The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

What The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation does

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 1948 by Morris Cafritz as a legacy of his civic leadership in Washington, DC. The Foundation is exclusively focused on improving the quality of life for residents of the DC metropolitan area, encompassing the District of Columbia, Prince George's and Montgomery Counties in Maryland, Arlington and Fairfax Counties in Virginia, and the cities of Alexandria and Falls Church. Its grant-making activity is organized around five priority areas: Arts and Humanities; Community Services (including Children, Youth and Families, Community Development, Justice, Workforce Development, and Capacity Building); Education; Environment; and Health and Wellness. The Foundation operates with fewer than 20 full-time staff, including Co-Executive Directors, Vice Presidents, Program Officers, a Grants Manager, and administrative support, and is governed by a Board of Directors, an Advisory Board, and an executive leadership team.

The Foundation's core product is its grantmaking program, supplemented by the Calvin Cafritz Awards program, established in 2000, which recognizes outstanding DC government employees in partnership with George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public Leadership and the DC Department of Human Resources. Applications are accepted through a GivingData-powered online grantee portal three times per year (March 1, July 1, November 1), with a review cycle of four to six months. The Foundation has supported thousands of organizations since its founding and most recently awarded 1,140+ grants disclosed publicly. General operating support is the preferred grant type, subject to a typical ceiling of 10% of a recipient organization's total budget, while capital support is invitation-only. Annual reports are published for FY21 and FY22, and IRS Form 990 filings are available through GuideStar under EIN 52-6036989.

The Foundation does not generate revenue from commercial activities; it is structured as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization sustained by the Cafritz family endowment. Its revenue model is the annual disbursement of endowment-derived funds to eligible 501(c)(3) public charities serving the DC metropolitan area. Leadership has remained within the Cafritz family across generations — from Morris Cafritz (1948), to Gwendolyn Cafritz (President 1964–1988), to Calvin Cafritz (Board Chairman 1989, President and CEO 1993–2022), and currently to Jane Lipton Cafritz (Board Chair and President and CEO since 2022). The most recent leadership transition occurred in August 2024, when Mary Mulcahy and Gretchen Greiner-Lott were promoted to Co-Executive Directors.

Name

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Legal name

The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation

Website

https://cafritzfoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is a private, independent 501(c)(3) foundation established in 1948 that grants funds exclusively to DC-area nonprofits across Arts, Community Services, Education, Environment, and Health. Its core product is a grantmaking program with three annual deadlines, supplemented by the Calvin Cafritz Awards recognizing DC government employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Foundation Grantmaking

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Private foundation grants
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Community philanthropy
• Arts education funding
• Capacity building grants

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Grant Disbursements: The foundation operates as a private, independent grant-making foundation. It receives its endowment from founder Morris Cafritz and distributes funds to eligible nonprofit organizations in the DC metropolitan area through a competitive application process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is a private, independent foundation that distributes competitive grants to IRS-registered 501(c)(3) public charities serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Its grantmaking is organized into five priority areas — Arts and Humanities, Community Services, Education, Environment, and Health & Wellness — with a stated preference for general operating support grants. It also operates the Calvin Cafritz Awards Program, which recognizes outstanding DC government employees with cash prizes.

Product overview

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is a private, independent foundation established in 1948 that focuses exclusively on improving the quality of life for Washington, DC metropolitan area residents. The Foundation's primary offering is its Grantmaking Program, which distributes funds across five program areas: Arts and Humanities, Community Services, Education, Environment, and Health and Wellness. The Foundation also operates the Calvin Cafritz Awards Program, a signature awards initiative recognizing outstanding DC government employees since 2000. All grant applications and reporting are managed through the Foundation's Online Grantee Portal powered by GivingData. The Foundation accepts applications three times annually with deadlines on March 1, July 1, and November 1.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Calvin Cafritz Awards: The signature awards program of the Foundation, recognizing outstanding DC government employees who demonstrate exceptional dedication, innovation, and impact in the Washington, DC community. Established in 2000.

