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HOUSING JUSTICE IS LONG OVERDUE

WE KNEW FROM THE START THAT TO TAKE FLIGHT, WE ALL NEED FUEL

This core value is at the heart of Flock’s birdSEED philanthropic giving initiative.

Good citizenship and bold contributions to community are part of our wing print. Our giving began 13 years ago with our time. Indeed, it was all we had to spare. We helped build playgrounds, plant gardens, serve meals, and sort clothing. We have (and still) wander the streets with trash bags and lend our spaces to those who have needed to gather, plot, and plan for a better world.

Later, we added a microgrant program designed to support the activists and entrepreneurs among us so ideas could soar. We’ve provided funds with few strings and an indifference to credentials and tax status. We leaned into the passion and grit our incredible applicants brought to the table.

We wanted to do more and give more, in order to work towards a future we'd be proud to be a part of and honored to help build.

And so began our work on housing justice and our latest, most ambitious steps to support home buying for our Black and Brown neighbors in the District. We wanted to take our giving one step further and contribute to reparative justice in an industry that has historically purposefully excluded our BIPOC neighbors. And we don't need it to take ages because enough time has passed already. We lean into rapid philanthropy and get money into the hands of people the day they close on their forever homes. These are the seeds we are planting today for a more just future.

We hope you join us. We have a lot of work to do.

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 + CEO, The Greater Washington Community Foundation

reparative justice

The making of amends for a wrong one has done,
by paying money to or otherwise helping those who have been wronged.

About

Our housing justice program offers down payment grants to qualifying BIPOC first time home buying residents in the DC and Philadelphia areas. Awards range from $5,000 to $15,000 and grants are made multiple times per year until funds are expended.

The application/review process is straight forward and uncomplicated.

Our Board of Advisors reviews applications, interviews finalists and identifies grantees. This is a partnership with the Greater Washington Community Foundation who supports the administrative complexity so we can very simply help people buy homes. *

Applicants must identify as one of the following: American Indian, Indigenous, Alaska Native, Asian, Pacific Islander, Black, African American, Hispanic or Latinix birdSEED has made 29 provisional grants to date. The total grant pool available was $215,000. Additional funds have been raised from supportive community members who shared our vision of simple, no strings financial down payment grants that accelerate the home buying process. If you are positioned to give, please do. Needs are great, resources are limited and your help is essential.

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