population-scope: Regional

Encore Learning

EIN: 55-0848376

Mission Statement

Encore Learning offers academic, non-credit, daytime courses, lectures, special events, and activities to help meet the continuing education and social needs of any interested persons over fifty years of age.

Program Summary

Encore Learning is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2002. We help meet the continuing educational and social interests of anyone over age 50, regardless of residence location, by offering: a wide variety of noncredit courses, specialty clubs, wide-ranging special events, and enjoyable social activities. Through courses and other activities, members explore and share new ideas and develop new friendships inside and outside of classrooms.

Classes, clubs and events are either held in-person or virtually, with in-person courses primarily taking place at George Mason University in Arlington. Encore Learning has more than 150 volunteers each year who plan and teach courses, coordinate clubs and events, and engage in outreach.

What ways can the public get involved?

Encore Learning hosts the free to the public Encore Learning Presents on Mondays at 3:00 PM. These regular events are cosponsored by Arlington Public Library. Encore Learning Presents includes public lectures, panels, and film screenings. The semi-annual Course Preview is a free event introducing each semester. There are numerous volunteer opportunities to get involved and bring quality educational and social opportunities to people over 50.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations to Encore Learning support the general operating functions of this small volunteer driven nonprofit. Contributions help us reach more people who can benefit from the quality educational and social opportunities. Encore Learning provides scholarships for low-income members and brings quality presentations to the public.

Information provided March 2026

Reading is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc

EIN: 51-0155758

Mission Statement

Books change lives! The mission of RIF NOVA — Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia — is to help improve children’s lives by providing books to build home libraries — a key metric to reading success. A new 5-year study published in 2026 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that books in home libraries make a huge difference to reading success, independent of economic status. Children who have books at home are more likely to read for enjoyment, build stronger literacy skills, and achieve greater academic success.  

Program Summary

RIF NOVA is an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides books for underserved children at 30+ schools and sites in the City of Alexandria and in Arlington, Fairfax, and Prince William counties. The organization has served the Northern Virginia community since 1972, during which time it has provided hundreds of thousands of books to area children, including many who have few – to even no – books in their homes.

Books for Keeps Program — Each year, RIF NOVA raises funds to purchase new books-of-their-own-choosing for 20,000+ children at several early childhood education centers and Title 1 schools. Each child served is able to choose at least one book to take home annually; important because children who choose their own books are three times more likely to be frequent readers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, “The only behavior measure that correlates significantly with reading scores is the number of books in the home.” The RIF NOVA Books for Keeps Program begins to address this critical need.

Donated Books Program — During the pandemic when schools, school libraries, and public libraries were closed, RIF NOVA began a Donated Books Program to provide additional reading materials to children throughout our community. As of September 2026, the program had collected over 65,000 new and almost-new books for redistribution – not only to established RIF NOVA schools and sites but also to additional community partners and schools seeking reading materials for children and families.

Authors in Our Schools Program — This program brings authors and illustrators to RIF NOVA-supported schools to present about their books. Authors/illustrators engage students in the entire book process — from thinking of the idea to completing the finished product — and encourage them to take part in interactive programming throughout the presentations. Each student participant is able to take home an original autographed book, adding to the excitement of the event.

STEAM It Up! — In partnership with local business partners, this program was created to provide local students with age-appropriate books and hands-on STEAM activities, In the three years since its launch, projects have included building a maze, harmonica, bridge, working flashlight, or a Caesar cipher to learn elementary coding and decoding. All participants have been able to choose a STEAM-relevant book for keeps.

Impact Statement

A March 2023 Topic Paper from Scholastic noted that the likelihood of being on track in literacy and numeracy “almost doubled if at least one book was available in a student’s home.” RIF NOVA’s programs ensure that children in the schools we serve get at least one book every year from Pre-K to 6th grade and, thus, the opportunity over the course of their school years to build a home library. On this, the Scholastic paper noted: “Children in homes with more extensive home libraries read more, have higher-level reading skills, and attain more years of education overall than those with access to fewer books, even after controlling for parental education level.” The paper continued: “Increasing children’s access to books correlates to ‘dramatically positive effects’ on reading growth and achievement.” An in-depth 5-year study published in 2026 in the PNAS further validates the impact of books in home libraries on reading success, independent of economic circumstances. 

The work of RIF NOVA – to provide at least one book annually to each child we serve and build, over the course of time, a home book library – is helping children to read – and succeed – in school and well beyond.

What ways can the public get involved?

