2026 Grant Recipients
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Hope & A Home
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KEEN
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Christ Child Society
2026 Community Impact Fund Grantees Celebrate Strong Ties to Montgomery County
This year, the Columbia Foundation’s Community Impact Fund (CIF) is proud to announce a total of $70,000 in grants to three outstanding organizations: Hope & A Home, KEEN, and The Christ Child Society. From the three categories chosen by Club members -- Housing, Health and Wellness, and Family and Child Welfare -- these non-profits were clear stand-outs.
Hope & A Home ($15,000)
Hope and a Home's mission is to empower lower income families with children in the Washington, D.C. area to attain their aspirations. Their mandate is to break the cycle of poverty for qualified families through a series of programs and services, all aimed at helping families create stable homes of their own and to make lasting changes in their lives. The grant will support the housing program and wrap-around services helping to ensure children grow up in safe and stable homes with the resources they need to learn and thrive.
KEEN ($15,000)
KEEN's focus is to empower youth with disabilities and impact volunteer coaches throughout the DMV through participation in free, non-competitive, one-on-one programs of physical activity and fun. These programs support the overall health and well-being of all participants, improving the quality of life for them and their families. KEEN programs help KEEN "athletes", as they engage in various sports activities, to improve their social skills, develop their independence and provide them with a strong inclusive community. This grant will provide additional financial resources to allow KEEN to continue to grow and reach more families in Montgomery County. It will also facilitate new and exciting activities in collaboration with the Best Buddies program aiming to start in the Fall of 2026.
The Christ Child Society ($15,000)
The Christ Child Society of Washington DC, a 135-year-old organization much beloved by many Columbia members, received a grant in the Family & Child Welfare Category. The grant will be used by Christ Child to support its work with CentroNia at the Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center in Silver Spring, MD. Funds received will be applied to expand an early literacy program called “Read to Me” and to provide books, layettes and toddler sacks to families, the vast majority of whom live at or below the federal poverty level.
“After decades of giving small amounts to dozens of local non-profits, the last 5 years have seen the Foundation pivot to a more impactful concept, where larger grants are awarded to a few nonprofits. With Columbia members choosing the giving categories each year, this program is truly Club homegrown.”
“The CIF Committee worked hard to narrow down the list of winners. We were impressed with the quality of each applicant as well as the specific projects to be funded. Each grantee demonstrated its strong nexus to Montgomery County.”