DOWN PAYMENT GRANTS
Our housing justice program offers down payment grants to qualifying first-time home-buying residents in the DC & Philadelphia areas. Awards range from $5,000 to $20,000, and grants are made two times per year until funds are expended. Our application for our spring 2026 round is open with the deadline of March 31. We will review applications in early April and make grant awards by April 30. Our fall deadling is September 30 and we will make fall awards by October 30.
The Road to Justice 2026
An Evening of Film, Dialogue & Housing Justice
​​Following our impactful 2023 event, birdSEED invites you to a special encore screening of the 31-minute documentary, The Road to Justice. Join us for a powerful evening featuring a post-screening discussion with Executive Producer and birdSEED National Board Member André Robert Lee, focused on recognition, reconciliation, and the path to equity.
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When: May 4, 2026 | 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
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Where: Woolly Mammoth Theater, Washington, D.C.
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Featuring: Presentation of the Nest Housing Justice Award to Leadership Greater Washington
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Support the Movement​
Your contribution directly funds "no-strings" grants that make homeownership a reality for our community, helping to close the racial wealth gap
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Purchase Tickets: Register Now
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Become a Sponsor: Partner with us at the Platinum, Gold, Silver, or Bronze level to receive VIP tickets, marketing recognition, and more.
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For sponsorship inquiries, contact Leslie Case at leslie@birdseed.org.
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We are proud to partner with Flock and welcome birdSEED into the Greater Washington Community Foundation family. This program comes at a time when our region, and our nation, is reckoning with its past and searching for solutions to address the history of discriminatory policies that Black and Brown folks have endured in our communities. We look forward to working with our community to grow the seed of this work to a scale that matches the disparities we see and the aspirations we share for a racially equitable and just region.
tonia wellons
President and CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation