The Direct Community Investments (DCI) Department partners with government and private entities and individuals to rapidly deploy financial assistance to vulnerable families and small businesses. The department was born out of local governments and philanthropists needing assistance deploying public Cares Act and other public and private funds as quickly as possible to meet immediate and pressing needs brought on by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

In 2020 alone LEDC administered the rapid deployment of over $10MM financial assistance grants to over 1,500 families and small businesses. During the first quarter of 2021, the DCI team is slated to rapidly deploy over $45MM in collaboration with local government entities in Washington, DC and Maryland.

The DCI team works with government funders and private philanthropists/entities in the design of efficient applications that minimize applicant burden; custom software that allows for the collection and processing of applications and live, continually updated reporting; and the rapid transfer of funds to grant recipients within short time horizons.

The funds administered by the DCI team also cut across fields of expertise and include funds with a focus on housing, health, and small business and nonprofit operations.

Government and philanthropic entities interested in learning more and/or partnering with LEDC can contact us here.

• If you are an individual or small business owner looking for assistance, please click here to visit our comprehensive listing of COVID-related resources provided by different agencies in the DMV region.