Arlington Awards $1.69M in Grants to Strengthen Community Services
Published on April 27, 2026
On April 22, 2026, the Arlington County Board approved grants totaling $1.69 million to 31 human services nonprofits serving Arlington. This funding was awarded as part of the Fiscal Year 2027 Opportunities Grant Program.
“Challenging financial times are being felt throughout the County. Our Board believes it is important to invest in a robust group of non-profits that serve a broad sector of the population to help address a range of diverse community needs," Arlington County Board Chair Matt de Ferranti said. "That’s why, through the Fiscal Year 2027 Budget process, the Board provided an additional $437,000 in one-time funding to bolster the collective impact these grants will have on the most vulnerable in our community."
The grant program, which seeks to create opportunities for Arlington County residents to thrive while reducing, eliminating, and preventing inequities, received 69 proposals.
Continuing the tradition of involving community members and County staff with both lived and professional experience in the evaluation process, this year’s grant program incorporated review by staff representing nine departments and a variety of areas of subject matter expertise. Three focus groups of volunteer community members also provided feedback on the proposals, identifying community needs and the proposals they believed would result in the most significant community impact.
The awards were made primarily based on evaluation scores, incorporating community-identified funding priorities. With the exception of five larger awards, award amounts were capped at $50,000 in effort to support a broad range of programs. In total, 31 organizations meeting a variety of human services needs received funding through the grant process.
The following table lists the FY 2027 awardees, amounts, and proposal descriptions:
FY 2027 Opportunities Grant Awards
|
Organization
|
Award
|
Focus Area
|
Summary
|
|
Arlington Thrive
|
$43,820
|
Economic Security
|
Emergency financial assistance directly to service providers to cover rent, utilities, medical expenses, moving costs and other needs to help stabilize 200 individuals and families
|
|
Capital Area Food Bank
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
100,000 nutritious meals to approximately 4,800 households (13,400 individuals)
|
|
Edu-Futuro
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
Case management for families in crisis, especially in situations where household members are detained or deported, and support for Edu-Futuro's youth programming, impacting 560 individuals
|
|
Endependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV)
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
Outreach, community navigation, connection, and advocacy for 200 individuals who are Disability+ (people with disabilities or chronic health conditions who are also BIPOC, immigrant, LGBTQIA+, and/or low-income
|
|
Ethiopian Community Development Council (ECDC)
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
Comprehensive, culturally and linguistically appropriate employment services and deeply affordable immigration legal support for 50 refugees
|
|
La Cocina VA DBA Kitchen of Purpose
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
Bilingual training and support in job readiness, social services, and English classes in the food and beverage industry; multiple food assistance initiatives; impacting 650 individuals
|
|
Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV)
|
$100,000
|
Economic Security
|
Providing civil legal advocacy/representation for 375 low-income residents in the areas of domestic violence and family issues, landlord-tenant relations, consumer protection, and employment issues
|
|
Shirlington Employment and Education Center (SEEC)
|
$100,000
|
Economic Security
|
Employment support, including digital literacy and driver's license education, and referrals to critical support services for 800 low-wage day laborers
|
|
The Arc of Northern Virginia
|
$36,111
|
Economic Security
|
Providing life, employment, travel, safety, and digital literacy skill-building programming through outings, workshops, summer camps, and app-based lessons for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their caregivers, and first responders, reaching 300 individuals
|
|
The Clothesline for Arlington Kids
|
$40,000
|
Economic Security
|
Increasing capacity to serve 1,720 children from low-income families with their clothing needs
|
|
The Salvation Army
|
$45,000
|
Economic Security
|
Serving 3,000 individuals through expanded food distribution, including grocery gift cards to allow families to access culturally, medically, or religiously appropriate food
|
|
True Ground Housing Partners
|
$50,000
|
Economic Security
|
Emergency rent relief and bilingual eviction prevention services to approximately 50 households
|
|
1st Road South
|
$50,000
|
Education
|
Summer camp and out-of-school-time programming supporting social-emotional wellness and academics for 40 low-income youth
|
|
703 Warriors
|
$25,000
|
Education
|
High-level soccer and mentorship training for 300 underserved and immigrant youth
|
|
Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC)
|
$50,000
|
Education
|
Academic engagement, digital equity, and postsecondary readiness through out-of-school-time programs for 250 youth and families
|
|
Aspire! Afterschool Learning
|
$100,000
|
Education
|
Daily academic afterschool and summer programs for 150 3rd-8th graders in Arlington provided at no cost to families
|
|
Bridges to Independence
|
$90,000
|
Education
|
Support childcare and spring and summer camp programs offered at Bridges to Independence's shelter and in Green Valley, impacting 125 individuals
|
|
Literacy Council of Northern Virginia, dba English Empowerment Center
|
$50,000
|
Education
|
Support English learning for 150 adults who read, write, speak, or understand English below the 7th grade level
|
|
Literacy Tutoring Collaboration
|
$50,000
|
Education
|
Intensive, consistent, and systematic small group reading instruction to provide critical literacy interventions for 66 Arlington youth
|
|
Read Early and Daily (READ)
|
$42,050
|
Education
|
Distributing culturally relevant books to 350 low-income moms-to-be, including literacy tools
|
|
Arlington Free Clinic
|
$50,000
|
Health
|
Free & charitable health clinic that provides no cost physical and mental health services and low-cost oral health care services to 1,550 low-income, Medicaid ineligible adult residents
|
|
Arlington Neighborhood Village
|
$50,000
|
Health
|
Volunteer-driven network that enables 555 older adults to age safely in their homes by providing the “extra help” a senior needs, such as transportation, errands, home repairs
|
|
Meals on Wheels of Arlington
|
$50,000
|
Health
|
Supporting meals delivered to 24 low-income, homebound adults
|
|
National Capital Treatment and Recovery
|
$40,000
|
Health
|
Health literacy education (group session and one-on-one) for approximately 100 individuals suffering from substance use and co-occurring mental health disorders
|
|
NovaSalud, Inc.
|
$50,000
|
Health
|
Comprehensive HIV/STI prevention program, including outreach, education, testing, linkage to treatment, and treatment retention services reaching 600 individuals
|
|
PathForward, Inc.
|
$50,000
|
Health
|
Expansion of the Mobile Medical Program, including intensive and consistent engagement with 600 adults experiencing homelessness, supporting health needs
|
|
Ayuda
|
$105,069
|
Legal Services or Justice-Involved
|
Free, critical legal and social services to 48 low-income immigrants in Arlington County
|
|
Offender Aid and Restoration of Arlington (OAR)
|
$50,000
|
Legal Services or Justice-Involved
|
Basic needs support for 100 individuals and 30 families impacted by the criminal legal system in Arlington
|
|
Restoration Immigration Legal Aid
|
$50,000
|
Legal Services or Justice-Involved
|
Free immigration legal services to nearly 100 low-income Arlington residents; education in community settings on how to best support immigrant neighbors
|
|
Best Buddies International, Inc.
|
$20,000
|
Social Connections & Community
|
One-to-one friendships, structured social activities, educational events, and leadership training that build confidence, communication, and a sense of belonging, impacting 160 students with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities
|
|
Our Stomping Ground (City Center Nova)
|
$50,000
|
Social Connections & Community
|
Housing navigation, on-site programming, community connection, and advocacy for 34 adults with developmental disabilities
|
Note: During grant agreement negotiations, impact may be adjusted proportionally based on a reduced award from the requested amount.
Read the Board Report to learn more about the FY27 Opportunities Grant process and awardees.