | Washington, DC | $5,403 | 2025 | — |
| Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington | Washington, DC | $5,192 | 2025 | — |
| Access Housing | Washington, DC | $5,116 | 2025 | — |
| ELLA'S KIDS INC | Washington, DC | $27,496 | 2024 | Used clothing for distribution to the homeless |
| Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Inc | Washington, DC | $17,127 | 2024 | New clothing for distribution to the homeless |
| Charlie's Place | Washington, DC | $15,861 | 2024 | Used clothing for distribution to the homeless |
| Shepherd's Table | Silver Spring, MD | $15,637 | 2024 | Used clothing for distribution to the homeless |
| Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network | Washington, DC | $12,719 | 2024 | Used clothing for distribution to the homeless |
| DC Central Kitchen | Washington, DC | $12,023 | 2024 | New clothing for distribution to the homeless |
Ella's Kids
$86,237Charlie's Place
$44,353Plenty to Eat
$22,498Radcliffe Room Homeless Ministry New York Avenue Presbyterian Church
$19,582Pathways to Housing DC
$17,011Arlington public schools - Career Center
$15,708Path Forward
$12,489The Salvation Army - National Capital Area Command
$11,349Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church
$11,149Plenty To Eat
$10,687Path Forward
$10,375Ellas Kids Inc
$9,674Sacred Heart Dinner Program
$9,673Sacred Heart Dinner Program
$8,700New Hope Housing
$7,191Pathways to Housing DC
$6,956DC Human Services
$6,857Charlie's Place
$6,797GMCHC Anchor of Hope Homeless Ministry
$6,154Coalition for the Homeless
$6,004St Elizabeths Hospital
$5,932NY Avenue Pres Church - Homeless (Radcliffe Room Homeless Ministry)
$5,694Sasha Bruce Youthwork Clay Terrace FSC
$5,403Samaritan Ministry of Greater Washington
$5,192Access Housing
$5,116ELLA'S KIDS INC
$27,496Used clothing for distribution to the homeless
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Washington Inc
$17,127New clothing for distribution to the homeless
Charlie's Place
$15,861Used clothing for distribution to the homeless
Used clothing for distribution to the homeless
