Foundation Facts

• Created in 2007 by the Arlington City Council.
• Since inception, more than $41 million has been contributed to almost 500 projects or programs.
• We are a public charity serving Arlington exclusively.
• Our mission is to contribute to a thriving Arlington.
• The issues we engage in are centered on people and neighborhoods, nature and animals and programs which enhance the lifestyle and culture of the city.
• We are a segregated, permanent endowment with grants made from earnings on our investments.
• The City of Arlington capped its $100 million in contributions to Foundation's corpus in 2014.
• The Foundation targets more than 76% of annual funding to help underwrite large grants which promise to have a large impact on the city and its citizens. Generally, projects in this category have a grant floor of $75,000 and may include support for capital and new programming efforts.
• Recognizing the importance of ongoing programs which enrich and serve the people of Arlington, the Foundation typically targets 13% of funding for smaller grants with a grant floor of $5,000; ten percent of earnings will focus on underwriting City of Arlington endeavors.
• The Foundation generally requires a financial match and/or sweat equity component as consideration for any grant awarded.
• The full process from submitting an initial Letter of Inquiry to final grant consideration, may take up to four to six months.
• Our procedures begin with a Letter of Inquiry and, with board approval, a final application would complete the review process.
• The Citizens Advisory Committee reviews all Letters of Inquiry and final applications and forwards recommendations to the Foundation board for final approval.