The Richard E. & Nancy P. Marriott Foundation is dedicated to uplifting communities in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area through strong, innovative partnerships. The Foundation focuses on helping youth secure a promising future through early childhood education, mentoring, and youth leadership programs, and supports organizations that offer relief from hunger and homelessness, provide prospects for people to lead healthy lives, and create gainful employment opportunities for vulnerable youth and adults.
The Richard E. and Nancy P. Marriott Foundation awards approximately 150 grants totaling $1.8 million annually across two main program areas: Education and Human Services. In Education, the Foundation invests in early childhood development, recognizing the critical importance of a child’s first five years for future learning success, and supports high-quality Pre-K programs aimed at closing the achievement gap between low-income children and their more affluent peers. In the Human Services area, the focus is on ensuring that individuals have access to food, a safe home, and productive employment, with special attention on partnerships that provide job training, employment counseling, and opportunities within the hospitality and technology industries for sustainable community strength. The Foundation typically supports general operations with grant requests advised to be in the $5,000-$10,000 range for first-time applicants.