Members of the public can help RIF NOVA to do its work in three major ways: Giving funding, giving time, and giving books. 

Giving funding: Our most pressing need each year is to raise funds to purchase new books for 20,000+ underserved children at Title 1 schools and at several early childhood centers in Northern Virginia. Members of the public can help with this need by giving donations themselves, helping to identify and connect with potential donors (individuals, foundations, businesses, etc.), providing hands-on help with fundraising activities such as a biannual 5K, and helping to communicate the dire need for books for children in the NOVA community. We are particularly seeking business partners for funding and to develop and co-sponsor literacy-related programming that engages children in reading.

Giving time: Among those needed are volunteers with backgrounds or skills in fundraising, event planning, social media expansion, program development, grant writing, nonprofit leadership, and community engagement. Time contributions can range from helping with a specific project to joining our board for a more sustained commitment. Anyone with these skills or interests is encouraged to contact RIF NOVA at our email address: info@rifnova.org. We are particularly seeking committed volunteers to join our board. 

Giving books: RIF NOVA augments its new book purchases by soliciting new and very gently (like new) used books from the community through book drives organized by individuals, businesses, and organizations. Volunteers are also needed to organize new/gently used book drives, to sort books for quality, and to help transport and distribute books at schools and community events.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Every $4.00 donation purchases one book for one child. The cost to provide one book each for 20,000+ children means an annual need to raise over $80,000 for our Books for Keeps program alone. Additional funding supports expanding special programming, including STEAM It Up! and Authors in Our Schools. Contributions to the Authors program can be used to bring local authors to schools for on-site visits, along with books signed by the author for each student participant. Donations to STEAM It Up! provide a hands-on STEAM activity and a STEAM-relevant book for each participating child. Additional funding is also used to increase the number of books given to each child annually or to increase the number of schools participating in RIF NOVA programming. 

The all-volunteer board that raises funds and administers book distribution programming is not paid. Mandatory expenses (such as insurance, tax preparation, etc.) are kept to an absolute minimum and totaled six percent of expenses, as noted in our most recent tax filing.

Information provided September 2026

Arlington Chorale

EIN: 54-0830790

Mission Statement

​The Arlington Chorale creates a rich musical experience for its singers and the community by performing well-known masterpieces and compelling new works.

Program Summary

​The Arlington Chorale is a 501c3 nonprofit, auditioned, multi-generational chorus based in Arlington, Virginia, with singers drawn from across Northern Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Founded in 1966, the Chorale presents high-quality performances that combine enduring masterpieces, compelling contemporary music, and newly commissioned works that are often centered on themes that build empathy, strengthen civic connection, and foster a sense of belonging.

The Arlington Chorale is deeply committed to supporting and engaging with our local community. Through the power of music, we build strong partnerships with other non-profit organizations and collectively amplify our impact. We’ve organized holiday events for the refugee community, offered free tickets to underprivileged groups, and nurtured service-oriented values in our youth ensemble to leave a positive and lasting impact on the Arlington community.

The Arlington Chorale not only enhances the community artistically by performing great music, it also changes lives by giving members a space to engage in teamwork and interact socially with one another. Recent studies have shown that choral singers are good citizens. They are significantly more likely to report regularly voting, reading books and newspapers, donating money to charities and other causes, and serving as officers of civic organizations. A large majority of choral singers credit their chorus experience as key to their team participation or leadership abilities, and with helping them to better socialize in other areas of their lives.

​​Building on over sixty years of choral art, the Chorale continues to present ambitious programming, rehearsing and performing primarily in Arlington. Choral singing builds community, providing a space for members to work toward a common artistic goal as they create, connect, and sing together.

Impact Statement

The Arlington Chorale strives to respond to a clear community need: Northern Virginia is vibrant and growing, yet many residents experience isolation, cultural disconnection, and barriers to participating in the arts due to cost, transportation, and limited access to high-quality live performances. The Arlington Chorale addresses these needs by offering enriching musical experiences that bring people together across backgrounds and generations, creating shared spaces where community members can gather, reflect, and feel connected through music.

In the 2024-2025 season, the Arlington Chorale presented four concerts and several other performances in Arlington and Alexandria, serving over 2,000 attendees.

What ways can the public get involved?

There are several ways to be involved with the Arlington Chorale! The first is to attend a concert. Information can be found on our website.

The Arlington Chorale is a community chorus and welcomes new members! If you would like to sing with the group, please reach out to Artistic Director Dr. Ingrid Lestrud at ingrid@arlingtonchorale.org.

