Stand with DC Fund
Photo Credit: Erin Morris - CASA and UNITE HERE Local 25 at the We Are All DC March
Recent federal actions represent an unprecedented assault on Washington, DC’s autonomy and the safety of our 700,000+ residents. The deployment of the National Guard, a period of federal control of the DC Metropolitan Police Department, and the withholding of over $1 billion in local funds threaten to undermine DC residents’ congressionally authorized right to self-govern. Additionally, as of September 2025, Congressional Republicans on the House Oversight Committee advanced 14 bills related to Washington, DC, that would significantly limit the city's self-governance.
In response to these actions, a collective of DC-based foundations launched the Stand with DC Emergency Response Fund. ‘Stand with DC' seeks to resource the organizations and coalitions mobilizing immediate interventions to protect our communities and preserve local governance, while developing long-term strategies to prevent federal overreach.
PRIORITIES
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PROTECT VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES: Support for critical legal services for communities facing profiling and illegal searches, including legal counsel, know-your-rights trainings, and legal service referrals. This priority area will also include direct services such as housing, migrant support services, food assistance, youth supports, and mutual aid.
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RESIST THE TAKEOVER: Support for organizing, strategic communications, and public education to counter federal overreach and mobilize grassroots resistance. This includes non-violent and peaceful organizing, engaging local officials, and supporting litigation to advance Home Rule.
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ADVANCE DEMOCRACY IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Support for advocacy, strategic communications, and public education to defend home rule authority, advance statehood for DC, and safeguard local control over budgetary and legislative matters.
THE CRISIS: THREE CRITICAL IMPACTS
The occupation of DC by federal forces in summer 2025 was merely one example of a series of harmful actions that disproportionately harmed the region and its residents across three critical areas:
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ECONOMIC: DOGE cuts to federal jobs hit the region hardest. Cancelled federal contracts and grants disproportionately impact local businesses, nonprofits, and residents, leading to layoffs, closures, and reduced essential services. Declining tourism following federal rhetoric and actions only further exacerbate these economic challenges.
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FISCAL: Despite DC's exceptional fiscal responsibility - maintaining a balanced budget for 20 consecutive years and earning a AAA bond rating for seven straight years - our credit rating was downgraded specifically because Congress blocked access to our own local funds.
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COMMUNITY: The federal occupation has created a climate of fear and abuse, especially for Black and Brown communities. Immigrant workers and long-time residents of the region face profiling and arrest without due process.
DC'S CRISIS IS AMERICA'S CRISIS
DC's crisis is America's crisis—threatening every community's power to advocate for conditions that support their own health and wellbeing. When the federal government overrides local governance in the nation's capital, it sets a dangerous precedent for cities nationwide. With the takeover of DC, the federal government expanded its’ rationale from an “immigration emergency” to a “crime emergency”, targeting the un-housed and Black and Brown youth in low-income neighborhoods. This has been the framework for subsequent incursions in other cities.
The crisis continues and we refuse to stand idle
while our city and its’ residents are under attack.
JOIN US AND STAND WITH DC AND FOR DEMOCRACY
The Stand with DC Fund channels resources to organizations defending our community against federal overreach through three interconnected priorities: protecting targeted communities, resisting the takeover, and advancing democracy in DC. The threats are real and urgent - but DC's response is strong and coordinated. Join us. Your contribution funds immediate protections for targeted residents and the long-term fight for self- governance. Together, we defend our community and our democracy.
CONTACTS
For more information on our grantmaking strategy contact: Dawnn Leary at Dleary@thecommunityfoundation.org.
For grants to the Stand with DC Fund, contact: Chris Howie at Chowie@thecommunityfoundation.org.