Products and services

• Grantmaking Program The Foundation's primary offering is a competitive grant program that funds IRS-registered 501(c)(3) public charities with 509(a)(1) or 509(a)(2) status serving the Washington, DC metropolitan area. The program funds both general operating support and project-specific grants across five priority areas: Arts and Humanities; Community Services (including Children, Youth and Families; Community Development; Justice; Workforce Development; and Capacity Building); Education; Environment; and Health and Wellness. Grant applications are accepted three times per year (March 1, July 1, November 1) through an online portal. The foundation typically does not award grants exceeding 10% of an organization's total budget, and organizations may apply once within a 12-month period. Multi-year grants are rarely funded.
• Calvin Cafritz Awards Program A signature awards program established in 2000 that recognizes outstanding District of Columbia government employees for exceptional dedication, innovation, and impact in the Washington, DC community. Individual winners receive $7,500 each and team winners receive $15,000. The program is conducted in partnership with George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public Leadership and the DC Department of Human Resources, with an annual awards ceremony held at the George Washington University campus. Over the past 25 years, the program has recognized over 100 extraordinary individuals and 10 innovative teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 extraordinary individuals and 10 innovative teams recognized through Calvin Cafritz Awards over 25 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship.

• George Washington University's Center for Excellence in Public LeadershipflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Partnership for the Calvin Cafritz Awards program, the signature event of the Foundation. The Center for Excellence in Public Leadership is within the College of Professional Studies at George Washington University. The partnership has operated for over 23 years, recognizing outstanding DC government employees.
• DC Department of Human ResourcesflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 May 2026Partner in the Calvin Cafritz Awards program, collaborating to honor and celebrate exceptional DC government employees who have demonstrated dedication, innovation, and impact in the Washington, DC community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• The Kresge Foundation: Large, established U.S. private foundation funding across multiple program areas including health, environment, education, and community development — a broader incumbent with overlapping verticals but national rather than DC-specific focus.
• The Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major national private foundation focused on children, families, and community development — broader incumbent with thematic overlap to the Cafritz Foundation's Children/Youth/Families and Community Services pillars.
• The Ford Foundation: Largest U.S. private foundation, funding across global and domestic programs including inequality, education, and civic engagement — broad incumbent with overlapping program areas but vastly larger scale and international mandate.

Direct peers

• The Community Foundation for the National Capital Region: Regional community foundation serving the DC metro area, distributing grants across multiple verticals including arts, education, health, and community development — a direct functional peer to the Cafritz Foundation's regional grantmaking model.
• The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation: DC-based family foundation supporting youth, education, and community programs in the DC metropolitan area — comparable family-led private foundation with regional focus and multi-pillar grantmaking.
• The Clark-Winchcole Foundation: DC-based private family foundation providing direct services and grants to vulnerable populations in the DC metro area — comparable as a DC-area private family foundation serving community needs through both programs and grants.
• The Eugene M. Meyer Foundation: DC-based private family foundation focused on improving the lives of DC metropolitan area residents through grants in education, community services, and arts — highly comparable in mission, geography, and grantmaking structure to the Cafritz Foundation.
• The Philip L. Graham Fund: DC-area private foundation supporting education, health, and community needs in the Washington region — comparable as a DC-focused private family foundation with similar grantmaking priorities and grant-size approach.
• The de Beaumont Foundation: DC-area private foundation focused on public health and healthy communities — directly comparable as a regional DC-area private foundation, though with thematic concentration on health rather than the Cafritz Foundation's broader five-pillar model.

Regional players

• The Joyce Foundation: Chicago-area private foundation supporting education, workforce, environment, and arts — structurally comparable private family foundation with multi-pillar grantmaking, though serving the Midwest rather than DC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cafritzfdn
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cafritz-Foundation-959925957459106
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-morris-and-gwendolyn-cafritz-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles26 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation