Rooted in…Partnership
A Message from Tram Nguyen, Meyer Foundation Board Chair & Janice Thomas, Interim President & CEO
For 80 years, the Meyer Foundation has stood alongside our region through moments of transformation and uncertainty, anchored by our belief in the dignity and shared humanity of our neighbors and our commitment to defending that humanity with care and collective action.
Today, we find ourselves in another such moment. From persistent economic disparity and the ongoing manifestations of systemic racism to urgent calls for the protection of historically marginalized communities, the pressures facing our region are real and growing. We understand that addressing these challenges demands deep partnership and shared commitment. As our grantee partners — who work directly with some of the region’s most vulnerable communities — face increasing uncertainty, we believe it is necessary to provide reassurance that the Meyer Foundation remains unwavering in our support for their vital work.
As part of our commitment to our grantee partners, our board recently approved a strategic increase in our annual payout — a decision rooted in our values and shaped by the needs we continue to hear from partners across the region. Over two years, the Meyer Foundation will allocate an additional $6.5M toward our grantmaking budget to expand our offerings for our grantee partners in the form of additional funding opportunities, support for organizational infrastructure and sustainability, rest and wellness opportunities, narrative change work, and targeted investments to support movements for a strong local multiracial democracy. The Meyer Foundation has steadily increased its payout percentage in years past, but this decision marks a concerted effort to emphatically address the complex needs that are unfolding around us.
This increased payout complements our other strategies and investments to address the additional challenges our grantee partners and communities have been facing this year. We’ve automatically renewed many existing grant commitments in our core grantmaking portfolio, minimized reporting requirements, increased capacity building offerings, coordinated strategy convenings, and committed to reducing unnecessary burdens on our grantee partners. In February, we also introduced our rapid response grants program, which has since delivered $500K to our grantee partners to address urgent and emergent challenges, such as unexpected strategic and legal costs. We are pleased that we will be able to fully sustain our rapid response grants program at $1M per year through 2027 and continue meeting the needs of our grantee partners.
In the months to come, the Meyer Foundation is also proud to launch the next iteration of the Fund for Black Led Change (FBLC), the Black Abundance Collaborative. The Black Abundance Collaborative is an invitation-only, five-year grantmaking and convening program open to Black-led organizations working in the Greater Washington area. We are thrilled to build upon the incredible work and foundation set by the FBLC as we continue to pursue our vision for a just, connected, and inclusive region in which systemic racism and its consequences no longer exist.
As the individuals entrusted with the leadership and stewardship of the Meyer Foundation at this time, we feel and are deeply attuned to the daunting pressures of this moment. Like many of you, we have felt every wave of fear, hope, disillusionment, and inspiration that 2025 has brought with it. In the tradition of the Meyer Foundation’s work over the last 80 years, we remain committed to moving through this moment by deepening our relationships, by rooting ourselves in our shared humanity, and by continually learning what it means to thrive together.
In Partnership,
Tram Nguyen
Co-Executive Director, New Virginia Majority
Board Chair, Meyer Foundation
Janice Thomas
Interim President & CEO, Meyer Foundation