Additionally, the Chorale supports a youth ensemble, Performers With Purpose. Designed for youth ages 11-18, this group uses choral music to serve their community in unique ways. Each season, these young singers partner with local non-profit organizations to learn about the group’s mission, engage in service projects, and use choral music to raise awareness for the partner organization. Those interested in joining Performers With Purpose should reach out to Ingrid Lestrud at ingrid@arlingtonchorale.org.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations help us expand our outreach in Arlington and continue providing high quality musical experiences for our singers and audience members. We support the artistic community as we hire soloists, instrumentalists, commission new works, and pay our staff. Without being able to cover programming expenses, the Arlington Chorale would not be able to carry out its mission.

Photo of the Arlington chorale performing

Information provided March 2026

ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV)

EIN: 54-1302368

Mission Statement

Empowering People with Disabilities to Live Independently. 

The ENDependence Center of Northern Virginia (ECNV) is a community resource and advocacy center run by and for persons with disabilities. ECNV’s mission is to END dependence by empowering people with disabilities to live independently. We are a cross-disability organization and work with people of all ages who have every type of disability. ECNV’s experience is extensive in peer-lead advocacy and support. We can bring best practices, strategies, success stories, and firsthand experiences to the table related to how peer-led advocacy can effectively empower people with disabilities (PWD) and promote self-advocacy.

Program Summary

ECNV is peer-led by people with disabilities, including staff, volunteers, and the Board of Directors, who have unique perspectives and understandings of living in the world with a disability. 

We offer:

Impact Statement

Our workshops equip participants with practical life skills and navigating daily challenges with greater ease. ECNV mentorship programs establish connections, provide guidance, and encourage personal growth. Collaboration with the community, schools, and our outreach efforts break down societal barriers, promoting understanding and acceptance.

What ways can the public get involved?

Volunteering/mentoring opportunities and donating gently used Durable Medical Equipment to our DME closet. Corporate sponsorships.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Donations go to our general operating funds used to continue to provide support and services for people with disabilities.

Photo of the END dependence staff

Information provided March 2026

National Capital Treatment and Recovery

EIN: 54-0805530

Mission Statement

To save lives and heal communities touched by substance use disorders.

VISION

Communities free from the pain and suffering associated with substance misuse.

Program Summary

National Capital Treatment & Recovery (NCTR) helps individuals and families affected by substance use disorders build a path toward lasting recovery. Serving Arlington and the greater Washington, D.C., region since 1962, we provide personalized, evidence-based care through residential treatment, outpatient services, medication-assisted treatment, and support for co-occurring mental health conditions. Our programs combine counseling, medical care, practical recovery skills, and connections to community resources. We meet each person with compassion and respect, helping them access the appropriate level of care and navigate financial assistance when eligible.

Impact Statement


Recovery changes lives, strengthens families, and benefits our entire community. In 2025, National Capital Treatment & Recovery served 4,173 patients through residential and outpatient programs, while our Welcome Center received 9,809 calls from people seeking help. Behind those numbers are individuals taking steps toward better health, renewed relationships, and greater stability. By combining compassionate treatment with practical support, we help patients develop the skills and connections needed to sustain recovery. Our work advances a community where people affected by substance use disorders can find care, dignity, and hope for the future.

What ways can the public get involved?


Everyone can play a part in supporting recovery. Individuals, businesses, and community groups can make a one-time or monthly donation, attend or sponsor NCTR events, join Friends of Nat Cap, or contact us about volunteer opportunities. Supporters can also give through donor-advised funds, gifts of stock, and planned gifts. Sharing our resources and helping reduce the stigma surrounding substance use disorders are meaningful ways to connect more people with care. To explore giving, sponsorship, or community involvement, contact Jacob Parcell at Jparcell@natcaptreatment.org.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Your donation helps remove the financial and practical barriers that can stand between a person and recovery. Charitable gifts support:

Together, these gifts help people access care, stay engaged in treatment, and move forward with dignity.

Information provided September 2026

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA)

EIN: 83-3874634

Mission Statement

Restoration Immigration Legal Aid (RILA) is an Arlington-based non-profit that provides pro bono immigration legal representation and consultation for some of the most vulnerable immigrants in Northern Virginia, focusing on asylum-seekers and immigrant children.

