# Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation Eugene & Agnes E. Meyer Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Washington, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation - **Headquarters:** Washington, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** Washington, District of Columbia, United States - **Founded:** 1944 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** meyerfoundation.org - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-eugene-and-agnes-e--meyer-foundation ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About Founded in 1944 by Eugene Meyer — the former Federal Reserve chairman who revived The Washington Post — and his wife Agnes, an author and activist, the Meyer Foundation emerged from one of the 20th century's most consequential media-and-policy families. The endowment was seeded with Post stock, and the founders' daughter, Katharine Graham, later led the newspaper through the Pentagon Papers and Watergate eras. Today the foundation operates independently from the Graham family media holdings, governed by a board chaired by Tram Nguyen. The foundation practices regional place-based grantmaking, concentrating almost entirely on the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. Grants target affordable housing, early-childhood education, workforce development, and healthcare access for economically disadvantaged communities. The foundation does not make program-related investments or run a mission-related portfolio alongside its endowment — it operates as a traditional private foundation distributing roughly 5% of assets annually. Recent multi-year grants have gone to organizations including the DC Fiscal Policy Institute and Fair Budget Coalition, supporting advocacy for equitable budget allocations in the District. With approximately $231 million in assets, the Meyer Foundation operates a lean professional staff from its offices at 1250 H Street NW in downtown Washington. The foundation participates in the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers and is a signatory to Philanthropy's Promise, a commitment by foundations to dedicate a majority of grant dollars to marginalized communities. In 2025, Janice Thomas was named President and CEO, succeeding George L. Askew, who stepped down in late 2024 after a period of board-level leadership transition. The Meyer Foundation's structure as a DC-specific foundation backed by media wealth is unusual among peer foundations in the capital, most of which are either national in scope or tied to technology fortunes. The foundation's singular focus on systems change within a single metro area — rather than direct-service grants or national policy work — creates a concentrated influence profile that local nonprofits rely on for multi-year general operating support, a rare posture in a field dominated by project-based funding. ## Sectors - Affordable Housing & Community Development - Education - Healthcare Services - Workforce Development ## People - Janice Thomas — President and CEO - Tram Nguyen — Chair of the Board of Directors ## Questions ### Who leads the Meyer Foundation's investment and grantmaking strategy? Janice Thomas, who became President and CEO in 2025, oversees the foundation's grantmaking and investment operations. The board of directors, chaired by Tram Nguyen, governs the foundation's strategy and sets grantmaking priorities. The foundation does not employ a separate CIO; a committee of the board oversees the endowment portfolio. ### Where does the Meyer Foundation's wealth originate? The foundation's endowment originated from the estate of Eugene Meyer, who purchased The Washington Post at auction in 1933 and later served as the first president of the World Bank. His wife, Agnes E. Meyer, was a journalist and social activist. The couple's daughter, Katharine Graham, went on to serve as publisher of The Washington Post during the Pentagon Papers and Watergate eras. ### Does the Meyer Foundation operate nationally or concentrate on a specific region? The Meyer Foundation is exclusively focused on the Greater Washington, DC region, including the District of Columbia, suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The foundation does not make grants outside this geographic footprint. All grantmaking is directed at systemic change for economically disadvantaged communities within this metro area. ### Does the Meyer Foundation make impact investments or run mission-related portfolios? The foundation operates as a traditional grantmaking foundation and does not maintain a program-related investment portfolio or an explicit mission-related investment strategy alongside its endowment. Grant dollars are distributed from the traditional investment portfolio, which includes equities, fixed income, mutual funds, and hedge funds. ### How does the Meyer Foundation source its grantee partners? The Meyer Foundation relies on a combination of regional referral networks — including the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers — and direct applications from DC-area nonprofits. The foundation's board and staff have long-standing ties to community development organizations and advocacy groups in the District of Columbia and surrounding counties. ## Related profiles - [Citigroup Post-Retirement Plans](https://altss.com/profile/citigroup-inc-post-retirement-plans) - [Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance](https://altss.com/profile/indiana-farm-bureau-insurance) --- Last updated: 2026-07-06T00:33:14.420Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/eugene-agnes-e-meyer-foundation Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology