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HERB BLOCK FOUNDATION

Herb Block Foundation

Contact information:
1730 M Street, NW, Suite 901

Washington, DC 20036
Phone: 202-223-8801

Fax: 202-223-8804
Email: info@herbblock.org

Website: http://www.herbblockfoundation.org/

Type of foundation: Independent

Types of grants: Project, general operating, matching.

Description: The Foundation is named for Herb Block, the editorial cartoonist for The Washington Post for over 50 years, who died in October 2001 and left $50 million to create a foundation to encourage the art of editorial cartooning and support charitable and educational programs that advance the causes he championed. The Foundation makes grants in three program areas:

  • Defending Basic Freedoms: Grants are made nationally to safeguard the basic freedoms guaranteed in our Bill of Rights, to help eliminate all forms of prejudice and discrimination, and to assist government agencies to be more accountable to the public.
  • Pathways Out of Poverty: Grants are made only to organizations in the Washington, DC metro area. Grants focus on helping needy young people and adults gain a quality education. For projects serving youth, the Foundation supports initiatives that focus on improving student achievement and healthy development of young people of middle school age and above. Projects may include in-school and community-based educational programs, after-school activities and mentoring programs. For projects serving adults, the Foundation seeks proposals to provide literacy education and GED preparation, and to offer vocational training and job placement.
  • Encouraging Citizen Involvement: Grants are made nationally to projects that focus on citizen education and greater voter participation.

Sample grants:

  • $25,000 to Center for Democracy and Technology (2011).
  • $25,000 to Children’s PressLine, a youth media program based in New York (2008).
  • $20,000 to Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action (2012).
  • $20,000 to Free Minds Book Club and Writing Workshop (Washington, DC) (2011).
  • $15,000 to Demos: A Network for Ideas and Action (2011).
  • $15,000 to Latin American Youth Center (2010).
  • $10,000 to Committee to Protect Journalists (2012).
  • $10,000 to The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (2012).
  • $10,000 to The News Literacy Project (2012).
  • $10,000 to Mentoring Today (Washington, DC) (2012).
  • $10,000 to Literacy Council of Northern Virginia (2011).
  • $10,000 to People’s Production House (Radio Rootz), a youth media organization (2011).
  • $10,000 to Young D.C., a youth-produced newspaper (2008).
  • $10,000 to Fair Elections Legal Network (2011).

Fit for public media: The Foundation has a history of grantmaking to youth media organizations, which could be a fit for media organizations in Washington, DC and around the country. The Foundation’s primary giving areas converge with public media initiatives, including literacy and dropout prevention (Pathways Out of Poverty), engaging citizens around elections (Citizen Engagement) and projects related to government/policy transparency and accountability (Defending Basic Freedoms).

Eligibility: Applicants must be nonprofit organizations classified as 501(c)(3) organizations by the Internal Revenue Service. All applicants for the Pathways Out of Poverty program must be located in and/or provide services in the metro Washington, DC area. The other programs fund nationally. The Foundation will not support capital or endowment programs. No more than 10 percent of a grant may go to indirect costs (outside of those for general operating support).

Deadline: Each program area has an annual deadline. Pathways Out of Poverty is in the winter/spring. Encouraging Citizen Involvement is in the summer. Defending Basic Freedoms is in the fall.

How to apply: Interested applicants should submit a letter of inquiry by U.S. mail. The letter should briefly describe the proposed project's purpose, operation, target audience, timeline, costs and anticipated impacts.

Giving range: $5,000 – $25,000.

Assets: $48,613,568 (year ending 9/30/2011).

Total giving: $1,509,500 (year ending 9/30/2011).