DowntownDC Foundation
1275 K Street NW Suite 1000
Washington DC 20005
(202) 638-3232
foundation@downtowndc.org
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About
Us
Our
Mission
We serve and celebrate our vibrant and diverse DowntownDC community by providing homeless services, revitalizing parks, and enhancing public spaces and experiences.
The Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization created to serve as a vehicle for philanthropic initiatives in the DowntownDC area including:
- Homeless Services: Support and services for individuals experiencing homelessness, including those offered at the Downtown Day Services Center
- Parks and Public Spaces: Improvements and operations of parks (including the new Franklin Park) plazas and other public spaces through infrastructure, public art and other means
- Events and Programming: Cultural and social impact programming, building on existing community offerings
Who
We Are
Resources for the DowntownDC community and public space are currently limited to the DowntownDC BID, the DC Government and National Park Service for federal spaces. The DowntownDC Foundation creates a new way for the private sector, individuals, and non-profit and public sector partners to get involved and join together in support of homeless services, public space revitalization, and cultural and social impact programming in our community.
Our vision of the DowntownDC community is a vibrant, inclusive neighborhood reflective of a world-class destination. We are driven to activate DowntownDC’s unique spaces and enhance a community that meet the needs of our diverse stakeholders – from those experiencing homelessness to our building owners, residents, DowntownDC workforce, and visitors from around the world. We believe that each of these stakeholders plays a vital role in the future of our DowntownDC community and we respect and celebrate the diversity of their background, experience, and perspective. As such, the DowntownDC Foundation does not solicit funds or accept support from organizations or individuals aligned with racial, gender, or sexual discrimination or intolerance.
Our
Vision
The DowntownDC BID
The DowntownDC Business Improvement District (BID) was founded in 1997 as a private non-profit 501c6 organization that provides capital improvements, resources and research that keep the BID area clean, safe, and economically and environmentally strong and accessible. The BID is a catalyst, facilitator and thought leader in diversifying the economy, promoting public/private partnerships and enhancing the downtown experience for all. This special district, where property owners have agreed to tax themselves to fund services, encompasses a 140-block area of approximately 520 properties from Massachusetts Avenue on the north to Constitution Avenue on the south, and from Louisiana Avenue on the east to 16th Street on the west.
The DowntownDC BID employs Safety/Hospitality and Maintenance ambassadors– also known as SAMs– who keep streets clean, safe and friendly and assist residents, workers and visitors with a variety of needs. Administrative and management staff are experienced and knowledgeable individuals who share a passion and vision for improving the physical, economic and social environment in DowntownDC.
The work and impact of the BID is vast and important, but with some major projects on the horizon in 2019, the BID launched a new 501c3 organization dedicated to our community. This was the DowntownDC Foundation.
History of the DowntownDC Foundation
The DowntownDC Foundation in 2019 was launched to the public with a strong and engaged board of directors to support homeless services, parks and public spaces including Franklin Park, and events and programming. The Foundation created a vehicle for philanthropic support locally and beyond the boundary of the DowntownDC BID. At the time, the Downtown Day Services Center had recently opened with support from the DC Government to support individuals experiencing homelessness, and Franklin Park was slated to undergo a major renovation. But months into the Foundation’s operations, COVID-19 emerged. Thankfully, the Foundation was able to quickly pivot to become a crucial resource for supporting vulnerable populations during the pandemic supplying food, winter clothing items and PPE, creating an outdoor weekend services program and providing basic services for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Since then, Franklin Park has reopened to the public, and the Foundation has grown to enhance public spaces, add public art to the community, directly support individuals transitioning out of homelessness and more. With operational support from the BID, all donations received are directed to the Foundation’s program areas, maximizing the impact we can make with each dollar raised.