Program Summary

RILA supports immigrants in our community by providing excellent pro bono legal assistance to those who are most vulnerable and have the fewest resources.  Focusing on asylum law and procedure, RILA comes alongside asylum-seekers, all of whom have fled life-threatening situations in their countries of origin, to guide them through the application process for asylum and represent them in immigration court. RILA also represents children and youth who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned by a parent, petitioning for Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status. Each of our cases is a years long process. During that time we obtain work permits for our clients, allowing individuals to reliably support their families.

In January of 2025, RILA added a Know Your Rights program in which we offer seminars virtually and/or in person to serve and inform immigrants and their families and community members in the Northern Virginia area. By partnering with local organizations, schools, and churches, we are sharing vital information with some of our area’s most vulnerable neighbors–immigrants and their families.

Impact Statement

RILA has demonstrated success in achieving significant, life-changing results for our clients with a 73% success rate for securing grants of asylum or some other type of humanitarian legal status for our clients. We have successfully obtained approval in 99% of our SIJS cases for children and teens who were abused or abandoned by a parent.

Over the past year, RILA managed a caseload of roughly 1,000 clients and assisted another 1,100 people by providing information and referrals. Since our founding, we have helped 134 individuals win asylum, allowing them to rebuild their lives in the United States in safety. RILA also assisted 264 children and teens in petitioning for and obtaining Special Immigrant Juvenile (SIJ) status, a pathway to legal permanent residence for young people who have experienced parental abuse, abandonment or neglect. And RILA obtains work permits for its clients, allowing individuals to reliably support their families.

What ways can the public get involved?

RILA makes space for people in Arlington from diverse backgrounds to work together to support, listen and give. We employ an innovative clinic model that integrates RILA staff, volunteers, local partner organizations and clients all working together. Volunteers can:

Attorneys can write legal briefs or represent clients at the asylum office or in Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court. Attorneys with daytime flexibility can also accompany RILA clients to ICE check-ins and other appointments with DHS. 

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Information provided March 2026

Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA)

EIN: 54-0603502

Mission Statement

Improve the lives of animals and people by providing resources, care, and protection.

Program Summary

What We Do

Impact Statement

The Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA) provides animal adoption and community programs to the Northern Virginia and D.C. Metropolitan area, as well as animal rescue, control, and wildlife services within Arlington County. For more than 80 years, AWLA has remained committed to its mission to improve the lives of animals and the people who love them by providing resources, care, and protection.

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

AWLA recognizes the value of a dollar and thoughtfully uses every donation to further the shelter’s mission to improve the lives of animals (and the people who love them). Impartial third-party organizations including Charity Navigator and Guidestar rate AWLA highly for financial health, accountability and transparency with four-stars and a Platinum rating respectively. AWLA’s annual financial statements are available to the public on our website.

Information provided March 2025

True Ground Housing Partners (formerly APAH)

EIN: 54-1414133

Mission Statement

We exist to provide quality affordable housing and resident-centered programming to help our residents make the most of their home.

Program Summary

At True Ground, we believe that hope, like a home, needs nurturing and care. With housing access becoming harder than ever, we’re dedicated to building hope and opportunities for those feeling left out.

True Ground is your pathway and partner, guiding you from the dream of a home to making it a reality. We are committed community builders, breaking down barriers and providing the support needed to turn aspirations into secure, comfortable apartment homes. Building is challenging work, but True Ground is innovative and resourceful in addressing these challenges. We are not just building homes; we are changing the landscape for affordable housing, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to live in a safe and welcoming community.

Specifically, our resident services program is centered around a mission to provide assistance to all True Ground residents, helping them maintain stability and achieve their dreams. This is achieved through four programmatic pillars: housing stability; economic mobility; health and wellness and senior support; and children, youth and families. An affordable home provides a firm foundation for individuals and families to put roots down in their community, to foster meaningful relationships, to access local resources, and to achieve their self-identified goals.

Impact Statement

True Ground’s vision guides our work: Everyone deserves a place to call home – a foundation to live their dreams.

Our growing Resident Services program and regional real estate development projects positively impact the resilient, diverse populations that True Ground serves.

What ways can the public get involved?

True Ground accepts charitable and in-kind donations as a charitable nonprofit organization.

Volunteers are critical to our regular operations; they help with supplemental nutrition distribution, after-school activities, community-building events, and much more.

Neighbors and housing advocates can support local initiatives that advance affordable housing priorities in their communities

How are charitable dollars spent? Where does my donation go?

Philanthropic funding at True Ground supports our mission to provide affordable housing in the region and resident-centered programming to benefit those who call our communities home. Our resident services program is funded entirely through philanthropic gifts like yours.

Information provided March 2026